ArmiSport 1861 - no rifling in barrel??

Sorry about that, once you have finished with the boiling hot water and detergent, the barrel will be too hot to hold without a glove. As you are wiping the bore dry with patches, it will dry itself because of the hot metal. Once done wipe the bore with a light oil, like 3-in-1, and you are done with the bore. treat the outside of the barrel the same way.

Your photo shows this is indeed one of the smooth bored ArmiSports. There are alternatives for making it into an accurate shooter, but that is additional expense, so the choice will be yours.
J.
 
Many thanks for the suggestions, guys! Apologies that this thread kinda derailed into my musket-cleaning adventures :whistling:

So it turns out a lot of what was in the barrel seemed to be surface rust only. I had to run quite a few patches through, but it cleaned up quite nicely! (so nicely that the camera wouldn't take a decent photo...) The only issue was that my cleaning rod was about an inch too short, so the bottom of the barrel is still pretty orange. Gonna have to run out and try to buy an extension so I can reach the end of it.

View attachment 321824

I disassembled the entire lock and cleaned,lubricated, and reassembled it. Everything seems to be in working order, and I have the added benefit of knowing that it's at least oiled now and not wearing down.

@Jobe Holiday,when I get some more time I'll give your method a go for deep cleaning it. Thank you for the suggestions!
I'm curious about pouring the water down the barrel though. I've read many people say this is the go-to method for cleaning the barrels out, but wouldn't this cause rusting? (it must not, since so many people recommend it.) Just curious how that works, is all.


Thank you all again for the suggestions and the warm welcome to the forums.


In regards to your question about rusting;
It's not unusual as you clean a barrel out with water that you notice a reddish color on the patches. This is called "flash rust" is is quite common and nothing to be concerned about, as long as you dry the bore and apply some oil to the final patching.
And be careful when using a bronze brush in the bore. As Jobe said, make sure it's loose fitting or one that's well worn. When you push a new brush down the barrel, the bristles bend back towards the muzzle. When you try and pull it out, the bristles lock it into the bore and the threaded stud on the end of the brush can pull off, leaving the bristle end in the bore. And that's a real PITA to get out.
 
Bobby Hoyt does a good job and so does Whitacre Machine. Go over to the NSSA main page and look in the links section for sutlers. You'll find Whitacre there. Bobby doesn't do internet as far as I know. Either one can put a seriously accurate barrel on.

AAAANNNNNDDDD- if you're planning on live fire, come join us at the NSSA where we shoot ACW guns with live ammo, cannons too!
 
There are some countries where local laws make unrifled arms easier to own, or it might just be shaving something off the overheads to keep the price competitive for re-enactors who aren't interested in shooting ball anyway.
 
There are some countries where local laws make unrifled arms easier to own, or it might just be shaving something off the overheads to keep the price competitive for re-enactors who aren't interested in shooting ball anyway.
The UK is one example I believe. And a country where they do have acw reenactment.
 
Many thanks for the suggestions, guys! Apologies that this thread kinda derailed into my musket-cleaning adventures :whistling:

So it turns out a lot of what was in the barrel seemed to be surface rust only. I had to run quite a few patches through, but it cleaned up quite nicely! (so nicely that the camera wouldn't take a decent photo...) The only issue was that my cleaning rod was about an inch too short, so the bottom of the barrel is still pretty orange. Gonna have to run out and try to buy an extension so I can reach the end of it.

View attachment 321824

I disassembled the entire lock and cleaned,lubricated, and reassembled it. Everything seems to be in working order, and I have the added benefit of knowing that it's at least oiled now and not wearing down.

@Jobe Holiday,when I get some more time I'll give your method a go for deep cleaning it. Thank you for the suggestions!
I'm curious about pouring the water down the barrel though. I've read many people say this is the go-to method for cleaning the barrels out, but wouldn't this cause rusting? (it must not, since so many people recommend it.) Just curious how that works, is all.


Thank you all again for the suggestions and the warm welcome to the forums.
This is why you use HOT water, it will evaporate then a good coat of oil prevents rust.
 
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