Cleaning after a black powder session

[1886]

I have never shot black. I am considering it with the new 76. Any suggestions regarding powder or substitutes? Please tell me how you clean your firearm after feeding it black and what products you use. Thanks, 1886.

[JimT]

Marlin 1894CL 32-20
Shot a CAS match with nothing but black powder loads

After I got home I:

1. pulled the stock and forend off
2. pulled the breechbolt
3. ran a bunch of Windex down the bore from the breech end (sprayed Windex on the bolt)
4. ran extremely hot water through the bore from the breech
5. let it dry and oiled everything
6. checked it each day for 3 days (check included the magazine follower, magazine spring and tube) ... then put it back together

[Hobie]

There's a thread at CAS...

[ND Sharpshooter]

A couple of fellow shooters have been using Blackhorn and liked the way it shoots as well as the ease of cleaning. Tried it in my Marlin 1895 CA 45-70. 40 grains pushing a 357 grain LBT LFN cast 1-20 produced the best groups to date and put all the shots into the same group instead of the first shot 4-5 inches above the next two (or however many you wanted) at 115 yards. Groups at 115 yards are 3 inches or better for 5 shots. From 42 grains and up, the recoil was more than my shoulder can tolerate. Accuracy was still good at 44, but, since 40 grains pushed my cast bullet at 1425 and a little bit and didn't hurt my shoulder too badly, I'm just going with that loading. Am using FC 210 BR's, LBT soft lube, and FC brass. Oh, yeah, Blackhorn does make some smoke...not a much as black, but a good bit.

[Nath]

If you don't wish to strip the gun as Jim explained remove all trace of mineral oil from the workings and get a natural oil like olive oil all over the inside parts. You can melt some woolfat or bees wax or candle wax with the olive oil to coat inside the gun. You can use this to swamp out the barrel after some water wet patches. Plaster the breech area and the muzzle area in it too, it's good for your skin too. Watch out for added salt to some fats!
Hodgens spit patch is a good off the shelf product to do the same with as above.
Use the same for the bullet lube and it will condition the bore to aid protection.
Every now and again you will need to strip the gun as the natural lubes will oxidise, a good hot soak will do it and a pour of boiling water will help to dry the parts off (not the wood)

Nath.

[Ben_Rumson]

I cleaned my vintage 1889 73 SRC 44-40 with warmish water.. Didn't disassemble anything.. Corked the muzzle to start with.. With the muzzle down I poured the water in the chamber using a small funnel angled into the chamber.. Had paper towel wadding stuffed in the lifter to cover the follower & tube... Let the water stand a few minutes... uncorked the muzzle..let the gunk drain... Poured water through until it ran clear... Then went after it with a brush for a couple of strokes..Don't let the brush protrude out of the chamber or it will splatter residue in the works... Followed up with wet patches ... no soap...only took a few patches before they came out clean..Then ran dry patches thru until I got totally dry ones.. again it only took a few...Now this may sound crazy but I deliberately DIDN'T OIL.. I wanted to see how fast rust would form... I was surprised to find no rust the following morning..I ran patches thru inspecting them for signs of rust..Orange color on the patch..I did this for four days and never saw any sign of rust...Having proven to myself that just plain warm water thoroughly cleans the BP residue out I then oiled the bore and kept watching for rust on the patches and never did see any..nothing weeping out of the pits and pores..YMMV

[Griff]

Since I shoot with black all the time, (well... actually once every 3 or 4 months), I don't disassemble the complete gun. Whether it be '51 Navy, Colt SAA, 1873 rifle or double shotgun. I clean by running hot water thru the bore and take the side plates off, remove the bolt and lifter. I'll generally only clean the inner workings 2 or 3 times a year, depending on use. Otherwise just like Jim said.

IMO, the key is using a BP appropriate lube that will keep any fouling soft, I grease the insides pretty heavily before use and just have blackened grease when I've cleaned it out 6 or so months later. Easy to clean, and in a LOT of years of constant use, no evidence of corrosion. (Outside that one time I tried the dishwasher thing)!

I recently cleaned a pair of '51 Navies belonging to a friend that had been... well... sorta let go??? would be a nice way of putting it. After cleaning as described above, (but with full disassembly), rubbing a copper penny over the blued and case hardened parts, new grease and reassembly; one would be hard pressed to say they'd ever exhibited any rust, it was just that they showed several years, (possibly decades) of wear in that single cleaning. In fact, if I found an ASM to match mine is the condition they were in before I worked on 'em, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

[SmokeEater2]

Pretty much what every one else said. I did try Windex with vinegar after reading about it in Mike Venturino's book Shooting Buffalo rifles of the old West and I like the way it works enough to keep a bottle in my gear for range sessions. I squirt some dish soap in a jug for fired brass and add water to cover and shake the heck out of it and then rinse it good when I get home. I use Olive oil liberated from my wife's kitchen for the bore and it still shines like a new dime. It's easier than cleaning up after smokeless and jacketed bullets.

[Idiot]

JimT's post reminded me why I don't shoot black powder.

You know, they make smokeless powder nowadays. I hear it works pretty well and is a lot easier to clean up after.

[Nath]

JimT's post reminded me why I don't shoot black powder.

You know, they make smokeless powder nowadays. I hear it works pretty well and is a lot easier to clean up after.

Yes but the black is very dramatic and sounds differant, feels differant. The smell gets addictive. Soft lead bullets can be used and shooting wing game with a flinter or capper (in my case) is extremely satisfying. Getting covered in black soot and the smell etc, thats where they went wrong making smokeless stuff, they took the witchcraft out of it! When folk ask why I use a ML shotgun I imform them that gentlemen enter from the front and that only fornicators enter from the rear!

Nath

[Idiot]

The smell gets addictive.

Okay, now I understand.

[Ray Newman]

Besides cleaning the rifle, you'll also need to clean your cartridge cases after shooting BP. Or, the BP residue will attack the brass & eventually weaken it, causing splits, primers backing out, case separation, etc.

Many shooters de-cap the cases @ the range, then drop the cases in a jug of soapy water. Upon returning home, they then wash out the cases in hot soapy water, using a brush to remove as much of the fouling/residue as possible. Two rinses in very hot water removes the soap, BP residue, etc. It's best to de-cap the cases prior to soaking or washing out; otherwise, the wash will not dissolve the BP residue under the primer. It's hard to beat hot soapy water for convenience & cost. A good diswashing soap, such as Dawn, works very well.

Buffalo Arms sells brushes to fit many of the BP catridge cases.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,132.html

Of course, if you shoot a Duplex load, you can just tumbler & polish the cases in the case tumbler.

"You know, they make smokeless powder nowadays. I hear it works pretty well and is a lot easier to clean up after."
--Idiot

True, but the majority of the Smokeless White Powders are not BP case filling, have much higher pressures, &/or require the use of a filler or wad to hold the powder against the primer for better ignition. Very few of the larger BP calibers successfully transitioned to the White/Smokeless powders.

& if the reloader doesn't have his wits about him, a double charge can easily result when loading the larger BP cases or a chamber ring -- or worse -- can occur.

I once saw a very nice original Sharps-Borchardt . 45- 2 7/8" (AKA .45-110) develop a chamber ring after the 3rd round while fire forming brass. It was loaded w/ a recommended charge of SR4759.