Ultrasonic cleaning

[Billnpatti]

You will find that plain soapy water is the best black powder cleaner that anyone has ever devised and it is cheaper than ony of the others that you may buy in the store. I have also found that spray automobile brake cleaner does an excellent job on locks. I just flush out all of the crud with a few good squirts of the brake cleaner, blow it out thoroughly with compressed air (handy if you have it but not necessary), spray it with WD-40, blow again and wipe with a cloth and finish by lightly oiling the working parts. That is the one exception that I will make to the "just soapy water" advice.

If you are cleaning a revolver, it's still soapy water that is your best bet but you need to learn how to disassemble and reassemble it so you can get all of the black powder residue out of all of the cracks and crevases. You also need to get a light coating of a rust preventive gun oil wiped onto all of the surfaces. You can't afford to miss any of it or you will have a rust problem in short order.

Cleaning your revolver in a dishwasher? I don't know what to make of that idea. Dishwasher detergent is pretty strong stuff and could cause rust. It may work on a stainless revolver but I'd sure think long and hard about putting a blued revolver in a dishwasher. But that's just me. I'll stick to washing mine in a bucket of soapy water, rinsing with clear water, blowing dry with compressed air, spraying with WD-40, blowing and wiping again and then using a good rust preventive gun oil to wipe everything down.

Some may ask "Isn't WD-40 sufficient? Why follow it with a gun oil." Well, that is just my choice. WD-40 may work just fine as a rust preventive by itself but I just prefer to follow it with a good gun oil that I know has good rust preventive properties. Just belt and suspenders. To those who say that they use just WD-40 and it has protected their guns from rust for years, I say fine and dandy. If you're happy, go for it. I've got no problem with that. But I like to use a good gun oil to prevent rust after using WD-40 to get rid of any residual water from the cleaning.

 

[stone knife]

I have seen a video of a guy putting his BP pistol in the dishwasher. Seemed to get it clean enough.

I got away with cleaning a bunch of traps in the dishwasher when the wife was at work. I'm thinking it would be pushing my luck with anything black powder :shocked2: She hates the smell :youcrazy:

 

[Wazzy]

If you ask me my ultrasonic cleaner works great. I bought the larger one from H F $75ish. I use straight up lye in it. I'm sure you can use dish soap too... but my bro runs a restaurant and uses lye to clean friers, if it can clean off that gunk it really takes off bp crud. I then rinse the parts off asap in hot water blow dry and use acetone to displace what water I didn't get off. After that its a good coat of oil and I'm good to go

 

[Greenjoytj]

In a word NO, it would not be worth it.
At the laundry tub with cool water (not hot water) Dawn dish detergent , brushes, patch and jag is all thats needed.
Dry and oil the metal, reassemble. Then is miller time.

 

[jamesthomas]

I just cut up the last of 2 yards of flannel for cleaning patches it's lasted me over a year maybe close to 2 years, might have cost 2 or 3 dollars a yard? I betcha ya can't get parts any cleaner with the ultrasound v.s. the regular way. $75.00 is alot of flannel, W.D.40, alcohol, and B.C. Barricade!.

 

[jamesthomas]

I don't shoot a flintlock just to end up cleaning it with high tech stuff. Somehow it seems wrong to me. Plus it's calming thing when I clean my rifle.

 

[buttonbuck]

I have considered one for cleaning brass but I want the kids to see how to respect the equipment when they shoot, and know how to break down the guns. I can see how they can help with modern stuff. I am still a bit leary about them cleaning the barrels with exposure to lead. I also do not let them cast yet or be around me when I do. I know they reduce exposure to lead dust when cleaning brass. my only hang up with these is dumping the cleaning solution in my septic system. I also like shooting PRB because there is little or no contact with the lead ball and my gun so the dawn water is pretty much ok .