Shooting black powder and smokeless in SAA, how to clean?

R

Round Dial

Inactive
I’d like to shoot both black powder cartridges and smokeless in my SAA. I’ve tried to read as much as I can about cleaning firearms after using black powder. Frankly, I’m still having a hard time getting past using soap and water. Someone once told me that if you shoot black powder and have oil on the gun you can create problems because the black powder residue combines with the oil to make a tar like substance. I cannot find a reference for that though. So what’s the best way to clean your gun if you’re shooting both black powder and smokeless? Also, what’s the best way to prevent corrosion when cleaning with soap and water? If you shoot black powder infrequently, do you need to disassemble the gun to get all of the fouling out or can you just clean the barrel, cylinder and wipe what you can around the hammer?
 
Do not shoot them together without cleaning between them. Do not use petroleum based lubes when using bp. You'll get a lot of different opinions on how to clean bp and most of them work. I use soapy hot water. Remove the grips and cylinder and immerse the metal parts. Run patches down the muzzle and chambers. Swish the frame around real good and let it drain a few minutes. Spray the action out with WD-40 to displace any water left and oil it liberally with something like Balistol or olive oil. You can use a petroleum based lube like Remoil INSIDE the action but not in the bore or chambers. I run a patch lubed with Bore Butter down the bore and chambers.
 
My method has served me for years with no problems and all I use is water. Remove the cylinder and run a wet patch slowly down the barrel 3-4 times. Then push a wad of tissue down the barrel, it will be clean and dry. Run the cylinder under the faucet and clean chambers with a nylon brush. Dry cylinder in a towel and blow out the chambers. With a wet Q-tip touch up the front and rear of frame, then turn Q-tip around and dry same areas. Lube barrel, chambers, and all exterior with crisco. Thats it it takes me 5 minutes a gun. The hotter the water the better.
 
I use Hoppes and FP10 when cleaning my guns. The gun currently has a light coat of oil on it while sitting in the safe. So before shooting it with BP, should I run a patch covered with a degreasing agent down the barrel and cylinders? After shooting smokeless, should I then clean it as I normally do and then degrease the barrel and cylinder? Does a light coat of oil on the frame (for corrosion resistance) create a problem with the back powder? I assume that you use something like Balistol inside the barrel for corrosion resistance. Is that correct?
 
I do not shoot Black Powder or Pyrodex. I shoot American Pioneer, Triple-7, Goex, Clean Shot and any other M/L propellant. So, I never clean with water and my preliminary cleaning is with mineral spirits. more expensive these days but reuse and filter out any carbon when it gets dirty. Not a problem....

Be Safe
 
Round Dial said:
I use Hoppes and FP10 when cleaning my guns. The gun currently has a light coat of oil on it while sitting in the safe. So before shooting it with BP, should I run a patch covered with a degreasing agent down the barrel and cylinders? After shooting smokeless, should I then clean it as I normally do and then degrease the barrel and cylinder? Does a light coat of oil on the frame (for corrosion resistance) create a problem with the back powder? I assume that you use something like Balistol inside the barrel for corrosion resistance. Is that correct?
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The use of Hoppes &/or FP10 is fine & the light coat of oil through out the weapons inner workings & even the exterior is fine but in the Bore of the chambers & barrel if you plan to use any Black Powder loads I would suggest using something like either Bore Butter, Olive Oil, or some other natural oil/grease in those areas, it will not harm your weapon or the performance with your Smokeless loads & will be more friendlier to clean when you decide to use Black Powder loads, just run a patch through the chambers & the barrel just like normal to be sure that you have a obstruction free shot before your shooting session.
 
Hi, Round Dial.

I shoot nothing but BP. I use Windex with vinegar - now called MultiTask to clean all of my guns. Two patchs to clean the bore is all that is needed. One more patch to dry the bore, and one to lube and your done. I can clean 2 pistols, a rifle, and a shotgun in about 20 minutes.

The cylinder can be cleaned in the same way, or you can wash it with soap and water in the sink. Don't let your wife catch you, however!;)

It is NOT necessary to do any more than just wipe down and oil the frame on your pistol. Actually, cleaning up the BP takes MUCH less time than cleaning up smokeless. I have never had any rust or corrosion on any of my guns.

If you shoot both smokeless and BP, don't do it at the same time! Always clean between propellants. Hoppes #9 will not clean up BP, and will make it hard to remove. Do not use petroleum based lubes when using bp.
 
Goex is black powder.

Black powder is water soluble.

The Quickest and cheapest fix I have found is a preliminary flush with windshield wash. The blue stuff in the gallon jug. It is water and alcohol and some soap. It does a good job of cleaning, and its relatively cheap. It does not substitute for good cleaning once you get home, but it is good for those during the day cleans. Sorta like usin a wet wipe to clean the kid until you can get it home to give it a proper bath----??

Cartridges that have been fired with black powder should be dropped in a container of water and Murphys Oil Soap. Otherwise they will form nasty gunk that you cant hardly brush out. When you get them home you can rinse them right off and most of the BP residue will wash away with the soapy water. A nylon case brush takes the rest out of the inside. Any residue left in the inside can really foul up your next loads.

I have a quart bottle with a short plastic hose on it. It started out as a large bottle of SLIME for bicycle tires. I fill it with windshield wash and flush the barrel and cylinder. I can run the hose in the chamber of my rifle and flush 99% of the gunk right out the end of the barrel. It also works great to cool hot barrels.

I never never never put any hydrogen peroxide or vinegar solutions on my guns. They are corrosive. If you want to, that's your call, but I do not.
 
You would do well to listen to Hawg's advice. He is one of the best sources of info on BP I have run across. I am new to the hobby myself and his knowledge has been a great help to me since I started shooting my '58 Remington.
 
I agree with Hawg with exception of the WD-40. Remington had a gun whose safety was disabled by the film deposited by WD-40. The owner was careless (no muzzle control) and blasted his foot. Remington examined the gun and it took a couple of guys to separate the stock from the receiver/barrel. Remington recommends any gun oil for guns but not WD-40. Most firearms manufacturers say the same thing. No WD-40.
 
I've heard that before but I used it for many years with no problems. I've also heard it removes bluing which is not true. WD-40 is a water displacement, not a lube. Maybe if you used it as a lube it might get gummy. Maybe flushing with a lube afterwards prevents it from gumming, I dunno.
 
BTW, I was told this in Illion at Remington Armorers' School.

Finally, if I was worried about my gun being wet, I warm up the oven, toss the gun in and then run off and bake some brownies or a cake. Won't affect the flavor of either brownies or cake either. Naturally, I used different oil for the cake pan and the gun. Breakfree or Hoppes Oil doesn't taste as good as butter.
 
They're obviously smarter than I am but as long as it works for me I see no reason to change. I can see the look on my wifes face if I put a gun in her oven. "Yeah, I'm gonna be gettin a crazy check now":D
 
JBB, thanks for the flowers but there's plenty of folks smarter than I am on it. I've been shooting bp for a lotta years and I know what works for me. Not to say somebody else doesn't have a better way.
 
Pahoo,
I just tried 91% isopropyl alcohol based on your use of mineral spirits. WOW! great stuff! I don't usually use BP or Pyrodex. It worked like a charm. And it just dries once it is wiped on.

I want to see how the rust is in a day or two.

Thanks for the tip. It will be a lot easier to field clean too. I can use the same fuel I use in my backpacking stove.
 
I doubt you'll have any rust. I let a 58 Remmy that had been fired with Pyrodex sit for nine days without cleaning. Never did rust but at the end of the ninth day it was getting some whitish residue in the bore and chambers so I cleaned it.
 
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