Removing the breechplug for cleaning?

[John C]

I inherited an Antonio Zoli 1863 Zouave rifle from the father of a good friend of mine. I've been shooting BP revolvers for a while now, and know how to shoot and clean them, but not BP rifles. How often do I need to take out the breech plug for cleaning? Every time, or just sometimes?

I know that with inline hunting rifles, you're supposed to pull the breech plug and clean every 3-5 shots, but this seems excessive.

Thanks,

-John

 

[Prairie Dawg]

You never have to remove the breechplug on a standard muzzleloader.
--Dawg

 

[mykeal]

Dawg's right. Never. Black powder fouling is completely soluble in plain water.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I have a smokepole that was shot for years. The breechplug was pulled to reblue it and there was some fouling, but it wasn't bad at all.

 

[davepool]

If it's really crudy and hasn't been cleaned in a long time, you can get a brass fouling scraper and run it down the bore. If it has a breech chamber, find the appropriate sized bronze bore brush, wrap a patch around it and clean that way.

Normal cleaning with hot soapy water usually eliminates the need for this process

 

[Mk VII]

Doing it on a frequent basis can make the threads sloppy to the point where the seal is no longer gas-tight.

 

[Zeke/PA]

Doing it on a frequent basis can make the threads sloppy to the point where the seal is no longer gas-tight.

Also the plug will get to a point where the "flats" on the barrel and plug will be misaligned.

 

[John C]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your replies. A buddy of mine who shoots a inline rifle says he pulls his breechplug every 3 to 5 shots. The direction, from T/C, IIRC, mention to do this. Is this something special for inline rifles? Or just when using BP substitutes?

Thanks,

-John

 

[Prairie Dawg]

Just for in-line rifles.
When shooting standard ML with subs, you don't remove the breechplug either.
In-lines are totally different animals than standard ML.

It makes them easier to clean, or maybe I should say, more likely to actually be cleaned by the in-line user.
And removal of the plug does not affect the attachment of the barrel to the stock or the arrangement of the barrel-nipple-breechplug relationship.
IMHO, it is the ease of cleaning that appeals mostly to the in-line user.
He can use a bore snake, or clean right thru with a standard cleaning rod.

No putting the barrel in a bucket of water, or attaching little plastic hose cleaning devices or anything like that.

--Dawg

 

[Pancho]

I might add to what has been presented that I would avoid using sabots in a sidelock. Plastic fowling can be the worst thing that can happen to a sidelock. A stuck round half way down a barrel may well be the end of a great day of shooting or a hunt in a sidelock but is a minor inconvenience with an inline.

 

[Prairie Dawg]

Yep, Panco, those are very good points that I had not thought of.
Plastic fouling is a breeze to clean if you have 2 open ends on a barrel.
And a stuck round would be no problemo with the ability to remove the plug.
Can you tell I'm a sidelock kinda guy??????
--Dawg

 

[Pancho]

Prairie Dawg I'm a sidelock guy too but I did step off the wagon long enough to buy a Redemption I like the way it works but it's ugly.
P. D. where are you from in Ohio?