Black Powder Arbor Pin/Cylinder Pin Greasing.

Don't some guys cut slits in to the arbors, as for grease I'd stick to something natural not petroleum based.

Bullet lube lard and beeswax mix or just tallow some people use crisco.

Ballistol in the cold and black powder lube any time all work well.

gobsauce,
The "race crowd" typically uses Mobil1 grease. I've used it in the shop for many years. I also pack the frames with it for a maintainance free / no need to clean regiment. I've had folks shoot 3 day events with just a wipe down of the revolver at the end of the day. They were also set up with a .0025" - .003" barrel/cyl clearance. The tight clearance sends most of the fouling down the tube leaving minimum fouling available to mess things up! You could also put a "fouling groove" in the arbor right at the front of the cylinder. The originals had one about .020" deep. This allows the fouling to pass by the cyl./arbor intersect and it works rather well. I offer it in a "full custom" package or an add on to other packages. An action shield completes the setup. It blocks fouling blowback through the nipple which normally goes directly into the action as it follows the forward hammer curve.
Just some info on the many possibilities of managing fouling. Get the arbor length corrected and set a nice close clearance, add the Mobil1 and you'll be able to shoot all day no problem!!

Mike

gobsauce, if you're asking about the Colt open top platform (which uses an "arbor") then the above post applies. If you're speaking of a Remington platform (which uses a cyl pin or base pin) then it " mostly " applies.
Mostly the Mobil1 on the base pin. Obviously there's no "arbor correction" but you can still do the fouling groove on the pin. It will still serve the same purpose. There is more that can be done and I'll try and post a pic. of it with description. I use it for the Cowboy shooters and it works well. It will also allow you to shoot trouble free all day with no binding at all. It's "race proven" and won championships.


You can see the fouling groove (forward most groove) is now linked to a diminished diameter section of the base pin with 4 left to right angled grooves. These angled grooves give access to and encourage migration to the diminished area. The concept for this came from the Colts fouling groove and the diminished base pin of the Ruger Old Army. The addition of the access grooves makes for a perfect marriage!

Mike

gobsauce, Mobil1 grease (it's an all purpose synthetic chassis lube, red in color). It's temp. range is -35° to + 350° F so it won't get runny/messy. You see the wide and deep forward most groove on the arbor. That is the fouling groove. This revolver was made in 1863.

Mike

With Colt's that have Arbors, I put a dab of Bore Butter on my finger and wipe it on the arbor.
Doing that I can shoot every day for about 6 days, cleaning on the 7th day.

You're supposed to rest on the 7th day.

I use white lithium grease.

I grease the arbor with Crisco during every reload. After powder and ball seating, I cover the balls with the Crisco using a popsicle stick and put any extra Crisco that didn’t fit over the chambers on the arbor pin before reinstalling the cylinder. It takes so little extra time I kind of take it for granted that lubing over the chambers and around the arbor are connected activities. For a Remington clone, you should cut shallow notches in the arbor pin to hold a reservoir of grease. That should prevent binding alongside simply replenishing grease during reloads.

Another vote for white lithium grease. I use it on all my cap and ball revolvers and it gets me through the entire range session. Since I always clean the gun after every use, the grease gets replaced each time.

I do use a light skim of Mobil One on the shaft of my reloading presses. Keeps things moving smoothly.

Jeff

gobsauce said:

45 Dragoon,
I myself, Am referring to the Colt Open Top Frame, but I generalized it more for the people who may be interested in the topic and have Remingtons.

How does the fouling groove look like on a colt? Considering it's mostly for leisure, I doubt it matters, but my clearance seems to be 0.0180".

And Mobil1 as in the Motor Oil? Or is there specifically a product?

Click to expand...

Gobsauce, it's a red wheel bearing grease but not just any grease. Mobile 1 Synthetic. Personally I've tried it since I have like 100 lifetime supplies of it left over from my truck pulling days but honestly I've had better luck with Lubriplate engine assembly lube myself which I have a lifetime supply of it too. The Lubriplate is lithium based (I think) so that pretty much blows the idea of not being petroleum based as why Mobile one works. I will say either I mention is better than the regular white lithium you buy in the cans for gun use.

The only problem with the engine assembly lube is it does dry out and get caked up after a few years if the gun isn't used regularly so only use it in guns that you use regularly. We found that out on engines that were assembled and then say for a few years without being put into use. The Mobile 1 never gets hard or goes bad. Either one works good and you can get at most automotive supply places.

I really think it's the high temp rating in the grease that makes the difference, stuff thats rated for air craft wheel bearings is good example, since really cold temperatures are at altitude to that sudden burst of heat on landing, look at the thermal rating for a grease that's similar but less spendy, that's where the Mobile One comes in, has anyone tried JT6 ?

I run Mobil one synthetic. Works well to keep the cylinder spinning.

I take a slightly different approach, as usual.
I lube the arbor with plumbers silicon.
It's inert, cheap and tacky enough to stay put under recoil.
What little crud gets in is caught by the silicone and can't cake up.
It's also thin enough not to slow the cylinder rotation.

This is not silicon caulk but a honey thickness product that is sold in little round cans.

IronHand

45 Dragoon said:

View attachment 979835gobsauce, Mobil1 grease (it's an all purpose synthetic chassis lube, red in color). It's temp. range is -35° to + 350° F so it won't get runny/messy. You see the wide and deep forward most groove on the arbor. That is the fouling groove. This revolver was made in 1863.

Mike

Click to expand...

I wish I'd known about the groove while I had the arbor out of my 60 Army. It would have been easy to make on my Chinese lathe.

Would a cut across the top with a file do the job? Cut across the top and down the sides?

Bibbyman, yes, I don't make mine as wide as the original. I just make sure it's in line with the face of the cylinder. I think I have a picture.



Here is a comparison.


Mike

If you shoot them enough the flash will burn you a notch! LOL

My Pietta Remington NMA requires something otherwise things get difficult on cylinder 3 so I found oil worked well and tried Ballistol as it’s what I use anyway and found it does indeed just keep running. I need to see how many I can go through before it finally has issues. I just often reapplied halfway through a 7-10 cylinder session.

Sorry. Wrong thread.