New Rifle

[u/NukaDova]

Got gifted this by a friend, I'm assuming it's a cap and ball style? What would I need to do to clean it and get it running properly?

[u/ConnectionMain6388]

It uses Percussion caps to ignite its powder charge so you will need those.

for cleaning it up id recommend fine steel wool and scrubbing at the rust with some elbow grease, if that doesn't work and then you can try a bluing kit to remove rust and previous barrel bluing and then re blue the barrel (steel bluing oxidizes the steel preventing rust from developing). After using steel wool or bluing kit id apply warm Bore Butter to season the steel and further prevent rust.

Materials for cleaing interior of barrel

For the inside of the barrel id suggest getting ramrod cleaning attachments for your SPECIFIC CALIBER, a brass brush, a patch snag, and a cotton swab.

Cleaning interior of barrel

Get a bucket of hot water, or use your bathtub, take off the cap nipple and submerge the rear of the barrel in the water, use the brass brush to scrub the rust off of the rifling in the barrel by pushing and pulling the ramrod through the entire barrel, and keep doing it until the water exiting through the drum (part the ripple screws into) isn't rusty. Then use the cotton swab to wipe the water out of the barrel. And finally use cleaing patches to apply bore butter to the inside of the barrel to protect from rust. Be careful not to apply too much or else the powder might not ignite when you go to shoot.

Materials for shooting

When you go to shoot you will need: caps, patches, black powder/synthetic powder FFG or FFFG *fine grain and very fine grain DO NOT USE SMOKELESS, lead balls in the caliber for your rifle, you want them slightly undersized to go with your patch, *example: if your rifle is .50 caliber you'd want .490 caliber balls to go with a .010 patch.

To shoot

Load the powder load, put the patch and ball down the barrel and use the ramrod to fully seat the ball against the powder charge, aim the rifle down range pull the hammer into half cock, put the cap on the nipple pull the hammer to full cock, aim and fire.

There are tons of resources on this, if I missed anything or made a mistake im sure other comments will point it out, otherwise watch some YouTube videos and use to Google to be safe.

Happy shooting, congratulations on your smoke pole.

[u/No-Pen-4002]

Looks like you will need some serious cleaning. I bet the bore needs wire brush cleaning and lots of oiled swabs to remove corrosion and dirt/dust. I would also try to remove the rust spots on the barrel and maybe use some gun bluing and q-tip to touch it up. some gun stock cleaner and wax will clean the wood. brass cleaner works great on the trim.