Crazy cleaning idea

Had a crazy ML cleaning idea the other day and was wandering if anyone had ever tried or seen something similar. My idea was to set up a 5 gallon bucket with cleaning solution(yet to be specified but non-flammable and water based) with a small submersible pump placed in the bucket running tubing from the pump discharge into the Percussion nipple (or machined fitting screwed into the nipple threads) with the barrel out of the stock, and muzzle end sitting in the solution in the bottom of the bucket allow the pump to recirculate fluid through the barrel until clean.

Thoughts Anyone?

Still have to scrub it out of the rifling and the face of the breech plug.

I don’t have much in the way of expectations as to how effective it might be. Just looking to see if the idea is original, or if its known as a waste of time. The prize in my mind would be freeing up hands if only for a bit to size, mold,or lube bullets while the pump does the cleaning work

When shooting Real Blackpowder or Substitute Powders such as Triple Seven and Pyrodex, You really need to Scrub the Bore Good, I use TIGHT Fitting Patch/Jag Combos where i can See the Grooves imprinted in the Patch

Here is a Junk barrel i have laying here to pull the Breech Plug for a New Barrel Build. This Barrel was given to me this way, i have never fired it.

This is a more extreme example, but should get my point across.

Look closely at the Rifling/Land here, Red Arrow Pointing at it, Notice how it is Fairly clean? Its not all nasty and pitted up, A patched Jag can, and Will clean the Riflings/Lands Really well, that is what the Patch Rides on! The Grooves are the Tricky part


Now, SAME Picture, But i am Pointing out the Groove Corner, Look at the Rust Running the Length of it, and Note the Pitting that has worked it’s way up on the Rifling/Land Just Above the point of the Arrow, This problem STARTED in the Groove Corner!! This is why i SWEAR BY THE USE OF A GOOD BORE BRUSH, they get in and Break this Crud up, Allowing you to Swish/Push it out.

Now imagine Thinking this Barrel was Clean? And assuming you had it dry. And then Smearing/Coating it over Good with Bore Butter, What is this Steel gonna Do under the Bore Butter Coating? RUST AND PIT OUT!! Like I’ve said before, You “Sealed it’s Fate” When you get these Barrels GOOD N CLEAN, AND BONE DRY, Use a Good Quality Gun Oil in the Bore, LIBERALLY! It’s better to Deal with getting a little Excess oil out of a Bore, than The Barrel becoming a Yard Ornament.

Thanks for the explanation Lewis! Couple questions then. Assuming you have started with a clean, hand lapped, polished, and oiled bore, have had a 20 shot session, and have ran a clean patch between shots. The immediate problem in my understanding is powder residue in the bore ( illustrated by your photos) and then over time that residue causing rusting if not removed (this is just my basic understanding). The procedure (watching my dad when I was 6) was soak the barrel in bathtub with Dawn dish soap, and then brush till bore is clean (this old school method is my frame of reference). This method always seemed crude to me and really got my mom wound up! My idea above was basically about simplifying the bathtub process after shooting. I’m assuming the problem in the pictures above was likely from only patch cleaning after shooting and not brushing/soaking??? Sounds like you have a better alternative to the bathtub already too?