Manual

Cleaning Your

Thompson/Center System 1

™

Never attempt to clean a charged or primed muzzleloading firearm. AN

ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE CAN CAUSE INJURY AND/OR DEATH

TO THE SHOOTER OR BYSTANDERS AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.

Black Powder and Pyrodex are very corrosive and the residue or fouling

left in the bore after firing your firearm can be very destructive to the steel,

causing oxidation, rust and pitting. Leaving your firearm uncleaned with this

fouling present can lead to a ruined firearm.

There are two basic approaches to cleaning the System 1. Cleaning can be done

from the muzzle as you would do with any traditional cap lock rifle. Or, you can

clean the rifle from the breech end, similar to cleaning a bolt-action centerfire rifle.

Cleaning From The Muzzle End

1. Remove the barrel of your System 1

™

as detailed on pages 10 through

13. Once the barrel has been removed, remove the nipple, leaving the breech

plug in place.

2. Fill a pan with very hot, soapy water. Submerge the breech of the barrel

in the water and push a wet patch down the barrel on the end of your cleaning

rod. Pump the rod and patch up and down in the barrel. This will draw water

into the barrel and flush it out through the nipple hole. Clean the inside of the

receiver, being careful to remove all powder residue which may have built up on

the interior surfaces. When the barrel is clean, wipe off the excess water and set

the barrel aside to dry (it is advisable to remove your scope before submerging

the breech area of the barrel in any water to avoid damage to the scope).

3. Thoroughly wipe all the powder residue from the striker. You may want

to submerge the striker in hot soapy water when scrubbing it. Dry the parts

thoroughly. After cleaning your System 1 rifle, it is recommended that you

lightly lubricate the striker and trigger area of the rifle upon reassembly. Do

Not use heavy grease or oil, as during cold weather, excessive lube may con-

geal and slow the striker fall (or keep it fr

om striking the cap on the nipple

altogether) when the trigger is pulled. This may cause the rifle’s striker handle

to appear to be in the “fire” position when in reality the striker has already

moved forward, past the engagement sear. If this condition happens, the gun