Cleaning after the day's shooting

[Naphtali]

My cervical spinal fusions have finally healed enough that I can begin to begin shooting again. During that process a question occurred that pertains only to cap lock Sharps reproductions, not 1874 cartridge rifles: How often do you remove your rifle's wood from barreled receiver when cleaning the rifle after a day's shooting?

Shiloh actions are significantly simplified compared with Italian reproductions, plus they have closer tolerances where breech block meets receiver. These Shiloh features should translate to easier, perhaps less complex cleaning procedure.

 

[sharps59]

once a year in nov. unless it rained

 

[Jimster]

Hardly ever. I've heard of powder getting between the fore end and metal but mine (Pedersoli 1859 Infantry Rifle) has not done so.

 

[whughett]

Haven't fired a long gun in years now, just cap pistols now, but when I did in the past, the TC Cherokee was dismantled after the season as far as I could take it. That was necessary to submerge the nipple end in a bucket of hot soapy water and use a tight fitting patch at the muzzle as a pump piston to flush the barrel. The two in-lines of course were much simpler to clean removing the stock was unnecessary.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

IF the rifle has a hooked breech, and the barrel is held in by "wedges" or "keys", then you can remove the barrel without trouble. It's meant to work that way, the barrel coming off to clean, BUT you don't necessarily have to do that each cleaning.
If, as in the majority of my guns and rifles, the barrels are pinned into the stock, then I don't remove the barrel to inspect for rust except as mentioned above..., once a year or if I've been out in the rain. IF as with one of my poorboys, the tang screw is not a bolt that attaches to the trigger assembly or the trigger guard, but is actually a wood screw..., I must be very very careful I don't strip out the wood where that screw sits...so again, only once a year (if then). Watered patches that are very wet will do quite well with cleaning. IF for some reason such as I fired a lot of blanks while talking to tourists at a historic site..., I have a very small tea kettle and the spout allows me to do a controlled pour of a lot of water down a very very dirty barrel. You can often find watering cans with tiny spouts in the gardening department at the local home improvement, warehouse store.

LD