BP shotgun
- Thread starter mbogo3
- Start date
I would try plugging the nipples and putting a few inches of Ed's Red containing a good dose of acetone in each barrel. Plug the muzzles and set it aside muzzle-up for a few days. Try loosening and tightening and repeat as necessary. The acetone promotes penetration and you are plugging the bores so it doesn't evaporate.
You need to be careful using heat on a double due to the soldered ribs.
You need to be careful using heat on a double due to the soldered ribs.
Ed's Red is a home-brew bore cleaning and penetrating fluid. Several versions of the recipe can be found online. In general, they consist of equal parts of some or all of the following: ATF (Dextron automatic transmission fluid), acetone, kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine and anhydrous lanolin. I think Fluid Film might be a good substitute for the lanolin. In my opinion, the ATF and acetone are key ingredients and I think it is more effective than any commercial penetrating fluid I have tried. It needs to be stored in a glass or metal container so the acetone doesn't evaporate.
Here is a link to the original created by Ed Harris (delete the space).
https: //www.vkhgc.ca/documents/Ed%20gun%20cleaner.pdf
Here is a link to the original created by Ed Harris (delete the space).
https: //www.vkhgc.ca/documents/Ed%20gun%20cleaner.pdf
If you can, try removing the breach plugs and then heating them to approaching red heat before attacking the nipples. You will need to make a plug wrench to remove the breach plugs and probably have to heat the end of the barrels with wet rags over the ribs (to protect the solder joint), to get the plugs out. The broken nipple, hopefully you can chip the broken drill out then make a miniature easy out from a worn out chain saw file or piece of drill rod; the tapered square kind because the reverse threaded easy outs just expand the nipple base. You will also probably have to make one or more home made taps to chase out the threads to clean metal and obviously make new nipples. If the gun is european, the threads are probably 26 per inch
mbogo3, most people haven't tried WIPE OUT for removing and penetrating into hard/deep rust.
I use it regularly, mixed with 90% alcohol to increase viscosity and therefore penetration.
I've used this mixture on severely rusted bolts and nuts for years, especially with applications such as the one you describe
I have an old "percussion" Howda pistol, that was found in similar condition, still loaded with powder, round ball and patch.
Several applications of the above mixture, over a week long period, loosened the hammers, cleaned up the springs and softened the rust in the nipple threads enough so that I could carefully remove them, to get at the powder in the chamber from the rear.
The balls were easily removed by drilling a hole through them and screwing in a worm, after some very liberal soaking of the barrel in Diesel
Wipe Out on 000000 steel wool will clean surface rust right to the shiny steel below. It may even be to aggressive, if you're trying to maintain a "browned" patina.
Give it a try, nothing to lose. A half ounce of Wipe Out goes a long way when mixed with alcohol.
I find that mixing it with Varsol doesn't work at all. Nullifies whatever Wipe Out does.
I use it regularly, mixed with 90% alcohol to increase viscosity and therefore penetration.
I've used this mixture on severely rusted bolts and nuts for years, especially with applications such as the one you describe
I have an old "percussion" Howda pistol, that was found in similar condition, still loaded with powder, round ball and patch.
Several applications of the above mixture, over a week long period, loosened the hammers, cleaned up the springs and softened the rust in the nipple threads enough so that I could carefully remove them, to get at the powder in the chamber from the rear.
The balls were easily removed by drilling a hole through them and screwing in a worm, after some very liberal soaking of the barrel in Diesel
Wipe Out on 000000 steel wool will clean surface rust right to the shiny steel below. It may even be to aggressive, if you're trying to maintain a "browned" patina.
Give it a try, nothing to lose. A half ounce of Wipe Out goes a long way when mixed with alcohol.
I find that mixing it with Varsol doesn't work at all. Nullifies whatever Wipe Out does.
