Cleaning a 1873 Rifle Chamber

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

When shooting BP, I thoroughly clean guns, including the inside of my rifle’s magazine tube.  However, when we shoot smokeless, they don’t get cleaned every match.  I lubricate the actions and wipe the blued surfaces with an oil rag, but that’s about it.  We normally shoot three weekends a month and we’re still working full time.  They’re lucky to get a full cleaning every couple of months.

 

I recently had the bolt assembly replaced in my .357 1873 rifle.  I was sitting with my good friend and gunsmith while he was working on the rifle.  He remarked that my chamber was filthy and was covered with “baked-on carbon”.  He said this in a tone that he might of used to address someone who had just drop-kicked a puppy.

 

Sheepishly, I agreed to give the rifle a good cleaning when he gave it back.  I was able to rig-up a chamber brush using a .45 brass brush, a piece of flat stock aluminum, and a nut.  My invention worked well on my wife’s rifle that is pretty new, but it was not very effective on my well worn Codymatic .

 

Does somebody make a chamber brush that will fit in a 73 action?  If I could find a short enough .45 brass brush, I could put a cleaning rod down the bore and screw the brush on while it’s in the receiver.

 

Any advise would be appreciated.     

[Warden Callaway]

I made one by bending a regular brush about 60° and screwing it onto a pistol rod.  Used it on my 73.

 

I've seen such brushes and swabs made for the "tacticool" rifles. I just didn't want to pay 10x more because it was "tacticool".

[Warden Callaway]

Here is one of several flexible chamber cleaning  rods offered by MidwayUSA. 

 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/372620/gg-and-g-ruger-mini-30-chamber-cleaning-tool-13-steel-black

 

Swab-its made for ARs.

 

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/732052/swab-its-star-chamber-cleaning-swabs-ar-15-package-of-3

 

 

[Castalia,SASS#18915]

Long Hunter sells a chamber scraper.

 

http://www.longhunt.com/storelh/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=320

[Chief Rick]

3 hours ago, Castalia,SASS#18915 said:

Long Hunter sells a chamber scraper.

 

http://www.longhunt.com/storelh/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=320

And it works very well!

[Bullett Sass 19707]

Not to hijack the topic but how do you use the scraper?  Thanks Bullett 19707

[Tyrel Cody]

Shooting a hundred rounds of real BP through it should take care of any carbon buildup and it's fun

[Chief Rick]

4 hours ago, Bullett Sass 19707 said:

Not to hijack the topic but how do you use the scraper?  Thanks Bullett 19707

 In a revolver, insert the scraper and turn with appropriate screwdriver. In a rifle, insert appropriate sized cleaning rod from muzzle and attach it to scraper in the open action and then pull/twist into chamber. 

[Warden Callaway]

I think it helps a lot to have a rifle chambered in a "dash" caliber.   One could say the 32WCF,  38WCF and 44WCF were made for lever guns. 

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

Thanks!  I will definitely look into Long Hunters scraper.

 

Warden, my BP rifle is a .44-40 and the chamber stays very clean. 

[July Smith]

I clean my Winchester clones front to back with the action upside down.  I've looked but never found carbon or crud in the chambers of my 44-40s after a thorough cleaning.  My 357s will occasionally get a carbon or lead ring after a steady diet of 38s.  I use a single piece of 357 Maximum brass that has been lightly flared in my expander die and chamfered to scrape that offending ring out of my chambers.