Cleaning - the Dishwasher Apostasy

[W.T.]

Hello the Fire -

At the risk igniting a Range War or inducing my own necktie party, I ask if anyone has used or heard about the use of a dishwasher to clean C&B revolvers.

I have seen a very few references to this in the archives of other BP sites, and while dunking a basket of Walker and Pocket Police parts into a utility sink full of suds and hot water the other day, recalled that I had once put a very old, greasy, and lint-clogged Remington typewriter (without the rubber roller) through the diswasher.  It came out sparkling, dry, and rust-free, far cleaner than would have been possible by hand.  The common problems - lots of small parts, nooks & crannies filled with greasy caked crud, disassembly/reassembly - and the common techniques - very hot water, soap, and dryng - are apparent.

Assuming that the grips - and maybe the nipples - are removed first, and the frame, cylinder, and barrel separated, any reason why this wouldn't work?  Seems like the long drying cycle would prevent the formation of 'flash' rust; probably want to blow out the lockwork with canned air and lightly flood the inside with the oil/rust preventative of your choice.  What about the effects of dishwasher detergent on bluing, case coloring, and brass grip frames?  What about the effect on your skull when your Signfiicant Other finds out what you've been up to with the major appliances?

Anyone out there tried this?  Heard about it?  Have any thoughts or opinions? Is it a dopey idea?  Does it work?  Will now sit back and await the Incoming: fire for effect.

Cheers

[Ozark Tracker]

I had a friend that I shot with about 15 years ago, he shot a Ruger, Old Army, it never failed he's clear out the dishwasher, take out the cylinder, take off the grips and run it through the pots and pan cycle, hot, hot water, regular dish washing soap, when it got done, he'd take it out to the shop blow it out good with his air compressor and lilghtly oil, nothing heavy.  seemed like it worked fine at the time.

myself I just keep the moose milk close and give it a good rinse, a patch or two, wipe with rag, blow with compressed air, takes about 5 minutes or less,

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy W.T.

Don't do it without a good divorce lawyer.

It cleans 'em rite fine, but then they tend to flash rush instantly.  I'd be a lot more likely to put 'em in a tub of boiling water, blow 'em out and give 'em a good spray of Ballistol or some other good bp gun oil.  Getting the guns clean is real easy if yer shootn' the rite boolits and Genuine Powder.  But, keepin' 'em from flash rustin' requires a lite coat of oil.

I clean my pistols in a Moosemilk Spa of my own makin.  I took an appropriate polycarbonate rectangular container and put enuf Moosemilk in it that I can submerge my  pistols in it.  I give 'em a good soak, pull a boresnake thru and blow out the innards with compressed air.  Them are real clean guns that never rust.

FWIW, Moosemilk is one part Ballistol and Seven parts water.  For the spa ya kin go 1:10.

DD-DLoS

[Stacey Lee]

Sure it would work, but I have only done M1 Garand parkerized parts in mine, without my other half knowing of course. I use the oven to bake parts all the time too, but they know about that already, hard to hide something smelly in the oven without questions about what attroscious dish I am prepairing to kill them with that smells like burnt Break-Free lube , honey pie.
I would concern myself with the rust issue a bit, even the slightest water residue rusts my stuff in a hurry, especailly around the screws for the frame, barrel stuff, loading lever. I have long ago dropped water as a viable cleaning solution for my BP's. I use BP cleaner, wipe , lube and I am done. The only water my guns see is sweat, or rain.
Also if Hoppes # 9 Nitro solvent doesn't effect Blueing, neither will dish soap !!!

Cheers, enjoy your dishwasher priveledges while they last, they will surely be going to the wayside as soon as they find out your intentions.

Sincerely, Stacey Lee

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I think this is a really bad idea. Your guns have had lead fired through them, and probably some has been deposited in the bore and chambers. Your cartridge guns may have lead styphnate in them from the primers. Do you want to eat off plates that have been washed in the same dishwasher that has been washing away lead from your guns? Are you confident that all the lead has been rinsed away? Do you want your family to be eating off of those plates?

[W.T.]

Howdy

I think this is a really bad idea. Your guns have had lead fired through them, and probably some has been deposited in the bore and chambers. Your cartridge guns may have lead styphnate in them from the primers. Do you want to eat off plates that have been washed in the same dishwasher that has been washing away lead from your guns? Are you confident that all the lead has been rinsed away? Do you want your family to be eating off of those plates?

D'oh! (slaps head, Homer-style) Lead poisoning!  What was I thinking of!?!  And after all the care I'd taken never to put old or foreign lead-glazed creamics in the microwave!

Thanks, Driftwood; you're correct of course! It's a terrible idea!

[sundance44`s]

I`ve done it twice first time with the heated dry cycle left on ...it caused flash rusting ...with the heated dry off ...they won`t flash rust ...but you`ll still need to brush out the bore ..it won`t clean the bore eaither ...so in my oppion not worth the trouble .....and the wife will probally not be to happy about your useing her dishwasher for this eaither .

[Goatlips]

Ain't that a little like sending a bicycle through a car wash?  Or cleaning yer brass in a bathtub...  probably works, but why bother.

Goatlips

[sundance44`s]

Yep thats it in a nut shell ..if a dishwasher has a bore /cylinder brush cycle on it ....then it wouldn`t be a dish washer .......more trouble than its worth for sure .

[buck]

  Maybe the washin machine might work better...after the spin cycle there won't be as much water to blow off.  Then just put them in the dryer on the delicate cycle.  CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK   

[Griff]

Pictures being worth 1,000s of words:



Those are the "after" pictures.  Used bronze wool to take off the rust, but the damage is done.  The only way to fix it is to have it refinished.  There's no rust in the cylinders or inside the barrel.  All the damage was where pictured.  From the right side, the finish just shows 20+ years of use.  Very odd that damage was only on those two flats.

[W.T.]

Pictures being worth 1,000s of words:

Bummer.  Glad I asked before I tried it.