A month or so ago I posted about wearing out screw slots by constant dismantling for cleaning, and Driftwood Johnson came to my rescue with the following:
"....Totally dismantling a BP revolver every time you shoot it is not necessary.
I am assuming you are cleaning it with hot water. If so, stop doing that. The problem of cleaning a BP gun with water is getting all the water out again so it does not cause rust.
Here is a little known fact. If you infuse Black Powder fouling with oil, it will not cause any rust. As most of us know, Black Powder fouling is hygroscopic. It absorbs moisture from the air and that is what causes the rust. If you can soak the fouling with oil, it behaves like a sponge that is soaked with water. It cannot absorb any more water.
Run down to the store and buy a quart each of Murphy's Oil Soap, Rubbing Alcohol, and Hydrogen Per Oxide. Mix them in a 3 quart juice jug. Next time you shoot, clean the gun with this mix, I call it Murphy's Mix. Be sure to use it very liberally, slop it all over the gun and work some down inside the hand window, the hammer opening, and the trigger opening with q-tips. Then follow up and lube the bore, chambers, and outside of the gun lightly with Ballistol. Work the Ballistol into the action too.
Here is how it works. The alcohol is about 20% water and the Per Oxide is about 97% water. Yes, water is an excellent BP solvent and that is what does the actual cleaning. When the water evaporates it leaves the oil soap behind which coats any fouling left behind and renders it harmless. Really, it does. The alcohol serves as a drying agent to speed up evaporation and the 3% Per Oxide provides a little bit of fizz to help lift the fouling.
I go through about 20 pounds of Black Powder every year in CAS. I shoot Colts, Rugers, clones as well as original Top Break Smith and Wessons. And several lever guns and a shotgun. Once a year I take them down to remove all the black, oily guck left inside the actions. There is always plenty of it, but there is never any rust because the oil that coats the fouling down inside has made it unable to cause rust.
Really.
Been doing it for years.
Try it, you will save your screws.
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Last edited by Driftwood Johnson; November 27, 2012 at 09:11 PM. ....."
Myself, I will be taking his advice and only dismantling my frame/action portion of the gun far enough to get the grip wood out of my "Murphy's mix" solution.
That way I will only be putting wear on three screws for my everyday cleaning.