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Cleaning 1851 Navy Revolver?

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dcriner

40 Cal.
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
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For Uberti: how best to remove fouling and powder residue from the front of the chambers? Use a .36 cal scraper?

When cleaning, is it best to remove the nipples? There is tenacious powder residue, surounding the base of the nipples, that is hard to remove entirely.
Doug
 
Use a 9mm/.357 bore brush in the chambers. Use a toothbrush on the cylinder face and forcing cone face.

Always remove the nipples when cleaning. Use a toothbrush as well for the outside and thread. You can clean the inside with the tiny toothbrushes.
 
Sounds like the guys have given you some good advice although I'd be a bit leary of the dishwasher approach as it would lead to flash rust when drying. I'd also avoid using hot water as that can bring about flash rust too. Warm soapy water has always worked very well for me. Remove as much debris as possible from the nipples before taking them off. It will make it easier and have less chance in damaging them. After you get your pistol cleaned oil it down with something like Ballistol and put a light coat on the nipple threads re-inserting them. Don't overtighten them. This should keep that gun in proper working order.
 
I have done the dishwasher method and had not "flash rusting". Generally, however, I remove barrel, cylinder and caps. I normally only clean the trigger assembly every few times. I I use a test tube brush to clean the barrel and cylinders using water. A tooth brush is great on the backside of the cylinder and the forcing cone. I spray everything with Kroil after using an air compressor to blow the water out. After the Kroil, I blow out the excess Kroil and wife down with a oily rag and reassemble. This has worked well for me for almost 40 years and I have yet to have any rust! I do use antiseaze on the nipples when reassembling.
 
A little Ballistol in the hot water will prevent flash rust.

I've been doing it that way for years with no rust.
 
I'll have to try that then. I agree hot water helps break up the carbon faster but that darn associated rust........ How many parts Ballistol to how many parts water are you using? After a thorough cleaning I assume you dry everything off an re-apply a coating of the Ballistol or your favorite oil treatment.
 
For a rifle I put some Ballistol in the soapy hot water and the really hot rinse water. It's hard to say how much, because I do it by feel. There's enough water in the bucket to cover the breech, and I shake some Ballistol from the original can to turn the water milky. It would be a low ratio. It doesn't take much to stop the flash rusting from happening.

After the hot water rinse I dry with a few patches, and then a patch lubed with straight Ballistol. I can store it like that, and weeks later run a patch down the bore and it's spotless. I'm baffled that some guys say they get rust when they tried Ballistol.

btw The patches you use to dry the barrel can be used over and over. They never get dirty.
 
I've never had rust on anything when Ballistol was applied. I virtually use it now on all of my firearms. I've just never used it in conjunction with hot water. I'm thinkin next time I will give it a try. Do you ever add in any dishsoap to the mix?
 
I just use hot water and dishsoap for cleaning, after which I put all of the revolver parts into the oven @200* till they are dry, then wipe down while they are still warm with Crisco. Never had a rust problem yet. If you're going to store them for any length of time I'd recommend Renaissance Wax...best stuff ever for all our hardworkin' toys.
(I just reread this post and it sounds like a cookie recipe or somethin') :haha:
 
Celt5494 said:
I've never had rust on anything when Ballistol was applied. I virtually use it now on all of my firearms. I've just never used it in conjunction with hot water. I'm thinkin next time I will give it a try. Do you ever add in any dishsoap to the mix?

Yes, on the first wash. Then clear water for the final rinse. Both get a little Ballistol.

I used to do the oven thing, but I found with hot water and Ballistol it's not needed.
 
Try a little Butch's Black Powder Bore Shine. It emulsifies black powder residue on contact. Use a patch with this stuff on it to get into the nooks & crannies around the hammer when a complete tear-down isn't being done and you'll be surprised how easy it cleans the revolver!

A tiny screw driver or scraper is good along with another wet patch to get into the area behind the cylinder on the frame.

Keep lube in your loads (use the wads on top of the powder or lube over the balls) to cut-down on leading around the forcing cone :wink:

Have FUN!

Dave
 
I use the dishwasher method. Take the wooden handles off and break the Colt down into cylinder, barrel and frame. Run a patch with solvent on it into each cylinder and the barrel a few times. Dont just toss the parts into the dishwasher. :nono: The cylinder and barrel need to be straight up and down so they'll get water runing through them. To prevent flash rusting, take the parts out while still almost too hot to handle, spray with wd40 and wipe down. Reassemble. She's ready to go. The hot water under prssure will have taken all the fouling out of the nipple areas. have been doing this for years, no rust. graybeard
 
ME TOO!

And now I look forward to washing the dishes. The hot water is good for my arthritis :haha: :redface: ....

Dave
Chief Bottle Washer
 
all good advice here, I'll toss in a tip if you take your revolver on extended camp-outs.
take along some windsheild washer fluid get the winter mix for more alky content. put it in a spray bottle to douse your revolver with after a shooting session take it down, soak good and repeat then use a small paint and toothbrush on it. spray down again and if you have it rinse well with hot water then dry, lube and reassemble then reload.
don't be chintzy with the w/w fluid it's cheap and effective the alky really cuts the crud.
I have had my revolvers out in the field for over 2 weeks and cleaned this method and no problems after fireing sometime upward of 100 or more shots a day.
and old flannel shirt or kids blanket makes a good cleaning/wiping rag.
if you are short of time a good wipe-down with GOJO white hand cleaner will do the job too as at the end of a day when dark is fast approaching.
good shooting! :thumbsup:
 
Get a couple of screw drivers and hollow grind them down to precisely fit the gun's screws. That way you can disassemble the gun without worry the screw slots will get beat up with time.
Take the gun apart. If you are unfamiliar with the procedure just ask. Put all the parts in a tray- a pizza pan works pretty good and use hot soapy water and an old toothbrush to give everything a good scrub. Use a q-tip swab for the threads and other tight fitting parts. The bore can be cleaned with a nylon brush if desired. One purpose of the hot water is to heat up the metal so it dries faster. In any event dry all the parts and rub with an opily rag and reassemble.
 
Plenty of hot water, Murphy's Oil Soap and TC Bore Butter. I, also, use a bit of ammonia for the cylinder and barrel assembly on my revolvers. After I have cleaned and dried my parts, and while they are still hot, I apply the bore butter. Been doing this for decades.

CP
 
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