DaveP (UK)
Member
The weekends started early - I'm snowed in, so I as I have settled on a different regime to most of you I thought I'd describe what I do and see what people think. I have tried cleaning at the range but I find it more comfortable to come home and use a warm room. This means I have to be fairly business like to minimise the stench of burnt powder.
In the kitchen then, fill kettle and set to boil. Run some hot water in the sink and add some household detergent. Remove pistol from oily rag, drop out the cylinder and place in water. Remove the grips and the trigger guard. This is all the dismantling I normally do.
As the kettle boils I scrub the outside of the cylinder with an old toothbrush, run a small bottle brush through the arbor hole, and then use a small piece of scotchbrite rolled into a cylinder to clean out the chambers. Drain the sink, stand cylinder over drain hole, and pour boiling water over it, first from the back and then from the front taking care to fill the chambers.
I use paper towels to pick it up and dry it off, rolling one up to swab the chambers. I then spray it with Brunox Turbo to displace any residual moisture and set aside. (this stuff is better than WD40 because it leaves a protective film)
More water in sink and in kettle, and rest of pistol in sink for a short soak. When the kettle boils I scrub ithe gun with the toothbrush, and run a bronze brush through the barrel a few times. When satisfied I pull the plug, hold the gun by the barrel and pour boiling water over the action and backstrap, making sure to run plenty down by the hammer and by the trigger. I change grip, and now holding the gun by the loading lever I pour the rest of the water through the barrel. By now the whole thing is too hot to pick up barehanded and has remarkably little water on it. Using paper towels again, I spray Brunox into the bore and all the nooks and crannies and leave it to cool.
When cool enough to handle I wipe off most of the spray and run dry patches through the bore. finishing off with one that has had a little Wonderlube smeared on it. I put some more on my fingers and rub the gun over, and apply it quite liberally to the loading lever pivots. It goes on quite well as long as the metal is warm. I usually apply a drop or two of a synthetic bike chain oil to the hammer roller, the sear and the loading lever latch before replacing guard and grips.
Returning to the cylinder I work a match stick round the nipples to discourage a build up of soot. A little remains but the spray seems to prevent it from starting corrosion. A visual check that the nipples are clear, Wonderlube on the ratchet faces and in the arbor hole and its back in the frame. I do remove the nipples from time to time for a more thorough clean, and each time I am pleased to report that the Coppaslip I apply to the threads has resisted both hot water and hot gases!
I am a natural fiddler, so I did use to do a complete strip and it was taking me 2 to 2 1/2 hours. This takes me as little as 50 minutes. I did worry about unseen rust etc. but someone told me that in his opinion the threads on Italian replicas weren't as well made as originals and there was a risk of damaging them by over frequent use. Other shooters at the club tend not to strip every time, and eventually I followed suit. After about a year like this I stripped it completely and was very gratified to find that it had worked. No corrosion at all and very little crud in the corners. The only bit I have any reservations about is the loading lever latch. I'd love to know what state the spring is in, but its not the sort of thing to dismantle until you have to!
What do you think - Saint or Sinner?
Did I ever tell you about the Ruger Old Army and the dishwasher?
In the kitchen then, fill kettle and set to boil. Run some hot water in the sink and add some household detergent. Remove pistol from oily rag, drop out the cylinder and place in water. Remove the grips and the trigger guard. This is all the dismantling I normally do.
As the kettle boils I scrub the outside of the cylinder with an old toothbrush, run a small bottle brush through the arbor hole, and then use a small piece of scotchbrite rolled into a cylinder to clean out the chambers. Drain the sink, stand cylinder over drain hole, and pour boiling water over it, first from the back and then from the front taking care to fill the chambers.
I use paper towels to pick it up and dry it off, rolling one up to swab the chambers. I then spray it with Brunox Turbo to displace any residual moisture and set aside. (this stuff is better than WD40 because it leaves a protective film)
More water in sink and in kettle, and rest of pistol in sink for a short soak. When the kettle boils I scrub ithe gun with the toothbrush, and run a bronze brush through the barrel a few times. When satisfied I pull the plug, hold the gun by the barrel and pour boiling water over the action and backstrap, making sure to run plenty down by the hammer and by the trigger. I change grip, and now holding the gun by the loading lever I pour the rest of the water through the barrel. By now the whole thing is too hot to pick up barehanded and has remarkably little water on it. Using paper towels again, I spray Brunox into the bore and all the nooks and crannies and leave it to cool.
When cool enough to handle I wipe off most of the spray and run dry patches through the bore. finishing off with one that has had a little Wonderlube smeared on it. I put some more on my fingers and rub the gun over, and apply it quite liberally to the loading lever pivots. It goes on quite well as long as the metal is warm. I usually apply a drop or two of a synthetic bike chain oil to the hammer roller, the sear and the loading lever latch before replacing guard and grips.
Returning to the cylinder I work a match stick round the nipples to discourage a build up of soot. A little remains but the spray seems to prevent it from starting corrosion. A visual check that the nipples are clear, Wonderlube on the ratchet faces and in the arbor hole and its back in the frame. I do remove the nipples from time to time for a more thorough clean, and each time I am pleased to report that the Coppaslip I apply to the threads has resisted both hot water and hot gases!
I am a natural fiddler, so I did use to do a complete strip and it was taking me 2 to 2 1/2 hours. This takes me as little as 50 minutes. I did worry about unseen rust etc. but someone told me that in his opinion the threads on Italian replicas weren't as well made as originals and there was a risk of damaging them by over frequent use. Other shooters at the club tend not to strip every time, and eventually I followed suit. After about a year like this I stripped it completely and was very gratified to find that it had worked. No corrosion at all and very little crud in the corners. The only bit I have any reservations about is the loading lever latch. I'd love to know what state the spring is in, but its not the sort of thing to dismantle until you have to!
What do you think - Saint or Sinner?
Did I ever tell you about the Ruger Old Army and the dishwasher?
I've read so many accounts by people who dismantle to the last screw that I thought I was sure to spark off a lively discussion.
