How do you clean your cap and ball revolvers?

[Ironfoot]

I am not asking about the cleaning solution. (Soap and water, Ballistol and water, Simple Green and water, Windex, hydrogen peroxide/alcohol/Murphey's Oil Soap, commercial blackpowder bore cleaner, all seem to work. Rinse off any soap residue, dry and lube before storing.) I am asking about procedure. For single shot muzzleloading rifles most people will use a ramrod with a jag covered by a patch soaked in their favorite cleaning solution. Muzzleloading pistols don't come with a ramrod. I use a regular revolver cleaning rod with a bore brush covered with a patch soaked in cleaning solution to clean the bore and cylinder holes. Is there a better way? Thanks for any tips.

[Clueless Bob]

S&S Firearms have a cleaning rod that one end will take a standard brush or jag. The other end has a jag for cleaning the cylinder. They have one for 36 & 44. Go to their web site, ssfirearms.com. Look at shooting accessories and search pistol cleaning rod.

 

They are great folks and easy to deal with.

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

 

[Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223]

Simple Green & Water,50-50 each. And an ultra-Sonic cleaning tank. I got my tank from Harbor Freight. I shoot Colts so they break down for ease of cleaning. I pull the grips off, remove the barrel & Cylinder. Then all goes in the tank. Upon removal I use my compressor and blow dry all. After dry, I use ballistol and spray all parts. Once a Year I do a complete dis-assembly, clean & inspection.

[John Boy]

I am asking about procedure.

Ultras Sonic Clean (barrels & cylinders) - with a cleaning solution the OP doesn't want mentioned that is different from any of the ones listed. Then rinse under hot water and blow dry with an air compressor - lube - Done

100% of the foul is removed! And if you want to know the cleaning solution - send me a PM

[J-BAR #18287]

I have never heard of any two shooters doing it exactly the same way. As long as the guns will function and not rust, indulge yourself.

[DOUBLE OUGHT HAGEN SASS#74836]

I Shoot APP in Pietta 44 Caliber 58 Remingtons, Using 3 Revolvers and 12 Cylinders ( I Rotate The Revolvers)

After Each 6 Stages:

Cylinders - Wipe Off With Clean Cloth And Store

Nipples - Brush Off With Brass Brush & Prick And Store

Revolvers - Brush & Swab Bore (Windex / Venegar) Remove Any Residue From Hammer and Hammer Channel . Wipe Down With WD40. If Action Feels Slick I Store , If Not I Do A Complete Break Down , Clean And Reassembly Before Storing

After Each 24 Stages :

Revolvers: Complete Break (Excluding The Barrel) Clean With Gun Scrubber , Check Action Parts And Replace If A Question Lube With Milatec , Reassemble

And Store.

After 300-400 Rounds

Cylinders and Nipples - Pull Nipples, Boil And Bake. Lube Nipple Threads (Milatec) Reassemble. Brush Out Chambers, Pipe Cleaner Nipples and Prick.

 

I Think That Covers It

 

00

 

[Fillmore Coffins, SASS #7884]

Dishwasher?

 

Fillmore

[Navy Six]

As noted, a variety of cleaning concoctions will work as especially if water is part of the cleaning solution. I haven't personally tried some of the mentioned devices such as ultra sonic cleaners, but they sound interesting. You probably have already seen that there is very little to no leading in the barrel when using real blackpowder so that part of the cleanup is already pretty quick. That leaves the nooks and crannies which can be done with an old toothbrush dipped in solution and maybe a toothpick if you want to get the last little bit. That leaves the cylinder, the part I think the most people find problematic. It can be as simple as immersing the entire cylinder in your solution or under warm tap water and using the toothbrush to scrub the outside and around the nipples(if you left them in) and a bronze brush of the appropriate size in each chamber. Oil or Wonder Lube and you're done. One note on the nipple removal.If you are using the same set of guns regularly you can get away with not removing them for cleaning each time. However, if they are used infrequently or even less, you may create a later headache for yourself or someone else. I have run into guns that were shot a couple of times and put away, sometimes for years or even decades and trying to get the nipples out can be a real trial of your patience. So take them out occasionally and put something like anti-sieze on the threads. The entire gun should be broken down sometimes, how often depends on how much the gun is shot. Especially in a Colt, you might be surprised at the amount of cap fragments and other debris that can get down in the internals. A quick cleaning every time will miss this and sooner or later that gun will start giving problems.

So I guess there are two approaches to your question. A quick cleaning is OK sometimes but not every time.Sorry if this got a little preachy, was not my intention. The cap & ball guns are a lot of fun but do require a little more attention. Good Luck, Navy Six

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

I'm with Filmore on this one. Just don't let the Mrs. catch you.

 

That is my story and I am sticking to it.

 

Chancy

[Flinch Lock]

I also shoot Pietta 58s in the 44 flavor with the real black, all I do is take the grips, the ramrod and pin out, take a brass brush and a brass brush on the cleaning rod, go to the sink and run the water as hot as it gets, just stick them under the flow and scrub away. Same with the cyclinders except I use a cleaning jag and squirt the water out the nipples, dry them off and lube down with Ballistol and they are good to go.

[Ramblin Gambler]

Didn't want to start a new thread for this since there have been so many recently about gun cleaning. I'm curious if these cleaning solutions and methods work for smokeless powder too, and if not, why.

 

 

Also, I don't see why, if hot soapy water is all you need, throwing it in the dishwasher would be a bad thing. Someone talk me down off the ledge if it really is a dumb idea.

 

Oh and the OP asked about single shot muzzle loaders, so I thought I'd throw in how I used to clean mine. Cleaning jag on the ramrod with a patch, a rubber hose on the nipple running into a bucket of hot soapy water. Shove the jag all the way down and then work it back and forth as you're coming up. Made a bit of a mess when I did that (because I was a kid), but I always liked it because it was fun.

[Navy Six]

Gambler, if you stick the gun in your dishwasher, it (the dishwasher) will look like a dirty mess in no time. If you are married you will probably get strung up and won't have to worry about cleaning the guns any more. And don't forget all that water down in the internals.With normal cleaning methods, that amount of liquid is not forced down inside the gun. Even the guys that give the gun a sloppy bath are usually using a Ballistol / water mix (or something similar) that leaves an oily residue to coat the metal parts. Good Luck

[Hoosegow Hank #21444]

Baby Wipes.

[Amarillo Rattler]

A variation on the cylinders.

 

Harbor Freight Ultra Sonic cleaner with hot water and Table spoon of liquid tide. Four cycles of ON for a total of 12 minutes.

 

Under cold running water, brush all surfaces with nylon bore brush and nylon bristle brush (nipple area).

 

Blow dry, rotate a patch twice in each cylinder bore to remove any remaining fouling. Lube inside of bores and front of cylinder with Bore Butter, spray rear of cylinder with Eezox, wipe sides of cylinder with either Eezox or Ballistol.

 

Done.

 

AR

[Gran'pa Jef]

I shoot a pair of old Ub 1858 stainless Rem in Frontiersman's

After every shooting session I take apart the full pistol.

Put all pieces in kerosene or white spirit as soon I'm back .

Next day, I clean everything with small brushes, patches & wooden sticks, some specifically made for the cylinders

Then, Ballistol & end of the game

I have been shooting those Rems for more than 25 years. They still look almost brand new...

Jef

[Papa Irish]

Break down pistols, spray everything with Simple Green, scrub and wash in the bathroom sink. Hurry up and clean the bathroom before wife sees it. Blow dry with my compressor, wipe down with CLP on a rag. Take the nipples out every so often and throughly clean them and holes. I only shoot BP in pistols.

 

I have to say I like Lefty Dude's method with the Sonic cleaner, will look into that.

[Ironfoot]

Gran'pa Jeff

 

How do you remove the kerosene after cleaning and before oiling?

[Ironfoot]

Lefty Dude

 

Is this the ultrasonic tank you use?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

[Ironfoot]

Clueless Bob

 

I ordered a cleaning rod from S&S.

Thanks for the tip.

 

Everybody else

 

Thanks for your info.

lots of ways to clean a blackpowder revolver I see.

 

Ironfoot

[Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223]

Lefty Dude

 

Is this the ultrasonic tank you use?

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

Yep ! that be it. Same as the Hornady I think.

[Blackey Cole]

Between matches hot soap water in a ultrasonic cleaner then dry and spray with a soil pm during a match windex and paper towels and a brush and rod. I try to keep the cylinder dry during a match to cut down on popping caps especial since they have been hard to find lately.

[Hellgate #3302 L]

I do a barrel, cylinder, & frame wipe down, solvent wetted tooth brushing, spray bottle douche, dry and oil. I will do a complete tear down when I suspect a broken part, spent cap or excess debris is affecting the gun's function. Excess debris is defined as "so much black sludge is in the action that it is oozing out behind the trigger". Needless to say, I don't do a lot of complete tear downs but after each match they get a nice "whore's bath" as previously described.