Cleaning the cap and ball guns

[Fiddler Green]

Since allot of people seem to be afraid of black powder because of the cleaning they seem to think is involved, I'm posting how I clean my cap and ball pistols and rifles.


Pistols:

I use a mixture of 50% Simple Green or Windex Green and 50% Warm water to clean my guns. I have one of those pegboard jars that seem perfect for dropping a dirty cylinder in to soak. I use a cheap bottle brush to clean out each cylinder and then blow them out with my air compressor. I have a pegboard tray that I drop the barrels into to soak, while I clean the frame. I have found that the frame doesn't like any water at all (it gets into the mechanism and produces rust) and that you really need to have spare trigger/cylinder lock springs at hand; just in case. I got a little oiler, from Track of the Wolf (Oiler-TCB), that works perfectly (not surprising as it is from TotW) for oiling the pistols after cleaning. It's got a drip type of oiler for getting into places where you otherwise can't.

Rifles:

The rifles (Hawkens and Plains) are just as easy. I pull the wedge(s) and plug the nipple with a wooden tooth pick. I pour the aforementioned mixture down the barrel and let it soak, while I clean the lock. Then I pull the toothpick and let the barrel drain. I remove the nipple and flash hole (?) screw and clean them both.  I run a few patches down the barrel until it's clean, starting with a Cabela's Saturated Cotton Cleaning Patches(s) then some dry ones. Then I run a lightly oiled patch down the barrel.

I use a pipe cleaner (folded over once) to clean the flash hole and the threads for the nipple. I lube the nipple and scew threads with bear grease and reassemble everything. It takes about 10 minutes to do.  You must clean out the flash hole AFTER you finish with the barrel so you don't get crud shoved into the hole and block the flash. If it gets pushed into the barrel, it will burn up on the next firing. And it will fire!

Bruce

[Paladin UK]

At the range...

2 Pistolas
Drop out cylinder douse whole gun with WD40, reassemble put in plastic bag.

At home...

Disassemble,(drop out cylinders) plug bottom of each cylinder with paper towel, fill cylinders with moosemilk. Scrub frame with toothbrush and moosemilk, blast through frame with compressed air

Roll some paper towel into a ball, push paper into muzzle squirt in some in moosemilk and push through with wooden dowel, repeat twice more.

Using lolly stick dig out towel from each cylinder in a screwing action.

Blast of air from my compressor through each flash hole

Wipe all parts dry, lightly oil with ballistol and reassemble.

2-pistolas=10mins

Every 10 or so shoots I do a complete pull down .... 2-pistolas 40 mins




Paladin (What dont hang around!! ) UK

[Alabama]

No water ,
Either Hoppes BP cleaner lube or Balistrol , but never water in any step of cleaning .
Re-oil and re-lube-grease everything everytime after a good scrubbing inside and out . I would rather wipe allot and brush allot before I risk or make rust whatsoever anywhere on my revolvers . You don't shoot underwater do ya ? Why clean them under water if you don't have to ?
There are much better products than water out there . JMHO

Alabama

[Arcey]

Straight home, disassemble. Wash with hot water 'n soap. Stick 'em in the oven, sit cross legged on the kitchen floor 'n utter Cajun voo doo chants while they dry. Liberally coat everything with STP, reassemble 'n check on 'em every twelve hours for the next week.

Heh, heh, heh.....

Spray 'em with Moose Milk before I leave the range. I try'n get the nipples out 'n dunk them 'n the cylinder in a can of Ed's Red within' the next couple days. Just as effective as Moose Milk 'n a hell sight cheaper, won't rust yer guns like soap 'n water will. As I don't smoke in the truck, most times the fat lady comes out in the garage ta ask me how it went. Have a beer, burn one or two 'n attend to the cylinders right then. The rest of the revolver is wiped off with the cartridge stuff.

Fish the cylinders out of the Ed's Red when I remember it. Dry 'em off. Blow the nipples out with the compressor 'n reassemble the revolver. Light coat of Ballistol on everything. Spotless 'n ready ta go for next time.

[Fingers McGee]

    Would you guys cut it out.  How are we supposed to maintain the aura of magic & mysticism about BP shooting if you keep giving out the secret to cleaning after use.     Sheeeeeeesssssssshhhhhhhh   

Fingers (who only uses Balistol & Birchwood Casey BP solvent) McGee

[Cuts Crooked]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/product_features/photos/pages/pf_bpcleaing_int.html?cm_vid=pod

[Dick Dastardly]

1.  Remove grip panels.

2.  Remove cylinder.

3  Put frame, cylinder & barrel in Moosemilk spa.

4.  Remove parts from Moosemilk spa.

5.  Wipe with clean rag.

6.  Tug boresnake thru barrel.

7.  Brush out cylinder and rinse in Moosemilk spa again.

8.  Blow everything out with compressed air.

9.  Wipe everything with rag damp with Ballistol and oil wear parts with Ballistol.

10.  There is no #10.  Yer done.  Took less than Five minutes per gun.

Field notes. . . .  Moosemilk is one part Ballistol and Ten parts water.  I keep it in a plastic tub big enough to submerge my pistols in.  I'm still using the same fill after Two years and it's still working great.  I  top it up if it gets too low for the pistols to submerge.  Compressed air is a great way to get all the stuff out you can't reach with a rag.  Moosemilk leaves a rust preventative film after it dries.  Boresnake washes up easily and lasts a very long time.

DD-DLoS

[Fiddler Green]

  Would you guys cut it out.  How are we supposed to maintain the aura of magic & mysticism about BP shooting if you keep giving out the secret to cleaning after use.     Sheeeeeeesssssssshhhhhhhh   

Fingers (who only uses Balistol & Birchwood Casey BP solvent) McGee

Acctually, if we're giving away secrets, I oil my cap and ball guns with olive oil. It draws the water out, it's less expensive then all the fancy oils and it's more in line with what was used "back in the day".

Bruce

[Brizco-Z]

Pards,

I have to say gents, I just don't see what the big problem is with cleaning guns.  It's real simple for me, I come home, I walk in the door, I tel the wife the guns are dirty, enough said.  I only have to tell her once..................I am perplexed?

??,

Brizco-Z

[Tensleep]

Pards,

I have to say gents, I just don't see what the big problem is with cleaning guns.  It's real simple for me, I come home, I walk in the door, I tel the wife the guns are dirty, enough said.  I only have to tell her once..................I am perplexed?

??,

Brizco-Z

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH RIGHT! I know better.... 

What do ya do after ya git up off tha floor?

[Angel_Eyes]

What's up with you guys?? Don't your wife make enough money to afford a dishwasher?? All that manual labour. (No, thats not a mexican odd job man!)