Cleaning revolvers

[nhmoose]

Beware Ultrasonic cleaners can remove casehardening colors in one cycle. Learned the hard way on a customers gun. Big dollar Boo-boo. The colors are only micron thick

 

[hrt4me]

In my bachelor days, I used to remove the grips from my stainless Old Army, strip it down and run it through my dishwasher.

That ended when I got married, lol.

I used to do that with my first Ruger Old Army when I was a kid, i.e. put it in my parents' dishwasher

 

[wb78963]

Shooting Colt open top revolvers cleaning is easy just make three parts barrel,. cylinder, and frame.
The cylinder goes into a jar of moose milk to soak. The barrel likewise goes into a jar of moose milk.
The frame gets carefully wiped with a wet moose milk patch cleaning all fouling from everywhere needed.
The barrel is cleaned with a proper caliber cotton mop pumping the liquid through several times.
The cylinder gets the same treatment. which is a little harder with the nipples in place, but persevere
Then the bore and chambers are wiped clean with dry patches and oiled with your favorite gun oil.
About every 100 to 150 rounds clean as above, but remove the nipples and let them soak in a small jar of paint thinner. For reasons I do not understand they come out with the cap fouling soft and easily wiped clean.
Now comes the fun part. With good fitting gunsmith screwdrivers remove the back strap, trigger guard and all the little inside parts keeping screws and parts separate. Empty cap boxes work well. With the frame completely stripped blast it clean with carburetor cleaner especially the channel in the frame for the hand. Q-tips work well here.
Wipe all the parts clean. Put an anti-size lubricant on nipple threads put it all back together and

Robert is your father's brother
You are done.
It sounds intimidating, but actually when you have all the tools at hand it takes about the same time as field stripping and carefully cleaning and re-assembling that unmentionable side arm designed by a well known gunsmith in Utah 110 years ago (OK Moderator?).
I use moose milk mostly because it giver a twoffer it cleans (water) and oils (Ballistol) but plain water with a drop of Dawn will do the same however, after cleaning every thing must be dried and oiled.
This is my way it may not be the best way, it certainly is not the only way, but it works for me.
Yr' Obt' Svt'
J. L. (Bunk) Stagner SASS#85926

Yesterday the .44 Pietta Marshal got 50 rounds through it using real Gunpowder and was broken down completely to a stripped frame.
This morning it took an hour and a half to scrupulously clean everything then grease, oil and reassemble.
Perhaps a little AR but that chunk of iron is worth a lot of money and I am going to take care of the property.
As far as I am concerned that is the price paid for the fun. Usually cleaning is done every 100 to 150 rounds, but this one had just come back from repair and I wanted to check everything both outside and inside.
respectfully
Bunk

 

[kh54]

After a day at the range, usually with two firerarms, I put on a movie while I strip everything down and clean. I learned that any more than two guns is a two movie task.

 

[Bad Karma]

If it took that much time to clean after shooting, I don’t think I’d shoot very much or often. One or more of these are fired several cylinders per week, they’re packed with mobile one synthetic grease so cleaning involves the bore, chambers and a wipe down of the exterior with a damp rag followed by wiping the bore, chambers and exterior with Eezox or Frog Lube. No rust ever, no pits and other than holster wear the finish is intact on all but the 58 year old Uberti/Navy Arms. It’s showing patina. Every year or so they get detail stripped, the grease flushed out and the parts inspected, the action gets reassembled with a fresh packing of grease and off we go. Even that is overkill in my opinion but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

Oh, and the Remington, I sold that a few years ago. It shot as well as it looks but the grip was designed for someone else. Sadly… I put a lot of time and money into that pistol. It was nice to look at.

 

[nightwolf1974]

Happiness is an ultrasonic tub, warm water and a little Dawn.

wm

I think I wanna try that...

 

[nightwolf1974]

After a day at the range, usually with two firerarms, I put on a movie while I strip everything down and clean. I learned that any more than two guns is a two movie task.

Lord of the Rings....extended versions!

 

[Woody Morgan]

I think I wanna try that...

By the way...Dawn is my wife's second cousin.

wm

 

[Rfp10000]

….

 

[wb78963]

By the way...Dawn is my wife's second cousin.

wm

And you get her to wash your guns?
That is fantastic I wish I had a second cousin-in-law that wpuld do that for me.
Bunk

 

[wb78963]

If it took that much time to clean after shooting, I don’t think I’d shoot very much or often. One or more of these are fired several cylinders per week, they’re packed with mobile one synthetic grease so cleaning involves the bore, chambers and a wipe down of the exterior with a damp rag followed by wiping the bore, chambers and exterior with Eezox or Frog Lube. No rust ever, no pits and other than holster wear the finish is intact on all but the 58 year old Uberti/Navy Arms. It’s showing patina. Every year or so they get detail stripped, the grease flushed out and the parts inspected, the action gets reassembled with a fresh packing of grease and off we go. Even that is overkill in my opinion but I guess it doesn’t hurt.

Oh, and the Remington, I sold that a few years ago. It shot as well as it looks but the grip was designed for someone else. Sadly… I put a lot of time and money into that pistol. It was nice to look at.

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Thia morning I put 30 rounds through mty1851 (Pietta) Navy Colt. About 45 minutes barrel, cylinder, frame and six nipples cleaned and back together.
BunkCleaning is easy when you have a system and mine works for me.

 

[eggwelder]

Fired 50+ shots from my 51 navy yesterday, did a white cloth cleaning. Residue everywhere. Will stick to the full strip and cleaning after each session.

 

[wb78963]

this afternoon I put 25 rounds through one of my Capt. Schaeffer 1851 .36 Navy guns. It took about 45 minutes to field strip, remove and clean nipples,barrel , frame, and cylinder then reassemble and put away.
Fortunately i have a good well lighted work bench dedicated to things like this. Every 150 to 200 rounds the gun gets a complete striped frame cleaning and checking.
These guns are expensive to start out and right now are irreplaceable.. I do not consider cleaning a chore rather it is simply maintaining an investment.
That is just my thought
Bunk

 

[FishDFly]

Cleaning is preventative maintenance.

 

[Bad Karma]

I put a few cylinders through the little Navy (on the far right) today. Haven’t shot it for a few months and of course it’s been loaded since the last outing. The 20 grains of 3f ignited just like that, and the Kaido bullets shoot with authority. A great small game load. I came in to the shop, cleaned it, replaced the nipples with a set of Uncle Mikes, and reloaded it. Took me 15 minutes at the most. I may shoot it again tomorrow or else it may go back in the safe until the urge to shoot that one strikes again.
I agree @FishDFly. Cleaning IS preventive maintenance. My stuff is very well maintained. You won’t find corrosion on any of my pistols. It just doesn’t take hours to do it.

 

[wb78963]

Yesterday the .44 Pietta Marshal got 50 rounds through it using real Gunpowder and was broken down completely to a stripped frame.
This morning it took an hour and a half to scrupulously clean everything then grease, oil and reassemble.
Perhaps a little AR but that chunk of iron is worth a lot of money and I am going to take care of the property.
As far as I am concerned that is the price paid for the fun. Usually cleaning is done every 100 to 150 rounds, but this one had just come back from repair and I wanted to check everything both outside and inside.
respectfully
Bunk

I was cleaning the Navy because it would not get shot again for a long time and had a lot of rounds through it. I shoot from left to right and it was at the right end of the rack. Now iI am starting at the left end. It will be a long while before I get back to it. Usually it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get one clean enough to store.
And i do have the Sharps carbine and my Smith icarbine s on the way back from being tuned. and both will get shot a lot and cleaned a lot..

 

[Bad Karma]

I was cleaning the Navy because it would not get shot again for a long time and had a lot of rounds through it. I shoot from left to right and it was at the right end of the rack. Now iI am starting at the left end. It will be a long while before I get back to it. Usually it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get one clean enough to store.
And i do have the Sharps carbine and my Smith icarbine s on the way back from being tuned. and both will get shot a lot and cleaned a lot..

A little AR?? In the immortal words of our Commander in Chief, “C’mon man!!”

I have my favorites, shoot the Navy Arms sheriff at least once a week and often more. Then the others as something strikes my fancy. The Navy is a real sweet shooter but it obviously has the navy grip frame so it’s small for my hand. I’m sure it sat since April or May. Every time I think about selling it though, I take it out and shoot for a bit and it’s really too nice to let go. First world problems eh?

 

[45man]

I remove the grips and if a Colt, the barrel. Then into a tub of soapy water. Dry with hot water and spray inside and out with Barricade.

 

[Red Owl]

One advantage of the Colt design- pretty easy to take down and clean. I do after every session. I have a 52 year old Navy 36 that is still in great shape. Make sure you make screw drivers where the blade exactly fits the bolt slots.

 

[wb78963]

I remove the grips and if a Colt, the barrel. Then into a tub of soapy water. Dry with hot water and spray inside and out with Barricade.

well it is your gun to do with as you will. but that s not likely to get the fouling,,, grit and crud out of the working parts in the frame in my opinion. But like i said it is your gun do it the way that suits you.
Horrified
Bunk