Pyrodex build up and cleaning

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  • Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    My inline cleans fine in the barrel, but the breech plug is a PITA. The hole cleans with a drill bit and a pin, but there is a step ledge for the 209 primer and all this gets coated with residue and I can't get it off. Every time it gets a bit worse.

    This year after the season, I have tried soaking in hot water, spray nine, vinegar and water. The spray nine dissolved it some but I can't get it all off. This will still shoot, it just looks like a poorly maintained weapon and I would like to get it clean. I've considered changing to BP because hot water fixes everything there, period. This Pyrodex is awful to clean up.

    What dissolves this stuff off a stainless (really not) breech plug? Paint solvent, muriatic acid, maybe hydrochloric? Last sentence is sarcasm, this stuff shouldn't be this hard to clean.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    More than likely the crud build up is due to carbon from the 209 primer. I shoot a smokeless ML that does the same thing with regular 209 primers. What I do is clean the breech plug with a numbered drill bit that has been annealed so its soft about every 50 shots. The carbon is the type that looks like pumice. It's black and not reddish rust color that you see in CF cartridge rifles.
    I never seen pyrodex that wouldn't wash off with hot soapy water so I think its from the 209 primers. UMC used to make primers specifically for 410 shotgun hulls that had a unique content that worked good in muzzle-loaders that helped to prevent the carbon ring that built up in the breech. Eliminating that carbon ring helped to maintain the same load chain or column for repeatability.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    Try some smokeless powder solvent like Boretech and let it sit for 10 minutes before trying to remove it.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,734
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Spray the breech plug with Oven Cleaner. Don't use the odor less version as it is too weak. Let the oven cleaner sit for about 20 minutes and then brush it and rinse. That should take care of your carbon problem. As someone pointed out, it is probably the carbon build up from the primer and not the Pyrodex residue. Pyrodex cleans completely with warm water with no problem.
     

    BeoBill

    Crank in the Third Row
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 3, 2013
    27,064
    南馬里蘭州鮑伊
    Spray the breech plug with Oven Cleaner. Don't use the odor less version as it is too weak. Let the oven cleaner sit for about 20 minutes and then brush it and rinse. That should take care of your carbon problem. As someone pointed out, it is probably the carbon build up from the primer and not the Pyrodex residue. Pyrodex cleans completely with warm water with no problem.

    Put it in a zip lock bag before you spray it and let it sit in the closed bag. We used that method with a garbage bag to get oven racks spotless for white glove housing inspections.
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,337
    I bet soaking it in ammonia would work too. Works great on ceramic grill grates.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    I moved away from Pyrodex long ago since buying my T/C Encore. No need for it. I use 777 powder(60 gr pellets) and Winchester 777 209 primers. Cleans up fine with soapy water and is non-corrosive.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,064
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Ok, maybe I need to get 777. What size bullet are you pushing with 60 grains? I use 65 grans of FF in my Hawken with a round ball and was using 80 under Lee 250 REAL's with a 9/16" felt wad.

    So then, what fun things can I do to get rid of this pyrodex without making people crazy?
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Ok, maybe I need to get 777. What size bullet are you pushing with 60 grains? I use 65 grans of FF in my Hawken with a round ball and was using 80 under Lee 250 REAL's with a 9/16" felt wad.

    So then, what fun things can I do to get rid of this pyrodex without making people crazy?

    I'm shooting 250 gr Traditions "Smackdowns" using two 60 gr .50 cal pellets of Triple Seven.

    I used to shoot 250 gr T/C Shockwaves with three 50 gr pellets of 777, but I kept destroying scope rings and the 50s got kind of scarce at one point. I'm actually getting better accuracy using the Smackdowns with 120 grs of 777, shooting 1MOA or less at 100 yds.

    Not sure what to do with the Pyrodex. I still have some I saved for my older ML as a standby, just in case...
     

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