How To Clean A Breech Plug

I was wondering if you guys have some best practices for cleaning the breech plug for storage after a range session. I am using Black Horn powder with a replacement CVA Black Horn plug. I need to come up with a better way than spraying it down with solvent, giving time to soak in and then wipe down with Q tips and rags.

I soak my plug in windex w/ vinegar while cleaning the rifle - seems to somewhat soften it up a little. Then I clean the flash channel by hand with a drill bit (the BH carbon is super hard) and get the channel opened back up to the original size. That has always worked for me.

The first thing you want to do, is turn a 1/8" drill bit in the flame channel by hand down to the flash hole, to clean out the hard carbon build-up. Then start with the solvents.

It don't seem right, but it generally takes longer to clean the little breech plug than it does the rest of the rifle. Just the nature of the beast!

If you want "clean" consider trying a heated ultrasonic bath with Windex. I would still use the drill bit.

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For BH209 I have a small glass jar filled with Hoppes #9. At cleaning time the first thing I do is remove the breech plug, use a drilllnjn he flash channel then wipe down with a solvent saturated shop towel to remove whatever I can.

Then I drop the plug in the jar to soak while I clean the rest of the rifle.

Once Im done everything else I remove the plug and wipe it down with fresh solvent then dry towels. I use q tips and pipe cleaners to clean out the flash channel.

Letting it soak does most of the work for you.

Thank you everyone. I was hoping for a magic bullet but looks like clean, soak, wipe, Q tip clean just is part of the modern muzzy experience. Off to go buy a big bottle Hoppe's #9 and break cleaner.

You'd be surprised how good the windex with vinegar cleans breach plugs.

You'd be surprised how good the windex with vinegar cleans breach plugs.

Yes, most folks would be surprised. Takes me three to four minutes to clean a breech plug using Windex with vinegar.

1. Run a drill bit into the flame channel.

2. Spray the plug well and brush off the crud with a tooth brush.

3. Repeat (2) as needed.

4. Wash the plug with water.

I also use Windex with vinegar, then store my cleaned plug in a small plastic bottle filled with peroxide until the next shooting session.

sabotloader

Keep Shooting Muzzleloaders - They are a Blast

I am a firm believer in the benefits of regular Blue Windex with ammonia. There is only a small amount of ammonia in the solution but it is a very good metal stripper. But for the cleaning the bp - ventliner and any other breech parts I use a cleaner/degreaser

Works like a champ + after cleaning Teflon tape sticks really well to the clean metal.

I drill the carbon out of the flame channel with a 5/32 bit. Remove my ventliner and wipe it down with Butches Bore Shine then wipe the rest of the plug with Butches. Reinstall ventliner with some copper anti seize and wrap plug with one wrap white teflon tape. Reinstall plug into gun.

Sierra Carbon Free or Evinrude Top Engine Cleaner, works great

sabotloader