Someone somewhere mentioned rubbing alcohol...

[SimmerinLightning]

... so I figured I would try it out. Six shots, two patches, spotless bore. Hardly a comprehensive test, but I am pretty happy so far.

For some reason I cannot post pictures.
My file is too big, and I gots no idear how to fix that.

[Coffinmaker]

Ha!!  Shot the whole match.  No patch, just drop in the sink with water, swab to the bore, PRESTO!!  Spotless.  Dry patch and oil.
APP dontcha know!! 

Coffinmaker

Even with rubbing alcohol (has some water) dry patch and oil!!

[SimmerinLightning]

Ha!!  Shot the whole match.  No patch, just drop in the sink with water, swab to the bore, PRESTO!!  Spotless.  Dry patch and oil.
APP dontcha know!! 

That's what I've been doing, but I figure if I just swab the bore without submerging the whole assy in water, then I don't have to take all the screws out and make sure the threads are dry.

Even with rubbing alcohol (has some water) dry patch and oil!!

Well yeah.

[Coffinmaker]

  



He He

[Johnson Barr]

Set the resolution on your camera to its lowest setting. Photos will be of good enough quality to email and post.

[wildman1]

Cropping is your friend. wM1

[Dick Dastardly]

Moosemilk for me.  The water does the work with the Ballistol doing the lube/protection duties.  1 part Ballistol/10 parts water.

DD-MDA

[SimmerinLightning]

I have no idea how to adjust the resolution but I did figure out that, as wildman1 pointed out, taking the picture from a short distance and cropping the result leaves a reasonably clear image.

[Montana Slim]

Thumbs up on your choice of firearms!

I have used rubbing alcohol as a quick once-over cleaning when planning to continue shooting, especially the bore.
Used that method a lot back in my early days. Only on patches, though.

Using 3F blackpowder, I can fire my Colt Army or Navy revolvers virtually all-day, with no routine, or intermittent cleaning needed.

Today, my typical end-of-day cleaning is to place cylinders in a wash tub & run a bore mop through chambers and bore. Navy Model revolver clean-up quickly.

Many have a pet lube, but good-ol' WD-40 is as good as (if not better) than any other product for application after a water-based cleaning of black powder firearms...cost is pretty reasonable, too.

Not mandatory, but...an air compressor is useful to blow water & excess lube out of the cylinder and you can apply oil/solvent (not water-based) to the internals and blow excess lube & BP fouling out.  Tip -  wear a work apron.
Slim

[SimmerinLightning]

Thumbs up on your choice of firearms!

Just getting started, I hope. I want another MWnN, and I want a pair of Londons, and I want a couple of 1861's, and I want an 1862, and I want a Paterson...

I may have to get rid of some of my old Vaqueros. These navies are the fisrt guns I have fired in about five years, and I gotta tell ya, they don't suck all that much.

I really like the looks of the dragoons, but dang, they should come with wheels or something.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy SimmerinLightning,

My brace of 1860 open tops fit my hands just right.  They point easy and shoot accurately.  Yes, they are fragile compared to Ruger Vaqueros.  I have a brace of those too.  Also, a brace of old ROAs with brass back straps and squareback trigger guards.  But, of all my pistols those open tops are my go to guns.

Cleanup is easy without any exotic elixirs or potions.  Ballistol and water do my work year after year.  I do use compressed air to blow out the innards after they swim in the Moosemilk spa though.

DD-MDA

[Bunk Stagnerg]

I am with DD on the moose milk for cleaning because it works and is fast and simple.
The alcohol is used  after cleaning and assembly  using a mixture of a bit of JW green, a cube of ice, and a splash of water taken for internal regulation.
Your mileage may vary
Bunk

[will52100]

Moose milk for me as well.  I've got a plastic tub and I break my open top colts down to barrel, cylinder, and frame/grip and soak the barrel and cylinder, get the grip and frame wet.  I wipe the fouling off the cylinder pin and frame, I don't normally take the grips off, sling excess moose milk out and wipe down good.  Give the barrel and cylinder a good scrub, wool daubers work great for the cylinder, a bore snake for the barrel followed by a couple of dry patches.  Wipe everything down and lube the cylinder pin and it's good to go.  Maybe once a year or when the action starts feeling gummy I'll take every screw out and give it a detailed cleaning, haven't had any rust issues yet.