Initial cleaning of Cabelas 1860?

[JerseyJD]

My wife just ordered me a new Pietta 1860 from Cabelas as a holiday gift. In planning for its receipt in a few weeks, I'm thinking about the initial cleaning. The last non ftf purchase I made was a Mak 9x18 packed in cosmoline which I detailed stripped and soaked in mineral spirits. What do you folks recommend here?

[cpt dan blodgett]

Suppose it won't hurt, but the last one I bought a couple of years ago cleaned up just fine with hoppes.  Did not have a lot of crud on it.

Once you put your eyes on the actual piece, quite sure you will see what it needs.

[Mako]

Hey JD,
No need to initially strip clean a Pietta.  It will be in a bag with a rust preventative film, but not the caked on cosmoline you see with Chinese or old Eastern Block nations firearms.

Wipe it off with a soft rag like a T-Shirt and remove the cylinder.  You need to tap the wedge out to do this, use wood not metal.  The wedge screw does not have to be removed, it is a keeper screw.  You're going to want to clean the chambers, the cones the caps sit on and the flash hole before use.  Clean your chambers with a solvent like acetone , alcohol or a spray carb and choke cleaner.  I use the spray the night before a match using the spray straw in the flash hole and on the other end in the chambers.  I blow it off with air and then using an oily rag I wipe the exterior surfaces of the cylinder to put a protective film on them.  Don't get oil on the cones you just cleaned.

Take some dry patches and push them through the bore.  Do the degreasing the night before or the day of your shooting, at all other times you want a film of oil on your firearm.  I would suggest using Ballistol on your new prize.
 I have the 16 oz size and I keep a small spray can in my shooting box.  Get some because you will want to use it to clean with or after cleaning as well.

Many of the oils and greases don't play well with black powder and create a hard tarry residue.  Ballistol doesn't have those problems.  You can also mix it with water and make what we will call "Moose Milk"  in ratios from 1:4 to 1:16.  It makes an emulsion which is very useful for cleaning and makes the oil go a lot further.  Some people clean exclusively with Moose Milk and follow up with straight Ballistol afterwards.  I use a combination of water and soap for cleaning and usually follow with Moose Milk and then apply a coat of straight Ballistol.


Put grease on your arbor in the helical groove, add a small touch to the bearing surface at the rear of the cylinder. Since these are areas that don't much direct gas you can use almost any good grease including petroleum products.  Reassemble your pistol, push your wedge in just enough to catch and you are ready to shoot.

Get yourself some #11 caps to start, I would suggest Remingtons, but get what you can. Get some FFFg powder (any brand will do, I'd get the cheapest you can find).  Get some Ø.454 balls and to start you can either try some wonder wads under the ball, or any non-petroleum grease over the ball.  You can try Crisco to start.  A lot of us make our own lube and cut our own felt wads and put them under the ball.  But you just need to get out and shoot it a bit first and then ask more questions.

Some of the biggest confusion is on the correct caps and cap fit, look here for an explanation:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,39098.msg497584.html#msg497584

Welcome to the Dark Side...

Regards,
Mako

[Mako]

JD,
When you tap and push your wedge out, only go this far:




I use a small block of wood about 5 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/2 thick, a furring strip works well. If it falls out don't worry just insert the spring end under the screw.

When you reinsert it just let the end of the flat spring catch on the starboard side of the opening in the barrel lug.



Regards,
Mako

[JerseyJD]

Mako,

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation and the pix. You guys are great.

[Lefty Dude]

Mako, he be the King of the Soot-Lords.

[Major 2]

 OK, word of warning here

1860's are a  " siren song"  once you are so enchanted , you will want more ( it's not a bad thing )

I have many    several are even conversions , an Affliction I have enjoyed a migthy long time...

Congrats on your 1860... you will enjoy it   .... I promise

[hellgate]

When I get a new C&B I first wipe off the oil it is coated in and de-oil the chambers and flash holes. I then check it for initial function by working the action in the normal manner without dry firing. Then holdi the trigger down and  rapidly cock it repeatedly to see that it locks up without over traveling. I then put a dot of fingernail polish on the cylinder to designate chamber #6 and head for the range. After a short plinking sessionm to see it is reasonably on target I load the gun up 3 times and shoot at a 6 bull target at about 10 yards. Each bull gets 3 rounds for each chamber. Bull #1 for chamber #1 etc to #6. That way if there is one chamber less accurate than the rest I move the dot over to it and it becomes chamber #6, my "open" chamber that is usually not loaded. Once I get back from the range and clean the gun I then take it apart and remove the nipples one at a time putting anti sieze grease on the threads as I replace them from the chamber they came from. I also take the bolt, hand, hammer and trigger out and file or stone off any burrs in them and any rough areas upon which they rub. I clean the parts off with solvent and then grease them with automotive grease as well as the screws where the parts articulate. When reassembled it is usually a noticeably smoother action. I leave the nipples in a long time and generally don't detail strip it again unless there is a problem. YMMV

[Dick Dastardly]

When yer done cleaning yer new 1860s, take time to appreciate their pointability.  I find that my brace of 1860s are the best "pointing" pistols in my rack.  They just naturally find the target and stay there.  I've shot more clean matches with my 1860s than any of my other pistols.

But, they are fragile compared to RVs, ROAs and other "Western" style six shooters.  You will find that your 1860s need more attention as you shoot them.  You'll also find that they will reward you with more shooting pleasure.

So, go ahead and clean them, but then USE them.  Don't only admire them, point them at imaginary villans and listen to their works as you play with their actions.  No, load 'em up and let 'em flicker.  Only then will you begin to appreciate the true artistry of Sam Colt.

DD-DLoS

P.S.  Did I mention that my 1860s have conversion cylinders?  They do, and it doesn't hamper their feel one bit.

[JerseyJD]

... So, go ahead and clean them, but then USE them.  Don't only admire them, point them at imaginary villans and listen to their works as you play with their actions.  No, load 'em up and let 'em flicker.  Only then will you begin to appreciate the true artistry of Sam Colt.

I most certainly will be making some smoke when this beauty arrives. I'll likey also have it out for admiring and pointing at those villains during each new episode of Hell on Wheels. If it behaves as anticipated, a mate might just be in its future for making some commotion during the cowboy shoots around Albuquerque.  

[Mako]

Mako, he be the King of the Soot-Lords.

I don't know about that... Well not unless being long winded is the requisite for the crown.

There are many knowledgeable Darksiders, and several who have already posted on this thread.  Thank you for the sentiments though.

There is one thing that has me concerned about that title because we already have a Queen of the Darksiders, hemmmm...



Regards,
Mako

[Lewie Girardeau]

     HIYA Everyone,


              I was wondering.....  Back in the early 90's I had '58 Rem. and I used gunbutter, and something called wonderlube..

     My question is will this stuff hold up as a cylinder pin lube also?

                                                                       Lewie

[Deadeye Dick]

     HIYA Everyone,


              I was wondering.....  Back in the early 90's I had '58 Rem. and I used gunbutter, and something called wonderlube..

     My question is will this stuff hold up as a cylinder pin lube also?

                                                                       Lewie

I have used both with no problems. Here lately I have used Balistol with no problems.
Deadeye Dick

[Border Ruffian]

You'll love that gun!!!! They are a lot of fun.

[hellgate]

Just looking at the braided Mako and I feel like the guy in the photo behind him who also can't believe what he's seeing. Maybe he thought he'd just seen Willie Nelson or something..... (just shakin' my head and smiling..... takes a lot of confidence to post that photo......  AGAIN!)

[Mako]

Just looking at the braided Mako and I feel like the guy in the photo behind him who also can't believe what he's seeing. Maybe he thought he'd just seen Willie Nelson or something..... (just shakin' my head and smiling..... takes a lot of confidence to post that photo......  AGAIN!)

THAT IS A PICTURE OF NOZ!    Not Mako...

[hellgate]

My most humble apologies, Mako. Please forgive me. Lookin' at it causes some confusion.

[Dick Dastardly]

May confusion rein and may the fog of war be mighty.  Tis the way of the Dark Lord of the Soot.  May the spotters be mightily confused as the shootist rings the largest piece of steel thru the gathering haze.

So, that's Noz.  Nice fall Noz.  Takes a brave man to wear one of those in public.  My bowler hat's off to you.

DD-DLoS

[Lefty Dude]

I have found that Mobil 1 grease is a very good lube for the "original powder". I use it on the Colt C&B arbors, the base pins of my Colt 44's cartridge revolvers.
Tnis is not the synthetic oil, they also make a chassis/bearing grease.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Jersey - Howdy and welcome to the 1860 Colt Army Admirer's Club!

Like my pard Major2, I'm a card-carrying member of the "I think the 1860 Colt is the prettiest revolver EVER made" club!

While you're dealing with the bad guys on TV - I regularly "help" Marshal Dillon and cover his back, I would remind you of this:

In a cartridge gun, you can buy A-Zoom Snap Caps and safely fire away at the Boob Tube, but you'd better not do that with a gun that has nipples - or as they WERE called, "cones," - or you'll ruin those nips quickly.  There SHOULD be a tiny space between the face of the hammer and the tip of the nip  , they don't always fit that well and are often a skosh too long and the hammer will batter them into uselessness.  Then you'll be purchasing replacement nipples.  I'd recommend TRESO nipples, made of Ampco,  [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMPCO_METAL ] a Swiss-made alloy named after the company and used to make the finest nipples around.  Read up on Mako's dissertation on proper nipple size and you might decide to get new nips sooner than later.  I have several sets, and will soon have a set for my 2nd Generation, Colt 1st Model 1848 Dragoon horse pistol.  (They are called horse, rather than belt pistols because #1] are about as big as a horse they are large and were traditionally carried in a Pommel holster ON the Cavalryman's horse, and #2] they are nearly as heavy AS a horse.  They ARE heavy for a handgun!  My Dragoon weighs in at around 4.2 lbs. EMPTY and really challenges my belt when I carry mine!

(Mako ALSO has one of his excellent CAD drawings that illustrates my point about nipple length, etc.)

Mako is somewhat humble and I'm not sure he is the KING of Soot Lords (we're a pretty democratic bunch, with no elected officials) but if we did have royalty and/or leadership, he might well be the Science & Technology King, or at LEAST a Guru!