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sonic cleaning
- Thread starter chuckpa
- Start date
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Easy way. Field strip pistol into frame, cylinder and barrel. Take off the wooden grips. Run a patch with solvent into each chamber and down the barrel. Put in dish washer with normal load of soap. Make sure barrel and cylinder are vertical so they get well washed. When it hits the drying cycle, retrieve the parts from the washer, spray with wd40 and dry, then spray with remoil. Reassemble. Don't put the wooden handles in the washer. Hot, soapy water does a great job. Don't tell wife, but all the black goop is flushed away. Won't coat the dinner dishes. graybeard
Same as for graybeard, I use soapy water to help having the job of cleaning done pretty quickly and my oven to dry the beast for me.
Of course, dismantle/reassemble is still my job, and even with soapy water, the initial cleaning is mine (and takes about 15mn wih my 4 cylinders). Oiling the beast before storing it is also my job, and takes at least 20mn as I do not rely on WD40 or other kind of spray (but prefer paraffine oil).
All that to say, I don't see how we could drop the cleaning time - even with a sonic oven - under the hour, all included, for one weapon and its couple (4 for me) of cylinders.
I did not shoot with a semi-auto pistol for nearly 17 years now, but I do not remember such a rapid cleaning after a shooting session with my pistols. Sure dismantling/reassembling was quicker (as damn partial considering the 1858 cleaning for example) but excepted for theses quick phases, I see few differences in my (maybe wrong) memory (maybe double wrong as cleaning my weapons was somewhat a pleasure at that time - the only benefits I could give is the fact you can wait for days without cleaning them after firing with no impact on the weapon, what you cannot do with BP because of acidity).
Of course, dismantle/reassemble is still my job, and even with soapy water, the initial cleaning is mine (and takes about 15mn wih my 4 cylinders). Oiling the beast before storing it is also my job, and takes at least 20mn as I do not rely on WD40 or other kind of spray (but prefer paraffine oil).
All that to say, I don't see how we could drop the cleaning time - even with a sonic oven - under the hour, all included, for one weapon and its couple (4 for me) of cylinders.
I did not shoot with a semi-auto pistol for nearly 17 years now, but I do not remember such a rapid cleaning after a shooting session with my pistols. Sure dismantling/reassembling was quicker (as damn partial considering the 1858 cleaning for example) but excepted for theses quick phases, I see few differences in my (maybe wrong) memory (maybe double wrong as cleaning my weapons was somewhat a pleasure at that time - the only benefits I could give is the fact you can wait for days without cleaning them after firing with no impact on the weapon, what you cannot do with BP because of acidity).
LEM has a very good point. The actual cleaning time isn't much. I let my revolvers soak a bit in a bucket of hot tap water with Dawn and then clean underwater. They are taken out, shaken and wiped down and go into a bucket of WD-40. They come from that, get wiped off and air dry followed by lubing.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner, a Harbor Freight brand which looks just like the more expensive jobs and works very well. It could save me the time I spend cleaning underwater but I'm sure I would feel compelled to swab the bore, chambers and cylinder pin hole and clean the nipples even then. Ultrasonic cleaners are so handy and versatile I would recommend everyone have one and you really don't need any special cleaning solutions either.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner, a Harbor Freight brand which looks just like the more expensive jobs and works very well. It could save me the time I spend cleaning underwater but I'm sure I would feel compelled to swab the bore, chambers and cylinder pin hole and clean the nipples even then. Ultrasonic cleaners are so handy and versatile I would recommend everyone have one and you really don't need any special cleaning solutions either.
phoenix511
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Ultra Sonic cleaners?
Several watchmaker/clockmakers I know won't use US cleaning on springs, claiming it changes the metal, making it brittle and prone to fracture.
This is anecdotal evidence at best, so at least know some folks don't US clean springs (or parts with springs, like hands & mainsprings). Most parts are cleaned nicely, especially US gets into tiny nooks & crevases perhaps better than manual cleaning.
Several watchmaker/clockmakers I know won't use US cleaning on springs, claiming it changes the metal, making it brittle and prone to fracture.
This is anecdotal evidence at best, so at least know some folks don't US clean springs (or parts with springs, like hands & mainsprings). Most parts are cleaned nicely, especially US gets into tiny nooks & crevases perhaps better than manual cleaning.
To clean and be HC you gotta do it in a crik and use yer sock to dry n oil it.
NEVER considered a US but hmmmm :hmm:
NEVER considered a US but hmmmm :hmm:
If you are HC you wouldn't have had a sock. :grin:
:rotf:
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No!...at least it shouldn't....But I would throw away the solution after every use....and thoroughly clean the unit....chuckpa said:
I commonly clean handguns in an automotive parts cleaner.... bp pistols after a soap and water cleaning...
The ultrasonic cleaner itself won't hurt the finish, it's the cleaning medium that you use that might. If the solution won't hurt the bluing in normal cleaning than using it in the ultrasonic won't change that.
I tried the sonic cleaner and found it was a waste of time. It cleaned OK, but took longer than just water & oiling.
smoothshooter
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You can't spare 15 to 20 minutes to clean a percussion revolver?
Complete disassembly is not necessary unless you are not going to use it again for several months, or 75 to 150 shots have been fired.
After many years of shooting, and carrying percussion revolvers at least a couple of days a week over a long period of time, there is no way I am convinced the old-timers completely tore down their guns for cleaning every day they fired them. That includes Wild Bill Hickock.
It simply isn't necessary.
But if it makes you feel better to do the total teardown, by all means do so. Some people just like cleaning guns.
Complete disassembly is not necessary unless you are not going to use it again for several months, or 75 to 150 shots have been fired.
After many years of shooting, and carrying percussion revolvers at least a couple of days a week over a long period of time, there is no way I am convinced the old-timers completely tore down their guns for cleaning every day they fired them. That includes Wild Bill Hickock.
It simply isn't necessary.
But if it makes you feel better to do the total teardown, by all means do so. Some people just like cleaning guns.
smoothshooter
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Something else- don't let the cleaning thing get you down.
Worst case scenario, if your gun DOES suffer some serious deterioration from not enough cleaning ( which is not likely if you will at least swab the barrel and chambers within two or three days of shooting ), just go buy another one. They are not that expensive.
Worst case scenario, if your gun DOES suffer some serious deterioration from not enough cleaning ( which is not likely if you will at least swab the barrel and chambers within two or three days of shooting ), just go buy another one. They are not that expensive.
I'll tell the wife.........
I have a small ultra sonic cleaner that I use for pocket watches and parts, I used it to clean the nipples from a Pietta Remington 1858 that I bought. The medium was Maplins 'Green Clean'. After just 2 90 second sessions it had taken all the crud, rust AND blue off!! Fair play, the nipples looked like brand new but it was a lesson learned. Use it by all means but stick to jewellery cleaning media, it seems to be a lot less harsh.
zimmerstutzen
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Knew a guy that took off the grips and springs and put his stainless steel C&B revolver in the dishwasher. I don't recall what happened but something occurred to screw up the gun.
