cleaning
all I have ever used is plain rubbing alcohol on the entire gun.
In cylinder chamber,I never remove nipples let whole thing soak.
then a q-tip wipes all the gunk clean.
could use a small dowel (wood, inkpen, screwdriver) and a patch too.
In a rifle many use the patent breech design which is much smaller than the bore.
Cover the nipple with something non porous let hammer down. pour couple ounces of rubbing alcohol in the barrel. let soak a few minutes.
Pour out.
Remove nipple and in my CVA the drum screw. Clean with brush and then patches.
If going to brush the patent breech use a much smaller brush or you chance getting it stuck
they make (and I have) breech brushes and scrapers.
Pipe cleaner works good in the flash channel, but so does a small cotton cloth twisted into it.
Back of cylinder. yep an old tooth brush
But because of the way I clean and lube, I don't normally have any caked on gunk, that won't just wipe off with the R.A.
And I don't use any of the exotic stuff on the market, like ballistoil or Remoil or such.
Just a gunoil and a natural lube we all can make.