[Nate1778]

Went yesterday to a friendly burn up some ammo session. Although we had a great 7 hr shooting extravaganza that included about 100 rounds down range with my '51 Colt Navy and my '58 Remington, using my homemade black powder by the way. Got home at about 7:30 and out came the soapy bubbles and patches and heating the oven and getting the lube out and Q-tips and in the period of a 2hr movie broke the guns all the way down and cleaned them. This I find is going to the the #1 thing that keeps me from taking them out more often. Can someone please give me a faster way to do this. Do they have to come all the way down or a simple surface and hole cleaning sufficient on the three major parts. I love shooting these two smoke belchers but the 2hr clean up time I could do without. Any tips, instruction, or sympathy would be well received.

[MikeJackmin]

As I understand it, you can get away with a less complete cleaning job if your guns are stored in a reliably dry environment. Suppose you were to build a storage cabinet with an appropriate dehumidifier - could you get away with superficial cleaning most of the time, resorting to detail strips only when the mechanism started to gum up? Taking it a step further, could you pack the inner spaces of your revolvers with bore butter to slow the intrusion of gunk to begin with, allowing even more time between detailed cleanings?

I suppose you could, but I've never tried it...

If I had a good dehumidifier - something what would not make the air so dry that it damaged the wood, and something that was really dependable - I'd give it a shot, at least with one of my beaters.

Absent that, I dunno. If you get blackpowder residue inside the gun, and the gun is exposed to humidity, then you have to get it out. I don't see any way around that.

[Das Jaeger]

unfortuntely the functioning of the gun is directly associated with the amount of time spent cleaning the gun . :D
If you want flawless perfromance , then you need to clean flawless :)

I don't use any water on my guns ever, nope . I use straight Ballistrol only .
I do use allot of Q-Tips and patches and scrubbing though . :D It takes out the heating of the parts part for me that way , I always hated that when I tried that , and water never mixes with metal in any of my lessons :D
I also use Moly Based non petro lubes for everything , so the BP residue never attatches to the metel , ever , easy to clean off this way and is wonderfull lube . The ballistrol stripps the gunk off butt quick too with this grease under the BP residue , and good , yup :D

If your wantin fast , do less cleaning , skip the water altogether and heating too . Find a better lube to start with and clean with Ballsitrol . Or , go to cartrige guns , but they take nearly as long too ?
Its nature of the beast , and I find it VERY enjoyable to sit for awhile and clean my guns , so not feelin it for ya , just tryin to help ya finda faster alternative for ya :D

Das Jaeger :D

[Nate1778]

I am not saying I don't like it, I do, it was the time frame. Got home and was wore out, enjoying a nice cool adult beverage, and quite frankly had had my share of guns for the day. So that didn't help. I keep telling myself to only take one gun out at a time, but they both shoot so well its a tough decision. How long can a gun sit without starting to rust. To clarify I keep these in a gun cabinet in the basement, and it is fairly dry and cool down there.

[Acorn Mush]

I also use Moly Based non petro lubes... .

Das Jaeger, can you give us a brand name and/or source for the lubes you use?

Thanks.
AM

[Das Jaeger]

I use whatever Dad sends me , he's an inspector for an ariline and was a Jet Machanic for 50 plus years .
Right now I am using a tube of Aeroshell synthetic hydrocarbon base stuff , yup fake petro base , moly laiden grease , nice stuff . :D
Umm any automtive store carries what you need , they make tons of bearing greases now that are the same base , non-petro , Moly fortified grease . Moly is a METAL chemical element, thats why it is so good for getting into metal , hee hee hee .
A big grease gun tube of this stuff is about $10 , allot less in an automotive store though , but not as good as Avionic grade like I get to use . A tube will last a long time though . It is a standard grease gun tube that your lookin for , just read the labels , its out there and very common .
The nice part of the stuff is it doesn't degrade hardly at all , doesn't melt at heat and doesn't harden in cold , both of which are absolutely mandatory with airplanes . And guns ! :D

Jaeger

[Hawkeye748]

I pack the insides with White Lithium grease. It is available at your local auto parts or hardware store. I make sure the holes inside the frame are filled before I start shooting. This grease will catch and trap the fouling that normally gets inside. Also helps keep out cap fragments. No problems and can go at least 3 skirmishes without needing to clean inside. This includes practice. Only have to clean the cylinder, pin, barrel, loading levers, etc. No full break down required.

I use a solution of Murphy's Oil Soap, Alcohol and Hydrogen peroxide to clean my guns then oil. Seems to clean better than hot soapy water and you can carry it to the field for the field cleaning.

[Snaggletooth]

Its rumored that Bill Hickock shot and cleaned his revolvers daily. His "edge" was that he knew his guns and the value of cleaning

[Hawkeye748]

His guns meant life and death daily. Mine just winning a medal or not. If MY LIFE or my loved ones depended on these gun, I would clean them daily also. I have shotguns and other modern stuff for that function.

[Mat, not doormat]

I know a few guys with stainless ROAs who simply remove the grips, and stick the gun in the dishwasher.

for blued guns, I know some guys who only clean the three major pieces every time, and only do a complete detail strip about every third time the gun is shot. Spraying the innards with ballistol is generally sufficient to keep the rust at bay.

~~~Mat

[Snaggletooth]

One other suggestion, and Ive had your same frustration with long cleaning time, Only shoot one each time you go out. It will reduce your cleaning time by half.

[Das Jaeger]

thats a fact ! Hee hee hee :D

Jaeger :)

I also found staying away from the booze helps my cleaning process , I actauly have motivation to do them :D . Give me a drink , and my motivation left the building with Elvis . :cool:

[NobleSniper]

Well I guess I am weird........... I don't drink............ and I look at cleaning my firearms as a labor of love. I don't need much of an excuse to tear one down. Even if I haven't shot it they get broken down, wiped down, and re-oiled. I would not be above grabbing anyone of my revolvers for personal defense. The Walkers each have 55 grain loads in them and my Colt SAA is laoded with five on a empty chamber. Each rifle is loaded and ready to chamber a round and the SXS has shells with in reach and the 870 is loaded with some spunky rounds :D Now to get that Lema home so it can be pawed over :D :D

[Ratdog68]

thats a fact ! Hee hee hee :D

Jaeger :)

I also found staying away from the booze helps my cleaning process , I actauly have motivation to do them :D . Give me a drink , and my motivation left the building with Elvis . :cool:
I thought ya cleaned it WITH the booze and THEN drank it !! :D

[Ratdog68]

Colt SAA is laoded with five on a empty chamber. :D :D

How you do that? :neener: Ohhhh... I get it... ya load all five into the "Black Hole"... geez... why didn't I think of that? :evil:

[NobleSniper]

Load five and rest the hammer on a empty chamber ;)

[Das Jaeger]

don't drink anymore , for a long time , but I can appreciate SPIRITS and why people enjoy them . For me , I lack motivation when I used to drink , among common sence , good judgemnt , skills , class , health , and the list goes on :D
I too really enjoy every part of smithing , and cleaning is smithing . :D

Das Jaeger

[NobleSniper]

I enjoy on occasional snort but do not imbibe often anymore.......even when I did I never mixed the two ;) Additon........ also, I am not pointing fingers, thats just me and my quirks ;)

[Das Jaeger]

Noble , and its good practice to never mix the two anyway , before , during , and after if cleaning . When there put away , drink yourselfs to oblivion , its all good then . :D Oh believe you me I love the taste of good bourbon and good beer , I just don't do it anymore .

Das Jaeger

[Ratdog68]

Load five and rest the hammer on a empty chamber ;)
LOL I know what you meant... the way you worded it, it sounded like you loaded five rounds into an empty chamber. :D

[Smokin_Gun]

Only shoot one each time you go out

Snaggletooth that's the way to do it ... but I never make it to the Range with less than 3 or 4 Revs ... If I had to take one I'd not make it out of the house decidin' :O)

I can clean four Revs in about two hours time(4 at a time) ... a course they soak in scaldin' hot soapy water awhile and I kick back with a beverage.

[DrLaw]

I use hot water followed by scrubbing, drying and oiling.

However an easier cleaning method. Simple. Here's how in four easy steps.
Step 1. win the lottery.
Step 2. Shoot gun.
Step 3. Throw gun away.
Step 4. Buy another gun and help the economy! :neener:

The Doc is out now. :cool:

[mykeal]

There's no need for complete disassembly every time the gun is used. If it's going to be stored for a lengthy period of time (definition of 'lengthy' varies from person to person, but I say over a month), then do the complete job. Or, if you've used it frequently and it's been several uses (definition of 'several' varies from person to person, but I say 10-20) since it's been done, then do the complete job.

The action parts do not see the hot environment of the bore and chambers, so burned oils are not an issue there. They can collect carbon and other compounds and get dirty without the impact the same stuff has in the bore. They will get gummy and slow down the more use they get without cleaning, and that should be your guide.

[Snaggletooth]

Black powder and booze mix well. They just taste like hell. I always hold my nose and drink it straight.

[Nate1778]

Thanks guys, will just keep on keepin on. Funny we shot everything from .300 WM to the .22 and an M1 and a ton of trap shooting, and I think my favorite and the one I still marinate on in my mind the day after is the BP revolvers. Very cool guns and worth the effort, I was just wore out and cleaning guns was not on my mind last night.

In that situation how long can I put off cleaning a BP weapon, 24hrs, two days, immediately, whats a reliable time frame before damage sets in.

[Das Jaeger]

if its humid or it got wet at all , its damage nearly imediately actualy on the molecular level with BP , so clean soon .
Sooner the better is my philosophy :D

Das Jaeger

[Hellgate]

Nate,
Get a couple of squirt bottles. Buy a gallon of windshield squirter fluid. One bottle with windshield fluid one with rubbing alcohol. I do my cleaning over a laundry tub with a small kid's toothbrush that'll fit into the chambers or a test tube brush. Knock the guns apart and spray down the cylinder with the wiper fluid brush the chambers, nipple recesses etc, run the cylinder under the hot water to rinse, spray down the warm cylinder with rubbing alcohol, roll it into a paper towel to dry and set it aside. Wipe down the frame, cylinder pin, & barrel w/a paper towel, swab the bore with wiper fluid soaked patch til it comes out clean. DO NOT BOTHER to disassemble the moving parts. Hit them and the innards with WD-40 or some other spray or oil and don't worry about it. Just don't get water into the works while cleaning. If there is oil or grease in the "works" they aren't gonna rust. I blow the residual alcohol out of the chambers with canned air, grease the cylinder pin and oil the bore and chambers with a swab.

During a two day CAS match I give the guns a "whore's bath" after the first days shooting by merely pressure spraying the chambers (squirt bottle) to flush out fouling followed by a spritz of alcohol and then dry the cylinders by setting them in the sun on the tailgate of the truck. I wipe down the frame with a paper towel and wet Q-tip the fouling from the hammer cutout, cylinder arbor hole, cylinder pin, recoil shield, etc. then oil wherever it needs it. The alcohol spray bottle works well in hot weather to dry the guns without rust. In cool weather you will get flash rust so canned air helps clear out the alcohol from the chambers.

[billnpatti]

Nate, I feel your pain, buddy. After a day at the range, I am usually pooped and not in the mood for a long cleaning session. I have put my guns away for the day and done them the next day with no problem. In fact, on very rare occasion, I have put them away for a couple days and have had no bad effects. I shoot the real black powder, too. If you shoot one of the substitutes, as many do, they are even less corrosive and could even sit longer before being cleaned. I don't recommend it but it can be done. It is absolutley the best thing to clean them imediately after shooting them but if you have to let them sit over night, they won't be hurt. Just don't forget to clean them the next day.

By the way, if you shoot a rifle, why don't you come up and shoot with us sometime. It's only an hour drive north and we'd love to have you shoot with us. We shoot the first Saturday of the month and the third Sunday of each month. For that matter, if you don't have a rifle, bring your revolvers and shoot them. You may be the only one shooting a hand gun but maybe it will encourage us to shoot hand guns more often.

[Nate1778]

Hey Bill, thanks for the invite, I may take you up on your offer in the future. Its busy as I am a young father of 4, so time is at a premium. Send me your info via PM and I'll make an effort to head north. Were are you shooting? I have access to a Kentucky Long Rifle, but love shooting my pistols.

I am shooting real Black Powder, stuff I made, and love the smell and smoke.

[jmaubin]

Nate

Maybe its just because I love to tinker or repair things. Maybe its because I love cap and ball revolvers. the cleaning part I find relaxing. I do it just as you did, plug in a dvd and watch it as I clean.

But for the most part I think its all in the way you are "thinking" of cleaning your firearms.
Think of it as a "chore" or as a " pain in the %^& " and it will become all of those things.

Me I look at the cleaning as a great way to watch a movie, I think of it as sitting inside in the A/c cooled air ( I always could be out in the heat cutting grass).

Next time you clean your firearms try thinking of all the things that we all have to do (Choirs) but really really don't like doing, then the cleaning becomes very pleasent.

for what it's worth.

[fyrfyter43]

I often run a couple of patches saturated with rubbing alcohol down the bore (and each cylinder for a revolver) either before I leave the range or right after I get home. Then I'll let it go until the following morning for a more thorough cleaning.

[NCWanderer]

After I fire my gun, and I'm certain I'll be firing it again in the next 2 or 3 days. I clean the barrel and cylinder good. Then I squirt liberal amounts of a good lubricant into the innards, using a aerosol can with the little red tube that comes with it. Then I wrap it in an old tee shirt and put it away. When I get ready to fire it again I use compressed air to to get rid of excess oil and wipe it down good. But I won't do this more than 2 or 3 times. Then I disassemble it and give it a complete cleaning. I'm not saying this is the best method or the one all should use. Just saying I've tried it and it seems to work for me.

[Mike OTDP]

I normally shoot back-to-back practice sessions, clean after the second session. And yes, I normally shoot only one gun.

My experience is that a percussion revolver needs a detailed cleaning about every six months.

Now, as to regular cleaning....my procedure takes about 15 minutes. Remove the cylinder, remove the nipples. Run a patch soaked in Simple Green through each chamber. Brush the nipples. Put nipples and cylinder in a cup full of a 20% Simple Green solution, let sit. Clean, dry, and oil barrel and frame normally. Remove nipples and cylinder from cleaning solution. Rinse and dry nipples (they are now clean). Run a patch soaked in Simple Green through the chambers of the cylinder...it should take no more than two patches to get it spotless. Rinse, dry, and reassemble.