Rolling Block Cleaning Procedure?

[THBailey]

Got the 38-55 Swedish roller to the range today for the first time, now it is time to get her cleaned up. I have cleaned lot's of muzzleloaders and some cap and ball revolvers, but this is my first blackpowder cartridge gun. I am wondering if the standard procedure should include taking out then hammer and block for a hot soapy water boil, or does the cartridge make this depth of cleaning unneeded? Any other do's and don'ts? Thanks so much.

[Don McDowell]

Blow 3-4 breaths down the muzzle and up the breech, push a dry patch thru on a jag, then follow with a wet patch or two and a dry. When the dry patch comes out clean put your favored bore oil on it and run it thru the bore. Make sure all the crud is cleared off the muzzle, wipe the gun down, and get busy cleaning cases.

[ascast]

Don's said it- I personally just pour water through it, a rag or two, oil when dry. Do the muzzle. Check the front sight; sometimes they get smokey. A little oil won't hurt it. Cartridge guns at full pressure don't get action full of smoky stuff. That would be a real problem. Cleaning once a year is enough, more less. And don't use hot water if you use water. Warm is OK, hot just speeds rust, particularly in old guns.
How'd it shoot?

[ascast]

forgot to say- a good hot smokeless load will burn out most of the ****. One or two shots and you could certainly get home; or more...

[enfield]

If the cases are annealed and seal good and no punctured primers, you shouldn't need to clean the breach block.

[pulaski]

If it was mine I would pull the pins and drop the block and hammer out and clean them , as well as the inside of the frame .
It's not difficult and you can't get any rust if you clean and "lightly" oil. Don't forget the barrel .
The way I see it is better clean than rusted .
Steve

[curator]

4 or 5 Smokeless loads after a half-day of BPCR shooting will clean the bore quite well, Follow that up with an oily (Balistol?) patch through chamber and bore when you get home. Lube the breech block and trigger mechanism with Balistol and you are good for at least one month storage, possibly more. I have been doing this for 20+ years and have no rust problems despite living/shooting in hot/humid S,W, Florida. I do completely disassemble the actions about once a year and wipe down, re-lube their surfaces also with Balistol before reassembling. If only the brass was as easy to clean and protect.

[THBailey]

Well thanks so much Gents. I don't want to throw smokeless in this gun, it is an old Swede roller. It started life as a 16ga shotgun way back when and was in very rough shape when I got it, one of the Simpson $150 guns. We put a TJ's liner in it, trued the receiver, put a new face on the block and made new pins for it. We made the extractors from square bar stock. This was the shakedown cruise so it still has the quite primitive shotgun sights on it. I am pretty happy with the way it shot, nothing to write home about, but good enough I think I will take the next step and get some target-worthy sights for it.

As for the cleaning, I swabbed out the barrel with moose milk and wiped things down pretty good otherwise and I think things are good. Thanks so much for your help. Sorry for the two upside down photos.



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[rfd]

with my rollers, or any barrel that's had black blown through it, i liberally spray moose milk on the action and down the barrel on a patched jag before leaving the range or field. back at the ranch it gets more moose milk patched jags, then a few drying patches, a final patch with light oil.

it's an even easier clean up with paper patched bullets on top of the cartridge powder column. ;)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYmvW7i0viE

[country gent]

At the range I use windex with vinegar to clean. I spray a couple squirts in the barrel and brush 3-5 strokes then patches to dry and clean usually 3-4 patches. AT home it balistol and water mix 10- 1 I think. After dry clean patch I give it alight scrub with shooter choice and dry then a light oil and its good. For long term storage I wipe the bores with a patch with spg or emmerts bullet lube worked into it.

[flint45]

Everybody has their own favorite way of cleaning a black powder arm I like simple green on a naylon brush with a patch wraped around it takes only 2 or 3 then dry then oil- done.No boiling water hated that no fun at all all my barrels are in perfect condition muzzle loaders, cart. and cannons have fun lots of options.

[Yellowhouse]

10:1 Water to Ballistol wet patches then straight ballistol or Eezox to finish. I see absolutely no use in disassembling the action. Wipe the block face clean and qtips to reach any detritus that may have fallen in there and wipe down the rifle with ballistol or your favorite. Probably the easiest bp rifle to clean ever invented.