buckslayer,
I've said this in the past and I'll continue to say that with the use of black powder, b/p substitutes and percussion caps you've got to use plenty of hot water and soap to get it clean. I pull a barrel from the stock for cleaning, and it allows me the opportunity to get into the receiver and really clean all the nooks and crannies with q-tips and black powder cleaner like Cabela's brand or LeHigh, or what ever you care to use like dish detergent and water. After drying the parts, I spray everything with Ballistol Cleaner/Lubricant as it absorbs the last traced of water. It's also a good treatment and dressing for the wood stock so that's a big plus!
In closing I've found that inadequate cleaning leads to rust eventually. If you clean well, and coat the parts with a good grade of oil, (yes, Ballistol is a good grade of oil), then you'll keep the muzzle loader in tip-top shape.
Jim
