Cleaning up the revolver

[wb78963]

Funny old subject this one of cleaning. You would think we would all do it the same!

I have a Remington NMA steel.

When i get home i drop the cylinder and take out the nipples. With a small pick i dislodge the burnt powder then i use a phospher bronze brush on the nipples and in the cylinder. Oily rag rubbed in everywhere until all clean.
It takes longer to do this than the rest of the gun.
Brushes, jag and rags for the rest until clean. Oil then grease for assembly.

Never water, ever.

I do not take it apart any further but i do loosen and retighten the frame screws every time so when i feel the urge to do a total job they will run free.
I will do that when it hits a thousand rounds. With this pistol i am at 395.

I don't want to start a fight and if it works for you that is wonderful.
But I do not know of any oil that will dissolve salts and those salts are caused by burning Black Gunpowder. Prehaps the oil washes the salts away, but good old dihydrogen oxide (H2O) mixed with Ballistol at room temperature will and that is what I have used since the days of corrosive primers and corrosive caps.
Respectfully Submitted
Bunk

 

[Carl in France]

Hello Bunk, don't worry you won't start a fight here, i love a good discussion and even though i do it my way i am always up for trying something different for a bit.
I stopped using water about 10 years ago as i always seemed to be fighting rust spots and it takes longer. I do not beLieve what i am doing dissolves salts but cleans the gun so the bulk residue is first wiped off and then with picks the dried stuff picked off, more rubbing with oily patches until there is no hint of anything and the gun looks clean. All surfaces get a good oiling this way and the barrel is left loghtly oiled after the patches come clean.
The longest i have left the gun so far between shoots is a month and no hint of anything. Plus i do not buy any 'special' gun oils or cleaners and never have, we never used any in the army or police as they were just regarded as snake oil when all you need is regular oil that any house generally has to hand.
Cleaning should not be skipped or viewed as a chore with firearms...look after them..blah blah.

But, if some one is doing something different and it is working, crack on as you also have it right.

 

[ormond tony]

I did my first deep clean today using Duelist videos on 1858 Remington and 1851 Colt. With the messages from everyone here, I completed two revolver cleaning in about 2.5 hours which consisted of several minutes waiting time for cleaner to work. It, actually, was fun. At 70, I surprised myself as I took the hammer, guard, spring, bolt, mainspring, grips, trigger off and cleaned them.
Again, thanks to all of you as you show that forum members are GREAT!!!!!

 

[wb78963]

QUOTE="ormond tony, post: 1704982, member: 48276"]
I am having trouble entering this into the forum room. It's just not showing up. Here we go again.

I did my first deep clean today using Duelist videos on 1858 Remington and 1851 Colt. With the messages from everyone here, I completed two revolver cleaning in about 2.5 hours which consisted of several minutes waiting time for cleaner to work. It, actually, was fun. At 70, I surprised myself as I took the hammer, guard, spring, bolt, mainspring, grips, trigger off and cleaned them.
Again, thanks to all of you as you show that forum members are GR
Ormond Tony,
The more you do it the easier it gets. My system is to use a line of empty cap boxes to keep all the screws from the different places separated . If you can find an old magnetic sign the back makes a great work area. Any metal part dropped sticks on the sign instead of joining the dust bunnies on the floor.
Keep on making smoke.
Best to you
Bunk
[/QUOTE]

 

[Carl in France]

Good idea on the magnetic sign Bunk, i have chaed a few screws across the workroom floor over the years.

 

[wb78963]

Hello Bunk, don't worry you won't start a fight here, i love a good discussion and even though i do it my way i am always up for trying something different for a bit.
I stopped using water about 10 years ago as i always seemed to be fighting rust spots and it takes longer. I do not beLieve what i am doing dissolves salts but cleans the gun so the bulk residue is first wiped off and then with picks the dried stuff picked off, more rubbing with oily patches until there is no hint of anything and the gun looks clean. All surfaces get a good oiling this way and the barrel is left loghtly oiled after the patches come clean.
The longest i have left the gun so far between shoots is a month and no hint of anything. Plus i do not buy any 'special' gun oils or cleaners and never have, we never used any in the army or police as they were just regarded as snake oil when all you need is regular oil that any house generally has to hand.
Cleaning should not be skipped or viewed as a chore with firearms...look after them..blah blah.

But, if some one is doing something different and it is working, crack on as you also have it right.

Hi Carl,
Try using distilled water when cleaning it could be the minerals in tap water is the rust spoy problem.
Also I find soaking the nipples in paint thinner while cleaning the rest of the gun makes them come out looking like new. The why of this I am not sure but it works for me.
Good luck
Bunk

 

[Justin.44]

I started black powder revolvers a few months ago and enjoy all the entries on cleaning. What I am looking for is a book/manual that will help me take the revolver apart and put it back together after cleaning. I am hesitant to unscrew screws not knowing how to put it back together. I have a 1851 colt and a 1858 Remington. Thanks.

Duelist1954 and Blackie Thomas on YouTube have some great videos on breaking down these revolvers that are really helpful and easy to follow.

 

[wb78963]

two really fouled .44 caliber revolvers, about 35 rounds apiece using some old Du Pont FFFG powder which is not known to be a clean burning black gunpowder, nipples were removed and barrel and cylinder cleaned and reassembled in an hour by the clock. Squeaky clean another about 30 minutes to replace the nipples and mark the "6" chamber including never size on each nipple thread.
It just tales a system.
Respectfully,
Bunk

 

[sawyer04]

My revolver gets a spit shine once a year, any other time it gets swabbed and brushed with olive oil, but I carry it everyday on the ranch and fire it at least twice a week for the fun of it. May field load it and carry it a few more days before a bore and cylinder clean. The old pistols were carried in the dust and grit for long periods without firing. It is tempting to keep it looking like it came out of the box, but every one needs to be tuned and sighted in, using stones, files and fine tooth saws. Not saying to just neglect and let things rust, but keep in mind that one piece of cleaning equipment for field soldiers in the day was a piece of emery cloth.
No water is applied to my revolver unless I fall in a creek, then usually just recap and fire immediately. The bottom end is a mass of chassis grease just like I grease the old truck with. This gets replaced at least once a year.

 

[alfakilo]

Duelist1954 and Blackie Thomas on YouTube have some great videos on breaking down these revolvers that are really helpful and easy to follow.

I think so too. Both do an excellent job at explaining all the questions we have.

 

[Hawk78]

I started black powder revolvers a few months ago and enjoy all the entries on cleaning. What I am looking for is a book/manual that will help me take the revolver apart and put it back together after cleaning. I am hesitant to unscrew screws not knowing how to put it back together. I have a 1851 colt and a 1858 Remington. Thanks.

Utube is an excellent resource for anything and everything.

 

[Hawk78]

Around 1968 Dad brought home an 1861 Uberti Colt Navy from an OGCA show. It became my job to disassemble, clean and reassemble after every range trip. I've used mostly Goex, but also some Pyrodex and other Subs. I've always used soapy water in the kitchen sink, followed by hot water rinse. Afterward I mopped out the bore and chambers, wiped down the rest , then followed up with WD-40 to remove any residual moisture prior to reassembly.
I used Sheath (now called Barricade) prior to storage. I've never had any difficulty removing any powder residue, nor problems with rust.
52 years later & it still runs like new.
View attachment 41384

Do you completely disassemble the gun, or just remove the cylinder?

 

[Bad Karma]

Do you completely disassemble the gun, or just remove the cylinder?

I just remove the cylinder. Sometimes don’t even do that. I will just clean the cylinder through the barrel. That takes at least 3 patches per chamber and a solvent wetted toothbrush for the nipples. After that, wipe the exterior with a rag dampened with Eezox, let that dry and reload for the next time.

 

[wb78963]

My revolvers are open top so I just pull the barrel and cylinder. Let them soak for a while in moose milk then use a a cotton mop to pump the moose milk through the barrel and chambers. About every other cleaning I pull all the nipples and let them soak in paint thinner while the guns soak. Usually one patch and the barrel is done.
Same with the cylinder pump moose milk through each chamber a couple of times let them drain the wipe down and dry the chambers with patches.
The paint thinner will dissolve every thing on the nipples so a new coat of never size is needed then put every thing back together and faster than you can as "Robert is your fathers brother" it is done deal. Every couple of hundred rounds it is best to do a complete strip and clean.
On Remington's I suspect a wet bore snake pulled breech to muzzle a couple of passes would do a pretty good job.
this works for me but I shoot two or three time a week YMMV.
Stay safe
Bunk

 

[ernbar]

I have adopted 45Ds method of pumping grease into the internals to keep out fowling and added an action shield to the hammer to also further keep fowling and junk from dropping into the action. I did it to my 51 Navy and 58 Army and the actions are super smooth and clean. I shot my 58 Army a couple of days back and thanks to the modification, cleaning took a fraction of the time and effort it took before the modification. My Dragoon will get this mod next cause it loves to swallow fowling and cap fragments.

 

[Boston Bill]

I wish I could shoot 2 or 3 times a week. Am lucky to go once a week.

 

[45D]

ernbar, it works rather well and I think most of the cowboy shooters like it.

Mike

 

[ernbar]

ernbar, it works rather well and I think most of the cowboy shooters like it.

Mike

Yes sir I wholeheartedly agree. Thanks to your method reliability is fantastic and cleanup is quick and simple.

 

[Stantheman86]

Hoppe's Action Blaster has been a good friend to me, for blasting nipples , inside the action and pre-soaking chambers before brushing them

 

[BillinOregon]

What is this action shield thing you are speaking of? Sounds worthwhile to investigate.