Nemo
Do not remove the barrel. It's pinned for a reason. Each time you push out the pins, you are going to loosen the pin holes that much more. There is no need to remove the barrel to properly clean a flinter!
Get round toothpicks. Tap the point of one in the touch hole/vent hole to plug it. Pour "cold" water in the bore, about half full. Cover the bore with your thumb or a cork and slosh the water back and forth a few times. Pour it out and do it again until the water runs clear. Take a patch with some dish soap on it and run it up and down the bore a dozen or so times, followed with a bore brush a dozen or so times and rinse using the first method.
Last, pour about 3/4 full with water - cold or hot, your choice - and using a tight fitting patch, put it in the barrel and remove the plug with the vent pointed down. Force the water under pressure to jet out the vent hole until the patch has grounded at the chamber. Tip the barrel upside down and let the water run out that squeezed past the patch. Remove and dry with dry patches. Pour a little rubbing alcohol down into the powder chamber to soak up any moisure you didn't get and turn the gun upside down for half an hour.
Follow with lightly oiled patches to protect the metal.
This takes about 10 minutes to do once you get the hang of it and have all your supplies handy. (Except for the half-hour dry)
Some people pull the lock to clean behind it. I've found that this isn't necessary with my gun until I'm ready to put it up for the winter or if I've had several range sessions. Your milage will vary. Pull the lock to see if it's sooty and judge from there.
Keep the frizzen and pan clean and clean all the residue off the flint and cock.
If you use bore butter, be advised it works well, but you will get reddish/rusty looking patches after a while. It's not rust. It's yellow food coloring that has concentrated and become red looking.
Leave the barrel pinned!!! Or, eventually the pins will become loose.
Dan
