Cleaning Cap & Ball Revolver

[mahd776]

I an curious about the cleaning process you guys use after shooting your cap & ball revolvers. I shot my Ruger Old Army today for the first time. After getting home I pulled the cylinder. Removed the nipples. Took off the wood grips. Then took a bucket of hot soapy water and put everything into the water except for the grips. Brushed and cleaned everything really well and then rinsed in more hot water. Then took a air hose and blew everything off and out and set aside to dry. I will lubricate tomorrow.
Does this seem like a good way to clean these revolvers? Many years ago I would completely disassemble my black powder revolvers and that seemed a bit extreme not to say time consuming.
What works for you guys when cleaning these revolvers? Anything different for say Colt, Remington and Rugers as well as others. Thanks!

 

[hawkeye2]

That is the way I have always cleaned mine. The water is as hot as I can get from the tap and I use Dawn dish detergent. I drop the revolver in and let it soak till the water is cool enough to put my hands in and clean it underwater. Shake it off, wipe it down with a paper towel and drop it in a 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallons of WD-40 in it. When I get to it (I left my R&S in the bucket for 6 months once :grin I take it out and let it air dry, reassemble and spray the inside with lube before I put the grips on. I have been using that procedure for about 20 years and have never had a problem due to it. The WD-40 is initially expensive but the original batch is still working after all that time and having a bucket of WD-40 to soak other things in is really handy once you get used to it being around. I have poured the WD-40 through a coffee filter a few times.

 

[don hepler]

My ROA is stainless, and I never have took it to the extreme. After the cylinder and barrel are removed, I use Q-Tips to clean the frame. The most difficult area is down the front of the hammer. I completely disassembled it once and everything inside looked fine. Cylinder and barrel can be soaked in soapy water. However, I am shooting Black MZ, which leaves much less residue, than other powders.

 

[graybeard]

I've been shooting a Colt 1860 Army replica for many years. Always cleaned by field stripping and taking off the handles. Run a patch with solvent through the barrel and each chamber. Then put the metal parts in the dishwasher, barrel and cylinder vertical, and run a cycle. While the parts still are hot to handle, take out, spray with WD40, wipe dry, then spray with Remoil and reassemble. Works for me. graybeard

 

[ccmountainman]

water plus steel /iron = rust.
But everybody has their preferred way.

Since the mid 1970's been using plain old rubbing alcohol. It evaporates fast so no rust.
Water? if you don't get every crevis completely dry.........
Soak the small parts while doing the frame and barrel, then the cylinder, then the small parts.
On mine. I used to use CVA patch grease, no longer made. Bore butter or wonder lube paste is closest commercially, or use an adjusted ratio beeswax and lard.
pull the guts (trigger and springs etc) clean the cavity. Clean the parts, remove any burs and smooth(if any/ first time). Reassemble, pack the cavity with the lube.
Residue can't get in so no need to clean after every shooting. And me, it don't affect my trigger pull.
cock hammer, apply some more down in the bottom.
Q-tip or some such, a very fine film in the hammer slot all surfaces, both sides of hammer and face. Inside the cylinder frame area a fine film.
Plenty in the cylinder pin holes.
Nipples, no need to remove every time if you don't use water to begin with.
remove and clean. then a very light coat antisieze or such on the threads, both the nipple side and cylinder side.
Just enough that powder residue can not be blown back into the threads siezing them (practice will tell you how much).
Any excess inside chamber, wipe out.
Now only need to remove and clean threads every three or four outing, once you get it down pat.
I reload mine with paper cartridges, so no chamber oiling.
Rest of exterior surfaces a very fine film of any gun oil will work just fine. No need for the exotic stuff out there that just costs more!
barrel bore? I use the beeswax lard mix.
Normal after shooting day. about 10 minutes to clean and ready to load.

 

[cynthialee]

all good information here

They are so easy to clean really. Saw a youtube video of a dude putting his BP revolver in the dishwasher. Bet his wife wasn't to pleased.
lol

 

[M. De Land]

The problem with that method is two fold, you will not get out all the burned on fouling and you will not be able to properly lube certain areas with the proper lube in the appropriate amounts.
Certain areas of the gun require grease not just some sprayed on light penetrating oil covering the internal parts forced in by compressed air.
The bolt legs,arbor or base pin and ratchet teeth should have grease.

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

After a day of shooting my Pietta New Armies I take the cylinders off and drop then in a container of moose milk. Take a six mop cylinder tool (from Brownell’s) and run them up and down a few times. Turn the cylinder around and clean the nipples with a tooth brush. Towel dry externally and dry patch the chambers.

I spray down the barrel and receiver with moose milk. Clean crevices with tooth brush and wipe down with towel and dry patch barrel. Twice a year I take the whole pistol apart and clean and re-grease. And when I say re-grease, I mean I pack the internals in grease leaving no space for fowling.
What I find when I take the pistols apart is a lot of fouling on top of the grease but none against the metal. I do this with two pistols and 12 cylinders. When the water of the moose milk evaporates it just leaves the oil, thus no rust in any of my guns or cylinders.

By the way I reuse the same moose milk in the container eight to 10 times before I mix a new batch to clean the cylinders.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Go Jo white hand cleaner does good to do a campsite wipe down after pouring hot water around the cylinder and bore. Dry off good lube and reload. This way when.camped out you can postpone takedown cleaning for up to 2weeks.
Load a clean piece of old towel with the cleaner, just dampen it. And wipe thoroughly.

 

[hypo]

I always wash mine in hot water let dry by the fire so all the metal gets hot but not to hot to handle and rub everything down with deer tallow been cleaning my 51 like that for about 6 years and haven't seen any rust on her also I do a full break down and clean every 2/300 shots.

 

[M. De Land]

The thing to think about is the longevity of of your arm not just the convenience of a quick clean and lube.
Areas of high pressure friction require grease to shield the steel from premature wear.
You would not lube the main bearings of your truck or car with motor oil because they would seize up as soon as the light film of oil breaks down from heat and friction.
The same is true in a revolver to a lessor extent in high friction areas such as bolt legs, hand nose and ratchet teeth. They will last longer if properly cleaned and greased.
Grease on the arbor or base pin is primarily to help keep out fouling.

 

[M. De Land]

Wheel bearing is what I meant to say.

 

[SAJones]

OK, I'm probably the odd ball out here, but I seldom disassemble my revolvers. I clean the barrel, cylinder, and nipples, wipe the frame & use a brush or Q-tip to clean out various recesses. Oil & put back together.
Been doing it for about 55 years and have yet to encounter a problem with internal corrosion. In fact, the few times I take one apart, the inside is somewhat dirty but no corrosion. (I use a light coating of Rig gun grease on the internals.) I have taken apart a number of antique revolvers, having had various levels of maintenance from almost relic to shootable. Encountered some breakages, especially Colt hands, but no corrosion even when the barrel is so badly pitted the lands are invisible. So I don't believe the complete disassembly is needed.

 

[M. De Land]

Fouling also contributes to trouble if your using the revolver in cold weather as well because it makes them very sluggish and often ties them up.
Also grease will do the same even if the gun is perfectly clean.
For cold weather shooting I prefer using Break Free CLP even on places I would normally recommend grease.

 

[nhmoose]

I've been shooting a Colt 1860 Army replica for many years. Always cleaned by field stripping and taking off the handles. Run a patch with solvent through the barrel and each chamber. Then put the metal parts in the dishwasher, barrel and cylinder vertical, and run a cycle. While the parts still are hot to handle, take out, spray with WD40, wipe dry, then spray with Remoil and reassemble. Works for me. graybeard

You are still married? I will pass and I am a an idiot according to the wife unit.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have found that a 1 part Ballistol in 10 parts water solution is very hard to beat way to clean a black powder revolver. There is a you tube video showing how to do it. It's just a case of disassembling your revolver, spraying it down with the Ballistol dilution, let it sit for a few minutes and then swabbing and wiping away the fouling. It's easy and works great.

 

[RonRC]

After a day of shooting my Pietta New Armies I take the cylinders off and drop then in a container of moose milk. Take a six mop cylinder tool (from Brownell’s) and run them up and down a few times.

The six mop cylinder tool looks enticing. Which size unit do you use for the Pietta? Brownell's lists them only for cartridge revolvers.
Thanks,
Ron

 

[Billnpatti]

Here are some of those videos that I mentioned in my previous posting.

Part 1 for the Remington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui5uXl33n8g

Part 2 for the Remington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzs3xYeTERc

Part 1 for Colts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qtMkLGdZA4

Part 2 for Colts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=057mS44KLCA

 

[Blizzard of '93]

windsheild washer/wiper fluid does good for campout cleaning too. the winter mix is best due to more alcohol content. it really cuts the crud. pull the grips something in it cuts the finish. rinse with hot water dry well. setting in hot sun or near the fire to heat. then lube and reload.
when home I'll pull the nipples (always use anti-sieze, teflon pipe dope is good) detail strip, clean well and lube for storage.
this is realy all (revolvers) the black powder shooting I've done for years now. ashamed to say I have'nt even fired my rifles or my 'trekking' smooth bore hawken style pistol in years. anymore I'll hunt with either my 12ga H&R or my bolt gun from a stand. and no longer 'trek' don't keep a dog anymore and no-one I formerly went with cares to go.
BP revolver shooting gets in your blood once proficiency is acquired in loading one - well you likely know the rest.

 

[Tom Compton]

If you are going to shoot the revolver again in a day or two remove the grips and cylinder and BLAST everything but the grips w water. Thumb over the end of a hose type blast. Blow dry w air compressor or hair dryer and apply your fav rust preventative.


For storage I've a week or so:

Remove nipples Put cylinder and nipples in tap water. Completely disassemble the rest of the revolver and lay small parts out on a towel.

Spray the small parts w water then clean the artel/frame w patches and tooth brush and water. Use q tips to wipe inside spring holed etc. blow dry and spray the barrel/frame w water Displacer (WD40). Spray small parts again w water and wipe w patch/toothbrush/ q-tip dry w clean patch as air compressor will cause a delay looking for springs or screws. Same w cyl and nipples.

Sounds like a lot but not bad after doing it a few times.