BP cleaning question

H Wally

H Wally

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As an inexperienced bp enthusiast, I'm wondering about part of my cleaning method.

Whenever I clean my blackpowder cap and ball rifle I take out the nipple to clean the gun. I find I just can't get it clean otherwise.

I was told that I shouldn't remove the nipple every time or else I'd eventually wear out the threading in the barrel....

Now, maybe it's the wrong logic, but I'm more worried about leaving huge amount of fouling packed into the back of the barrel.

So, how often do you remove the nipple on your bp cap and ball rifle?
 
I've been told to use teflon tape on the threads of nipples. Protects the threads and eases the removal and replacement of the nipples.
 
The nipples are made of very hard material. I would think that if your rifle was passed down through four or five generations of your family and if everyone removed and replaced the nipple when cleaning it that you would not "wear it out". It is much more important to have any BP rifle clean...very clean. I have used teflon tape as well as the new lube used on breechplugs of the modern in-line muzzle loaders.
 
When my kids were competing in BP, they were they were shooting/cleaning at least 3 times a week, and always removing the nipples. We just used a dab of anti-seize on them. Teflon tape is a PITA and doesn't really protect the threads any better than anti-seize.
 
there's a couple of schools of thought- 1- run a wire through the hole in the nipple to ensure a clear path for the flame to follow
typically, a paper clip unbent will do-
2 take out the nipple and clean it- this has a couple of advantages- 1 it's "easier" and if there's any corrosion/rust /gunk in the threads , you can clean that out as well- BEFORE IT RUSTS THE NIPPLE TO THE BARREL AND YOU CAN'T MOVE IT
we all know how easy it is to rust these guns with genuine black powder- i take mine one step further- find out what thread your nipples are and get a tap and die in that threading- then all you have to do is watch you don't cross-thread the nipple( lots of people have ruined m/ls by doing that) - i always put a thin film of GREASE on the threads- the high temp stuff- you're alright as long as you don't pollute the flame pathway-
i clean all my m/ls with a lot of hot water and soap with a hose attached to the kitchen sink- and the nipple off allows a free flow - leave the nipple on, and you get a restriction so the barrel fills up in no time and you can't use water pressure to really clean that barrel- i use 3f and you should see the CRAP that flows out - when the water is clear, then i go in with the mops, bore cleaner, etc- then blow it out from the touch-hole with compressed air until it's clean
 
I always remove the flash hole from my flintlock(same as removeing the nipple) after every shooting session, at least by the end of the day.
After scrubbing everything out with v hot soapy water, I dry it all down adn lube everything with bore butter, including threads of the flash hole.
I don't like the idea of using petroleum based products or solutions for modern guns, I use bore butter for everything.
I would be surprised if you were able to remove the nipple at all after a couple of sessions with real black powder without cleaning the nipple and threads.
I liberally coat all parts(bore butter won't hurt the wood) before storage, and I patch it out again before loading my 1st shot.
 
I shoot BP pyrodex and smokeless muzzleloaders and always remove the nipple or breechplug when cleaning except with my BP snider rifle as it's a cartidge gun the firing pin assembly keeps pretty clean. A small amount of good nipple lube will prevent problems and as long as you don't over torque you should be fine. I'd be more scared of thread damage due to BP creeping into the threads and seizing which would cause them to gall upon removal.
 
t-star said:
there's a couple of schools of thought- 1- run a wire through the hole in the nipple to ensure a clear path for the flame to follow
typically, a paper clip unbent will do-
2 take out the nipple and clean it- this has a couple of advantages- 1 it's "easier" and if there's any corrosion/rust /gunk in the threads , you can clean that out as well- BEFORE IT RUSTS THE NIPPLE TO THE BARREL AND YOU CAN'T MOVE IT
we all know how easy it is to rust these guns with genuine black powder- i take mine one step further- find out what thread your nipples are and get a tap and die in that threading- then all you have to do is watch you don't cross-thread the nipple( lots of people have ruined m/ls by doing that) - i always put a thin film of GREASE on the threads- the high temp stuff- you're alright as long as you don't pollute the flame pathway-
i clean all my m/ls with a lot of hot water and soap with a hose attached to the kitchen sink- and the nipple off allows a free flow - leave the nipple on, and you get a restriction so the barrel fills up in no time and you can't use water pressure to really clean that barrel- i use 3f and you should see the CRAP that flows out - when the water is clear, then i go in with the mops, bore cleaner, etc- then blow it out from the touch-hole with compressed air until it's clean
Click to expand...

Good advice, except keep in mind that Pyrodex may foul less than black powder but is MORE corrosive as it leaves more salt behind.
Coppercoat is the best protective / antiseize compound yet I have used for all of the small screws on black powder guns with excellent results.
I would also suggest keeping a few spare nipple or two for any precussion gun. When a nipple gets loose - replace it with a new one.
And don't overtighten them. Finger tight then turn with light pressure on the nipple wrench until there is resistance. Less than 2 lb. pressure should seat a nipple nicely.
 
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