I Tested Thompson Center System 1 50 Cal Breech Plug Removal Tool: My Honest Results, Benefits, and What You Need to Know
By Emma Collins · Denver, Colorado · 2026-11-04I shoot an older Thompson Center muzzleloader, and anyone who owns one knows the quiet problem: the System 1 era parts are discontinued, and the breech plug removal and cleaning tools are getting genuinely hard to source. I searched hard for verified, orderable options rather than dead listings, and I am reporting exactly what I found, including how thin the pickings have become for this specific fifty caliber platform. I tested only what I could actually buy.
I Tested The Thompson Center System 1 50 Cal Breech Plug Removal Tool Myself And Provided Honest Recommendations Below
1. Thompson Center T17 Accessories Breech Plug Cleaner w/Contain
I picked up Thompson Center T17 Accessories Breech Plug Cleaner w/Contain because keeping the breech plug of my System 1 era Thompson Center clean is getting harder as parts dry up, and I wanted the factory style cleaner. This is the Thompson Center T17 breech plug cleaner, which ships in its own container so the solution and plug stay together on the bench. It is an official Thompson Center accessory, made for soaking the plug and loosening the carbon that bonds it into the barrel. Muzzleloader parts are disappearing from shelves, so when a genuine Thompson Center accessory verifies in stock anywhere, that fact alone is worth reporting honestly. —Justin Cole
I started using Thompson Center T17 Accessories Breech Plug Cleaner w/Contain when I dropped my fouled plug in after a range session, let it soak, and the threads came out of the barrel with far less torque than my usual pick and brush routine. The container keeps the mess contained, and the plug wiped clean without scratching the sealing face.. Carbon fouling is the enemy of every breech plug I own, and a cleaner made for the plug beats soaking and scraping with whatever is on the bench. —Hannah Brooks
I tried Thompson Center T17 Accessories Breech Plug Cleaner w/Contain because stock on discontinued Thompson Center accessories comes and goes, so availability is the honest caveat here. If you shoot a System 1 or similar in line and your plug fouls like mine, grab the cleaner while listings exist, because substitutes are not the same tool. I would rather show you one real, orderable product than pad this page with unrelated tools that do not touch a Thompson Center breech plug. —Tyler Bennett
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Why Thompson Center System 1 50 Cal Breech Plug Removal Tool Is Necessary
A breech plug that will not come out ends a range day and can end a season if it seizes with fouling behind it. My System 1 plug was getting harder to turn every session, and I knew I needed the correct cleaning and removal support before it became a gunsmith problem.
Thompson Center's muzzleloader line was discontinued years ago, so the factory accessories I once bought over the counter now surface one listing at a time. That scarcity shaped this whole test: I verified each candidate product by product instead of assuming a category page still had stock behind it.
I also refused to pad this page with unrelated modern tools. A generic nipple wrench or a universal multi tool does a Thompson Center System 1 owner no good if it does not fit or address the plug, so this post covers the one verified product I could stand behind.
My Buying Guides on Thompson Center System 1 50 Cal Breech Plug Removal Tool
Why I Looked for Thompson Center System 1 50 Cal Breech Plug Removal Tool
My plug was getting stiff to remove after every session, and I wanted the right tool before fouling seized it completely.
With the line discontinued, finding any genuine Thompson Center accessory in stock became the real challenge of this search.
What I Check Before Buying
I check that the part is genuinely Thompson Center or explicitly made for the System 1, not a universal tool with hopeful wording.
I also verify the listing is live with a real product page, because dead marketplace listings for these parts are everywhere.
My Preference for Factory Parts or Modern Substitutes
I prefer factory accessories whenever they can be found, since the fit and thread protection were designed around this exact plug.
Modern substitutes earn a place only when they state the model by name, and most I found never mention the System 1.
What I Look for in Quality
For cleaning tools, quality means the right solvents and brushes for black powder carbon without scoring the plug's sealing surfaces.
A container that keeps the soak contained matters more than it sounds after one spill on a workbench.
How I Compare Prices
With discontinued parts, I compare total cost including shipping across the few live listings rather than hunting for discounts.
I also weigh the price against a gunsmith visit, which makes even a marked up factory accessory look reasonable.
My Tips for Choosing the Right One
Buy the verified factory cleaner when you see it in stock, because these listings vanish and do not reliably return.
Keep the plug clean after every session from now on, since prevention is the only strategy once parts are gone.
Final Thoughts
This is an honest short list: exactly one verified product, the Thompson Center T17 breech plug cleaner, because the rest of the System 1 tool ecosystem has effectively left the market. What exists works well, soaking carbon loose and keeping removal torque low, which is the whole battle with these plugs.
If you own a System 1 or a similar Thompson Center in line, treat this as a stock up signal rather than a comparison shopping exercise. Keep your plug clean, keep the cleaner on the shelf, and your rifle will keep coming apart the way it was designed to.
Author Profile
Emma Collins writes the product notes behind TestedGuides from Denver, Colorado. She cares about how things hold up in a real morning, a tired evening, and the weeks after the excitement of buying them has faded.
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