[Square target]

BP guns can be extremely fun to shoot but cleaning them is a must and it's dirty. It's not something you can put off for a month, week or even a day. You must clean it the same day. Just wanted to show how dirty it can be. I generally fill a plastic tub with hot soapy water and stick the breach end in there after removing the nipple or opening the breach depending on the rifle. I use a cleaning rod and jag with patch and run it in and out creating a pump like suction drawing the water up the barrel cleaning most of the fouling out. The i pretty much clean it like you would any other rifle with brushes, oil and patching clean. Just to show how much fouling is actually in there here is the residue in the bucket from about 15 cartridges.

 

[Zhills]

So you gotta wonder if Davie Crocket took his musket into the bath with him

 

[Mike Weber]

Black powder shotguns are even more messy to clean up. I clean my BP shotguns outdoors due to the mess.

 

[Square target]

So you gotta wonder if Davie Crocket took his musket into the bath with him

I've often wondered how and when they cleaned their guns back in the revolutionary war, civil war, wild west and of course just every personal weapon back then. it seems to be something I've never read about. I'm sure there has to be some writings about it, I just haven't come across any.