C&B cleaning: Rinse, or just dry and oil?

[Model-P]

For those who clean using soapy water, how many rinse before drying and oiling?

And, for those who go directly to dry and oil, do you use enough soap to cut all the oils and greases on the revolver, or just enough to break the surface tension and cut some of the oils?

 

[CajunPowder]

I may even clean my Remmie better than my own body, with the exception that I cannot partially disassemble myself.

 

[zippy13]

After I soap up the parts, I give them a swim in different pan of fresh hot water. The hotter the water the better. It's probably mostly my imagination, but the oil seems to go on better, after drying, while the metal is still warm.

 

[tripe1917]

Cleaning C&B

I used to clean with soap and water, then rinse the affected parts in clean, boiling water. This last month, I have been spraying the pistols with BreakFree CLP and letting the parts soak for about an hour. I then use rag swabs and Q-tips to thoroughly clean all parts of the pistol. Before shooting, I wipe off the oil and lubricate using BoreButter or Cabelas Muzzleloader Lube for the cylinder pin and inside the barrel. I find good results cleaning this way.

 

[jimbob86]

After I soap up the parts, I give them a swim in different pan of fresh hot water. The hotter the water the better.

Dries faster, too.

 

[Hawg]

Lots of soap and running water rinse.

 

[Doc Hoy]

Hawg + 1

I bought a selection of small bottle brushes from Horrible Freight and I use these exclusively. One of them is small enough to get through the hole in the cylinder with the nipples removed.

I probably go overboard on my cleaning.

 

[Andy Griffith]

After washing, rinsing and wiping dry, I place parts in the oven on the lowest setting- 225F to make certain all the moisture is gone, and then while still hot apply some bore butter, which melts and runs all over coating everything.

No dino oil has been used or harmed in the cleaning of these fine revolvers.

 

[freedom475]

I started this C&B shooting as a young teen cause it was the only way I could get a pistol. Yes I use to take them all apart and bathe and rinse everything and then oven roast the parts so they dried, then follow up with many days of monitoring and oiling. (and also trying to sooth mom's anger for stinking up the house and her oven)

Now that I am older, I do mine like the old timers use to...I have found the use of natural products (I now use "Skidmores'" leather cream cause I have lots of it) all you have to do is just wipe them down real good with a rag with the "Natural" lube of your choice.. wipe the bore and cylinders with a patch lubed with the same lube, dry-patch the cylinders... Then I just reload them so they are ready in case I need to shoot something.

Just be sure to use "Real Black" and plenty of lube and NO Petrolium oils "EVER!!" and you will find that all you have to do is wipe them clean after shooting...

 

[Ifishsum]

I use soapy water, rinse well with hot tap water and then usually a final rinse with near boiling water. Then I shake and dry what I can, what's left usually evaporates off the hot steel pretty quickly. Once dry I oil the moving parts and cylinder pin/arbor with X-virgin olive oil and Bore Butter in the tube.

 

[Model-P]

Thanks for the responses.

The reason I asked is because I slacked off on the amount of soap I was using since I decided it might be best not to strip all the oils off the steel during cleaning. I also rinsed after cleaning in the soapy water, like all the poll respondents so far do. Then I began to wonder.....

My parts out of the mildly soapy water were already nearly dried by the time I finished cleaning them, and the soap wasn't leaving much, if any, visible film on the steel. So, why, I wondered, do I really have to re-subject the steel to further wetting? Does the little bit of soap left on the surface neutralize the oil I apply enough to worry about? Would a soap film cause rust, or prevent it?

Those are the reasons for the question. Any thoughts?

 

[mykeal]

Your poll assumes everyone uses soap, which isn't the case. You need another category: flush with plain water, rinse, dry.

I used to use a mild detergent but I've since gone to just plain water. I can't say the results are noticeably better, just that it works at least as well.

 

[Noz]

All the soap does is help keep the fouling, that the water dissolves, in suspension so that it may be easily rinsed away.

 

[trapper jon]

c&b cleaning

i use hydrogen peroxide to boil out all the extra powder residue in the cylinder and barrel of my cabellas colt lawman .36. and straight down the barrel of my pennsylvania rifle. rinse in hot water, dry, then apply bore butter and oil.