Cleaning

[Sheriff Langston]

Good afternoon all,

How do you clean your cap-&-ball revolvers?

Some people, books and websites say I should completely disassemble it, wash every part then carefully dry, oil and reassemble.
Others have told me NOT to strip it right down, just clean it the minimum possible to remove fouling from the bore and visible working parts. Especially, someone who seems to know what he's talking about told me NEVER to remove the nipples just for cleaning, only if they need replacing.

Personally I go for the former approach; I hate to think of even small patches of soot and gunk sitting around inside my lovely Pietta Remington Navy, and anyway I quite enjoy it in an obsessive sort of way...

What do you reckon?

Sheriff Langston

[oneirone4]

There are two schools of though; one is the complete break down, and the other is the sooty oil soaked in side the frame. both work, and one is easy to maintain with less work. However I do recommend breaking it down when you first get the revolver. Some of my nipples were frozen, and I had to send the cylinder back and get another. Cabela's is good about that.
Good luck with your pistol.

[kurt250]

i agree, when you first get a weapon brake it down and clean and lube. as for everytime you shoot, no. if you shoot a lot(once a week, or in my case 2 or 3 times a week) clean just what you need to keep weapon serviable. then every mouth or so break down, clean and lube. this is what i've done with my colt 2nd generation ( thats the only type i own) c/b pistols. quick flush with superclean and water, bore bush then lube with 3 in 1 oil. dry with rag. when i know i'm not going shooting for a wile(like winter time) complet break down including guts and clean and lube. have done this for years, and pistols look and shoot great.

[Montana Slim]

I clean the bore & cylinder & completely wipe down everything I can reach with a rag. I do not remove the cones, but submerge the cylinder in hot soapy water and pump it with a bore mop. ooth-brush the cones, dry patch, then hose-down with WD-40 & wipe away the excess. Clean the "innards" once or twice each year or as necessary.

Regards,
Slim

[Sheriff Langston]

It's the innards I worry about. I use real black powder, not Pyrodex. When I strip the gun down it's surprising how specks, at least, of crud have got right down inside, even inside the grips. The hand is not stainless, neither is the cylinder stop bolt, nor of course any of the springs. If I left it for a couple of months would they begin to get pitted? Are the scare stories about hydroscopic corrosive residues all exaggerated?

[amin ledbetter]

I've seen some really bad gun internals from the neglect of not cleaning and lubing after using the holy black! Keeping the gun oiled is the important part. A good spray oil will get back into most of the inside parts without diisassembly, but you really should break it down periodically and clean, inspect and oil everything. My thought to this is the better you take care of the gun, the happier it will make you at the range. Good luck and have fun!