Percussion pistols how often should I disassemble?

[aeronc]

How often should I take off the side covers (not sure of the correct name) to clean out and lube a percussion revolver pistol ? My concern , even with good gunsmith screwdrivers is the constant risk of scratches , banged up screws etc. It shouldnt happen but it does. Thanks

[HWooldridge]

Assume you mean the grip panels. Is it a Remington or Colt replica? Usually the open tops have one piece grips while others have two piece.

Everyone has a different opinion on how much to clean a BP revolver. I tend to spend enough time on the barrel and cylinder to make sure they are clean and wipe down everything else with a rag loaded with Ballistol, but that's just one man's opinion...

[Castaway]

I do it every time, whether my Ruger Old Army or my 1860 Colt replica. I suggest if you don’t detail your pistol afterwards, at least clean the pawl channel with q-tips or pipe cleaners.

[HamGunner]

I use the proper screw driver and completely disassemble my revolvers for cleaning after each firing session. I would rather risk messing up a screw than to have corrosion get started inside the frame area, etc. Screws are easy to replace.

[armoredman]

I have only had professionals completely disassemble my cap and ball wheelguns, and they packed the internals with grease, so not needing to completely strip them. I have fired them several times after that and have no issues.

[Nobade]

When I used to shoot them every week I would detail strip them maybe once a year. I'd just hose everything down with Ballistol in order to keep the fouling wet and soft and never had any rust. Now that I seldom shoot any more, I'll strip them down every time and make everything nice and clean, and well oiled.

[HWooldridge]

When I used to shoot them every week I would detail strip them maybe once a year. I'd just hose everything down with Ballistol in order to keep the fouling wet and soft and never had any rust. Now that I seldom shoot any more, I'll strip them down every time and make everything nice and clean, and well oiled.

Nobade, that pretty much aligns with my thoughts on the subject. I suspect the old soldiers who relied on these guns spent just enough cleaning time to make sure they would be reliable but didn’t make a career out of it. I have an original 1860 Army and although I have no idea how it was maintained during its active life, the internal parts and frame are dark but show no active rust. I showed it to a collector about 30 years ago and he made the comment that it “wasn’t rusty enough”. Go figure - makes me wonder what some people are thinking.

[aeronc]

Thank you for all the ideas. I started to disassemble my 36 cal navy pistol and realized this was leading to a disaster. I like the idea of spraying it down.

[indian joe]

Assume you mean the grip panels. Is it a Remington or Colt replica? Usually the open tops have one piece grips while others have two piece.

Everyone has a different opinion on how much to clean a BP revolver. I tend to spend enough time on the barrel and cylinder to make sure they are clean and wipe down everything else with a rag loaded with Ballistol, but that's just one man's opinion...

make that two!!

[pietro]

Thank you for all the ideas. I started to disassemble my 36 cal navy pistol and realized this was leading to a disaster. I like the idea of spraying it down.

For my capguns, I separate the barrel & cylinder from the frame, remove the grip panels, and flush the metal parts with running hot (because it evaporates faster) water until the water runs clear.

I take extra care to get a clean flow down/inside the cylinder chamber mouths, out through the nipples

After the moisture evaporates/dries, blast the metal (including down inside the action) down with an aerosol agent (like Ballistol) & re-assemble.


I've also used a clean/empty household dishwasher (w/o detergent) to clean the separated metal parts, shutting it down before the drying cycle - just don't get caught by the woman of the house..... :dung_hits_fan:

[Hellgate]

My first "real gun" was an 1861 Uberti Navy 36. I could not get the trigger/bolt screw out for the life of me for about 10 years in order to to a complete tear down cleaning. My cleaning regimen was to flush & swab the chambers & bore then wipe down the outside & clean off the hammer and frame. Afterward I would hose the innards, bore & chambers with WD40 and call it good. Before each use I would Q-tip the chambers and nipple pick the flash holes. After I got access to a padded vise and a tip on how to remove stuck screws I finally got the innards out. What I found were several fragments of caps and a black sludge covering all moving parts but not a speck of rust. From that finding I do not feel it at all necessary to do a complete disassembly to properly clean a C&B revolver. Once I get all the nipples to fire reliably I put anti-sieze on the threads and leave them in for the life of the gun. I continue to drip oil into the innards after a "cleaning" (barrel, cylinder, frame) but only break down completely any revolver that fails to reliably fire.

[charlie b]

My first C&B was a Navy Arms kit. Shot that thing a lot, but, it might be a month or two between sessions so I cleaned it well.

Completely disassembled and parts dumped in bucket of water with Dawn detergent. Soaked a bit and then cleaned with toothbrush, brass brush for chambers/barrel. Then all were layed out on a towel and dowsed with WD-40 to get rid of all moisture. Wiped dry and light lube when reassembled. These days I'd use the ultrasonic on all the parts except the frame.

[Boerrancher]

My 44 navy is 34 years old and has never been pulled down other than the barrel and cylinder removed for cleaning after shooting. It still functions as well as it did the day I bought it, and still looks as good. Truth be told it is one of my favorite revolvers.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Frist buy GRACE USA screwdrivers! These are made in the USA. Precision ground. Not some cheap made in china cast ***. They were made specifically for your Colt and Colt Replicas. I take every part out of my gun every single time. BP gets EVERYWHERE! It's your gun so do what you want but you will have residue on all the internals. If it's a toy then it doesn't matter but my guns will last a lifetime and they work when I need them to. Don't take my word for it. Look with your own eyes.

Remember you don't clean a BP revolver, you wash it!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L9XZUBQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Nobade]

Today I decided to try an experiment. I haven't messed with revolvers much since moving here, to this humid rust inducing environment. So I got my '62 pocket police out and shot a few cylinder fulls through it. Rather than totally disassemble, I did the regular clean everything on the outside, clean the chambers, clean the bore, and wet it thoroughly with Ballistol. I'm going to keep an eye on it every few days to see how it does, re oil if it starts to look dry, and learn how this works in this different climate. Plus it's an excuse to play with my guns more. If any signs of rust appear I'll tear it all down for a good thorough cleaning.

BTW, thanks for the link Steve. That's a better price on those than I have seen anywhere.

[bcraig]

What I do and works for me with both of My Pietta Remington New Army Pistols,One a 5.5 inch Barrel and the other a 8 inch Barrel

I Keep Bullet Lube Made of Beeswax and Olive Oil swabbed in Barrel Always In Barrel never clean it out.NEVER Bare Metal inside of Barrel,Never Bare metal inside of Pistol.

Never Bare metal on outside of pistol using Mineral oil although it is Just Barely there on the outside.Sorta like just shining the outside of the pistol using just a tiny drop of it on a paper towel then wiping it off with another paper towel.

When shooting ,Every 6-12 hots swab barrel with The mixture of olive oil and Beeswax with a short section of cleaning rod and swab to keep barrel from fouling to much.
Swab inside of barrel with beeswax an olive oil mixture after shooting and leave in barrel to prevent rust and negate the need for fouling shots from a squeaky clean barrel.

Keep mineral Oil inside of Pistol ,no need to clean out

No rust in Humid areas of North Ms or Ar

Remove nipples every year and Clean throughly.

Clean outside of pistol wiped clean with a Little Mineral oil an a paper towel.

Clean Base pin with paper towel and a drop or 2 of Mineral oil.

Used a triangle file and sharp edge on it to cut 3 or four VERY shallow notches on base Pin to retain lube ,"Blackie Thomas" on you tube tell's and shows how to do this.

[Gtrubicon]

I completely disassemble and clean every time I shoot a black powder pistol or rifle.