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BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FOUR: KEEP IT CLEAN

Created on 14th May 2009

GEORGE PRESCOTT takes you through the process of cleaning your black powder firearms - and reveals his favourite water-displacing spray

THE CONTINUED safe operation of any firearm is dependant upon proper maintenance. An important aspect of this is proper cleaning after use. Cap and ball firearms are particularly susceptible to poor maintenance because black powder absorbs water readily, which promotes rust if powder residues are left in the gun. Secondly, one of the products of its combustion is sulphuric acid, a strong mineral acid which will rapidly corrode any steel part it comes into contact with. The importance of cleaning is reflected in the fact that I am dealing with it before any mention of shooting techniques!

Cleaning a single-shot

percussion pistol

The procedure for this is relatively simple. First, having ensured the gun is empty, remove the percussion nipple and set it to one side. Remove the barrel from the stock, wrap a cloth around the barrel and then carefully pour boiling water down the muzzle until it runs out of the nipple mount. Still holding the barrel by the cloth, it is then possible to clean it out using a phosphor bronze bore-brush, followed by a nylon brush and then a clean piece of cotton 4x2. Ideally, the bore should be swept until the 4x2 emerges clean and dry, but once the procedure has been followed a few times it will be obvious when the bore is clean. The flash hole in the nipple can then be cleaned out using the correct tool supplied with the key, and the thread wiped clean with a rag and black powder (BP) solvent. Clean out the nipple mounting hole with a cotton bud which has also been soaked in solvent. WD-40 is, I have found, a good alternative to BP solvent.

Finally, the bore can be lightly oiled with a proprietary spray, such as WD-40, which will also neutralise any acidic salts or residues remaining in the bore. All that then remains is to remove any residue from the lock and around the nipple hole using BP solvent. An old, stiff toothbrush can be used to apply the solvent, after which the residue can be wiped off and all surfaces sprayed lightly with WD-40 and the gun returned to storage. Pistols are best stored muzzle down so that any oil runs out of the muzzle rather than collecting in the nipple and blocking it. Needless to say, any and all firearms must be stored in the approved gun cabinet. At the risk of being accused of unfair advertising, I think it worth mentioning that I have found WD-40 to be a particularly useful option for protecting and cleaning guns. It isn't sticky when dry, a wipe cleans it off any metal and most importantly, unlike oil, WD-40 will get underneath moisture and most other fluids which are already present and stop them from touching the metal surface, thus preventing rusting. It's also reasonably cheap and you can buy it anywhere.

Revolver cleaning

Many revolvers these days are manufactured in stainless steel, which has a much higher corrosion resistance. This doesn't mean that a revolver of this type won't benefit from a thorough cleaning every time it is used, although black powder residue does seem to be easier to remove from a stainless steel pistol.(Please note: I have been told that one method of cleaning a stainless steel gun is to place it in a dishwasher, on normal setting, after having removed the butt plates. However, I advise that you don't do this. While the barrel, cylinder and frame of such a revolver are stainless steel, its internal components aren't and won't take kindly to dishwasher cleaner!)

Begin cleaning by removing the cylinder, once assured that no chamber contains a charge. An open-frame Colt can be treated much like a single-shot pistol, because the barrel is a separate unit and has to be removed from the butt, trigger and hammer assembly before the cylinder is accessible. With the Colt's barrel removed, cleaning with boiling water and bore brushes can proceed as before. The cylinder is then cleaned in the same way. It is debatable whether the nipples need to be removed from a revolver cylinder every time it is used but common sense is the best guide here. If it is rarely used or the cylinder cannot be cleaned effectively with the nipples in place and rust is starting to develop, then it would be best to remove them each time. Otherwise, clean them in place. Any residue should be removed from the trigger and hammer assembly with WD-40 and a clean cloth. Care must be taken to ensure that no debris from used percussion caps finds its way into the mechanism. In this context, prevention beats cure hands down, so be careful when removing the spent cap from the nipple. Some shooters also place a spot of heavy-duty grease in the mechanism to further ensure that debris doesn't reach the working parts.

With a closed-frame revolver like a Remington or Ruger Old Army, it is not possible to separate the frame and barrel, so care must be taken to ensure water does not find its way in to the mechanism. This is perhaps best achieved by holding the pistol by the butt and then pouring boiling water down the barrel, after which cleaning can proceed as normal. Incidentally, as I said previously, one great advantage to using WD-40 to lubricate a gun is that it will always move between the metal it is sprayed on and any moisture present, thus preventing rust. Conventional oil, including most gun oils, will only lie on top of any moisture present, which is obviously very undesirable.

Having shaken the excess water from the barrel, it can be cleaned as before with a succession of brass and nylon brushes, followed by a clean 4x2. The cylinder can then be treated in a similar manner. Percussion nipples should be removed occasionally, however clean they may seem, and the mounting holes cleaned and oiled thoroughly. They can be carefully inspected at the same time and if the flash hole seems overlarge, the nipple is best replaced. Once perfectly clean, all the revolver's components should then be wiped with a clean, dry cloth and reassembled, after which WD-40 can be sprayed over the exposed surfaces and down the barrel. WD-40, incidentally, doesn't appear to stain or damage wood, but I like to keep it away from polished wooden surfaces like revolver butt plates. Once cleaned to the owner's satisfaction, the gun can be returned to the security cabinet and, as before, is best stored muzzle down.

My next piece will finally get around to the actual business of shooting, including some techniques for doing this successfully. Well, we can but hope!

CORRECTION: In pt 3 my advice contained an error. The correct procedure, if a shooter on firing a revolver hears only the cap explode, is to place the revolver on the firing point bench and seek expert help to see whether the ball is lodged in the barrel.

BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FOUR: KEEP IT CLEAN

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BEGINNING BLACK POWDER PART FOUR: KEEP IT CLEAN

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