Cleaning BP revolver after conversion cylinder use

[Erich]

(Already posted this on TFL; my apologies to those of you having to see it a second time. )

Bought a Howell's conversion cylinder for the ROA last week. I'm quite happy shooting the gun with 777, but it's difficult to pour powder on windy days (of which our range has its share), so I figured the .45 Colt cylinder would help me enjoy a new favorite gun more often.



Had a bit of a conundrum about how to clean up afterward, as the wisdom goes that one should not use petroleum-based products on BP/BP-substitute barrels because they tar up. But there was some leading from the hardcast/smokeless loads I'd used (one thing about pure lead and BP-substitutes - no leading at all, so far). So, I used Kroil and regular solvents to get rid of the lead, then I used WD-40, a clean patch, and then brake cleaner and another clean patch to remove them and hopefully take it down to dry metal. Then I re-lubed with Ballistol. Hope that was the right thing to do.

Any of you experienced people have thoughts on this? I'd love to hear them. Thanks in advance, erich

 

[robhof]

When using modern powder as in a conversion with cartridges, I always clean as I do with any modern gun. The Ballistol finish is great as it works for both b/p and smokeless powders as far as a protectant without residue problems.

 

[nalioth]

It's not the cleaning with petroleum-based products that causes problems.

It's the lubricating with the above that causes the problems.

You will be fine, as you removed any petroleum-based cleaning residue. . .

 

[mykeal]

nalioth is right.

The problem with petroleum based products (and this does not apply to mineral oil based products like Ballistol, TC No. 13, Butch's Bore Shine, etc.) and black powder/bp substitutes is that the combustion chamber temperatures are not high enough to completely burn the petroleum compounds. The incomplete burning results in tar-like carbon compounds that are not fun to clean out. So, if you fire the gun using black powder with petroleum based oils in areas where combustion occurs you'll get some tar residues.

However, as mentioned above, this doesn't happen with mineral oils which will burn up completely at the lower temperatures, and it also doesn't happen with smokeless powders because they produce much higher temperatures, enough to burn off the petroleum compounds. 777 has both a higher ignition point and a higher combustion temperature than real bp, but it's still not high enough that you can get away with leaving petroleum products in the chambers and bore.

 

[Erich]

Thanks, gents - I very much appreciate the time you took to explain.

 

[dprice3844444]

i just disasemble my ss ruger,take the grips off,and pop it in the dishwasher