[NWNATIVE]

Recent purchase. Like new. Guessing slide on fore stock should release barrels for removal. However, when slide is withdrawn to stop, barrels do not release. Anyone have any advice?

First black powder rifle. Guessing the breech is closed, and that it has to be cleaned from the muzzle. I'll be using Gotex(?). I'm wondering what the proper procedure, and "tools" for cleaning a blind barrel are? How do you avoid a build up in the blind end?

I also own a Sharps 1874 and an 1885 high wall, both in 45-70. I find the lever design on the 1885 to be very fast handling, while the lever on the Sharps is a bit awkward and slow. I would like to explore the possibility of having an 1885 style lever made for the Sharps, but don't know where to start?

NWNative

 

[scott0116]

Recent purchase. Like new. Guessing slide on fore stock should release barrels for removal. However, when slide is withdrawn to stop, barrels do not release. Anyone have any advice?

First black powder rifle. Guessing the breech is closed, and that it has to be cleaned from the muzzle. I'll be using Gotex(?). I'm wondering what the proper procedure, and "tools" for cleaning a blind barrel are? How do you avoid a build up in the blind end?

I also own a Sharps 1874 and an 1885 high wall, both in 45-70. I find the lever design on the 1885 to be very fast handling, while the lever on the Sharps is a bit awkward and slow. I would like to explore the possibility of having an 1885 style lever made for the Sharps, but don't know where to start?

NWNative

You should be able to pull the barrels up and off the kodiak after the wedge is tapped out as far as it goes (the wedge isn't supposed to come off as it has a screw to prevent loss) just tap the wedge out untill it stops and remove ramrod, cock hammers and lift barrels up from the muzzle end and pull away from the stock.

You need a jag and tight fitting cleaning patch to clean the barrels and a breech scraper and breech brush to help with breech build up. Hot soapy water works better than anything else and is by far the least expensive cleaning method for these guns.

 

[NWNATIVE]

RE: Kodiac Express > Thanks Scott

The slide is loose when engaged / normal? Also, is soap and water the way to go even with Gotex? Was told otherwise?

NWNATIVE

What ever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4 vs 8

 

[scott0116]

The wedge should be tight when engaged. You can usually tighten them up by peening the lug or by just replacing the wedge. I always just peened the barrel lug. Hot water with dish detergent in it works better than solvents if you live, shoot, or hunt in humid climates. In a dry climate blackpowder solvents work well, but it's much easier to just use hot soapy water (not labor wise) because the gun gets a thorough cleaning. I never had a gun rust when using soapy hot water and oiling, but i had several rust when using different solvents. One nice pedersoli double rusted and pitted very badly when using a solvent and left idle for only a couple of days. By the way Goex powder was always my powder of choice.

 

[kentucky bucky]

Sounds like you are really new at black powder, so learn and study as much as possible before you do anything. First of all don't use any petroleum greases or oils with black powder. Combined with black powder they form a really hard to remove fouling. Always use animal or plant products mixed with beeswax, If you want you can buy these already mixed or mix them yourself. There are places on the "Web" where you can learn about making your own lubes.
Cleaning black powder residue doesn't require any special solvent even if the people selling it want you to believe otherwize. BP leaves behind a salt mixed with carbon and lube when you fire you gun. Salt disolves in water really well. Hot water and mild soap is all you need and in a pinch plain cold water will get most of the residue out. After cleaning and drying the barrels, always coat the inside with an oil if you are going to store it. Just remember to wipe out any oil before you shoot it especially if it's a petroleum based product. I use an oil called Ballistol which is available on the internet. It is compatable with black powder and does a great job holding off rust.

Most importantly don't shoot until you know how to be safe and know what not to do with Muzzleloading weapons.


PS....The powder is GOEX....GOETEX sounds like a female hygiene product. :^)

 

[NWNATIVE]

Kodiac Express / Thanks Scott

Tapped wedge out & removed barrels. Wedge is bowed upwards, & side bar on one side is bowed in. Guessing not normal. Easily corrected. Also, "jag"? Boiling water has been suggested? If, & when you have time would you mind explaining the cleaning process in detail?

Thanks, Jeff M.

 

[Pete D.]

new

Jeff:

Wedge is bowed upwards, & side bar on one side is bowed in. Guessing not normal.

No...normal. The bends are what provide tension between the wedge and the lug into which it fits. Do not straighten them. Remember, just a few posts earlier in this thread, Scott mentioned peening the lugs in order to tighten them - that is bending, not the opposite.
Cleaning - Hot, soapy water is the way to go. Remove the barrels as already described.
Boil about a quart of water or use very hot tap water. Get a plastic quart container. Put a cap full of liquid dish detergent in it. Add the hot water. Place the nipple end of the barrels into the water (Some shooters remove the nipples before they put the barrels into the water. Some don't. Your choice.)
Take your ramrod and put a brass jag on it. (a less than .58 caliber brass plug with rings engraved around its circunference. You may have them in smaller sizes for your 45-70s. Get one for use with .58 caliber.)
Put a cleaning patch on the muzzle and push it down the bore. When you draw it back up, it will suck some of the soapy water with it. DO NOT pull it all the way out. Run it up and down a few times. This will flush water and fouling in and out of the barrel. Repeat on the second barrel. (NOTE: if you use boiling water, the barrels will get very hot. Be careful.)
Remove the barrels from the water . Replace the wet dirty patches with clean and dry ones.
Run the dry patches in and out until the barrel is dry and the patches are clean. Last, saturate a patch with Ballistol and run one down each barrel.
Pete

 

[scott0116]

Clean it just like Pete said. I always started cleaning with the nipples in the barrels and then paused to remove them and drop them in a smaller container of hot soapy water then i would go back to the barrels and finish up the nipples with pipe cleaners. You will definitely need patch pullers as sooner or later you will lose a patch down bore. There are three types of patch pullers and i always kept all three types in my kit. One looks like a cork screw another looks like a cylinder with two slots cut in either side with a chamfer on the edges to form sharp points and the last is simply a threaded stud with piano wire fitted through it and bent in such a way as to grab a patch by twisting the ramrod when it is attached and pulling it out. You will also need a ball puller preferably one with a knocker. If i were you i would obtain the complete blackpowder handbook by Sam Fadala before attempting to pursue the hobby further. There are several editions as well as two from Lyman and the blackpowder loading manuals from this author are invaluable. I collected them all as well as those from other authors including George c. Nonte jr and others.

 

[NWNATIVE]

RE: Kodiac Express / Thanks Pete & Bucky

Removing the nipples sounds like a good idea. Anything I need to know before removing them? Any draw backs?

Jeff M.

PS's: Hey, Pete, how about class V whitewater?
Bucky, "new to black powder"; How did you guess? First BP firearm; total green horn. Looking forward to first
firing.

 

[scott0116]

Removing the nipples sounds like a good idea. Anything I need to know before removing them? Any draw backs?

Jeff M..

Use a nipple wrench of the correct size and put a tiny bit of grease on the threads before reinstalling. There are no draw backs unless you don't remove them often enough in which case you will end up having to drill them out. Nipples do wear out and you should always have replacements on hand.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7626

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7627

 

[NWNATIVE]

Kodiac Express / Curious

Hope I'm not driving you guys crazy. I really appreciate all the input. Being able to benefit from your knowledge and experience is great! Since I really don't know if the previous owner altered anything, I'm curious if the slide is normally bowed upwards? It seems the reverse bow would exert more downward force on the lug?
Jeff M.

 

[scott0116]

You can bend the wedge anyway you like to try for a tighter fit as long as you don't destroy it as you can always bend it back like it was if it doesn't work. If you do bend it though you will have to make sure it slides through the stock slots as it will crack the stock when you tap it through if it isn't bent correctly. Just check it with out the barrels and watch carefully when tapping it through when the barrels are installed.

 

[sportclay]

A tip on the nipples, put a tiny bit of Never seize on the nipple threads. They'll never corrode and will always be aeasy to remove.

 

[jaguarxk120]

The reason I said very hot water is so the barrels will dry faster and reduce flash rusting. That occors when the barrels are not dried soon right after rinsing.

Also with hot water the soap will work better removing the black powder fouling.