Cleaning a BP revolver

S

Spokerider

BANNED
CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
53   0   0
Location
Vancouver Island
Wondering what is the best method [ and cleaning supplies ] to use to clean an antique revolver that has fired black powder rounds?

Disassemble and scrub with hot tap water, followed by a good oiling?

Hot tap water and then apply WD40 to dissipate the residual water, followed by good gun oil?

Is there a block powder-specific cleaner available?

Thoughts?
 
I took my 1858 remmy apart and put it all, minus the grips in the sink full of hot soapy water. After scrubbing I rinsed it and dried best I could, then put it all in the oven. Not too long but needed mitts. Oiled it and put it back together. Did that for years and no ill effects.
 
If memory serves me right we made our own "Moose Milk" for cleaning and used it since the early 1970's. It consisted of;
One part Lestoil cleaner
One part Hydrogen Peroxide
One Part Water Soluble Oil
Ten to sixteen parts water
Worked awesome at the range.

I recall a buddy shooting his 1858 Remington at a match ion Havre Montana. The firing line was about 15 yards from a creek that went through the property. They had a bridge across it to get the range. After a pistol match buddy took his Remington to the creek, stuck it under the water, shook it around a bit then pulled the cylinder and dunked the gun again. He came back to his table wiped the bore and the chambers (which were virtually clean) then oiled it and stuffed it back an old holster. I will always remember that.
 
You can go through all of the trouble of disassembly if you need the practise but I just take off the wooden grips and immerse the whole pistol into boiling water for about 10 minutes, walk away and have a coffee.

Then I take it under the hot water tap on the sink or use the spray hose and spray out all of the hard to reach areas.

I've even been known to use the dishwasher, without soap.

Then I toss the original water out and boil another pot and give the pistol another 10 minutes in the clean water. That will lossen up even the worst fouling. One more quick rinse under the tap and all is well and ready for some lubricant and to put the grips back on. Works for rifles as well.

You don't even have to dry the piece off, the temperature of the metal will cause all of the moisture to evaporate.
 
I pull the grips off, cylinder (remove nipples), the trigger guard, the cylinder pin and the loading lever on my 1858. Mine isn't an antique, so the nipples in your revolver may be stuck. Hot water rinse scrubbing with an old tooth brush, followed with a hot water and Sunlight dish soap scrub. Rinse with very hot water, and either wipe it out well and oil, or dry it somewhat and go crazy with the wd-40, and oil.
 
First fellow who showed me how to clean a BP revolver also used the oven to dry the parts. Basic disassembly followed by simple dish soap and water like others suggest, and a quick oven treatment.

However these days I usually just put the pieces on top of the furnace or something similar.

Also unless I know I won't be shooting it for awhile, I oil mine with OLIVE oil nothing else. Olive oil is cheap and available (just cheap bulk Walmart stuff) and it works well, doesn't turn into tar with BP.

Olive oil is not great for extended storage though, if you know that's going to happen use regular gun oil.
 
NorthCoastBigBore said:
First fellow who showed me how to clean a BP revolver also used the oven to dry the parts. Basic disassembly followed by simple dish soap and water like others suggest, and a quick oven treatment.

However these days I usually just put the pieces on top of the furnace or something similar.

Also unless I know I won't be shooting it for awhile, I oil mine with OLIVE oil nothing else. Olive oil is cheap and available (just cheap bulk Walmart stuff) and it works well, doesn't turn into tar with BP.

Olive oil is not great for extended storage though, if you know that's going to happen use regular gun oil.
Click to expand...

yeah dont leave it for long it turns into a sticky mess that everything will stick too(dirt and pet hair)
 
After shooting my BP muzzleloading pistol I do this first, place boiling water and dishsoap into a bucket. Next scrub the seperated barrelled action with wire brush, next with the luxury of time take my TC No.13 bore scrubber and give the barrels another scrub. Then it's off to a fully submerged oil bath for a few days. Yeah, I know the last two steps are superfulous, but hey that's just me. I let the barrels drip dry pointing downwards on a cotton rag for a few hours, then wipe off excess oil from the outer surface and reassemble the pistol.
 
what nobody has asked so far is: what kind of gun is it? Proceedures are a bit different for single shot pistols, revolvers, flint/percussion/cartridge

Oops, I forgot about the thread title. :>( Regardless of cartridge or percussion, I don't see the need or the value in stripping the gun completely nor of boiling the gun until tender. I pour hot not boiling tap water through the barrel and scrub with a bronze bore brush and give the recoil shield a good wipe down with several wet cloths. Also immerse the cylinder in hot water then remove the nipples and give the cylinder a good scrub but in all cases no soap. After drying the frame and cylinder I protect against rust with Fluid Film which is a light grease that comes in a spray can. I wipe it on rather than spray it on. Finally I coat the nipple threads with a heavy grease before reinstalling.

Perhaps once a year or two, I will strip the gun completely for cleaning

cheers mooncoon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom