black powder cleanup for the 1860 and the 1866

[Books OToole]

Sometimes it is amazing how little can foul a barrel.  Recently at the James Farms shoot, Trap's Remington wouldn't pop a primer.  So he borrowed mine.  Well when I miss it is nothing special; but when Trap misses, it is.  So we ran a couple patches through the barrel.  On the final stage, I put six rounds in the ace of spades.

From now on, I will run a patch through at the begining of a match.

Books

[Springfield Slim]

I take a pitcher of warm water and Murphy's oil soap, about 10% worth, and pour it down the barrel rear to front.  . I then run a wetted bore snake down the barrel. Usually the barrel is now clean. I then run an oiled with Break-free patch down the barrel and the barrel is done. I then wipe down the rest of the gun with Break-free. I shoot 44-40 with real BP and this works fine. When I shoot my 45 Colt rifle I have to spend more time cleaning the carrier.

[Major 2]

Felt this thread was worthy of a sticky 

[buckskin billy]

lot of great info here pards. more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to clean a black powder gun.
i had the same problem with the peroxide only use that for bobos now.
my tried and true method is after i'm done shooting as soon as i can get to my cleaning rod, i run a patch of bore butter down the barrel and let it sit over night. the next day i run a couple of patches with warm water down the barrel. i have a bristle brush on a short flexible handle that i scrub the chamber out with. dry barrel  run a patch of lube down the barrel wipe down the action and lube it, then i'm picking out tunes on my old guitar( i have no banjo) the hole process is about 10 minuets, unless my guitart is out of tune
   

[PJ Hardtack]

Last Sunday I shot BP in my 44-40 Henry for the first time - loved it! Same for my 44-40 '66.

Many of us shoot cap & ball at our monthly CAS match in memory of the founder of the game at our club. Shootin' smokeless with cap & ball pistols just didn't compute so ..... I'll never look back.

Clean up was dead simple - one pass with a 44/45 Bore Snake using my BPCR cleaning solution, a drying and an oiling - DONE!
Of course, the brass is another tale. I decap at the range, drop in a jug of soapy water and use a bore brush at home. Dry & tumble - done.

Compared to the process of cleaning a brace of cap & baller pistols, it's a joy.

[Wagon Box Willy]

I've so far just been shootin' in the back yard so I have a lot of cleaning options available to me.

I have been starting with Driftwood Johnson's empty in the chamber and push a windex soaked patch down on a loop.  I'm shootin' GOEX fffg and JP 200's so there's plenty of soot to clean up.  It usually takes me 3 or 4 patches to get it clean-ish.

Then I soak the forend of a Boresnake with Windex and pull it through a couple of times and I'm satisfied it's clean.

Then a couple of times through with a mop soaked in EEzox and I'm done....with the barrel

I just ordered some .454 PRS 250gr boolits from Slim so we'll see how that works on the carrier area.

Willy

[PJ Hardtack]

BTW - the term for the propensity of BP fouling to draw moisture out of the air is 'hygroscopic', not hydroscopic, which pertains to the use of a hydroscope for underwater viewing.

How's that fer pickin' fly s--t outta pepper .... ?  ;>)

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I tend to do the same as much as anyone here.

On my 1860 Uberti Henry, I clean the bore with 1:10 moose milk run through the bore. I will follow up with cleaning patches and finally lube/protect it with Kroil.

For the visible action, I'll squit it with Rem Powerder solvent and then lube with RemOil from a spray can.

I'll take apart the end of the magazine and make sure its not starting to collect dust/dirt/powder nonsense.

At the end of the season (for me ... I only shoot May-October) I'll take off the side plates and clean out all the inner workings. I do this once a year as its kind of a big operation for me and I like to get in there and get it all smoothed up.

I'll also polish the brass once a year just to make myself feel better about my rifle. 

I have found LESS fouling in the action when using Winchester 44-40 brass vs Starline. Also, the more powder/compression I use, the LESS fouling I get.

I have been using the Mav-Dutchman bullet ever since I got my Henry.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I've so far just been shootin' in the back yard so I have a lot of cleaning options available to me.

I have been starting with Driftwood Johnson's empty in the chamber and push a windex soaked patch down on a loop.  I'm shootin' GOEX fffg and JP 200's so there's plenty of soot to clean up.  It usually takes me 3 or 4 patches to get it clean-ish.

Then I soak the forend of a Boresnake with Windex and pull it through a couple of times and I'm satisfied it's clean.

Then a couple of times through with a mop soaked in EEzox and I'm done....with the barrel

I just ordered some .454 PRS 250gr boolits from Slim so we'll see how that works on the carrier area.

Willy

WBB, and all y'all others - Howdy!

I'm afraid the BigLube boolits - as sold by Springfield Spring, who also happens to be MY supplier, won't help the residue issue on the follower.  The extra lube carried by those excellent boolits helps primarily in the bore.  I - we still have a load of gunk to clean off the carrier.  This comes primarily from the blowback - which happens in EVERY round you can shoot.  The type of case and the load itself will regulate this, however.  44-40 shooters enjoy less blowback than most straight-walled shooters because the mouth of the case is thinner than others.  Shooting full-powered loads will help the brass expand and seal the chamber better than lite loads.  There are many different factors that effect the amount of blowback, and I certainly don't know all of them.

What I have found interesting in this thread and the many ways others clean their rifles.  There's a lot of good info here and a LOT of experience is shown.  I have also found one common ingredient in the cleaning formula ... water.  ALL the successful "recipes" for favorite cleaning solutions include a lot of water in some formula or another.  Murphys includes Hyd. Per.- which is 97% water.  Windex contains mostly water.  (and the NO ammonia warning is a good one, by the way)  MooseMilk = 1 part Ballistol and anything from 4 to 10 parts water. 

OK - I'll quit - but you see what I mean?  Water is what is needed to neutralize the hygroscopic residue which comes after firing.  I personally like the wetted boresnake as Slim mentioned, but you need to wash those boresnakes periodically or you'll be dragging a dirty, gritty apparatus through the barrel of your firearm.  I have one of those mesh bags sold for washing ladies dainty unmentionables and every so often I throw all my boresnakes (I have about a dozen - or more) in the bag and then into the washing machine.  I use a lot of soap and wash this either by itself or with any oily rags I clean my guns with, and make sure they rinse well.  DON'T wash anything delicate with the bag of BoreSnakes or "the Boss" won't be happy at all!

[Pappy Myles]

Anyone use Hoppes Black powder solvent?    I've read a bunch of post on cleaning up with windex (vinigar) hot soap and water, murphy's oil soap , simple green, and a bunch of other concauxions.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Anyone use Hoppes Black powder solvent?    I've read a bunch of post on cleaning up with windex (vinigar) hot soap and water, murphy's oil soap , simple green, and a bunch of other concauxions.

Howdy, Pap!

I have been a happy user of Hoppes #9 Plus BP Cleaner since I bought my first C&B BP gun in 1975.  I actually prefer it in one respect over a Moosemilk/Ballistol mix.  In my experience, a good mix (I like a 6 or 7 to 1 mix of water to Ballistol) of Moosemilk does the job of cleaning & preserving very well as does the Hoppes product.  However ... to ME, Ballistol stinks and does so from the moment you open the bottle.  I have used it enough that I'm immune to the "stink" but my family IMMEDIATELY begin good-natured belly-aching whenever I get out the Moosemilk & pure Ballistol to clean my firearms, but they have NEVER complained about the Hoppes #9 Plus product.  Until the Hoppes meets the BP residue, that is.  THEN the Hoppes stinks just about as bad as Moosemilk, but it IS a different smell.  Or stink.

But I do like and trust the Hoppes.  It's just that it does cost a bit more plus, at the places I do business, Ballistol (to make my Moosemilk concoction) is readily available, while the #9 Plus is seldom in stock.  Since you can add water in various amounts to Ballistol, it becomes pretty economical.  I'm still on my 1st quart jar of Ballistol that I bought in 2005.  A little goes a pretty long way.

But it stinks.  So does the Hoppes when it contacts BP residue, but at least I don't mind the smell of the Hoppes right out of the bottle.

[Wagon Box Willy]

After hearing that annealing cases helps with fouling I annealed a match worth of 45 Colt cases and filled them with 2f KIK under Big Lube JP200.  Well, for the first time this year I was able to shoot an entire 6 stage match with my Uberti 1866 with very little fouling and no cleaning at stage 3 like I've had to do in the past.

The carrier was a bit dirty but nothing like it has been in the past and nothing that impeded it's free movement.  I'm going to anneal up some more and see if it also helps with the head space fouling I get on my 1875 Remmy's.

[pony express]

I annealed some, but haven't tried them out yet. Got the idea from SOMEWHERE on the net. Start with deprimed brass, find(or grind) some kind of screwdriver/torx/allen head bit for a cordless drill so that it will fit fairly well in the primer hole. Set the propane torch on the workbench, place a case on the drill bit, with drill turning slow-medium speed, hold the mouth of the case while turning in the flame, then just tilt drill over a pan of water and drop it in. Have to experiment just how long to hold it in the flame. I hold it so about the top 1/3 of the case is in the direct flame, start with about 5 seconds or so, you should be able to find an ammount of time that will sufficiently anneal the case, but not get the case HEAD too hot. Don't try to get the case red, that's not needed. It will change to a slightly "golden" color.. Cas head may get pretty warm to the fingers, but not hot enough to burn, if it's that hot it may soften the head too much.

[.56/50 Iron]

I think I read all these responses and did not see anything for cleaning the .45 Colt caliber Henry. If blackpowder fouling does reach the action, is it necessary to strip down the action to clean it? I don't think the drilled and tapped screw holes in the brass metal are going to last for long if you take the action apart a lot...as in cleaning the action each time. I shoot blackpowder .45/70's in Sharps and Remington rollingblock rifles and don't get much fouling in the actions, if any. Would this be true for the .45 Colt in the Model 1860 rifles? Thanks again!
.56/50 Iron

[Wagon Box Willy]

First, let me say that after more than a year the annealed 45 colts make a huge difference in the amount of BP fouling in the carrier area.

As to BP fouling in the linkage.  I've never needed to remove the side plates to clean BP fouling in the action of either my '60 or '66.  I do remove them on occasion to clean out the residue from my Moose Milk, Windex etc and to re lube everything.

I've been in there more than I'd like with my '60 for other reasons and really don't worry about the screws. just be careful.

[Abilene]

Howdy again 56/50 Iron.  In my straight-walled caliber toggle llink rifles (.357 and .45LC '73s and 44 Spcl '66) I shoot BP and rarely take the side plates off.  The lube I spray into the carrier area after cleaning gets inside the action and neutralizes any BP residue in there.  When I do finally get around to taking them apart, it is pretty gunky inside but no rust.  I'm too lazy to anneal cases 

Naturally I do prefer my 32-20 and 44-40 rifles for BP since cleaning the carrier area is so quick and easy.

[Short Knife Johnson]

My own personal way of cleaning my '73 in .44 is to get one of those Remington bore squeegees and plug the chamber end.  Fish the thread with a carbon fibre rod.  Spray in straight Windex with Vinegar and let stand for a few.  Place rifle in cradle, and pull rod out in one motion with a sidestep to the avoid black mess.   Repeat 3 or 4 times, then swab with patches.

I've used this to clean Trapdoors, Martinis, and all of my lever guns.

[Bunk Stagnerg]

Griz has the right idea. But I use a Bore Snake threaded and started in the breech then I squirt some moose milk down the muzzle then pull the snake through.
That way all the fouling is pulled to the muzzle end not into the action. Two passes with the snake and a swab wet with Ballistol and cleaning is a done deal.
The lifter is easily cleaned with a Q tip and moose milk or solvent.  It stays very clean by using .44-40 brass fire formed to .452 and using some of  DDs 210 grain bullets.

My 1860 is an iron frame model so I don't have brass to clean. Love that gun it is my favorite.  Looks good and shoots perfectly, hits on Cody/Dixon targets at 100 yards clink very nicely.

Hold Center
Respectfully submitted
Bunk

[tommy4toes]

I've shot BP and subs for years, and I just only recently was told this....... Windex!!!!

I haven't tried it with my match rifles yet, but it loosened up plastic wad fouling in my shotgun - looked like spaghetti coming out of the muzzle!!!!


Tommy4toes

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

When I was muzzleloading in the winter, I used winter formula windsheild washer fluid as a substitute for saliva-spit-patch. Windex would not be a surprise. Some use it for BP case cleanup, but I found other thing better.