Complete Cleaning of 1860 Army Colt?

[1860 Army]

I've been under the impression that any petroleum based products are to be avoided.

 

[M. De Land]

Only for lubing the ball or bullets as carbon and tar is formed when petroleum is burned in black powder combustion.
For projectile lube one wants natural oils, soaps and waxes which are water soluble.
For lubing the internal movements of the gun itself petroleum products are fine.
One of the newer products I have come to love for cleaning lead out of barrels is Gunzilla.
It contains no petroleum or water and will leave a film in your bore that greatly reduces leading. A tight patch with Gunzilla on it will literally squeal as it's pushed down bore pulling up lead on it's way through. I have found this to be true in all manor of gun application, modern or muzzle loader.

 

[1860 Army]

Would you then recommend greasing the arbor with a petroleum based grease?

 

[M. De Land]

I use Hoppe's gun grease on the arbors, bolt legs and ratchet star which has more the character of a gel than a heavy grease.
I don't know what is in it and it is billed more as a protect-ant than lubricant but it has worked fine for me in the high stress areas.
I also like Rig for the same purpose but it has more the consistency of axle grease.
Both leave a strong film to protect and lubricate.
The other advantage of using grease on the arbor is that it's thicker nature keeps out more of the fouling than will oil.

 

[smoothshooter]

It's not a matter of poorly fitting screwdrivers for many of us.

It's the softness of the screw heads the Italians insist on using.

You would think they would have learned by now, but the Italians tend to be a hard - headed bunch, at least as far as gun and ammunition production goes. And since very few of them actually shoot, they don't have personal experience with some of the related problems.

 

[smoothshooter]

Petroleum-based lubricants MAY be more of a problem in the barrel than on an arbor.

The badness of petroleum grease for BP shooting may be overblown.

 

[smoothshooter]

I doubt there were more than a very minor few that were ever fired daily, and even then, only for short periods of time ( calendar ). Most would have gone for months or years without being fired, and some left loaded the whole time.

I never believed for a minute Hickhock fired and cleaned his guns daily,mas he is reputed to have done, except maybe for short periods of time measured in days instead of months.

 

[smoothshooter]

Depends on humidity, lubricant, etc.

I take pretty good care of my BP revolvers and shoot them much and often, but I do not completely tear them down for cleaning after each shooting session or copperhead / snapping turtle / rabbit shooting either.

I tend to play it by ear, so to speak, and if the internals start to operate sluggishly, then I do the teardown. This is usually after a couple of hundred rounds or more. Less in cold weather.

My rust issues have been infrequent and very minor after thousands of rounds fired.
If I did the complete teardown everyday I shot them I would shoot them less because of the hassle.
I bought them to use - a lot.
For fun, and as working guns.

I don't necessarily expect my BP revolvers to last forever any more than I expect my weedeater or car to.
If any of my revolvers gets to the point it needs to be replaced, I will just buy another one.

 

[M. De Land]

I was thinking of civil war cavalry solders who were either in battle or on scout patrol regularly and had to count on the reliability of their weapons of which the pistol was their primary armament even when equipped with carbines.
Horse solders were the eyes and ears of civil war armies and surviving veterans, I have read, often carried three or four pistols into engagements as the ranges were usually short and they could be fired with one hand.
But as I said I doubt they tore then down each night after using them.
I think your philosophy is pretty sound and entirely practical.

 

[Twistofer]

Can a nube ask a really dumb question? Do the ultrasonic gun cleaners have any place in BP Arms? There are a number of hydrophilic/phobic solutions on the market, which chemically should be ideal when combined with the agitation that US gives.

 

[coloradoclyde]

It would probably do a fine job of cleaning, but you still need to neutralize the corrosive salts.

Like I said earlier, I put mine in a parts washer after I soap and water clean it.....I suspect a ultrasonic cleaner would work fine as a secondary means of cleaning...

 

[Twistofer]

Thanks for the info...Most of the US solutions are mixed with water, and there is nothing that says a 1:7 Ballistol solution can't be used in the US tub. That should do a nice job dissolving and neutralizing the corrosive salts. No?

 

[1860 Army]

:metoo: I have Brownell's mag tip and they still manage to mung up the screw heads.

 

[Mean Gene]

I'm trying a different technique of not using water. I'm now disassembling the gun and cleaning it with mineral oil. Afterwards I use a little gun grease on the hammer where the bolt rides. Some on the ratchet teeth and on the trigger. I used to use gun grease on the arbor but found it gummed up and stiffened the cylinder rotation. Now I use bore butter on the arbor and have no problem, I also use it in the barrel as well as wiping the inside of the chambers with it. So far I'm impressed with this method it's been working well.

 

[Pete G]

:metoo: I have Brownell's mag tip and they still manage to mung up the screw heads.

That can only happen if the bit does not fit the screw slot. The proper sized bit should be exactly as wide as the screw head and be almost an interference fit in the thickness. Sometimes a larger bit has to be ground to match a specific screw.

 

[ZUG]

:metoo: I have Brownell's mag tip and they still manage to mung up the screw heads.

That can only happen if the bit does not fit the screw slot. The proper sized bit should be exactly as wide as the screw head and be almost an interference fit in the thickness. Sometimes a larger bit has to be ground to match a specific screw.

I have the large Wheeler screw bit set and I have not had a problem with it "buggering-up" any screw heads yet and I have had the set for about 5 years and use it a LOT :v .

 

[Billnpatti]

Can a nube ask a really dumb question? Do the ultrasonic gun cleaners have any place in BP Arms? There are a number of hydrophilic/phobic solutions on the market, which chemically should be ideal when combined with the agitation that US gives.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner. When I use it to clean my revolver parts and rifle locks, I use the gun parts cleaner solution. It does a pretty good job but I still go over everything with a patch with cleaner on it just to get out any remaining gunk. The ultrasonic cleaner does a good job but I am just very picky about my guns and their cleanliness. So, for me, putting my parts in an ultrasonic cleaner and then going over them the old fashioned way is sort of a "belt and suspenders" approach to cleaning my guns. Before I put my guns away, they have to be as clean or cleaner than the day they left the factory. Obsessive compulsive....hell yeah, when it comes to my guns. I learned that in the Marine Corps. It was one of those sweet gentle suggestions that my DI gave me back in 1957. He did it in such a sweet and gentle way that I never forgot. :haha:

 

[1860 Army]

Can anyone tell me the sizes of magna tips needed to completely disassemble a Colt 1860?

 

[smoothshooter]

I have not tried mineral oil, per se, but I do use diluted Ballistol, sometimes, which is mostly mineral oil I am told by people who know more about chemistry than I.

 

[Gee Dog]

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...colt-single-action-screwdriver-prod25458.aspx

Good set. Works on Uberti and Piettas.