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Old June 6, 2001, 03:13 PM   #7
cjc
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Join Date: November 15, 2000
Location: Utah
Posts: 40
Cleaning - in the field or at the range I use a cleaning patch with what ever cleaner I happen to be using at the time. I don't worry about getting clean, I just want to remove the bulk of the fouling. Run a dry patch down after the wet patch. If you leave mositure in the barrel this could reduce the energy you get from you charge or prevent it from firing.

At home clean with hot soaping water, then a BP solvant. Use a brass cleaning brush. On a new gun it can take a while to get clean, but the more you shoot the easier it will become to clean. After cleaning oil the barrel to prevent rust.

I can't comment on the use of RS vs RS select. I've used the select, but had problems with hangfires in a Hawkins so I went back to the real black powder and never looked back.

Your 1:48 twist is designed to shoot ball, conicals and sabots, however some guns with this twist rate tend to shoot one style better than another. Personally if the gun is shooting balls and conicals ok I'd stick with them.

You should try working up load. Start with 60 to 70 grains of powder and fire groups of 3 to 5 shots, following the same loading and cleaning procedure for each shot. Up your load by 5 to 10 grains of powder and repeat. Until you find the tightest group. You may need to do this with every new projectile you try.

The quick loaders are up to you some like them some don't. Buy a set and try them out.

You can try marking your ramrod to know if are getting the same seating depth with each load.

You may want to run a dry patch down the barrel before you first shot, and fire a cap with no load. This will help clean out any extra oil that could cause hang or misfires.

Don'ts:
Don't mix powders. Especially don't mix smokeless powders with black or its substitutes.

Don't use smokeless powder!

Don't pour powder from your flask down the barrel.

Never fire the gun with an air gap between the projectile and powder.

Never leave the gun uncleaned for any length of time.

Be safe, have fun.

Checkout http://www.angelfire.com/home/oldguns


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