cleaning percussion nipples

[Mean Gene]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for suggestions for some kind of cleaner that will strip the crud out of percussion nipples with out having to scrub so much.

Dish soap works to a point but still requires a lot of scrubbing.

Thanks!

 

[hawkeye2]

I usually set the nipple to soak while I'm cleaning the barrel. I've tried dish detergent, alcohol, peroxide, alcohol/peroxide/Murphy's and a bore cleaner I used to mix and use. None seemed to work any better than the other. When I'm done with the barrel I take the nipple and clean it under water in the hot water/detergent bucket I cleaned the barrel in. I use sections of pipe cleaner about an inch long and cleaning underwater pumps the solution back and forth through the flash hole. I never attempt to clean the flash hole with anything for fear of damaging it. I usually have to scrape some of the fouling around the flange to shoulder joint with a knife or pick. Do not use cheap pipe cleaners or craft ones, go to a tobacco store and buy the best. I have a cutter that will cut the wire without leaving a burr. Soaking for longer makes it slightly quicker to clean but honestly it takes about as long to clean a nipple as it does to read this so why bother? BTW, I clean my revolver nipples the same way however I never remove them. They are installed using anti-seize or choke tube lube and only removed to replace, never had any problems there.

 

[necchi]

He spelled it out pretty good,
Soapy water soak,
A needle nose pliers,
I have a soft brass brush about the size of a toothbrush that works great, and pipe cleaners.

The only way to make cleaning nipples easier is to not shoot the gun.

 

[Grimord]

To get the major crud out I take the nipples off and put them in an old ultra sonic jewelry cleaner that my wife was going to throw out. I fill the tank with Hoppes BP cleaner, turn it on, then proceed to clean the rest of the gun. By the time I am done with that, the nipples are usually clean. I just use a welding torch tip cleaner on the inside of the nipple, then blow them dry with the compressor.
Has worked well for me for the past few years.

 

[ZUG]

Hello everyone, I'm looking for suggestions for some kind of cleaner that will strip the crud out of percussion nipples with out having to scrub so much.

Dish soap works to a point but still requires a lot of scrubbing.

Thanks!

I never had to do a lot of "scrubbing" to get the nipples clean. I do like a lot of others do -- soak them while I clean the rest of the gun's parts then using a toothbrush I brush the outside then I take a toothpick wrap a tiny bit of cotton ball around the tip and clean the inside - takes all but 2 minutes at most to clean one.

 

[Billnpatti]

I agree with Hawkeye. :metoo: That is how I used to do it until I got my ultrasonic cleaner. Now, I just toss my nipple(s) into the ultrasonic cleaner and let it do my work for me. I also use my uiltrasonic cleaner to clean my revolver cylinders. But, lacking an ultrasonic cleaner, you can go to your local drugstore and buy an insulin syringe. They come with a very tiny needle that will fit into your nipple and you can use the syringe to blast out the crud.

 

[hawkeye2]

The ultrasonic cleaner is fantastic for cleaning nipples and lots of other things but for me it isn't worth putting some solution in and plugging it in for a couple of nipples.

A torch tip cleaner will enlarge the flash hole.

 

[robinsroost]

I use the cheapest brand of carburetor cleaner, usually either Walmart or Big Lots, that I can find. The little red straw, that comes with the can, just fits in a nipple. I give them a short blast from both sides. Keep yer powder dry.........robin :hmm: :hmm:

 

[nhmoose]

:hatsoff: Nipples are also cheap.

 

[Mean Gene]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I think I will invest in a ultrasonic cleaner, it sounds like the solution I've been looking for.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Mean Gene, ....Are you using pyrodex?

 

[TFoley]

Pipe cleaners are cheaper. I've been shooting two BP revolvers for over thirty years, with BP and subs, and never found it much of a chore to clean them out. I remove 'em every time, clean 'em every time, and replace 'em with 'Copperslip' in the threads every time. I can find time to do that, and live as well.

You seem to be making way too much about this - it's part of shooting any BP percussion firearm, after all. :hmm:

tac

 

[Billnpatti]

The ultrasonic cleaner is fantastic for cleaning nipples and lots of other things but for me it isn't worth putting some solution in and plugging it in for a couple of nipples.

A torch tip cleaner will enlarge the flash hole.

I am able to keep my ultrasonic cleaner handy on a shelf ready to go to work when I need it. I also re-use my cleaning solution. When it looks clean, I just pour it into a plastic half gallon jug with a screw top. I have one jug for parts cleaner and one for brass cleaner. Once it starts looking dirty, I dump it. But, I can clean a lot of stuff with one batch before it needs to be replaced.

 

[Grimord]

That's what I do too. Save the solution until it looks dirty, then throw it out.

 

[Mean Gene]

Yes, pyrodex p

 

[Mean Gene]

My left hand is crippled, I'm unable to hold much especially small items.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Yes, pyrodex p

I thought so.....

I've never had a problem cleaning nipples when using real black powder the stuff pretty much wipes off with a shirt tail....But!.. back when I shot competitively, I use Pyrodex P
Yep! the nipples were a pain to clean...I would brush them and swap them out with other nipples I kept stored soaking in a bottle of Hoppes #9
I've even taken them the wire brush wheel on my bench grinder....
You could try dropping them in a bottle of Seafoam.

 

[Grenadier1758]

My left hand is crippled, I'm unable to hold much especially small items.

I see.

Moderate scrubbing is still the best cleaning method. You need a cleaning jig to hold in your left hand while you brush and wipe using your right hand. If you can hold a board about 1/4" thick and about the width you can best hold, you can go to ACE Hardware with one of your nipples and find a T-nut that fits the threads on your nipple. Drill a hole for the T-nut and the prongs on the nut will hold it in place This should give you a secure hold to clean the nipple. $1 and some scrap wood is a cheaper solution than an ultra sonic cleaner and expensive solutions.

 

[TFoley]

In that case, do whatever it takes to get the job done. We are not mind-readers here, and unless advised to the contrary in the opening post, assume that everybody is in full possession of their faculties when offering our well-intentioned advice.

tac

 

[hawkeye2]

Sorry, I didn't realize your problem when I initially posted. It's good to see that you are getting an ultrasonic cleaner, as soon as you realize that it will do other things besides cleaning nipples you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. BTW, I have had great luck with the Harbor Freight one at a fraction of the price and it looks identical too.

Grenadier1758 I like your suggestion and may carry it further by drilling and tapping a piece of 1/4" steel for all the various nipple sizes. If I use a piece of angle I could grip the vertical leg in a vise too. There have been many times when I have had to repair or remodel a nipple and that's a far handier way to hold it than in my fingers.