Depending on what's in that bore, the hot water can make things worse. It just makes everything wet, without making it loose. Same with oil. If there is paper or cloth at the top, a small, bronze bristle brush, typically used to clean the bore of modern guns, can grip the paper/cloth and at least tear it into smaller pieces as you dig your way down to the bottom of the barrel.
The easy way to clear the barrel would be to locate a gun club in your area that has a member who shoots traditional muzzle loading firearms (assuming that's legal in your area). They will have the tools to extract the contents. Or know someone who does.
From your investigation of the vent hole, it sounds like there is something solid all the way to the end of the breech area. Hmmmm. But stay at the top and try working your way down. If it's determined there is no powder in the barrel, a solid obstruction at the breech doesn't necessarily devalue the musket as a collectors item.
In my photo above, I took a tiny pinch of the 100++ year ols black powder and it would still ignite.
Meantime, I'll check in my network for any member shooters in Sweden. Keep me posted.
Rick
|