Cleaning blackpowder revolvers

[Tight_Wad]

I'm one of those people who travel to the range, shoots their percussion revolver for an hour and then spends two hours stripping down the gun and surgically cleaning it. I mean undoing every last screw and completely stripping out the action before cleaning, drying, oiling and reassembly. I will say one thing, it sure teaches you how the gun works and you soon get pretty good at puting it all back together. No doubt there are those who never strip their gun and I'd be interested to hear their views on the subject. The reason I'm interested is that in my expereience a considerable amount of blackpowder fouling gets blown down into the works after only a few shots. The amount of muck that accumulates there is considerable, though it mixes with grease/oil and becomes a soft sludge. Now, we are all prety scrupulous when it comes to washing out and protecting the barrel and chambers, but it seems we are not inclined to be so fussy about the mechanism inside the gun. I have to admit that I'm quite neurotic when it comes to personal possessions and I'm equally fastidious about cleaning the car - can someone recommend a good therapist!

I did hear tell of a guy who put his stainless Ruger Old Army away for several years, never having stripped the action, and found one of the piano-wire springs had completely corroded and failed (apparently the springs are not stainless).

I'll carry on cleaning my guns the same way, after 30-years it's too late to change; but I would be interested in hearing other people's experiences on the subject. I realise I'm probably at the extreme end of the spectrum but if there are other nuts out there like me it would be good to know!

Tight Wad

 

[redwing]

The air here is very dry, rust for the most part is
not a problem.. Unless I plan to store my old 58 I
I just drop the cyl. and spray it out with a product
called "Action Blaster". I then wipe it down with a shot
of Balistoil.

Redwing :redthumb: :results:

 

[Don]

I'm waiting for a set of gunsmith drivers before I completely disassemble my revolvers. If there is a screw head that can be bunged up I'll bung it up. In the mean time, I try to run some pipe cleaners down into the works behind the hammer. When I get my screw driver set I'll down load an exploded view of my revolvers and do a real cleaning. As it is I spend over an hour cleaning my revolvers. 777 makes it a little less laborious but I can't use it in my brass frame guns.

Don

 

[jdixon]

Tightwad:
I am another of the school of total disassembly. I shoot a Uberti Walker a lot, you are right, fouling gets clear down into the bottom of the grips. If it is going to be put up for more than a few days before the nesxt shoot, it is stripped completely down on cleaning. Hot soapy water and Ballistol. I have cheated at times by putting the parts in a dishwasher w/ no soap. They come out sparkling!

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've always completely stripped my revolvers down after shooting. I'm so used to it by now that I can strip them, clean them and reassemble them in a half hour. Colt or Remington, it doesn't matter. I imagine a double action Starr might take a little longer. A good set of gunsmith's screwdrivers are the most indispensable part of the task.

 

[bezoar]

Is "action blaster" one of those miracle products that says it will properly lubricate and clean everything from firearms to fishing reels to all "precision mechanics"?

 

[redwing]

No its just for firearms. Have used it in my .45 acp
comp. guns for years. Works well drys fast does
not lube. Cuts grime and grease very fast. :redthumb: :results:

Redwing

 

[Pittsburghunter]

You have to be carefull with some of thoses blaster cleaners they can ruin stocks (grips) painted parts and anything else that is not steel.

 

[redwing]

Why would you use it to clean the wood? Its a metal
cleaner. However I have never seen grip damage with it
we use it at the Trng Schools on some very expensive
guns, never seen a problem yet.

Redwing :redthumb:

 

[bezoar]

So a few good spritzes of this stuff into the revolver would leave the parts properly/suffieciently cleaned enough to prevent rusting/corrosion?

 

There are three magic words you need to remember...

SPRAY CARBERATOR CLEANER!

This madern miricle was actually designed by cap and ball shooters that decided they could label it and sell it at a higher profit to the automotive world.

One need never completely disasemble, or even field strip, a C&B revolver again!

Spray it down thoroughly, shake it out, and follow with a good dose of your favorite moisture displacer.

As you can see, gun cleaning is not a ritual religious experience for me.

:front:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The biggest concern I have with the innards is the hand spring. I've found that it doesnt take long for corrosion to weaken this part. That's why I tear 'em down every time.

 

I certainly hope that you guys treat your wives and kids with the TLC you show your $100 cap and ball guns! You must have excellent relationships.

Stick the spray nozzle in the hand recess from inside the hammer slot in the frame swell and blast everything out of there. It will all fly out of the trigger slot cut!!

I've worked on about a zillon of these guns, many of them origionals, and have never encounterd a hand spring raveged by corosion! Most were broken from excessive compression while assembling or disasembling the gun.

The hand spring and the trigger return/lock bolt spring usually last forever unless someone monkeys with them.

You guys are killing your guns with maintainance. Making a big mess and accomplishing very little.

Do you work for the Highway department?

:crackup:

 

[2172]

I've had my Euroarms Remington .36 repro. since 1974. I have never totally disassembled it. I take out the cylinder, and clean it, the bbl, the loading arm...I squirt one of the blaster type things into the hammer recess area, and other openings. then I follow with a spray can of Sheath....the gun was layed up for about 5 years, 10 years ago, and had no other care. It is still in first rate condition..Hank

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Ghost, I once bought a Uberti '60 Army and the hand spring was covered in rust. The gun had never been apart(or so the former owner said)and the innards were covered in crud. I pushed gently on the spring and it snapped. It was rusted nearly through.
I tend to shoot my guns in rotation and then they sit for a while in their boxes or cases. Since I never know when I will fire them again I give them a thorough cleaning. If I shot just a couple of revolvers often, I, too would not fully strip them every time I shot them. All I know is that in all the years of shootiung them, I haven't had a damaged gun. Friends who never or rarely break their revolvers down all the way when cleaning have had damage.

 

[susie s]

My husband and all his revolver-shooting friends do the same-everything comes apart, is cleaned, then reassembled. I guess they're all neurotic, too, but when they shoot all day-10 shot targets-it is prudent to do so. S

 

[redwing]

Thanks Ghost as always you stated this in a most
under standable way. We don't have to use a cup
of hot water heated over an oak fire, with only
home made soap in the full of a Hunters Moon.
After all these are copies made in Italy.

Redwing :redthumb:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Well, some of them are Colts, made in the U.S.A. But it still comes down to the same thing: I want all of my guns clean and well maintained--where ever they originated.
Didn't know the fire had to be oak. Been using pine and locust. And after all the trouble I went to in order to have a PC fire. Oh, well...

 

[jdixon]

Ghost:
You need to send your suggestions to the those running our military. When I was in we field stripped our M-16's, M-60's and alike every time we fired them. The armory guy wouldn't accept them until we had done this. We cleaned each individual part and then re-assembled. This was close to 30 years ago now and I can still put those things together with my eyes closed we did it so often. Word I have from guys who are in now, this is still SOP for weapons maintenance. If the military were to accepted your pressure washer method I am certain you would get a lot of fan mail from troops who hate stripping and cleaning their weapons so often.
At the P.D. I work at, each time we fire at the range (4 times a year), we have to strip down and clean our Glocks prior to leaving the range. Cleaning supplies provided do not include pressurized solvents that can be blasted into the working mechanism of the handgun. Its patches, bore brushes, brass bristle tooth brushes, Hoppes and rags.
These experiences have made for me habit of meticulous cleaning of all types of firearms.
As for $100 BP revolvers. Have you priced a Pedersoli single action cap 'n ball lately? Gotta go, have to clean mine.

 

[crockett]

Don:
You can go two ways on the screwdrivers. Harbor Freight Tools sells cheap $.79 screwdrivers that are chrome plated but copper inside. You can grind these down until you get a perfect fit for the gun's screws. The other option is to get regular gunsmith screwdrivers. They are steel and ground to tight tolerances but the edges aren't sharp so they really don't scratch the work.
Cleaning a C n' B? Ok, I'm a nut, I break them completely down every time and do a total cleaning. Just can't help it. That said, I agree, you can love your guns to death.