Cleaning

[Half Dog]

I really enjoy this forum. I began here with reloading, started casting, and now I purchased my first black powder revolver. Soon, I'll be receiving the 1860 Army in the mail so I've been reading what I can find.

The Uberti information says to clean the pistol with warm soapy water, which I've never done on any of my guns.

What and how do you clean your BP revolvers?

[DerekP Houston]

From what I've read, clean them as soon as you shoot them for easiest cleanup. Hot soapy water is all you need to dissolve the salts and residue, then flush with hot water. I'm not sure if you oil them lightly after dry though, will wait for someone else to chime in. I'll be joining the club once I make it up to Dallas to retrieve them! Can't wait to smoke out the range with em.

[pietro]

I purchased my first black powder revolver.

The Uberti information says to clean the pistol with warm soapy water, which I've never done on any of my guns.

What and how do you clean your BP revolvers?




Welcome to the addiction !

First, please consider that black powder muzzleloaders of any persuasion are vastly different than metallic cartridge firearms, in both loading & cleaning.

Blackpowder, and the various substitutes (Pyrodex, 777, whatever) are hydroscopic (moisture attracting), and any trace of the propellant's residue must be removed from the arm using a method that neutralizes the hydroscopic action (which will rust a muzzleloader in a NY Minute if it's not taken care of properly.

BP arms are best cleaned via running hot/soapy water through the bore, cylinder chambers (to include the nipples, best removed with the proper nipple wrench), and the various exterior metal parts & surfaces.
The hot soapy water will dissolve the BP residue very fast, co-incidentally heating the metal enough so that any residual water will quickly evaporate - why a cleaning should be followed up shortly with a good rust inhibitor (not metallic cartridge gun or motor oil, etc, etc).

The Model 1860 is a clone of a Civil War Colt revolver, and is readily taken apart (often) via tapping the barrel wedge out far enough that the barrel can be removed forward off the frame, using the loading rammer against one of the webs between the cylinder's chamber mouths for leverage.
Once the barrel/etc are removed, the cylinder is then simply slid forward of the cylinder's arbor (axle) for cleaning/etc.


.

[rfd]

neither hot water nor soap are needed, and in fact both might be considered detrimental by some of us for purging the bp gook out've barrels, actions and locks. all that's really needed is just tepid water, a cleaning rod and good fitting patches. keep at it 'til the patches come out reasonably clean. they key to quick and successful ml cleaning is to get it done asap after a shooting session, woods walk, or hunt is over. follow up with some oil that will displace water, like wd40. that's really all there is to that. mostly all that's needed is elbow grease and common sense. enjoy!

[Texantothecore]

Windex, cold water followed by drying and heavy oil. Keep it simple. My revolver is cleaned in about seven minutes.

[rfd]

i just don't like using any muzleloader cleaning product that might contain ammonia.

[Tatume]

One caution: don't disassemble your revolver and soak the parts in water with dishwashing detergent for any length of time. It can remove the bluing. Ask me how I know.

[Half Dog]

Thanks for the input guys.

It seems that Pyrodex, Goex, and Tripple 7 are the common powders to use. Are there reasons one would be preferred over the other?

[Tatume]

Real black powder (any brand, including but not limited to Goex) is the best.

Triple Seven is second best, in my opinion.

[country gent]

For cleaning warm soapy water works great. I perfer it hot as it evaporates faster. I also recomend after the soap water cleaning a second pass with plain hot water to help remove any soap residue left behind. Another good solvent is balistol and water mixed 4-1 or so. A small bottle of ballistol and the empty bottle filled 4 times with water makes about 16 ounces of very good cleaner. I ussually put this in a spray bottle for easy use. Brush the bore and wipe down out side use a tooth brush in nooks and crannies or where there are stubborn build ups. The best cleaning tip is an effective lube when shooting this keeps fouling soft and easier to deal with. A good lune like crisco or other soft vegtable shortening or tallow keeps fouling soft and workable.

[Pine Baron]

All the above is good advice. I would just add, remove the grips first. ;)

[ukrifleman]

This has always worked for me.

Scrub out with hot soapy water followed by hot clean water. Allow to evaporate, then patch out with WD40 to remove any residual moisture.

Follow up with Ballistol.

ukrifleman.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Folks at my range seem to be using the Windex that has a vinegar base rather than ammonia. That, a toothbrush, and a soft rag seems to be enough for them.

[Tatume]

While I don't shoot my cap-and-ball revolver much anymore, I do shoot my caplock and flintlock rifles a lot. To clean them I run a patch wetted with water a few times, followed by a dry patch. Then I repeat the process. If the dry patch comes out clean, I run a patch wetted with Ballistol. Then I use a patch wetted with water to clean the outside, including the stock and the flint. When the outside is clean, I rub everything down with a patch wetted with Ballistol. I do this at the range, or in the field before following a blood trail (I prefer to wait a few minutes before following game). Cleaning rifles takes very little time.

[country gent]

I too use the windex with vinegar at the range I have also used the windex multi surface cleaner both work for removing Black Powder fouling and residues well but dont do alot for removing leading. Remove the grips. and set aside, diassemble the revolver and clean well with a water based solvent to start with then lightly oil and assemble pistol. I did clean stainless old armies in the dishwasher a few times.

[mooman76]

Be careful what you use to clean with. Regular windex is fine but I was going to try it and couldn't find it so I used this green natural bathroom cleaner and it took the bluing off that quick. Bluing is basically a rust that has been arrested and anything that will remove rust will remove bluing also.