I've taken up Cowboy Mounted Shooting (gallop a course on a horse while shooting balloons with black powder loaded blanks), and went to clean the gun after the first practice. I used up half a bottle of solvent, a bazillion cleaning patches, and ended up with black powder all over the place. Is there an easier way to do this? Any order in which I should do it next time? I have Gun Scrubber and thought maybe spraying everything down with that first might dissolve some of the larger chunks. I've never shot with black powder, and I'm going to go broke buying gun cleaning supplies if someone doesn't have a better idea!!! Thanks!
Is there any easy way to clean black powder out of a revolver?
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So, Red Dawg, how long ya been divorced?:rolf
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or Windex.
But putting a gun in soapy water is still the best
AFS
But putting a gun in soapy water is still the best
AFS
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Do it when she goes to get grocery on weekends, then take it out before the drying cycle, and run another empty cycle of just the soap and water. She sees that the clean dishes are put away and doesn't ask anything else.
Can I get more specific instructions on the dishwasher/hot soapy water method? Can I submerge the whole gun, and then afterwards which parts specifically do we oil? We shot it today at the range with real .45 ammo in it, and boy is that thing a CANNON!!!!!
The shooting part went sort of like this:
:ak , put the gun down carefully, look at each other,:dancingbanana look at the Volkswagon sized hole in the target again,
I was in the booth next to my roomie who was shooting it, and I'd hear pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, then BOOOOOOOOOM and I'd know she'd loaded it again :laughing
The shooting part went sort of like this:
:ak , put the gun down carefully, look at each other,
:dancingbanana look at the Volkswagon sized hole in the target again, I was in the booth next to my roomie who was shooting it, and I'd hear pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, then BOOOOOOOOOM and I'd know she'd loaded it again :laughing
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that will work !
Hot soapy water is the best for blackpowder ! Kevin
I used to clean engine parts in the dishwasher ! it was great ! Just make sure you do it then get them out and run a load of dishes before she gets home !Do it when she goes to get grocery on weekends, then take it out before the drying cycle, and run another empty cycle of just the soap and water. She sees that the clean dishes are put away and doesn't ask anything else.
Hot soapy water is the best for blackpowder ! Kevin
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So I'm going to ask yet another one of my stupid questions. Just exactly what do you mean by 'black powder'? I'm imagining those old Daniel Boone tv shows where he dumps powder down his long barrel.
And I'm not even going there with the dishwasher. Any time a guy does dishes I really don't care that he was motivated to hide the evidence of running a gun through the cycle first. As long as my dishes are washed and put away I'm happy.
I also thought guns had to stay dry. Am I really that ignorant after all this time? Can only certain guns be run through the wash cycle?
I'm amazed at what I learn from you guys.
And I'm not even going there with the dishwasher. Any time a guy does dishes I really don't care that he was motivated to hide the evidence of running a gun through the cycle first. As long as my dishes are washed and put away I'm happy.
I also thought guns had to stay dry. Am I really that ignorant after all this time? Can only certain guns be run through the wash cycle?
I'm amazed at what I learn from you guys.
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And YOU thought guys didn't know how to operate a dishwasher !!! If it can relate to guns in ANY form or fashion, we know about it. We just don't like to empty the dishes out of it. :rolf
The Mounted Shooting people regulate the ammo, so we can't bring any in and have to buy it from them for safety. They take a regular blank and pack it with enough powder to spray about 10 feet, just enough to pop a balloon if your aim is good as you gallop on by.
I really do need a better explanation than "I windex it", this is my roomie's gun and we don't want to screw it up. I'd rather buy another gun than replace this one because we killed it. So, you spray Windex in the barrel? With a patch? In the cylinders? Can I put other guns in the dishwasher too? Do I then have to take the whole handle and everything apart to oil it? And bore butter, maybe I should start another thread on cleaning products that the noob needs to know about.....
I really do need a better explanation than "I windex it", this is my roomie's gun and we don't want to screw it up. I'd rather buy another gun than replace this one because we killed it. So, you spray Windex in the barrel? With a patch? In the cylinders? Can I put other guns in the dishwasher too? Do I then have to take the whole handle and everything apart to oil it? And bore butter, maybe I should start another thread on cleaning products that the noob needs to know about.....
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If it were me, I'd go to the people you shoot with and have them show you how to clean it. They've been shooting in the same sport for years and shoot the same guns using the same powder.
A quick 10 minutes with any member there will provide you with hands on knowledge so there is no confusion on your part.
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MB, that's exactly what it is. Black powder is the old fashion powder used in muzzle loaders. That includes muzzle loading pistols.
Basically, yes, they have to stay dry. However, if you have a real good reason, you can put a gun in water if you carefully dry all the parts, re-lube, reassemble and so forth. It's not something that's done very often.
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I hate to tell you how many military guns are cleaned in showers and streams.
As long as they're dried and lightly lubed it might be the best way to clean them.
AFS
As long as they're dried and lightly lubed it might be the best way to clean them.
AFS
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I have put my Kahr in the dishwasher before, just to see how well it cleaned it after reading that some actually do this. The results weren't all that spectacular to be honest. Scrub it down really good in hot soapy water, as others have suggested. Have a good assortment of small and large plastic and brass bristled brushes handy to get in every little crevice. Take the gun apart as far as you can while cleaning it. Run a bore brush through it with it submerged in said soapy water to loosen out all of the junk.
I also add a teaspoon of baking soda to the mix to help neutralize any acids that remain in the solution.
I use a plastic 1 gallon bin I bought from the grocery store for $4.99 for this. After scrubbing is complete, take the parts out and dry them the best you can with some soft, clean rags and then hose them down with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. It only takes a few very quick blasts into any crevices you can't reach to get any remaining water out. I then hit the freshly cleaned and degreased part with compressed air to blow out anything that could possibly remain. Add a little gun oil, hit with compressed air again and the part is ready for assembly.
This process takes a lot of time, and from reading it you may think it is very expensive however I get about 10-15 deep cleans out of a single can of brake cleaner and compressed air. These cleanings are good for long term storage or for after a few times at the range when you've had 500+ rounds through the gun. I have maybe $15.00 invested into my entire cleaning kit, plus chemicals, maybe another $12.00.
YMMV,
Ryan
I also add a teaspoon of baking soda to the mix to help neutralize any acids that remain in the solution.
I use a plastic 1 gallon bin I bought from the grocery store for $4.99 for this. After scrubbing is complete, take the parts out and dry them the best you can with some soft, clean rags and then hose them down with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. It only takes a few very quick blasts into any crevices you can't reach to get any remaining water out. I then hit the freshly cleaned and degreased part with compressed air to blow out anything that could possibly remain. Add a little gun oil, hit with compressed air again and the part is ready for assembly.
This process takes a lot of time, and from reading it you may think it is very expensive however I get about 10-15 deep cleans out of a single can of brake cleaner and compressed air. These cleanings are good for long term storage or for after a few times at the range when you've had 500+ rounds through the gun. I have maybe $15.00 invested into my entire cleaning kit, plus chemicals, maybe another $12.00.
YMMV,
Ryan
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go here http://hunting.about.com/od/blackpowder/l/aa010801.htm if you still have questions and try Shooters Choice , that is what I uses and I do reenactments of The War Between The States, both long guns and revolvers.
:rolf You, sir, are my new hero.Do it when she goes to get grocery on weekends, then take it out before the drying cycle, and run another empty cycle of just the soap and water. She sees that the clean dishes are put away and doesn't ask anything else.
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