Quick Load Tube Cleaning

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

How are you guys cleaning your quick load tubes between reloads? I was using the washing machine but am now banned from doing so. :(

[Mike McDaniel]

The brass tubes for the Maynard get a soaking in Simple Green solution, followed by rinse and a pass in the tumbler.

Plastic tubes for musket? I suppose I should wash them sometime....maybe.

[jmiller]

The only thing I wash is Henry brass. Plastic tubes get used until they crack, Smith plastic tubes get used until the flash hole burns too big. have never washed them.

[Maillemaker]

I bought a mesh laundry bag from Target. I put the plastic tubes in there and toss it in the washing machine on hot, then leave them out in the garage for a week or so to dry out.

If I need them in a hurry I blow them dry with my air compressor and an air nozzle.

I have also washed them individually in soapy water using a bore brush.

Steve

[snapcap14]

got banned from the washing machine too! So now I use the dish washer!!:D

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I smear a little liver past on them and let the dog lick em clean.:rolleyes:

[kowdok]

When you return home from a skirmish, put all the tubes, brass, etc. in a laundry detergent bottle with hot soapy water and soak until the water is no longer hot, and then rinse and air dry. Tumble brass as a last step. I mostly do this to get rid of the lube residue. Doesn't work for Alox lube so I just reuse SB tubes.

[Bob Lintner]

I don't clean the plastic cap plugs. Use them until they break and then heave them out!

[Rob FreemanWBR]

Simple Green (un-diluted), a squirt of Dawn, mixed in a plastic Folgers Coffee can filled 1/2 or 2/3 of hot water. Shaken, not stirred. With the can's lid applied, allow to sit for half or day or two... Rinse thoroughly with hot/warm water and allow tubes/brass to dry for several days on a towel.

I've even go so far now, as to use two separate Folgers Coffee cans to segregate tubes/brass, esp. musket & Maynard brass as they tend to intermingle (insert into one another) thus affecting the cleaning and esp. the drying phase.

Afterwards, if I'm so inclined I'll toss the brass into my tumbler to make the cartridges nice and shiny (esp. for the Maynard) - and more likely to stand out in the gravel/grass if dropped when on the firing line.

[thirdwinchester]

I use lacquer thinner and it works well without melting the tubes.

[jonk]

For rubber or soft plastic, I toss in the washing machine with a load of rugs. Not going to get that gunk on my real clothes, but for something that we wipe our feet on or the dog sleeps on it provides good abrasion to wipe off any chunks. Gets them pretty clean.

Sometimes I don't bother, but I do use a dull knife to scrape the hardened lube out of the inside of the tube first, to prevent powder from sticking to it.

[Eddie Bruner, 12222]

Simple green and hot water for my soft plastic tubes. Same for Brass, then it gets tumbled.


-Eddie

[xring2245]

I bring a laundry detergent bottle with the pouring spout removed to the line with me. It is 2/3 filled with "not hot" soapy water. All tubes and brass go into this bottle. At the Nationals I bring three - plastic tubes, Smith brass, and Henry brass. The water will become black with fouling. When the bottles are almost full and the water black, I rinse twice. When the water is clean, I dump it and remove the brass and tubes and dry them. The brass gets tumbled cleaned when I get home. They come out nice n' shiny, looking like new. Hot water will make the caplock tubes brittle, so use lukewarm or cold water. Keeping your brass clean will help to prolong brass life and will wear less on your firearms' chambers.

[RaiderANV]

When I get home or anytime before the next shoot I toss brass in one who gallon bucket(like you'd wash yer car with) and plastic tubes in another. Whatever dish detergent is on the back of the kitchen sink gets squirted in and hot water filled half way and soak 5 minutes. I stir them a lilx drain and raise with hot water again, drain and raise hot again then drain & dump out on a towel by the loading bench and they dry over night.It's been working jus fine for 30 years.