Rob,
In the good old Black Powder days ( what's so good about dirty, smelly, foggy and corrosive Gunpowder? ) the Drill Book ordered copious amounts of Hot water to sponge out the barrel as soon as possible after firing. The 'sponge' was a short-bristled brush the size of the bore, attached to a long stave to reach all the way into the bore.
Sapper's suggestion is brilliant. I was thinking about something on those lines, using a piece of stainless steel tubing, plugged at one end,and loaded with six or eight charges of smokeless or black powder or a mixture of both.
The charges would be individually packed and bound with string, and connected together with a short fuse to set them off in quick succession ( half-second intervals ).
The first set off would obviously be the one nearest the muzzle, possibly using an electric igniter. I would someday like to try out a torch bulb, carefully broken to leave the filament intact, with wires soldered on and buried in the powder. Connecting the wires, via a switch, to a car or motorcycle ( or golf caddy??) battery should set the first charge off, starting the chain reaction.
This is up to now all theory, and I will seek the advice of a pyrotechnic expert, so DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!! ( He, He.)
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George Cross Island
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