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Cleaning C&B Revolvers


Barry Sloe

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I am slowly migrating over to C&B.  After a practice session a few weeks ago I went through my standard cleaning process.  It's kind of long and tedious. 

So, I was wondering how everyone else is cleaning their equipment. 

 

Thanks, 

Barry Sloe 

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Shotgun is easy - cork/stopper in the muzzle, warm/hot water in barrels & half way up chamber (do not overfill) wait 10 min while you clean other guns, remove muzzle stoppers, push 1/2 paper towel down each bore & it should be clean.

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you're gonna get a hundred different answers as to what the best method is. I agree with Yusta B. on the shotgun and use a similar method on the pistols and rifle. What I use is hot water and dawn as the cleaning solvent. Depending on the caliber of rifle or if you anneal your brass will determine if you need to pull the side plates off the rifle. Any way scrub everything with hot water and dawn, rinse, dry patches, WD-40 to blow the moisture out of the hard to reach areas. wipe/blow out the wd and lube up with your favorite gun oil. If i'm shooting again within the next few days I just lightly lube with wd-40. If they're going in the safe for a while I use a generous cote of rem oil. 

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Edit: whoops, you were just asking about revolvers. Well, that's the easy part :) See steps 3-5...

 

I'm lazy, so quick cleaning was a must for me when I started with C&B. I shoot APP, so I'm not as concerned with corrosion. I'll try to keep this brief, but here's my process:

 

1. Remove shotgun barrels from receiver and remove the extractor. Plug both breeches with a tight-fitting paper towel, and fill barrels with water.

 

2. Rifle: squirt a healthy amount of 25% ballistol water solution into the open action and down the breech. Pull a few wet (25% ballistol/water) patches through the barrel until they come clean. Wipe action down with a rag and maybe a few q-tips. Sometimes I use a brass scraper in the corners to remove the fouling. Pull a bore snake down the bore, wipe the whole thing down, and lay it down with action open to finish drying. Fill shotgun barrels with water again.

 

3. Remove grips and cylinders from revolvers. Under a running tap, rinse out cylinders and scrub nipples with a stiff fingernail brush. Under running water, scrub frames with fingernail brush. Set cylinders and frames aside to dry a bit -- sometimes I use compressed air to blow them off. Fill shotgun barrels with water again.

 

4. Spray 25% ballistol/water solution all over frames and cylinders and down the barrel. Using a patch on a rod, give each chamber a quick wipe and pull patches through the barrel until clean. Wipe the frames and cylinders down with a cleanish rag. Fill shotgun barrels with water again.

 

5. Blow off revolver parts and run a snake down the barrels. Set aside to dry.

 

6. Using a squib rod, grab your shotgun barrels and push the paper towels down from breech to muzzle. This should pull all the fouling and plastic out the first time. Squirt 25% ballistol/water over/in the barrels. Wipe down and pull a bore snake down the barrels. Any remaining plastic after the paper towels should get pulled out with the bore snake. Wipe off and re-install extractor, then set everything aside to dry.

 

7. After everything dries overnight, return to safe.

 

This whole process takes me about 30 mins.

 

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As to the pistols , I find it easy , feald strip it , pull the wood off , spray everything EXCEPT the grips (wood ) with somple green , let sit , while ya have a cup of coffee 

 

 brush out the cyl, run a brush down the bore , rinse in hot water , use a compressed to dry , spray it down with moose milk 50/50 Balastiol and water 

 

 dry again with air or a heat gun , put the grips back on , wipe any excess oil off , put em away 

 

 I have 3 sets that were put up doing just this , over 2 years ago , NO rust  on em at all 

 

 Chickasaw 

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Going make easier for you....Take off grips....Put in dishwasher with next load...Take out and oil them....Done....

 

Texas Lizard

 

Dishwasher even has things for the barrels to sit up...Or you can follow everything above....They work also....

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I have started using Birchwood #77 to run the first patches through rifle and revolvers and does a great job. I spray my shotgun with Windex, with vinegar, wait about thirty minutes and run a tornado brush through that takes out all of the snot then two patches with Ballistol and all done. Hot water and soap is also good for cleaning. I do clean the nipples each time soaking in a solution while I am cleaning the other revolver parts. Once you find a routine that works for you it doesn’t take that long. Welcome to the C&B world. DC

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Lordy I hope you have a secretary whom takes shorthand.  You have opened Pandora's Box.  I won't even make a suggestion.  I'm gonna go make the POPCORN now.  Sit back and enjoy.  Oh, almost forgot.  65% of the methodology is going to be really dumb.  The Lizard is spot on though.

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1 hour ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Lordy I hope you have a secretary whom takes shorthand.  You have opened Pandora's Box.  I won't even make a suggestion.  I'm gonna go make the POPCORN now.  Sit back and enjoy.  Oh, almost forgot.  65% of the methodology is going to be really dumb.  The Lizard is spot on though.

Might be spot on but only works for guys that live alone....Or so will be....

 

Texas Lizard

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17 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Lordy I hope you have a secretary whom takes shorthand.  You have opened Pandora's Box.  I won't even make a suggestion.  I'm gonna go make the POPCORN now.  Sit back and enjoy.  Oh, almost forgot.  65% of the methodology is going to be really dumb.  The Lizard is spot on though.

 

But my "dishwasher" is old and cranky and won't even clean her own guns.

 

 

 

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If you are not getting rust or corrosion, you are doing it right.

 

If you are getting rust or corrosion, you need to change something.

 

Glad I could help.

 

:)

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For my 1860s I remove the barrel and cylinder. Wipe the frame clean with a balistol dampened cloth and set it aside. Remove the cones from the cylinder and drop them in a cup of hot water. Use a bore brush or mop to clean the barrel and chambers under a hot water tap. Blow dry and wipe with balistol. Clean the cones with a brush and pipe cleaner and put a dab of anti-seize on the threads. Make sure the hammer face is brushed clean and put them together.

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Clean? Nah, spray them down with Ballistol and shoot them the next Saturday.

 

 

I'm kidding of course. Although I have done that before with no issues. Usually like others have mentioned, pull barrel and cylinder, hot soapy water, blow dry with an air compressor and spray with Ballistol.

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I remove the cylinder and then sprayed everything down good with moose milk.  Let them soak 5 or 10 minutes. scrub with a tooth brush and hot water. Use a non-metallic bottle brush inside the chambers and barrel.

Once done I blow out the nipple with a can of compressed air. Grease the cylinder pin and reassemble. Wipe down with a rag wet with ballistol.

 

Couple times a year I deep clean them. Even shooting BP the insides are very clean.

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On my cap guns - all Colt design with short barrels - I pull barrel and take off loading leaver,  take nipples out of cylinder,   heat water in microwave until very hot,  dump cylinder,  nippels and barrel in tall clean soup can,  fill with very hot water,  use brass brush to scrub bore and chambers.  Parts are too hot to handle with bare hands. Wipe down and let heat dry barrel and cylinder.  Brush recoil plate and around frame,  etc. 

 

Patch bore and inspect.  Patch chambers and check. Use qtip to clean nipple holes in cylinder.  I put a small touch of choke tube grease on nipple threads.  Screw in tight and then back off 1/4th turn. (I tighten up when ready to shoot again).  Put Thompsons Bore Butter on patch and coat bore. Also wipe down parts with used patch. Bore butter on arbor. Put back together. 

 

118292502_Q-TipsJan2020.jpg.516315f9438f0ac278fbd77c0fddf42c.jpg

 

I got these special O-tips from Family Dollar.  I bet they didn't know they were made to ckean out the nipple holes and sockets. 

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I know my post above sounded sounded silly but it was not meant to be.  By now you can see every Soot Lord has his own favorite cleaning procedures, and as this thread continues to lengthen the variety of procedures will multiply.  Every Soot Lord checks his guns frequently for rust.  As long as your cleaning keeps the rust away, you are doing fine.

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Pull barrel and cylinder, remove nipples, scrub with hot soapy water, blow dry with an air compressor and spray with WD40. Blow WD40 off with an air compressor  Use a good anti-seize on the nipple threads. Has been working for 20 + years no rust. During the match I wipe all guns down with Ballistol between stages.

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First of all, which chant are you using while cleaning?  Pro tip: empty your bladder before beginning.  Next, open your beer BEFORE starting the cleaning process.  If using Ballistol, wait until wife leaves house if doing it inside.  WARNING: clean her toothbrush REALLY good before putting it back in bathroom. 

Don't listen to the guys that tell you to always function fire your guns after taking apart/cleaning.

 

 I actually like weasel piss better than moose milk(equal parts alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, murphy's oil soap) for cleaning, but still use Ballistol for lube/protection.  The air compressor is helpful.

 

If I give you advice and it doesn't work, you did something wrong.

 

Possum

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23 minutes ago, Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 said:

  If using Ballistol, wait until wife leaves house if doing it inside.  WARNING: clean her toothbrush REALLY good before putting it back in bathroom. 

 

If I give you advice and it doesn't work, you did something wrong.

 

Possum

Possum speaks true - However...

If she insists on staying inside, consider buying a VERY large exhaust fan for gun room,  invest in a can of Febreze Air - this actually worked here.  Above advice also goes for vegetable brush...before returning to kitchen.

 

CS

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28 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

One thing nobody has mentioned is to use a good anti-seize on the nipple threads and don't over torque them.

 

I mentioned using (Outers) choke tube grease and tighten nipple and back off 1/4 turn.  Would that count?  :huh:

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11 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I mentioned using (Outers) choke tube grease and tighten nipple and back off 1/4 turn.  Would that count?  :huh:

 

Sorry I missed that.

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I learned the hard way about appropriating kitchen utensils for the Sporting Soot category (Count Sandor can verify that I was busted dead-to-rights). I now formally announce what I am taking, sometimes days in advance, before utilizing said kitchen utensil.

 

But all of these cleaning rituals make me wonder about some 17 year old kid, in the dark on a hot humid night in Gettysburg. Tired, hungry and thirsty, and a long way from home, does he use his canteen water to drink, or clean his pistol and/or rifle for the long day he has coming tomorrow?

 

Or maybe I have been cooped up too long?

 

 

 

 

 

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Nah.  The kid at Gettysburg drinks from his Canteen.  He just spits down the rifle bore and patches it out.  Doesn't clean pistols - - - doesn't have pistols, he's just an infantry grunt.

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7 hours ago, Castalia,SASS#18915 said:

Pull barrel and cylinder, remove nipples, scrub with hot soapy water, blow dry with an air compressor and spray with WD40. Has been working for 20 + years no rust. During the match I wipe all guns down with Ballistol between stages.

+1

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IF your revolvers are set up correctly before you start shooting them all you need to do after a match is remove barrel and cylinder and clean them then wipe down the frame. Maybe remove the nipples once a year if you feel like it. What you lube with is your choice. If you take a piece of metal plate and lea\n it against something vertically then put some lube on it and

leave it set for 24 hrs. Look at it the next day, if you lube has run down the metal that's what it will do on your revolver. Use something that will not run. Lucas #2 or Mobil synthetic. Same for the nipple threads.

kR

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7 minutes ago, Kid Rich said:

Mobil synthetic

 

I put a BB size drop of Mobil 1 on the base pin and cylinder bushing and distribute it around inside bushing and out. Assemble gun.  When I inspect the next day I find the sides of the hammer and trigger wet with oil. That stuff migrates all through the action.

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1 minute ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I put a BB size drop of Mobil 1 on the base pin and cylinder bushing and distribute it around inside bushing and out. Assemble gun.  When I inspect the next day I find the sides of the hammer and trigger wet with oil. That stuff migrates all through the action.

OK I don't know what the Mobil synthetic GREASE is called but its the same as Lucas #2 which is a red  grease and does NOT move when used in a cap gun.

kR

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49 minutes ago, Kid Rich said:

OK I don't know what the Mobil synthetic GREASE is called but its the same as Lucas #2 which is a red  grease and does NOT move when used in a cap gun.

kR

 

I'm using Mobil 1 oil,  not grease.  I use Thompson's Bore Butter on the cap gun arbor.

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