The Unbelievable .. or .. OMG

[Coffinmaker]

Let's set the scene.  Your a retired Gunplumber, trying to "pass" on as much "work" or "new work" as you can.  Taking the odd job here
and there, cause your bored out of yer SKULL and you need something to do.  Innocently going about building your own guns and
shooting as many matches as you can.  It's called ....... FUN!!

Then ....... along came Jones.  Shooting acquaintance.  Shoot with him at the same place, monthly.  Mostly monthly.  He has been bugging
for months to "take" a look at his 1851s.  Seems, they (the '51s) keep "locking up"  Pretty Please???  After many months, our intrepid
Gunplumber gives in and says OK (Grudgingly)

The objects of concern are finally brought fourth.  Two guns, stuffed together in a single gun zipper bag (couldn't find the other bag).  So
you accept the challenge and take em home.  Didn't want to "look" while at the match.  Sure enough.  TWO very early build Pietta
1851's.  Nickel plated barrels, rammers and cylinders.  Brass frames.  Barrels, cylinders and frames are badly stained.  And a little .. ah..
gummy.

Take em apart.  Well, not quite.  Not even a little.  Noticed right off, ALL the chambers are rusted.  Both guns.  Lots of rusted.  Then we peek down the barrels.  Rust.  Capitol "R U S T" from end to end.  Not only .... Both barrels are RUSTED SOLID to the Arbors.  S O L I D.
And, one of the frames has been cut back at the cap channel about a eighth of and inch an new rough cap channel cut.  Oh boy.  The
actions will actually cycle.  Krunchy but cycle.  Sort of.

So, the intrepid worker of miracles, stuffs both guns back into their "bag" and zips it shut.  Never to be looked at again.  He hopes.  Probably the WORST pair of guns I have ever been handed.  Garbage.  The only salvage are the nickel plated screws and the Grip Frames/Stocks.  I was in disbelief someone was stupid enough to do that to a pair of what were once nice guns. 

Coffinmaker

[Navy Six]

A real shame the guns are that far gone. I'm not passing judgement, but I never understood how someone could neglect something(that is supposed to be of interest to them) for so long. See the same thing in the antique car hobby from time to time.

[Dick Dastardly]

My Brother's 51s died.  Jack died and his guns laid unattended for several years.  Rust and corrosion follows the subs.  In this case,  Pyrodex,  We didn't save Jack, or his guns.  So, when you're about to tip over, please clean your guns first. . .

DD-MDA

[Blair]

When I had my web site up and running for custom built CW guns and repairs, I posted a section of Do's and Don'ts when sending me a firearm.
1. Don't send me a dirty gun.
2. Do not to send me a loaded firearm, if they ever wanted to see that firearm again!
All pretty standard stuff, or so I thought?

I guess one fellow took offence to #2.
He told me he was going to send me a musket that was loaded , hammer cocked and nipple primed.
I told him he could do so if he wished, but that he would never see the firearm again. And would likely receive a visit from the Postal Authorities and probably the BATF shortly afterwards. Because that is who I would notify if anything like this happened.
Never heard back from him?
My best,
Blair

[Gabriel Law]

I have never seen that level of abuse or disrespect with c & b stuff, but I certainly have with muzzle loading flint and percussion arms.  If I see rust on the outside - hammer cups or locks,  I can be 100 % certain that the bores are worse.  The things we do for love...

[Bunk Stagnerg]

These are some really sad stories for which there is no excuse.
Personally I shoot on a Saturday, clean guns and brass Sunday. Sometimes cartridge, sometimes percussion always real Gun Powder.
All 4 guns are carefully cleaned and oiled. Brass is de-primed and washed in soapy water rinsed and dried. When sufficient brass is accumulated it gets 3 hours with the SS pins then dried and tumbled for 3 or 4 hours.
All guns are checked in a week with a patch through the bore and chambers. If a patch comes out dirty the whole gun gets a complete cleaning again.
Am I a little over the top? I don't think so because those guns represent a lot of money which represents a lot of sweat equity.

Yr' Obt' Svt'
Bunk

[Rebel Dave]

 I enjoy cleaning, and tinkering with all my guns, its part of the fun of owning them, and shooting them. What better time to inspect them, than when you are cleaning them. Cleaning, and maintainence, are fun.

Rebel Dave

[Yakima Red]

Yup. As a 39 year veteran working on vehicles made by the General, people take are of everything the same and expect miracles.
I can judge everything by what your vehicle looks like. Nice, clean well maintained vehicle, you have a nice well maintained home, guns, etc. See it all the time.

Its called giving a damn.

Give the craftsman a fighting chance. You get a more harmonious outcome.

[Thumb Buster]

Having saved and salvaged a couple of percussions the abuse these firearms suffer is astounding indeed.  One is a .44 caliber 1851 steel frame Pietta.  The previous owner had used some sort of synthetic stuff but luckily he had doused it heavily in some sort of oil.  What got me was how he messed up the front of the cylinder trying to free the barrel assembly from the frame by prying with whatever.  I had to lap and polish a bit to remove burrs.  The second one was an 1860 that was taken out of the box, wiped off, loaded and attempted to be fired.  Both are now in a new home: mine.
 
Just taking them apart periodically and, like the others have stated, re-cleaning them is for me fun.  Not near as fun as shooting them with the real gun powder.

[Trader Dan]

Unfortunately, a lot of today's shooter think cleaning guns is not necessary. Or they are just too lazy to do so. And I am forever amazed that people will not shoot any kind of corrosive ammo in their guns. I live to buy and shoot corrosive ammo. Now I will admit that I will leave the guns I shoot smokeless is to clean until I have time but anything I shoot corrosive in gets cleaned when I get home.

Of the 30 or 40 CAS guys I know, everyone of the are fanatical about keeping their shooting irons spotless. They guys that do not like to clean their guns are the young bucks who shoot those black rifle things. Not that I have anyt9ing against black rifles. I do own several of them.

Just my $.02 worth.

[Drydock]

Doubling down on the stupidity of Man is always a safe bet.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Coffinmaker,

Your story has given me nightmares all week. I dream than I'm happily sliding down a clean, smooth bore, when suddenly I'm being surrounded by rust closing in on me. Just before I'm completely trapped, I wake up craving Ballistol.

CC Griff

[Flint]

Not BP, but on the cleaning subject, some perhaps 50 years ago, a (pre-IPSC) combat shooter wanted me to check out his 1911, as it was not functioning well...  I disassembled and cleaned it, and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years.  (This was an active shooter in SWPL matches back in the 60's when Jeff cooper was in Southern California and started the sport.)

The gun was fairly tight, but after cleaning, it rattled when shook.  Even smokeless fouling eventually builds up.

[Dick Dastardly]

Just finished cleaning my guns last shot a couple of weeks ago at a monthly match.  Easy clean up, no rust.  I'm thinkn' that most of the corruption/rust etc. comes from subs or corrosive primers, or both.  FWIW, the barrels on all my guns gleam/sparkle/shine.

DD-MDA

[john boy]

If it is surface rust - a 50:50 mix of ATF and acetone ... then clean with Eezox.  If pitted rust - Sorry