Black Powder Cleaning????

[Rancho Roy]

Black Powder Cleaning???..How far do you disassemble your firearms for cleaning after shooting 6 stages and/or after shooting a weekend? What is your procedure? (Using Black or Substitute) Thanks

[Sedalia Dave]

Monthlies I shoot APP and just do a basic cleaning. Do not disassemble guns beyond removing the cylinders from pistols.

 

Big two or three day matches I shoot real black. Basic cleaning at the match followed by a complete disassemble and cleaning when I get home.

 

I quit complete disassembly after every match when I noticed that the deep internals of my pistols and rifles were not dirty after shooting a monthly. I shoot enough big matches through out the year to keep the deep internals clean and properly lubed.

[Snakebite Dust SASS 75484]

Monthlys full cleaning within a few days of the shoot. I try to put a rubber plug in rifle and shotgun barrel and put hot soapy water in to soak if its going to be a few days.

Big shoots I clean at the end of the day the barrels , cylinders and spray the carrier with moose milk at the end of day or during match if its sticking any

 

I only shoot reap bp and not subs

Edited May 1 by Snakebite Dust SASS 75484

[Rancho Roy]

Thank You...What cartridges are you folks using?

[Warden Callaway]

Bronze brush in stream of hot water in kitchen sink.  

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

Windex with vinegar-

Pistol- wipe off cylinder head and ratchet, barrel cone and back of frame after each stage

Rifle - 32-20 with big lube bullet still gets crusty at muzzle, swab after each stage. With 32-20s action stays clean

Shotgun - swab chambers with silicone after each stage.

End of day - full cleaning. No need to fully disassemble rifle or pistols.  
Using only black powder.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

I disassembled my guns and cleaned them once .

I packed them full of Mobile One Synthetic Grease.  ( Full ) A little trick I learned from ( Mike) @Goonsgunworks 

This way I only have to take guns apart once a year to do a full cleaning .

I just spray them down will Moose Milk and run a brush threw them and blow them off with my aircompressor .

Done for a whole season .

 

Same with shot gun .

Pack them full .

Spray some Moose milk down the barrels and push threw a paper towel.  

Done for a whole Season.

[Eyesa Horg]

I'm amazed the parts still move with that much grease in there!!

[Griff]

Cartridges?  What is this "cartridges" of which you inquire?  Oh... you must mean for the rifle, for those suppository handguns are for sissies!  For my 1851s, whether it be a monthly, a 2 or 3 day match, once home I remove the barrel, cylinder & nipples.  The nipples will go in the sonic cleaner with a 1/4 ounce of Hornady's case cleaner & heated water... Run it for the full 480 seconds with the heat on, then remove and dry.  The barrel & cylinder get cleaned just as I would with a cart... suppository gun, sans chemicals...  Hot water suffices.  Dry thoroughly, lightly coated with any preservative oil, on the action works, wipe off any fouled grease, (they were fully packed with Lucas' "Red N Tacky"... similar if not identical to Mobil 1, a fully synthetic EP2 grease).  Make sure it's fully packed again and reassemble for safe storage.

 

Shotgun:  Run hot tap water thru barrels, push thru a brush with a cotton or paper patch to remove plastic "snakes", grease with same synthetic EP2 grease as used on handguns on hinge & pin, liberally coat the locking lug, then use a light preservative oil on all metal for storage until next use.

 

Rifle:  45 Colt 1873 or Henry, after a monthly, I remove carrier, and with rifle upside down over kitchen sink, I run hot water thru barrel, followed by patch covered jag to dry, then oiled patch for storage.  I've cleaned the carrier mortise before this with stainless steel wire brush to remove any fouling there.  Wiped dry and then lightly oiled for storage... (to be wiped dry prior to next use, I prefer a dry carrier & mortise).  Scrub any fouling stuck to carrier and reassemble.  I've yet to find very much fouling inside the works, but I still coat the inside with synthetic EP 2 grease on all contact points, anywhere it slides, rotates or contact between 2 surfaces.  

 

19 minutes ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I'm amazed the parts still move with that much grease in there!!

A trick I started using 30+ years ago to keep fouling from invading the space.  None of the parts in there actually move that much.  It's not packed tight under pressure, just fill the voids.  This is the grease I use on my 18-wheeler everywhere it needs greasing... it withstands that pressure quite easily.  The slight compression from a spring moving isn't going to bother it much at all.  

[Cemetery]

Once a year, or maybe every other year, I break down the guns and clean the guts.

 

After matches, hot soapy water if available, other wise I use Crocodile Wipes to clean the outside, the barrels, and cylinders.  Then just a quick pass of Balistol on a patch through the barrels and cylinders.  As for the shotgun, I wipe out the chambers, and the action area.  I'm not concerned with snake skin buildup in the barrels.

 

Crocodile Wipes > https://www.amazon.com/stores/CrocodileCloth/Homepage/page/4233B6D2-06A6-486E-821E-943B2995B173

[Chantry]

With the handguns, either 1858 cap & ball or Richard Mason .38 Special, they get 30 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner.  Shotgun is cleaned when I get home or the day after.  The rifle gets the basically the same treatment as the shotgun.   Rifle & handgun are loaded with 2F Triple 777, shotgun is loaded with real blackpowder.

 

The handguns MAY get a wipe down of the cylinder pin and cylinder face during the match if they feel gummed up.

Edited May 1 by Chantry

[Idaho Gunslinger]

@Jed I. Knight, SASS #36423

 

 

Edited May 1 by Idaho Gunslinger

[Seth Bradford]

6 hours ago, Cemetery said:

Once a year, or maybe every other year, I break down the guns and clean the guts.

 

After matches, hot soapy water if available, other wise I use Crocodile Wipes to clean the outside, the barrels, and cylinders.  Then just a quick pass of Balistol on a patch through the barrels and cylinders.  As for the shotgun, I wipe out the chambers, and the action area.  I'm not concerned with snake skin buildup in the barrels.

 

Crocodile Wipes > https://www.amazon.com/stores/CrocodileCloth/Homepage/page/4233B6D2-06A6-486E-821E-943B2995B173

The original or the all purpose ones? I know Gringo uses baby wipes. I’d like to put something in the cart to wipe down between stages as needed. 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

FIRST a couple of CAVEATS.  My primary propellant is APP.  3f in Cap Guns and 3f in suppositories.  2f in All Brass shotgun hulls.  I don't like Ballistol for anything except conditioning stiff leather boots/shoes.  Then NONE OF THE ABOVE

 

My do-all Go-To cleaner is PAM.  Equal parts Hydrogen Peroxide, Denatured Alcohol and Murphy Oil Soap.  I break down the Cap Guns, Squirt the bore and chambers with PAM then run patches through all.  Wipe down the Barrel Breach, the Arbor, the Recoil Shield and the front of the Water table, then wipe all down with an Oily Rag (Mobil 1) done.

Same procedure for the rifle.  Put a fired case inna chamber, squirt the bore with PAM, run a PAM soaked patch thru the bore, dry patch, kick out the cartridge and run an Oil Patch thru the bore.  Done.

Shotgun, same same.  Generously squirt the bore(s) with PAM, then a PAM soaked Paper Towel (Blue, Heavy duty from Lowes) thru the bores (exit the snake skin), dry patch, Oily Patch (Mobil 1), done.

 

Brass hulls go inna bas it the range.  When I get home I dump 'em inna small beach bucket with warm water and a goodly amount of 45% Whit Vinegar.  Soak 20 Minutes, rinse, dry, dry tumble for 30 Minutes.  Done 

 

When the actual cleaning gets done, wipe everything down with an oily rag (Mobil 1)

 

Mobil 1 Motor Oil is straight synthetic as is Mobil 1 Grease.  Plays well with BP and Subs as well as Smokeless.

Edited May 2 by Colorado Coffinmaker
Add some stuff

[Silver Creek Jack]

I only shoot 3 F APP in my ‘73 rifles , shotguns and ruger vaqueros, after day one of a 2 day match I remove the cylinders spray down with windex with vinegar wipe off the residue with a paper towel on the face and ratchet end run a patch through the cylinders then a dry patch then a oil patch, wet patch or two through the bbl then dry then oil patch. Wipe off the forcing cone and blast shield, dry then oil. Takes maybe 15 min. Per pistol. Rifle, wet patches till they come out clean,usually 3 patches, dry patch then oily patch, wipe off the carrier with a q tip with windex till clean inside and top of the carrier, dry light spray of ballistol, Maybe 10 min. Shotgun,for the barrels,tornado brush with a paper towel wrapped around it a couple times sprayed with windex takes two wet then dry then oil . Wipe off the face of the receiver light oil done. I have used this procedure for 5 years . I tear down my ‘73s once a year including removing the extractor,the insides are always very clean, same with pistols and shotguns. It ain’t hard, don’t make it that way!

 

[Cemetery]

3 hours ago, Seth Bradford said:

The original or the all purpose ones? I know Gringo uses baby wipes. I’d like to put something in the cart to wipe down between stages as needed. 

 

I use the Original. https://www.amazon.com/Crocodile-Cloth-Industrial-Cleaning-Wipes/dp/B084RRMPTM?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1 It's pretty big package, depending on your cart size, a thing of wet ones might be an option to consider.  I used them before, wipe down my guns, and my hands.

[Sedalia Dave]

12 hours ago, Rancho Roy said:

Thank You...What cartridges are you folks using?

 

38 / 357 and 44-40,  Only filler I use is more BP

[Silver Creek Jack]

19 hours ago, Rancho Roy said:

Thank You...What cartridges are you folks using?

.38 SP. 44 Russian, 44 SP.

[J-BAR #18287]

I have never found two blackpowder shooters who clean their guns exactly the same way.  Which means there is not a "best" way.

 

If you can get patches to come out clean and dry after your procedure, you've done well.  Protect the inside and outside with oil (Ballistol for many of us).  Check for rust a few days later.  If you find rust, do something different.

 

Enjoy making smoke!  It's worth the effort!

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

42 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

I have never found two blackpowder shooters who clean their guns exactly the same way.  Which means there is not a "best" way.

 

If you can get patches to come out clean and dry after your procedure, you've done well.  Protect the inside and outside with oil (Ballistol for many of us).  Check for rust a few days later.  If you find rust, do something different.

 

Enjoy making smoke!  It's worth the effort!

This!!

[Dead_Head]

.38 Special in Ruger NMV - APP 3F and 125 gr bullet.  Clean up with water and then lube.  Used Triple 7 3F for 17 years and APP the last few years.

 

.357 Mag in Uberti 1873 Rifle - Anneal the ends of the brass and then load with 158 gr or 125 gr bullets.  Just clean the barrel by squirting some water down it, patch and some lube and lightly wipe down everything else.  

 

(If you don't anneal the brass so they seal the chamber, then expect to do a complete takedown of the rifle after a weekend shoot.  Sure, you can wait, but all that blowback is eating away at the carbon steel the longer you wait especially in the summer humidity.  Maybe not so bad out west, but in the east it humid!)

[Eyesa Horg]

Windex with vinegar does a great job in the shotgun. Squirt down the barrels and cork, rotate a couple times over several minutes, then a quarter sheet of paper towel pushed down the barrels and the plastic comes out like a slimy black snake and the bored are usually all clean. Keep the Windex off the bluing! Wagon Box taught me about Eezox for a rust preventative and works great! I use it in my muzzleloader and never any rust after sitting.

Edited May 2 by Eyesa Horg

[Sgt. Hochbauer, SASS #64409]

44 wcf for my 66 and handguns  also have .44 cylinders and load 44 Russian , .38/.357 also for handgun and 73.  Everything is loaded with real BP. After a match they get a generous spraying with either PAM or Ballistol then the rest of the cleaning once am home.