What is your preferred method of degreasing a new C&B

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

OK, so I just received the second twin of the pair of Pietta 1851 Navies I ordered myself for my upcoming 51st birthday.  It has been at least 30 years since the last time I bought a NIB C&B.  These things are practically dripping in a protective oil.  What is the preferred (read that as easiest) method of getting all that oil off my shooting irons so I can re-lube them with Ballistol before I take them to the range.

 

Not sure what kind of oil is one them, I am assuming it is petroleum based but maybe not.  But not knowing, I would prefer to get it off.  It does smell good though... smells like guns.

 

 

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

I always take mine apart & wipe each part down with a rag wet with alcohol.

That way, I can inspect each part for burrs & machine marks (if they pose a problem)

Wipe 'em again with a rag containing a bit of Mobile One oil, and put them back together.

At the same time, I change out the hammer spring for a Wolff, and change the nipples to Treso or Slix.

Fix the fit of the bolt to the cylinder, and fit the wedge if it needs it.

--Dawg

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

If you want to do any tuning, here is a link to Larsen Pettifogger's excellent articles:

 

https://www.prairiedawg.net/nick/Tuning_the_Pietta_Part_One.pdf

 

https://www.prairiedawg.net/nick/Tuning the Pietta Cap & Ball for Competition part 2.pdf

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

Thanks Dawg.  I already have Slix nipples sitting here.  They showed up before the 51's did.  Thanks for the links, that was going to be my next quest was to look for those articles.  somehow along the line I have lost track of where I had saved them.  probably find them right after I save new copies.

 

 

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

That's what always happens to me!!

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

Wipe it down with alcohol, and then follow up with Rand CLP, which is a nano-infused cleaner, lubricant & protectant. It is also non petroleum based. which is what you want/need, for a black-powder firearm. 

 

I pretty much figure that a new-in-the-box black-powder firearm comes from the factory with a petroleum based oil/grease on it, and it is, or should be, a rule-of-thumb, to degrease it, right out of the box, and then use some non-petroleum based lubricant on it. 

 

My Two Bits.

W.K.

 

[J-BAR #18287]

It’s been quite a while since I acquired a new in box percussion revolver, but I don’t recall doing anything heroic.  Wipe off the outside with a soft clean rag.  Two or three dry patches down the bore until they looked clean, then a pass with a Ballistol patch.  Wadded bits of paper towel used to swab out chambers (I never put anything in a chamber after wiping it dry).  Cock the hammer and spritz a little Ballistol down there inside at the hammer’s base,  lube the arbor/base pin, and go shoot that thing.  Unless a cap fragment got caught inside somewhere, I didn’t disassemble the gun until the end of the season.  I cleaned the gun without exposing the inside mechanism within a day after shooting, and I didn’t have problems with fouling or rust anywhere.

[John Boy]

Eezox ... cleans - lubes and rust preventative with one application. Forget about the multiple applications 

[Pee Wee #15785]

I take them apart into each part, put in a pan of hot water.  Wipe each part polishing where I think they need it.  Oil with model one and bore butter.  Replace nipples, work on the springs or replace, check timing, trigger pull and hammer spring.  Adjust cylinder gap, check arbor to make sure it is solid.

[watab kid]

balistol , only because i already know the results will be satisfactory to my needs 

[Texas Joker]

When I used to get weapons covered in cosmoline I would remove wood, plastic or bakelite. Then dunk the metal in gasoline or brake cleaner. If it was a part with both wood and metal WD40 IS A SOLVENT. I would use it to remove the grease and then either oil or grease the part as appropriate.

 

Helps to have a dip basket.

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE for Prairie Dawg for Pietta.