I see no reason to disassemble the lock for cleaning in most cases. I merely use soap and water, and an old toothbrush to get the residue out of tight spots. I then let the action dry, on paper towels, while I finish cleaning the barrel. If water drops remain on the action, I use the paper towels to soak the water off the lock. Then I oil the lock, and check the screws with appropriates screw drivers before putting the lock back into the stock.
The only time I disassemble the lock is when a gun is new, and I find wood splinters STUCK in the parts, or when its obvious that the parts are not working together properly and the disassembly is needed to tune the lock. Once I have tuned a lock, It remains assembled until something breaks, or the lock has been badly neglected by its owner, and rust is preventing it from functioning properly. :cursing:
I thoroughly clean my modern guns and check screws on them after each shooting session, too. I once lost a screw from a revolver, and was very grateful that the company that made the gun was:
a. Still in business;
b. Had the Screw in stock;
c. Was willing to send me the screw at no charge.
I bought Loc-tite and applied it to the threads of the new screw, and haven't had to worry about the screw backing out since. But, I do check the screw EVERY time I shoot and then clean the gun.
( Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!)
I still have my father's .22 rifle, made about 100 years ago. The bore has some pitting from use of corrosive primers back before WWII, but it clean, and still shoot accurately. Dad filed off the bead on the sight when we were kids, thinking it would help him see the sights better, but it didn't do anything but change the height of the front sight, and destroy all that muscle memory he had to know where to hold the sights to shoot very small groups at POA. He never shot that rifle again as well AFTER he filed off that bead. I would like to replace that bead sight to restore the gun to its original condition, But I also like the idea of keeping it around as is to reflect the gun's history with my father. So, its going to be a decision to make. The gun has no real collector's value, although its worth many times the amount of money my Grandfather paid for the gun when he bought it for dad. The best part of the gun's history, is that Dad used the rifle to shoot Rats in the alleys of the NW side of Chicago where he was raised. He became quite the neighborhood "hero" because of his ability to kill rats, and people on the next blocks over from his would call his home to ask if he could come over a kill their rats.
Can you imagine the reaction of people in Chicago today if a kid were to try to shoot rats in the alleys, now?
I used that gun to do my first " Trick " shot- cutting a toothpick in half with one shot-- so it may not look like much, but it still means a lot to me.
