Guns this tube fits:
Pedersoli: Mississippi, Richmond, Springfield, Zouave
Armi Sport: 1842 & 1861 Springfield, Sharps rifles, Zouave, Richmond, Enfield
Euroarms: Mississippi, Zouave, Springfield
Colt: 1861 Signature
Capandball Cleaing tube for muzzleloading guns
This is the fastest and safest way to clean the bore of your muzzleloader. As a competition shooter I am always in search for the fastest and safest way to clean my reproduction and original blackpowder rifles and pistols. It is not always a good idea to remove the barrel of the pistol or rifle for cleaning. This is especially true if your barrel is fastened to the stock with pins, not wedges. But wedges can also wear and become loose after many dis-assembly. I consider the safest way of cleaning the bore of the single shot muzzleloading rifle or pistol with a cleaning tube.
Advantages of using cleaning tubes:
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It is fast: it needs only only 5 minutes to completely clean a full stock muzzleloader.
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It is safe: you don’t have to remove the barrel, so you save your stock, wedges, pins.
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Easy to use: no special tools or bench is required, you can clean your gun anywhere.
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And it is also cheap!
These tubes are attached to a brass insert that screws into the place of the nipple or touch hole insert. The O ring just over the threads seals the system completely, and the soft brass will never harm the threads of your barrel. Just place the other end of the tube into a glass of hot water (if you like you can add some good quality BP solvent as well), put a tight fitting patch over the jag on the ramrod and use the bore as a water-pump to suck up and flush out the hot water from your barrel until the water that leaves the bore will be clean. This method cleans effectively the vent channel as well, so the chances for a misfire because of the obstructed vent channel will be much less.
The cleaning method step by step:
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Preparing your rifle:
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Before you can use the cleaning tube system for the first time, remove the barrel and apply a uniform layer of water pump grease on the bottom side of the bore, all the way where it meets the wood. This will conserve your bore from moisture and rust.
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Replace the barrel. From now on it will be necessary only one a year to remove the bore from your stock, that will save your wood, pins, wedges from wear.
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Cleaning your rifle:
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Unscrew the nipple or touch hole.
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Wipe the powder residue from the area of the nipple/touch hole.
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Screw in the cleaning tube matching the nipple/touch hole threads of your rifle.
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Put the other end of the tube into a glass of hot water. (Use very hot water. It will help your bore warm up and dry after cleaning.)
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Place a tight fitting patch on your jag, and run in down the barrel. (Never forget to use a muzzle protector to save your muzzle crown.)
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Put a rag on the muzzle to prevent water escaping from the bore.
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Run the patch up and down the barrel to suck up hot water until the water exiting the bore is clean.
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Remove the ramrod and blow into the muzzle to flush out the remaining water.
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Unscrew the cleaning tube, and blow into the bore again to remove moisture.
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Use some clean patches to dry your bore.
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When the bore is completely dry, run a patch saturated with good quality gun oil down the bore.
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Clean and dry the nipple/touch hole and cover the threads wit 1-2 layers of PTFE tape.
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Screw in the nipple/touch hole.
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Wipe the outer surface of the bore with a rag saturated with good quality gun oil.
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Storing your gun:
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If you can always store your gun with muzzle down to prevent oil collecting in the powder chamber.
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Preparation for shooting:
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Before shooting run a clean patch down the bore to remove oil.
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Check the vent channel in the touch hole or nipple.
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Before the first load snap a few caps on the nipple to clean the vent channel. Remember: always point your gun in a safe direction.
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