I recently picked up one of Cabela's "Colt Navy 1851's"....the cheap one with the brass frame. My goal was to see if I liked C&B. The gun was a blast to shoot, and was a great platform to learn more about blackpowder.
This morning, I took the pistol out and noticed lots of rust. The cylinder would not turn and the barrel would not come apart. That's when I remembered that during the last "firearms weekend" where my friends and I shot lots of guns, I put the Navy aside to clean separately. However, a friend put it back in the box and I simply forgot.
So, in just six weeks, "globs" of rusty residue covered the cylinders and barrel. The hammer would not budge. So, out comes the rubber mallet. Nothing. Finally, with a vice and hammer (using a mouse-pad in an attempt to protect the finish) the barrel came off. The cylinder FINALLY came loose using a brass punch and 2# hammer. Speaking of hammers, I was finally able to get the hammer to "cock" using oil and a screwdriver. Of course, the nipples all needed to be taken apart and cleaned. They looked like little balls of rust.
With everything apart, using brushers, steel wool, hot water and Rem-Oil, everything is working fine. The gun even looks good, having survived the pounding it took without damage. However, if the six weeks would have been six months, which is not uncommon during the winter "hiatus" from shooting, the results may have been much different.
So, if you are new to C&B, take it from another "newbie," and clean that gun well before storage.
Now that my lesson is learned, I'm looking to get a 2nd Gen Colt
This morning, I took the pistol out and noticed lots of rust. The cylinder would not turn and the barrel would not come apart. That's when I remembered that during the last "firearms weekend" where my friends and I shot lots of guns, I put the Navy aside to clean separately. However, a friend put it back in the box and I simply forgot.
So, in just six weeks, "globs" of rusty residue covered the cylinders and barrel. The hammer would not budge. So, out comes the rubber mallet. Nothing. Finally, with a vice and hammer (using a mouse-pad in an attempt to protect the finish) the barrel came off. The cylinder FINALLY came loose using a brass punch and 2# hammer. Speaking of hammers, I was finally able to get the hammer to "cock" using oil and a screwdriver. Of course, the nipples all needed to be taken apart and cleaned. They looked like little balls of rust.
With everything apart, using brushers, steel wool, hot water and Rem-Oil, everything is working fine. The gun even looks good, having survived the pounding it took without damage. However, if the six weeks would have been six months, which is not uncommon during the winter "hiatus" from shooting, the results may have been much different.
So, if you are new to C&B, take it from another "newbie," and clean that gun well before storage.
Now that my lesson is learned, I'm looking to get a 2nd Gen Colt