New lever gun cleaning necessity

[HighUintas]

Hello all,

I just bought my first lever gun recently and will have all my components to load for it this week, so I need to clean it to get it ready.

Any time I've ever got a new bolt action, I'd strip everything and clean it well, then put my own lubricant on.

To what extent it is necessary to clean the internals of the action with a brand new lever gun? Mine is a new Winchester/miroku 1886. So, the disassembly and reassembly is completely new to me. I'm wondering if I should strip it down as much as possible to clean and relube, or if just cleaning the bore and chamber is sufficient?

[Bazoo]

For me, it depends. If the gun is cycling smooth and everything seems slick, I would just clean the bore. If I felt it needed it is lube the action with my standard hoppes or 3in 1. If it felt rough or if it was going to rain a few days I'd detail strip it.

Personally I don't normally clean a new gun, I shoot it first. It ought to work right out of the box in my opinion.

[Shawlerbrook]

I usually at least swab the bore to make sure there is nothing that might cause any issues.

[Castaway]

It’s not easy detailing an 1886, especially if it’s a Miroku with a rebounding hammer. Did it with my 92 and wish I hadn’t. My recommendation is q-tips or a pick with a rag for what you can reach to clean/lube

[Buzz Krumhunger]

Yeah that’s gonna be a female dog to disassemble. If you really like puzzles and have a lot of patience, maybe. I had a Browning/Miroku 1886 I regretted taking apart. And it didn’t have the safety.

[TjB101]

100+ range day and I’ll pull the bolt ... lighter day’s I’ll just bore snake it or use a rod from the muzzle end

[indian joe]

It’s not easy detailing an 1886, especially if it’s a Miroku with a rebounding hammer. Did it with my 92 and wish I hadn’t. My recommendation is q-tips or a pick with a rag for what you can reach to clean/lube

'92 is a breeze compared to an '86

[HighUintas]

I usually at least swab the bore to make sure there is nothing that might cause any issues.

Yup, cleaning the bore is mandatory for any new gun in my book.

[HighUintas]

Thanks for the all the insight!

It's lubed up very well from the factory, so maybe I'll just clean the bore and get to shooting.

I was mainly worried about whatever type of protectant they out in there being mixed with smoke residue and turning into something unpleasant to clean or harmful to the metal... Because I don't know what they use. I was also worried about the possibility of machining "junk" being in there and causing excessive wear on the working surfaces if not removed before working the action alot.

If neither of those are risks, I'll learn the miroku after I dirty it sufficiently!

[farmbif]

ive only owned one gun that came from there and its an a5 but I got a feeling that the innards of a new Winchester would be very clean compared to some of the grit and chaff that people have found in new remlins. swab the bore down with oil, take it out and shoot it. it your going to take it apart you will probably want to be sure you have the proper screwdrivers to preserve your investment.

[Sam Sackett]

If you are concerned about the factory lubrication attracting grime, an easy thing to do is remove the rear stock, flush out the action (cycling it between flush shots) with non clorinated brake cleaner until no more gunk comes out. Let it stand barrel up until you feel the action is dry. Then lube it with the lube of your choice. Leave it sit overnight, again barrel up, on a rag to catch the drippings if any. Then you will know it's clean and what lubricant is in it. Then install the rear stock and start shooting!

Oh, yeh. Clean the barrel also.

Sam Sackett.

[Castaway]

Indian Joe, what’s the difference in disassembly of the 86 vs the 92? The 92 is just a scaled down version.

[indian joe]

Indian Joe, what’s the difference in disassembly of the 86 vs the 92? The 92 is just a scaled down version.

yes but------while basic principle of operation is the same -- teardown and re assembly is different
I have had '92's most of my life (maybe that makes the difference?) - a browning model 71 for twenty odd yrs and a Chiappa 86 recently (3yrs). The Browning is way the toughest - due to the coil mainspring and a couple other things, Chiappa is complicated but after about the tenth time no big deal - once you learn a couple of basic tricks a 92 is easy. There are videos that help or the old Winchester instructions from catalogs

[JSnover]

If you are concerned about the factory lubrication attracting grime, an easy thing to do is remove the rear stock, flush out the action (cycling it between flush shots) with non clorinated brake cleaner until no more gunk comes out. Let it stand barrel up until you feel the action is dry. Then lube it with the lube of your choice. Leave it sit overnight, again barrel up, on a rag to catch the drippings if any. Then you will know it's clean and what lubricant is in it. Then install the rear stock and start shooting!

Oh, yeh. Clean the barrel also.

Sam Sackett.

^^ That!
Some actions require a third or fourth hand and a couple of magic incantations plus a handful of imaginative curse words to get them back together.

[Castaway]

IJ, I had a Rossi version of the 92 and had it apart enough times I got pretty good at it. It was when I did it to the Miroku with the rebounding hammer that gave me grief. Told myself I’d never do it again

[HighUintas]

If you are concerned about the factory lubrication attracting grime, an easy thing to do is remove the rear stock, flush out the action (cycling it between flush shots) with non clorinated brake cleaner until no more gunk comes out. Let it stand barrel up until you feel the action is dry. Then lube it with the lube of your choice. Leave it sit overnight, again barrel up, on a rag to catch the drippings if any. Then you will know it's clean and what lubricant is in it. Then install the rear stock and start shooting!

Oh, yeh. Clean the barrel also.

Sam Sackett.

I like that idea! I'll give that a shot

[Win94ae]

I bought my Win94ae new in 1983, and have never took it apart to clean it.
Now my Marlin 94, I've had that apart dozens of times, and only had it for a few years.

Unless something is wrong, I leave them assembled; lubing the moving parts periodically, with the proper lubricants.

[indian joe]

IJ, I had a Rossi version of the 92 and had it apart enough times I got pretty good at it. It was when I did it to the Miroku with the rebounding hammer that gave me grief. Told myself I’d never do it again

I had an older Rossi - almost as easy as an original to work on.

Have managed to satisfy my lust for winchesters without going to angle eject and rebounding hammers/lawyer safeties - the Browning did have a rebounding firing pin assembly but it fouled up and been replaced.

I have done all my own action work on my lever guns
1) get a lot of satisfaction from it
2) would not trust the bolt action gunsmiths I know of to do as good a job as I can - its just not their game and they dont know these guns - (on top of that most blokes that shoot cowboy guns are cheapskates - me included - and would not want to pay the proper rate to get the work done)

[HighUintas]

I had an older Rossi - almost as easy as an original to work on.

Have managed to satisfy my lust for winchesters without going to angle eject and rebounding hammers/lawyer safeties - the Browning did have a rebounding firing pin assembly but it fouled up and been replaced.

I have done all my own action work on my lever guns
1) get a lot of satisfaction from it
2) would not trust the bolt action gunsmiths I know of to do as good a job as I can - its just not their game and they dont know these guns - (on top of that most blokes that shoot cowboy guns are cheapskates - me included - and would not want to pay the proper rate to get the work done)

Yup, me too. I'm cheap when it comes to services, I like tinkering and learning, and get huge satisfaction from doing the work myself.

I'd love to make the modification to this rifle of removing the rebounding hammer, making it a half cock, and lightening up the trigger. But this being my first lever, I feel like a young boy trying to figure out a lady, as far as the internals go

[indian joe]

Yup, me too. I'm cheap when it comes to services, I like tinkering and learning, and get huge satisfaction from doing the work myself.

I'd love to make the modification to this rifle of removing the rebounding hammer, making it a half cock, and lightening up the trigger. But this being my first lever, I feel like a young boy trying to figure out a lady, as far as the internals go

Miroku messed around with the firing pin on the model 71 I have - some quirky little inertia setup - I think sposed to stop it firing out of battery - converted to solid now. Absolutely bad idea - its got a good solid half cock, plus a rebound spring on the front end of the firing pin, plus the ears on the lever retract the pin the instant the lever starts to move down.

The 348/model 71 was created in part to deal with big angry critters that bite when you annoy em - a fail to fire because of some lawyerised "safety feature" not the smartest modification to a well proven design.

[robg]

marlins and win 94ae are easy enough to strip once you have done it a few times .the 92/86 looks to be much more of a fiddle.

[samari46]

Only had one new (kinda sorta) lever action in some years. Winchester Canadian Centennial with the 26" barrel. Basically stripped own to component parts. Inside the receiver metal chips from when it was made, grease in the bolt and some copper and powder fouling from when it was fired at the factory. Regardless if new or old gets stripped down cleaned and reassembled. Frank

[indian joe]

marlins and win 94ae are easy enough to strip once you have done it a few times .the 92/86 looks to be much more of a fiddle.

same again, once you've done it a few times - once you learn the couple of tricks a 92 is easy. I would not recommend taking on an 86 unless you find the others easy.

[HighUintas]

Well I got a start time n learning the breakdown. Took off the butt stock and removed the lower tang and hammer. I was thinking this has a bottom tang screw... But it doesn't. The one I removed holds the trigger return leaf spring/main spring strut mount in place. So, that took me awhile to figure out exactly where it's supposed to go to have the gun function properly after reassembly. I have seen quite a few metal flakes in there, so I may consider breaking it down soon. After watching some videos, it doesn't seem too bad.

[indian joe]

Well I got a start time n learning the breakdown. Took off the butt stock and removed the lower tang and hammer. I was thinking this has a bottom tang screw... But it doesn't. The one I removed holds the trigger return leaf spring/main spring strut mount in place. So, that took me awhile to figure out exactly where it's supposed to go to have the gun function properly after reassembly. I have seen quite a few metal flakes in there, so I may consider breaking it down soon. After watching some videos, it doesn't seem too bad.

If you got that Browning coil mainspring back in ok you will handle the rest of it.

[Sam Sackett]

The easiest way to install the Browning mainspring is to install the hammer, trigger and screw without the spring. Then after the screw is tight, install the mainspring. Push it up into the hammer slot, then use a wooden stick to push the base of the spring so that it drops into place.

I tried for a long time to install the spring, hammer and trigger in one shot. Didn’t work out so well.

Sam Sackett

[jaysouth]

If you have a Marlin 336, get one of these from Brownells. It makes removing the lever from a Marlin easy. Remove the lever and bolt so you can clean from the breech end with a cleaning rod.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/takedown-parts/screws/marlin-lever-action-quick-takedown-screw-prod27019.aspx

[PbHurler]

I feel like a young boy trying to figure out a lady, as far as the internals go

Welcome to the club, my friend!

Your 1886 will be a shorter learning curve for sure!! :lol:

[rintinglen]

In addition to swabbing out the barrel before firing, remove the butt stock and flush the action thoroughly with break cleaner or carburetor cleaner and then give it a shot of CLP or some similar lube. You'll be surprised at the gunk--including metal chips--that you will find.