Today: First time shooting BP
- Thread starter kwmack
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- Not really sure.
There is no going back now, Black powder is an amazing hobby. Congrats.
It really is a lot of fun. There is just something in the boom, the flame, and the smoke; that satisfies my inner Woodsman. I actually have more BP guns than the heathen smokeyless kind. Just wait till you ring the 1000 yd gong with a 535gn out of a 45/70, loaded with Holy Black, for the first time. I'm teaching my oldest son the ways of the Holy Black right now, so that he can use my Kentucky Flintlock for the primitive weapon season this year.
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Once you learn how and get them seasoned, two maybe three patches, down the spout, and about 5 minutes wipe down at the end of the day.
Pedersoli Kentucky Long Rifle, .50 cal, Flintlock. I've had it for a long time, my very first BP gun and it still looks so nice up on the wall.
- Location
- Not really sure.
Once you learn how and get them seasoned, two maybe three patches, down the spout, and about 5 minutes wipe down at the end of the day.
Pedersoli Kentucky Long Rifle, .50 cal, Flintlock. I've had it for a long time, my very first BP gun and it still looks so nice up on the wall.
Beautiful rifle there, just can't go wrong with a Pedersoli, love my 1762 grice Bess.
You won't regret it if you take it up! I think today was the most fun I've ever had shooting
Water in some way is the solvent of choice for cleaning black powder or the substitutes. It can be a full on flood if you have a gun which is easy to remove the barrel. Or if you have one that is not easily broken down (ie: Hopkins and Allen underhammer like I've got) then just a half dozen to 8 wet patches generally does the trick. Then a couple of dry patches and an oiled patch with some Ballistol on it. I make it quite generously oily so it really coats the bore. Finally a dry patch to remove the excess oil and it's done. A pipe cleaner to poke the touch hole of a flintlock or remove the nipple on a cap lock so the passage gets flushed clean at the same time.
If you're a clever sort you quicly develop some tricks and shortcuts for each smoker you have. Each one is a bit different so you soon end up with a few widgets and gizmos to handle them all.
For example the cap and ball revolvers were a royal paint in the patootie until I got the bright idea of using a little bundle of pipe cleaners bent into a "J to scrub out the chambers in the cylinder. This worked so well that I can do a short cleaning (where I don't break down the action) in about 15 minutes per gun. It might even be a touch less if I'm pushing a bit.
I think that the inlines are even easier. Don't most of them have a removable primer or cap plug in the rear that screws out easily? Then it's just a nice easy push thru?
