Total Teardown?

[ThomasT]

In the new Backwoodsman magazine I received today there is an article on the Colt and Remington BP revolvers. The writer of the article stated he would do a complete teardown of his revolvers after each shooting session. I have owned two BP revolvers in the distant past and I did clean them right after use but never broke them down all the way to the last screw.

So do you all completely disassemble your BP revolvers after shooting them? I do take apart my rifles if the barrel is held on with wedges. And on occasion I will remove locks for cleaning. More often if they use a drum and nipple. Less with the bolster type breech like on a TC Hawken and similar guns. So what do you guys recommend?

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I disassemble my BP revolver every time to clean. It doesn't take that long. I put all the parts in a pot of boiling water then lay them on a towel to dry as I clean them.

 

[Norton Commando]

In the new Backwoodsman magazine I received today there is an article on the Colt and Remington BP revolvers. The writer of the article stated he would do a complete teardown of his revolvers after each shooting session.

Do you have a link that particular article?

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Do you have a link that particular article?

No offense, but I'm putting my money on the link being....

Ratshooter's Bathroom
Next to the TP
Burleson, TX

 

[ThomasT]

Malachi you caused me to log in just so I could "Like" your post. And the new issue is sitting on the bar on my kitchen counter top right now. But you can bet it will see its fair share of time in the "Reading Room".

But no links. You have to buy the magazine. But it tells you what I posted.

And I only have one BP revolver. A brass framed Richland Arms made gun I have never shot. I did by a mold and the next casting session I will mold a couple hundred balls for it. Then I will give it a try.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

So do you all completely disassemble your BP revolvers after shooting them?

No. Full takedown about once every eight months to a year. The case inside the frame says surprisingly clean, even after heavy use. Never had rust.

 

[Ironhand54]

No complete breakdown but I do run them thru a ultrasonic cleaner after each session It gets the insides clean

IronHand

 

[arcticap]

I only remove the grips, cylinder and nipples to clean a Remington 1858.
I use 3F American Pioneer Powder and liberally apply mineral oil inside and out before cleaning to help loosen up any powder residue
that might enter through the frame openings, and then again after cleaning until it drains out of the trigger opening.
Then just grease the nipple threads and replace the grips.

For sidelock rifles that have the lockwork exposed through a stock opening under the barrel, I put masking tape over the opening to
help prevent residue from entering it.
I'll still wipe & oil the lockwork using a cotton swab after shooting, and then replace the tape.

 

[Tommygunn]

I usually do a complete disassemble and cleaning....as has been said it doesn't really take long as sa revolvers are mechanically pretty simple.

 

[Enfielder]

Remove the grips and run it through the dishwasher with the lasagna pan. Give it a good oiling and Luigi's your uncle.

 

[44 Dave]

As often as I shoot mine the threads would be worn off the screws if I broke them down all of the way every time.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

When I was shooting them for CAS, that was 6 cylinders a weekend, and two weekends (sometimes more) in a month, I broke them down once a month, but now it's once a year.

LD

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

For me it depends on what the powder that is used, if black or Pyrodex it is complete disassemble. If T7 or Black MZ not so much.

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

Remington style ones usually yes if it's going to be a while before they are shot again. colt style ones not always.

Biggest reason is because I can run water through the barrel of a Colt style and just wipe the action with some q-tips and ballistol. It's harder to clean the barrel on a Remington style and keep the water or other bore cleaner out of the action.

 

[Mike OTDP]

I pull the cylinder and nipples for routine cleaning. Scrub out the barrel, chambers, cylinder window in the frame, wipe down the hammer, spray Ballistol into the lockwork. Complete detail-strip and scrubbing every six months, usually a few weeks before the N-SSA Nationals - I reset the trigger pull at that point, too.

 

[Mike OTDP]

It's harder to clean the barrel on a Remington style and keep the water or other bore cleaner out of the action.

Turn the gun upside down, run the water through the bore from the breech end. Be sure to do both sides. This will get most of the fouling out of the bore.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

If Black Powder fouling gets infused with oil, it will not cause corrosion.

I discovered this a long time ago.

Think of it as saturating a dry sponge with water. Once the sponge is saturated, it can not absorb any more water.

If the extra dry fouling from BP is not allowed to absorb any atmospheric moisture because it is already saturated with oil, it does not cause corrosion.

The other factor is we use non-corrosive primers these days. Black Powder fouling coupled with corrosive primers could cause rust. BP fouling with modern non-corrosive primers is not as corrosive as it was with corrosive primers.

Granted, I don't shoot Cap & Ball much, but I only shoot cartridges loaded with Black Powder in CAS. But the procedure is much the same.

Before I begin shooting a revolver with Black Powder I completely disassemble it, and remove all the oils right down to bare metal. Then I relube the entire gun and all the parts with Ballistol before reassembling the gun. This leaces a nice coating of Ballistol down inside the gun.

For a cleaning solution, I use a 1/1/1 mix of Murphy's Oil Soap, Rubbing Alcohol, and drugstore Hydrogen Peroxide This stuff is often referred to as Murphy's Mix*. When I clean the gun, I remove the cylinder and run cleaning patches saturated with Murphy's Mix through each chamber and the bore. Then I wipe up the MMix with dry patches, and soak the bore and chambers with Ballistol. Then I mop up the extra Ballistol with a dry patch, leaving behind a light coating of Ballistol. Same thing with the frame, I wipe it down with MMix, followed by a light coating of Ballistol. The last thing I do is take some Q-Tips and soak them in Ballistol, and squirt some down inside the slot where the hand pokes out of the frame, and down inside the frame where the hammer sits. This refreshes the Oil coating down in side the gun. The entire process takes about ten minutes per revolver, and does not risk cross threading any of the screws. Yes, I can take a Colt apart almost blindfolded, but I don't do so unless it is completely necessary.

This photo is of one of my Colts. I had to take it apart for some routine maintenance. You will notice a heavy deposit of black, oily gunk on the trigger guard, trigger, and hand. You will not notice any rust. This Colt had not been taken apart for at least two years, maybe more. Testimony to how oil infused BP fouling will not cause rust.

You may have a problem leaving your guns this gunky inside if your old drill instructor is still whispering in your ear about never putting a way a dirty gun. I don't listen to such whispers and sleep fine every night.






*Inevitably someone will say just plain water works fine to clean BP fouling, why go to the trouble to make up fancy solutions when water will work just fine.

Two reasons.

1. With water you have to get all the water out again. If you don't get all the water out, you are asking for corrosion to happen inside the gun. That's why shooters use hot water or dry the gun off in a low temperature oven. When I was a kid taking my C&B revolvers completely apart after every time I fired them, inevitably the heated metal from the oven or just from hot water would cause flash rust to form. When Murphy's Mix dries, it leaves behind an oily coating of the Murphys Oil Soap on all the metal surfaces. The oil coating will prevent the BP fouling from absorbing any moisture from the air, and there is never any rust down inside when I do get around to cleaning out all the gunk. So I don't bother to try to get all the MMix out, I just leave it in there.

2. MMix can be used cold. It does not have to be heated. So I can clean my guns right at the car, don't have to wait to go home and heat anything up.

 

[grter]

You are going to find different opinions here on this one. I would favor hot water and soap, disassembly and cleaning making sure to thoroughly dry and oil everything afterwards.

Others only clean the muzzle, chambers, nipple holes and parts exposed to powder flash such as frames etc... and reserve disassembly and thorough cleaning to be done only on occasion. They claim to be doing well using this approach and present valid points on why.

One good point is that constant screwing, unscrewing, torquing, and un torquing of the screws will eventually wear the threads out which would not be good especially on the nipples. While I think this is probably true judging from reading the experiences of people who do disassemble every time when cleaning it does not seem to be a big deal and I don't see a flood of posts from people complaining that the threads on their muzzleloaders are badly worn due to disassembly. I suppose this can also depend on how much one uses and disassembles their muzzleloader as well as whether the design of the gun does a good job of shielding the internals from burning powder residue.


In your civilian life maybe leaving your gun a little dirty is not a big deal but if you are a soldier who may go into battle I suggest you not sleep until you listen to the wise "whisper" (or scream ?) of your drill instructor and take every chance you can get to keep your "weapon" as clean as possible.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

One good point is that constant screwing, unscrewing, torquing, and un torquing of the screws will eventually wear the threads out which would not be good especially on the nipples.

I disassemble my revolver for cleaning because I think it is easy. If you prefer not too, I would still recommend removing the nipples for cleaning. It won't hurt the treads as long as you use never seize or grease. The threads will get damaged if any powder residue is left on them.

 

[mjsdwash]

Howdy

If Black Powder fouling gets infused with oil, it will not cause corrosion.

I discovered this a long time ago.

Think of it as saturating a dry sponge with water. Once the sponge is saturated, it can not absorb any more water.

If the extra dry fouling from BP is not allowed to absorb any atmospheric moisture because it is already saturated with oil, it does not cause corrosion.
THIS is correct, I don't clean my 58, beyond the cylinder/barrel, and theres deposits of burned/unburned black powder all over, and zero rust, even on the Washington coast. Pyrodex - very differnt story. Thats actually corrosive (black powders not) and will ruin metal regardless of lube

 

[paul harm]

I tear em down all the way. Haven't ruined a thread yet. I use hot soapy water, then clean hot water. Some WD-40 on the patch, then dry patch and last a patch with Rem-oil on it. JMHO

 

[arcticap]

I don't fault folks for breaking down their guns for cleaning, especially if they have the ability.
But we've also had folks ask about how to put their guns back together after taking them apart.
And if the screws are too boogered, then I think that it can detract from the gun's resale value.
Whereas someone recently posted that a parts kit only cost $29.

However not too long ago, I declined to buy a very desirable Pedersoli rifle at a great price because the clean out screw was frozen.
The seller had purchased it in that condition, and if I didn't specifically ask about it, then he wouldn't have told me.
I wasn't about to buy the rifle knowing that it would need to go to a gunsmith to fix, since he had already tried to get it out and couldn't.
Having the original clean out screw be functional was more important to me than the low price.

The same goes for nipples on a used revolver.
If they're frozen, then I'd rather not deal with it.
I think that folks should always ask if the nipples are frozen before buying a used revolver.
Too many horror stories about trying to remove them along with the frozen breech plugs of [older] inline rifles.

 

[ThomasT]

I have removed several frozen clean out screws by just applying heat from a propane torch. Not alot but just enough to cause a little expansion of the metal. But if the screw is boogered up that can make a difference.

I have a Cabelas Hawken I bought used off GB and the clean out screw was frozen. And its tiny. I just drilled it out and tapped it to a 6/32 and installed a stainless steel set screw. I always remove it for cleaning and coat both threads with grease. Same for the nipple.

 

[Norton Commando]

In the new Backwoodsman magazine I received today there is an article on the Colt and Remington BP revolvers. The writer of the article stated he would do a complete teardown of his revolvers after each shooting session. I have owned two BP revolvers in the distant past and I did clean them right after use but never broke them down all the way to the last screw.

So do you all completely disassemble your BP revolvers after shooting them? I do take apart my rifles if the barrel is held on with wedges. And on occasion I will remove locks for cleaning. More often if they use a drum and nipple. Less with the bolster type breech like on a TC Hawken and similar guns. So what do you guys recommend?

Is the article in the November/December issue of Backwoodsman, or...?

 

[44 Dave]

For me, if I dunked my entire gun in water I would have to tear it down before every spring and little crevasse was dried and oiled.
But I shoot often and clean with black powder solvent and or Balistol. Only tear down "when it is about time" or may have an errorent cap in the works.