Rifle clean-up after BP

[beng]

I am just starting into Black Powder (45-70) I have read (I think I have read every book that is on this subject) looked; tryed and now getting all the supplies I need for this type of shooting. I do understand about loading and shooting of BP. I will be using the Remington Rolling Block, Shilo Sharps and the H&R BC 45-70. Break down the rooling block is easy to clean, the other that you can not break down complete, how would you clean this? Is there any type of cleaning or spray you can use? I have seen one rifle case that was not cleaned in a few days and I do not want my rifles to get as this. Thanks for your time beng

[Hogdaddy]

Front Stuffers get cleaned with Hot soapy water,, Then dry patched & lubed ; )
H/D

[twotoescharlie]

windex or windshield wiper fluid till patches are clean, dry down and oil. been doing it for 56 years.

TTC

[joec]

Or simply pickup some Ballistol and for cleaning mix with equal parts of water. I've also used Alcohol, Murphy's Soap and a bit of period to clean with. Followed by a natural lube. Soap and water will also do it quite well just avoid using petrol based products unless clearly stated for cleaning black powder.

[johnson1942]

something else that may or may not come up for you. i have a bc classic and a cpa stephens 44 and 1/2 both in 45/70. the chamber of the bc classic is a lot tighter than my cpa 45/70. i cant get my brass to go into my bc classic once they have been fired in the cpa 45/70. if yours is this way you might want to keep your brass seperate and only use the brass fired in each gun for that gun.may or may not be something to look out for.

['74 sharps]

I run a few damp patches down the barrel, and oil with Ballistol. For the rest of the action on my two '74 Sharps, I spray the Ballistol/water mix and let it dry. When dry, there is a thin coat of oil left behind, and have never had a single rust issue.

[Calamity Jake]

"Ballistol and for cleaning mix with equal parts of water" Also known as Moose milk

[Dan Cash]

Plain water; hot and soapy if you have it, if not, plain water. Pour it down the barrel to flush most of the crud then wet patch until clean patches come out. Dry patch and oil down, I use Ed's Red but plain transmission or other hydraulic fluid works well. I am too cheap to spend on the over the counter gu oils. Above regimen is good enough for high dollar Sharps; might not be complicated enough for lesser weapons.

[Don McDowell]

I am just starting into Black Powder (45-70) I have read (I think I have read every book that is on this subject) looked; tryed and now getting all the supplies I need for this type of shooting. I do understand about loading and shooting of BP. I will be using the Remington Rolling Block, Shilo Sharps and the H&R BC 45-70. Break down the rooling block is easy to clean, the other that you can not break down complete, how would you clean this? Is there any type of cleaning or spray you can use? I have seen one rifle case that was not cleaned in a few days and I do not want my rifles to get as this. Thanks for your time beng

Cleaning the breech loaders is simple, just blow 2 or 3 breaths thru each end of the barrel and push a dry patch thru, then a patch damp with water, maybe another one, and then a dry patch or two. If the last dry patch comes out with black on it, then back with the damp patches. If the dry patch comes out with grey on it, then you need to deployee your favored lead mining routine. When the barrel is clean a patch wet with your favored gun oil/bore conditioner, wipe down the outside of the rifle with an oily patch, and your done. Except for cleaning the cases.

[smoked turkey]

Don, you mentioned cleaning the cases. I have been thinking on loading some Black Powder 45-70 loads for my Ruger No. 1, and was wondering about the cleaning of the rifle and cases after loading. I think what has been mentioned in the above posts pretty well covers cleaning the rifle. I was wondering about the cleaning procedure for the empty cases. I also wonder prior to reloading the cases, if they are fl sized as normally done with smokeless powder? Thanks for taking time to answer these basic questions.

[Don McDowell]

Punch the primers, drop them in a container with a really complicated cleaning solution, like a jigger of simple green (or dishsoap) and water, slosh them around a bit, rinse till clear water comes out, dry them and let them run thru the tumbler.
Full length resizing is entirely up to you , your rifle and your bullet. I like to fl size about every third or fourth reload when shooting greasers, have to resize every time when shooting patched.

[kokomokid]

I think the problem is getting all the moisture out before putting oil in the bbl. The English used a hot iron rod to take out moisture before oiling. Wish someone would make a miniature hair dryer I could plug to my blow tube?

[Jim2]

Kokomo,
Check-out a beauty-shop supply co. for really small dryers. Some come with a very small end-attachment where you might fasten a small length of brass tubing to fit into the chamber.

Jim

[John Boy]

There is no real reason to field strip a single shot breach loading rifle. Blow back easily wiped off with a lubed shop rag & a Q Tip
Bore: Consider a hand steam cleaner (steam is better than hot water) - brush - patch - lubed patch and usually all is need unless the patch is gray per Don's post
Eezox is an excellent rust preventative - lube and cleaner. Am on my 3rd quart now

[bigted]

the above methods work very well and I wont take up space for a repeat...however..

the actions of rifles...[all]...and the pistols...[all]...have never been a trouble with shooting bp in. the cleaning needed is rarely more then a copious squirt or 5 of rem oil into the crevices and into the action after the barrel cleaning to retard the harm that the tiny bit of fouling that might creep into the action area. if your cases swell into the chamber completely...then unless you really carelessly allow those cases to linger upside down pointed into the action area...then all but a minute amount stays in the bore.

in my lever guns I allow the last case to remain in the chamber for the swabbing of the bore from the muzzle and they catch the fouling as it is scraped from the bore from the muzzle. upon removing this tarnished case I am careful to not allow it to spill into the action and my levers never have had any trouble with fouling in the action.

my ruger new model vaquero is the most complicated of handguns...[amazing huh]...with the tiny balls and springs that they seem to need and it is clean and sweet as ever after shooting bp thru it. I shoot a Ruger 357 and a Smith 29 with bp and they remain clean and spotless in the action with the copious rem oil spray after use.

all that is required is the retardation of the water drawing action of un-touched black powder residue after firing....whether from a rifle...front loader...handgun...shotgun.

[ColColt]

BP finds its way into every little nook and cranny in a revolver. I've found traces of it behind the hand(pawl) and under the bolt in SA revolvers. The crevice behind the hand gets dirty as well and on the bolt/trigger spring. I use to disassemble the revolver be it a 44 Remington or 45 Colt. Got to be too much trouble. Don't clean rifles/pistols inside with hot, soapy water-you will get run out of the house.

[CanoeRoller]

I like to pop my primers while I am at the range, drop the shells into soap water, and let them soak for a bit. Once home, rinse them with hot water until the suds are gone, drop them onto a towel, and when they are dry tumble them for a while until they no longer appear grimy. Yes, this leave them less than shiny, but pretty does not win the match.

[grampa243]

1 part each Alcohol; Murphy's oil Soap; hydrogen peroxide. I use this on my cap and ball guns and muzzle loaders. patch out dry wipe down the outside and call it good. after a day i oil all the moving parts.

i'll never use soapy water again.

[NickSS]

I find cleaning of BP breach loading rifles shooting BP to be easier than cleaning the same rifle shot with smokeless powder. On average I run one patch lubed with saliva Through it when I finish shooting. This gets 90% of the fouling out at the range. When I get home I run a patch or two with a 50-50 mixture of Balistol and water through the bore followed by a dry patch followed by an oily patch and I am done cleaning. While this is going on the brass is soaking in hot water with a little dish washing liquid. I shake it up and drane and riun a couple of rounds of clean water until the soap is gone and let the cases dry. I size the cases and touble to get them clean but not shinny and they are ready for reloading. It always amaizes me when people complain that BP is so hard to clean.

[Lead Fred]

Front Stuffers get cleaned with Hot soapy water,, Then dry patched & lubed ; )
H/D

Anything more is a waste of time and money.

If you use petroleum based anything with holy black, you will end up with goo.

If you have to buy stuff, get Thompson Center's 1000+ lube and No 13 cleaner.

Or PM me and Ill send you what you need to make both of these.

Its called moose milk & moose snot.

Anything else is counter productive