Do you disassemble fully to clean every shooting session?

[Half-Cocked]

I forgot in my excitement to add any lube at all to my revolver when I went to the range. I forget twice actually. I noticed a huge difference in how fast the action got crunchy!

I wonder how many people do a complete disassemble of their 1851 after every single shooting session.

I'll be honest it's a pain. I want to cheat and not do it but I find the area behind the hammer particularly difficult to clean.

On the plus side I know now that the homemade lube is making a huge difference. Also the "old open axel grease" I used in the arbor is fine and causes no issues at all.

I have also substituted cheaper wax for beeswax. This has also worked without issue. The new mix is olive oil plus parafin wax or scented wax.

Overall I enjoy shooting the Pietta Brass 1851 Colt .44. I grossly underestimated the number of caps I needed. One hundred caps does not even put a dent in 1 lbs of powder at 12 grain per chamber.

 

[Larry Akers]

If you like rusty guns, don't clean. Mine get a complete tear-down after a shooting session no matter how many shots.

 

[FishDFly]

"One hundred caps does not even put a dent in 1 lbs of powder at 12 grain per chamber."

That comes to 583 caps or 6 tins.

Failing to clean is why there are so many trashed BP revolvers.

You can use paraffin wax, mineral oil and Vaseline and adjust the amount of paraffin to get the solidity you want for hot or cold weather. Store it in old shoe polish cans.

Yes some of use are old school and still polish our shoes and boots.

 

[Justin.44]

One hundred caps does not even put a dent in 1 lbs of powder at 12 grain per chamber.

12 grains is a pretty light charge for a .44, even for brass frame

 

[FishDFly]

Paper never complains as long as there is a hole in it.

Most times a light charge is the most accurate one.

 

[Justin.44]

Paper never complains as long as there is a hole in it.

Most times a light charge is the most accurate one.

True, I've found 18 grains works best in mine, I've just never heard of going that low.

 

[mooman76]

Only if I want it not to rust. That powder in revolvers gets area and it doesn't take long to start rusting.

 

[FishDFly]

I have a .36 that I use 10 grains.

You get a lot of practice using 10 grains.

 

[Half-Cocked]

I am making that brass last as long as I can. I think I am fully seating the ball without a wad. I hope at least. Been using 12g 2f from the start. Groups pretty well at 10 yards just a bit high as a Colt does.

The paper cartridges I made where kind of a fail. Primer won't burn through 2 layers of rolling papers twisted at the bottom to boot.

I got the only one I tried to go off using 2 caps. The first cap wasn't enough. It also clogged up the nipple something fierce. Maybe nitrated paper is better?

 

[Zonie]

Getting back to the original question, "Do you disassemble fully to clean every shooting session?", my answer is no.

I remove the barrel (on a Colt) and the cylinder and nipples and then clean them completely. I also clean off all of the exposed surfaces on the frame/hammer/loading lever etc.

I only completely disassemble my revolvers about once a year to clean out any debris that might have gotten down into the inside of the gun.
When I do this "full cleaning" I usually find a few grains of powder and a light coating on the surfaces, made by the smoke that managed to get down inside the frame.
None of this coating has ever seemed to cause a rusting problem but that might be because of where I live. Usually the humidity around here is from 5% to 30%.

 

[mooman76]

I guess I misunderstood what he meant by fully disassemble.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Yes. Take it all apart and clean.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Nope.

About every 4th of 5th range trip yep. But not every time. Never needed in my experience.

 

[Bad Karma]

I’m with smokey plainsman and Zonie. I’ve got grease packed in the action and all that needs cleaning is the bore, chambers, hammer and hammer slot and then wipe down all external surfaces.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Yep sorry. I should clarify I meant taking apart all the screws. The gun in pieces hammer removed from frame.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Yep sorry. I should clarify I meant taking apart all the screws. The gun in pieces hammer removed from frame.

Yep same answer. Just not needed.

 

[Justin.44]

I am making that brass last as long as I can. I think I am fully seating the ball without a wad. I hope at least. Been using 12g 2f from the start. Groups pretty well at 10 yards just a bit high as a Colt does.

The paper cartridges I made where kind of a fail. Primer won't burn through 2 layers of rolling papers twisted at the bottom to boot.

I got the only one I tried to go off using 2 caps. The first cap wasn't enough. It also clogged up the nipple something fierce. Maybe nitrated paper is better?
[/QUOTE

When I load a light charge, after the powder I fill each chamber nearly to the top with cream of wheat, then seat the ball and it'll be flush with the top of the cylinder. Seems to help with accuracy.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I don't completely tear down my revolvers after a range session, but do check them after a week or two of storage. I normally tear them apart once or twice a year to completely clean them. I don't live in an overly humid area though and with AC running in the summer the humidity in the house is low.

 

[SDSmlf]

I wonder how many people do a complete disassemble of their 1851 after every single shooting session.

Depends on what you call a shooting session, where you live and what powder you use. When I shot SASS a match typically included about 60 pistol shots (30 each through 2 guns) and I typically shot two matches a month. With the humidity we see in the Carolinas (Weather Channel says it 100% right now) I didn’t go more than a couple matches between complete disassembly, particularly with Pietta and Uberti revolvers, as something was always wearing or breaking (SASS is tough on guns and I always had an extra revolver available at a match) and it was a chance to do a heath check on the gun. Ruger Old Armies would run forever, and I didn’t disassemble them as often, unless using Pyrodex. The residue from Pyrodex would quickly cultivate corrosion in areas where blackpowder residue never did, at least in my experience in the usually humid Carolinas. Just my opinion.

 

[B P Arn]

I almost always completely disassemble and clean my BP guns after shooting them.