New Gifted Flintlock/Heavy Rust!

[5whiskey]

I plan to add pictures later but cannot right now. I have been given (actually half traded with some custom holsters) a T/C Renegade 54 Caliber Flintlock by my neighbor. This thing is kind of bad off. There is a ton of rust on the frizzen and flash pan, with some rust on the lock and hammer. The barrel is... well there's a pretty good layer of rust in there. I REALLY like the idea of a decent 54 caliber flintlock rifle and it was like my neighbor was reading my mind... except well I'm not sure if the barrel on this thing is salvageable. He said it was given to him and in good shape, only shot one afternoon by him about 2 or 3 years ago, and he cleaned it up by "pouring hot water down the bore like you're supposed to." So 3 years to rust...

Is it even worth trying to salvage the barrel on this thing or should I be on the lookout for something else? I've saved the lock (though I need a new frizzen, spring, flints, and various other goodies), the vent liner can be easily replaced, but the barrel...

Anyone here with experience cleaning up a rusty smokepole? My plan is to pretty much dry clean the barrel as best as I can, plug the vent hole, and pour CLR down the barrel, assuming I even try to mess with it. Anyone else have an idea, specifically a better one? Or, do you know a good value on a replacement barrel that won't be over half the cost of a Lyman GP kit rifle? HELP!

[Schlitz 45]

Track Of The Wolf has TC replacement barrels
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...T-54-C-TC-32-B
I rebarreled one of my.54 Hawken kit builds with a Green River barrel that had amazing accuracy & would out shoot most scoped rifles at 100 yards.
http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/15-16-b...ading-barrels/

[Hawg]

I would plug the vent and fill it with Kroil and let it sit for a few days. Then wrap a bore mop with a piece of chore boy copper scrubber and clean the bejesus out of it. Don't use a bronze brush because the bristles will reverse and get stuck. If it's badly pitted when you're done don't despair. I've seen some pretty bad barrels turn in some impressive groups.

[Pahoo]

Is it even worth trying to salvage the barrel on this thing or should I be on the lookout for something else?

I never give up on these old-boys and even though I have not see it, I suspect the odds are in your favor. The big question is; do you want to invest the time and "some" money, in restoring it?? …

You can still find parts, out there for these. The TC-flinter 54,s are not all that common. I have owned some pretty nasty looking M/L's that still had plenty of life in them. How is the stock and can you put some pictures together for us.

My plan is to pretty much dry clean the barrel as best as I can, plug the vent hole, and pour CLR down the barrel,

As an option, you can make a PVC soaking tube. Plug the lower end, firmly mount the tube vertically, put you barrel in, fill it up with whatever you choose and cap the top. Let it soak for a week. Then take it out and start scrubbing You may have to soak it more than one period. Right not, it's telling you how dirty it is and tell you of your progress as you go. ….

I always say that the heart of an M/L is the barrel and the brains is the lock.

Be Safe !!!

[mehavey]

Were it I (my 5th grade English teacher strikes again), I would . . .

- Pull the lock and scrub it clean w/ oiled copper Choreboy (take a magnet to the store)
- Moderately (one good cycle) clean out the barrel with soap/water/patch dry,
- Plug the vent and fill the barrel with Evapo-Rust overnight.

Pour the E-R out.
Patch it dry.
Shoot it . . . and let us know

[5whiskey]

Pahoo you give me hope sir. I don't mind spending some time on it, heck working on and making things are my hobby. I just didn't want to sink hours and hours into something only to find out that it is an exercise in futility. Or the bore is so pitted it will foul in 3 shots. I can deal with it if it's relatively minor.

[mehavey]

BTW -- are you passing familiar w/ patched ball (in general) before this?

[5whiskey]

Were it I (my 5th grade English teacher strikes again), I would . . .

- Pulls the lock and scrub it clean w/ oiled copper Choreboy (take a magnet to the store)
- Moderately (one good cycle) clean out the barrel with soap/water/patch dry,
- Plug the vent and fill the barrel with Evapo-Rust overnight.

Pour the E-R out.
Patch it dry.
Shoot it . . . and let us know

This is basically my plan. Well and replacing the frizzen and spring in addition. I'll probably get on it by the weekend, hopefully shoot it in a few weeks. I'll post pictures tonight when I get home. The rifle is really in pretty good shape other than the rust. There's like a ding or two on the stock and that's it. So it's worth putting time into. Thanks gents.

[5whiskey]

mehavey not really other than reading up on it. I just got into BP last year. Which yeah, now that you ask I realize I spoke about fouling... which shouldn't exist with a PRB I guess

[mehavey]

It will still foul using patched ball. (BP is BP, don'cha know. . .)

My suggestion to all is run a damp (and only damp)/spit patch down the barrel and back out between shots.

For now and with that barrel, I suggest:

- A 0.535" ball
- 0.018 cotton pillow ticking from fabric store (spit patch again), or I guess some pre-lubed commercial patches
- Ball starter (if it didn't come w/ rifle)
- A separate nylon range rod
- A half dozen or more of these Flints
and last but not least, 75-90gr (by volume) of real FFg BP
(some might advocate 4Fg for the pan, but see if 2Fg will get you off the ground first)




..... oh..... yer jus' gonna LUV flintlocks

[Pahoo]

I just didn't want to sink hours and hours into something only to find out that it is an exercise in futility. Or the bore is so pitted it will foul in 3 shots. I can deal with it if it's relatively minor.

You are not going to know until you start digging into it. I would suspect some minor pitting that may or may not give you some problems, like cutting patches. ….

When you get this item in hand. Take a look at the crown area after some minor localized cleaning. Just enough to see the condition of the rifling. If it's bad there, then it may not be worth your time, unless you shorten the barrel which I doubt you would be interested in doing. …..

Also. measure your barrel and it should be 1.00" and not 15/16". Using Chore-boy, is very conservative and I feel you are going to have to be, more aggressive, to clean and see what you need to see. …..

It's worth your time and;
Be Safe !!!!

[Hawg]

Using Chore-boy, is very conservative and I feel you are going to have to be, more aggressive, to clean and see what you need to see. ….

If the pitting is rough you can slot the end of a wood dowel and put a piece of emery cloth in it and work it up and down the bore with a drill.

[5whiskey]

Pictures of the damage as promised. I cleaned the barrel around the vent hole and flash pan... It's pitted pretty bad. I'm still gonna try to clean this thing up and fire it, but what do you guys think about It?

BTW the rest of the gun is pretty darn nice. The stock is great and the outside of the barrel has pretty blue with very few marks away from where the flash pan was.

EDIT: I earlier said it was a 54 caliber I now see it is a 50.

[arcticap]

Call Bob Hoyt who can re-rifle the barrel or turn it into a smooth[bore] rifle for about $130 - $140 more or less. He can also install a barrel liner for many calibers for about $175.

Or perhaps he can fit a new barrel blank and use your breech plug or a replacement for a reasonable price.
Re-rifling it to .58 caliber may depend on which barrel diameter you have and the depth of dovetails and screw holes if any.
He does beautiful work if your barrel can be saved.
Another option would be to find another donor barrel on eBay that isn't in such bad shape and fix that up if needed.

Bob Hoyt 2379 MT Hope Rd Fairfield PA 17320-9407 Phone 717-642-6696
Call 7-8:00 AM.
If he doesn't answer, it's because he's busy.
His turn around time is about 1 month.
He can make square bottom or round bottom rifling in the twist rate of your choice but will recommend slow twist for round balls.

The best thing that you can do with it is to soak it overnight in Evaporust.
It's completely safe and all traces of rust will disappear like magic.
It's not an acid. Only the bare metal and pits will remain. Then decide what to do with it.

[Hawg]

I'd clean it and shoot it. You may can fire a few loads and burn some of the rust out.

[mehavey]

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

[Pahoo]

It's pitted pretty bad.

Well, hard to believe but I've seen worse and that crown looks encouraging. Notice the color of the rust; that is what I call "green" rust that has not take "root" just yet. Oh, it isn't going to look pretty but you are on the right track...

I'd clean it and shoot it. You may can fire a few loads and burn some of the rust out.

Very good advice. !!!

By the way, on the vent plug, for now just clean the vent. ….

Be Safe !!!

[5whiskey]

I plan to clean and fire it is. Being it's a 1" barrel and 50 cal if it shots like crap I'll probably drop the money to have it bored to 54 and re rifled. I was thinking it was 54 because I was so happy it was so close to what I wanted when it was given to me, now I remember it wasn't exactly what I wanted just 90% of it. Will probably clean it up and shoot it a couple weekends from now. Probably will try PRBs and a lead hollow based conical since it's a 1:48

[5whiskey]

By the way, on the vent plug, for now just clean the vent. …. 

Very well, so for now just some flints. Probably order a frizzen too but gonna try the current one.

[5whiskey]

Well the bore is soaking in evaporust until bedtime. The lock is in good shape, it really wasn’t bad at all. While I wait for my BP and bullet molds to get here I’m thinking about casting a slug and gently lapping the bore to smooth it some. What do you guys think about that? Or would you just shoot it and use bore lapping as a problem solver later if it’s needed.

[mehavey]

EvapoRust is magic stuff

[Pahoo]

Or would you just shoot it and use bore lapping as a problem solver later if it’s needed.

An instructor friend of mine, from Texas once said; you don't feed an entire bale of hay, to one cow. We got a good laugh out of that and understood what he meant even though most of us XXX Yankees had never had to feed a cow. I can tell you are going at a good pace as slow and easy is going to win this race. At some point you are going to drop a bore-light and get a better picture of what your next move will be. There is a variety of lights, you can use and one is a Bobber-Light sold at Walmart. I prefer the amber. ….

I'd clean it and shoot it. You may can fire a few loads and burn some of the rust out.

That works to a point and no harm in trying !!!

Be Safe !!!

[5whiskey]

Well evaporust is good stuff. Just as mehavey said. And yeah maybe I probably shouldn't try to force feed this cow, I would love to get it right before I have to deploy for a year starting in July in case my boy wants to hunt with it come the fall. Only so many chances to get to the range before I'm out for a while.

Looks like the lands are pitted a fair bit. It actually smooths out some about halfway down the bore, at least it looks like it. I probably will shoot it before I mess with lapping.

[4V50 Gary]

Even a pitted bore can shoot well. After cleaning it, I'd shoot it and take it from there. You're supposed to have fun with it and not make it an heirloom to pass down.

BTW, I'd clean it with a nickel and coconut oil.

[Pahoo]

5whiskey
The reason I have followed this thread, is because I felt that with a little effort, the project would come your way. Of this era, I have never seen one that could not be brought back to being a shooter. There are just too many things that are very forgiving. I have shot some really bad bores and although they are not my first choice, they will still shoot good groups and will kill. ….

The problems with pitting, is that it cuts patches. This will eventually effect your accuracy as well as leading the pits. "When" you finally go to the range, be sure to read your shot patches and see what you have to work with. ….

Have fun and;
Be Safe !!!