Post by Ground Sleeper on Mar 2, 2009 15:43:09 GMT -5
This is another crappy but necessary task that has to be done when in the field. After each battle or firing demonstration you must clean your weapon. First and foremost for safety.
What you will need
water
patches
ramrod
rag
gun oil
a nipple pick, dentist tool or welding tip cleaners
nipple wrench
Now this is how i do it, everybody does it differently and as you go you will find little things you do to make it easier or whatever.
1. Take your nipple wrench and remove the nipple from the musket. Its not a good idea to remove the nipple in the field but it really helps to clean the rifle. Pour some oil on your rag and place the nipple in the oil.
2.Take a few patches and plug the firing hole, lower the hammer to hold the patches in place.
3 Take some water, i use water from my canteen, and pour it down the barrel. Grab the rifle behind the trigger guard with one hand and with the other hand plug the barrel with your thumb. Repeatedly flip the musket to move the water up and down the barrel. do this until the water runs almost clear.
4. Take some patches and secure them in the hole at the end of your ramrod. If you have a Springfield you are going to need an attachment as the Springfield ramrod doesn't have a hole in it. Run the patches down the barrel to dry the barrel out. if you happen to get patches stuck, you are going to need a worm to retrieve them, If you don't have one a fellow re-enactor might.
5.Take another patch and secure it in the hole of the ramrod, put a little bit of oil on it, not to much for if you use too much you may have misfires due to the build up of oil. The oil just stops rust.
6.Take the nipple that has been sitting on your rag in oil and clean it out with your nipple pick,dentist tool or welding picks. Place the nipple back in the firing hole, and i usually just snug it up with my wrench, you don't need it that tight since we are only firing powder, but if you at any time live fire with a mini ball make sure it is real good and tight, you don't want any mishaps that will ruin your weekend.
7.After replacing the nipple in its spot, take the rag with oil and rub the rifle down with it. If its raining and there is rust on the barrel you will need steel wool, these rifles love to rust, even in damp weather they will rust, it doesn't even have to be raining so always keep some steel wool in your kit.
8. Take you ramrod and lightly drop it down the barrel, and if you hear a "PING" then your musket is all clean and read to be used and cleaned all over again.
This process usually takes me about, 5-10 minutes. I keep all that i need in a cotton sack in my nap sack.
once or twice a year you will want to take the whole gun apart and give it a real good cleaning, i will have to write and article on that one with pictures.
Note; If you have repeatedly cleaned your rifle and nipple and for for some reason you just keep misfiring, your problem could be that the firing hole through the nipple is too small and not enough spark is getting to the powder. To fix this you can drill the hole out yourself, but i would suggest taking it to a machinist or a gun smith, gunsmiths at re-enactments usually will do it for free. Also you could just buy a new nipple for about 6 bucks U.S.
Also when you buy a nipple make sure its a tapered nipple which hold your caps on real well, if you don't have a tapered nipple you will have to pinch the caps every time you put them on.
Hope this helps
Happy Campaigning
Ground Sleeper
What you will need
water
patches
ramrod
rag
gun oil
a nipple pick, dentist tool or welding tip cleaners
nipple wrench
Now this is how i do it, everybody does it differently and as you go you will find little things you do to make it easier or whatever.
1. Take your nipple wrench and remove the nipple from the musket. Its not a good idea to remove the nipple in the field but it really helps to clean the rifle. Pour some oil on your rag and place the nipple in the oil.
2.Take a few patches and plug the firing hole, lower the hammer to hold the patches in place.
3 Take some water, i use water from my canteen, and pour it down the barrel. Grab the rifle behind the trigger guard with one hand and with the other hand plug the barrel with your thumb. Repeatedly flip the musket to move the water up and down the barrel. do this until the water runs almost clear.
4. Take some patches and secure them in the hole at the end of your ramrod. If you have a Springfield you are going to need an attachment as the Springfield ramrod doesn't have a hole in it. Run the patches down the barrel to dry the barrel out. if you happen to get patches stuck, you are going to need a worm to retrieve them, If you don't have one a fellow re-enactor might.
5.Take another patch and secure it in the hole of the ramrod, put a little bit of oil on it, not to much for if you use too much you may have misfires due to the build up of oil. The oil just stops rust.
6.Take the nipple that has been sitting on your rag in oil and clean it out with your nipple pick,dentist tool or welding picks. Place the nipple back in the firing hole, and i usually just snug it up with my wrench, you don't need it that tight since we are only firing powder, but if you at any time live fire with a mini ball make sure it is real good and tight, you don't want any mishaps that will ruin your weekend.
7.After replacing the nipple in its spot, take the rag with oil and rub the rifle down with it. If its raining and there is rust on the barrel you will need steel wool, these rifles love to rust, even in damp weather they will rust, it doesn't even have to be raining so always keep some steel wool in your kit.
8. Take you ramrod and lightly drop it down the barrel, and if you hear a "PING" then your musket is all clean and read to be used and cleaned all over again.
This process usually takes me about, 5-10 minutes. I keep all that i need in a cotton sack in my nap sack.
once or twice a year you will want to take the whole gun apart and give it a real good cleaning, i will have to write and article on that one with pictures.
Note; If you have repeatedly cleaned your rifle and nipple and for for some reason you just keep misfiring, your problem could be that the firing hole through the nipple is too small and not enough spark is getting to the powder. To fix this you can drill the hole out yourself, but i would suggest taking it to a machinist or a gun smith, gunsmiths at re-enactments usually will do it for free. Also you could just buy a new nipple for about 6 bucks U.S.
Also when you buy a nipple make sure its a tapered nipple which hold your caps on real well, if you don't have a tapered nipple you will have to pinch the caps every time you put them on.
Hope this helps
Happy Campaigning
Ground Sleeper