Packing with grease

[leadhoarder]

I have seen some references to packing a revolvers internals with grease. How is this done. Are the parts simply liberally coated or is the cavity literally filled with grease like when greasing a hun and spindle?

 

[45D]

Like literally filling the cavity. The point being, if the frame is full and occupied, there isn't any room for fouling/dirt to gather. Instead, what little can get in there will be held in suspension. The grease tends to migrate as the action is cycled.
An additional feature that keeps most of the fouling out of the action is an action shield. It's a cover for the action that mounts on the hammer. Every S.A. exposes the action every time it's cycled. Dirt has a direct pathway in. With a cap gun, you also have blowback through the nipple with each round. It follows the curve of the hammer right into the action. The shield blocks the fouling and also any spent caps/fragments and those are presented each time the hammer is drawn back. All the shooter has to do is turn the revolver upside down and the debris will fall out.
With the shield in place, casual shooters don't have to worry about disassembly for cleaning. I tell my competition shooters to check it once a year. If they see mostly red, close it back up and check it again next year. Cleaning chores are barrel, cylinder wipe down the frame and swab the hammer channel with a Q-tip and ballistol. That's about as easy as it gets.

Mike

 

[Whughett]

Works for some. Depends on ones cleaning methods.
I tried it but found it interfered with my habit of cleaning every nook and cranny after after every use with hot water and Dawn.
I’ve got numerous percussion revolvers, some may set for months with out being fired so I want to know they are clean.
I understand it’s popular with competition shooters.
My go to is Ballistol and in many years of cleaning these six shooters I’ve not had any rusted gun parts.

 

[nkbj]

Might be a challenge to find a good formula for a homemade mixed up grease that will melt out quick and flow away with hot water. I'm just using synthetic grease because it's on hand but I'd like DIY blend from the same stuff used for bullets and patch lubes. Not wanting it to get stiff in the cold might be the challenge.

 

[45D]

Mobil1 is rated -30° to +350° any shooting outside of that I would call extreme! Lol
A $9.00 can would probably be a lifetime supply ( depending on the number of revolvers of course!).

Mike

 

[TrapperDude]

Mobil1 is rated -30° to +350° any shooting outside of that I would call extreme! Lol
A $9.00 can would probably be a lifetime supply ( depending on the number of revolvers of course!).

Mike

I've read that using non-organic lubricants can cause non-smokeless powder fouling to get gummy and harder to remove. Do the synthetics behave differently with such fouling, compared to mineral-based lubricants?

 

[russellshaffer]

Can someone educate me about action shields please?

 

[ZUG]

A lot of good info here. If I was a competitive shooter I would use the "fill the cavity with grease" method but as a casual shooter I opt for the non "fill the cavity with grease" method.

 

[45D]

Synthetic greases do play well with bp.

An action shield mounts on the hammer and serves as a cover for the action when the hammer is cycled. At full cock the action is fully exposed and spent caps/frags fall directly in. With a shield installed, it lands on the shield and stays there until you turn the revolver upside down and dump the debris.
Of course if the action is packed with Mobil1, the shield acts as a "ceiling " for the action and helps retain the grease below it. I believe this is the best setup for keeping the action clean and lubed at all times . . . especially if you're not into the "cleaning " thing! I have them on all my revolvers even though they are all unmentionable. They also all have interference pins to keep the action screws from loosening. I never clean the action of my revolvers.

Mike

 

[William Lincoln]

Remember there are different types of grease. The design of the
the mechanism allows condensation and moisture to drain and
evaporate out of the works. The manufacturers do not recommend
grease packing. However, maybe it works ok according to posts.
What about RIG rust inhibiting grease? My instinct and takeaway
is to coat the parts thick and check it now and then over time.
The lure here is to reduce work and escape that nagging obligation
to clean and protect.

 

[Doughty]

Mike, If possible, could you show a picture of an action shield? Maybe a place to get one, if you know?

 

[Whughett]

I’ve found, contrary to general wisdom that a black powder revolver that was properly lubricated before firing and had generous amounts of lube used on ball or conical is not going to rust over night in normal conditions. Cleaning is a chore and I never clean on the same day as shooting but the day after. I’ve been know to put that off for a couple of days. Haven’t had one rust yet.
I read some where that observing the muzzle of your revolver after firing a cylinder full will indicate if enough lube is being used. A ring of grease should be apparent at the crown. My always exhibit that.

 

[William Lincoln]

i do not do a strip clean but every 5 or 6 times out. No rust ever- or very slight
discoloration. I wet clean the barrel and cylinder ,with a blow and wipe cleaning on
the rest after every use. I am looking into the grease pack idea. Blackhorn is
the cleanest yet. Even with the small 5 grain kicker of 4f, it is clean with greater power.

 

[Bad Karma]

Remember there are different types of grease. The design of the
the mechanism allows condensation and moisture to drain and
evaporate out of the works. The manufacturers do not recommend
grease packing. However, maybe it works ok according to posts.
What about RIG rust inhibiting grease? My instinct and takeaway
is to coat the parts thick and check it now and then over time.
The lure here is to reduce work and escape that nagging obligation
to clean and protect.

I’m not sure the design does ”allow moisture and condensation to drain and evaporate“ at least not by design, perhaps accidentally. I doubt the manufacturers have even heard of grease packing. I am certain that if Sam Colt had heard of packing with synthetic grease during the percussion era he’d have included it in the original instructions. It works that well.
I’ve been packing for a couple or three years. I do this for all of my revolvers whether I shoot them a lot or a little. It’s protected the innards of all of them without fail. Thousands of rounds without a bobble. It works. I don’t have any action shields but it still works perfectly. If I did have action shields I expect the grease would stay almost as clean as it went in.

pack ’em boys! You won’t regret it…

 

[45D]

Folks will find every way in the world to do "different" but will come to forums to ask. . . .
Give them simple and they'll still know a better way . . . lol

Mike

 

[Bad Karma]

Folks will find every way in the world to do "different" but will come to forums to ask. . . .
Give them simple and they'll still know a better way . . . lol

Mike

I really like being able to clean up in roughly the same time as I clean an unmentionable. It means I can shoot cap guns almost daily without tearing down completely but every year or so… I have other things to do with my time.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

I very much enjoy stripping my gun and throwing it in a bucket of hot water with Dawn giving a good scrub then spraying with moose milk and wiping dry.

It's kind of therapeutic.

I used to wash it in the sink... My wife HATES it when I do that...but that's ok, I hate her too. Lmao JK

But

I think I may try this ONLY because it's been recommended by two brothers of the boards "45 Dragoon and WoodnBow" of whom I think very highly of and have learned a lot from the past few years.

 

[No second place]

I have found it interesting how some of my fellow shooters find so many ways to add more work than needed to keep their guns in good working order. I`m including fellow match shooters I highly respect. So...Grease packing? Not a good idea for a serious match shooter as it will effect trigger consistency and cause malfunctions from floating cap bits. The good news is you don`t have to strip down every part of your single shots or revolvers but about 500 rounds. Barrels and cylinders must be cleaned and greased but locks and revolver innards work great if well flushed with Breakfree or other foaming oil. Even WD-40 flush followed with oil. This has worked well for me since before 1996. These same pistols work very well in matches currently using this work saving cleaning protocol...c

 

[Bad Karma]

I have found it interesting how some of my fellow shooters find so many ways to add more work than needed to keep their guns in good working order. I`m including fellow match shooters I highly respect. So...Grease packing? Not a good idea for a serious match shooter as it will effect trigger consistency and cause malfunctions from floating cap bits. The good news is you don`t have to strip down every part of your single shots or revolvers but about 500 rounds. Barrels and cylinders must be cleaned and greased but locks and revolver innards work great if well flushed with Breakfree or other foaming oil. Even WD-40 flush followed with oil. This has worked well for me since before 1996. These same pistols work very well in matches currently using this work saving cleaning protocol...c

I used to flush with CLP after every outing. It’s been many years since I’ve detail stripped every time I shot. Even before I started flushing the guts I would often go several months before stripping but my guns were also well oiled checked regularly.

I’ve carried guns professionally, these I shoot for fun and I shoot them a lot. (I should change my handle to Greaser Bob…)

 

[Bad Karma]

I very much enjoy stripping my gun and throwing it in a bucket of hot water with Dawn giving a good scrub then spraying with moose milk and wiping dry.

It's kind of therapeutic.

I used to wash it in the sink... My wife HATES it when I do that...but that's ok, I hate her too. Lmao JK

But

I think I may try this ONLY because it's been recommended by two brothers of the boards "45 Dragoon and WoodnBow" of whom I think very highly of and have learned a lot from the past few years.

Welcome to the dark and greasy side!!