Cleaning My Old Army
 

I shot my ROA today using Pyrodex.

I've read many accounts of being able to run it through the dishwasher (SS model). I tried that. It did nothing as far as I could tell.

I've also read accounts of easily using nothing but water. I used Dawn Power Clean.

I had a problem getting into the nipple recesses, the hammer notch, and the area between the top strap and top of barrel. And how do you clean the channel inside the nipple? I used a nylon bristle (.45) and the toothbrush like cleaning utensil that comes in the Hoppe's basic cleaning kit.

I went over it and over it and over it all again, and it's still not perfect. I've run it back through the drying cycle for now.

What do you use?

I never took out the nipples when I got it, and have no idea what that area looked like prior, and never looked down in the hammer notch.

What else should I do?

I break the revolver down, removing the handles and the nipples from the cylinders. I then make up a large tub of dish soap water.



These are the brushes I use to clean all my rifles and revolvers. The first brush is found in the baby section of the store, used to clean the nipples on baby bottles.

The second is an old tooth brush of course.

The third is a breech plug brush for cleaning the insides of a breech plug. This one fits right in the nipple openings of the cylinder and allows me to scrub that out nice and clean in the hot soapy water.

The final brush as we all recognisze is for cleaning the threads on the breech plugs of a rifle. Well it fits in the barrel and allows me to scrub the barrel and cylinders out nice and clean. Then some soapy action with a chunk of scotch brite.

And of course you then rinse all of that with REALLY HOT WATER. Then I like to pour some alcohol over it. Isopropyl alcohol not Scotch Semisane. I then wipe it all down and never see fouling.

I then work over all teh parts with Q-tips. That will reach into the hammer area, and in and around the locking parts of the revolver. My revolver is 10 years old and no rust on it yet, and it works perfect.

After it is nice and clean I lightly spray the parts with a good gun oil like Birchwood Casey Barricade. Wipe it all off and then assemble the revolver again.

SWMBO gave me some pipe cleaners that have hard plastic things stuck in them. It worked quite well. It's not quite 100%, but it's 98%. I scrubbed and scrubbed and that's all it seems to do. I'm wondering what condition it was all in beforehand, as I never really thoroughly inspected it all.

Someone else said they use WD-40. Hmmm....

You don't oil the inside of the chambers, nipples, or barrel do you?

Yes I take a patch and spray that with oil lightly, then I push that in on a Q-tip into the cylinder and spin it around to put a nice coat of oil there. And push that through the barrel a couple times. I do not oil the nipples, but do wipe down the cylinder good with that patch. And of course the frame of the revolver.

Much appreciated!

I would have thought oiling the inside of the cylinder may mess with the powder...

Curious as to your thoughts on WD-40. It's not a lubricant really...

WD-40 works really well for cleaning guns...i use it alot and have guns that are 30 years old that have been passed down that look brand new

For cleaning or oiling? What I was told was it was used for oiling.
I thought I had something in my goodies bag that my father gave me with the revolver, but no...

It can be used as a lubricant and for cleaning. it stops your guns from rusting. just spray some on a rag and wipe it down and you should be good

The only thing I found with WD-40 is ... ever clean a gun and store it with WD-40? Then later you wipe the gun down again. And finally you take it down and there is a "varnish" sticky like substance on the gun. That is the WD-40 and all the dust, lint, dirt, what ever. I never use it in my triggers. I just decided that Water Displacement-40, while its good to get things moving or drive water out of some place, I like a good gun oil.

Before you use the revolver again, take a patch and put isopropyl alcohol on it. Run that in the cylinders and barrel. That removes any gun oil. Also if you want to have fun shooting, get some American Pioneer Powder 3f or Jim Shockey Gold 3f powder. Use that. It cleans with simple water. The dish soap is just an added bonus. Your not hunting with the revolver and so you can shoot all day with the APP 3f and the gun never needs to be broken down.



That is a 2" thick spruce plank that is dried out. I set that up and shot combat style at it. As you can see that 25 grains of APP will have some penetration. I shot 60 rounds one afternoon and never had to break the revolver down for a field cleaning.

You oil the bore and chambers (lightly), but wipe them down with alcohol before shooting again.

WD-40 is a lousy lube. I use Ballistol.

Used it for now. I'll pick up something more appropriate when I buy the other things.

Thanks for the tips on powders. I may just do that as an easy clean is always nice.