Mike another great video. I've been shooting for about 53 years and hand guns about 50. I'm still learning thanks to gentlemen like you. I have recently used authentic black powder and fell in love with it in my original BP 1873 Colt. I used 40 grains of 3 f powder lubing the bullet groove with Lambs Talon and Bees Wax 50/50. After loading I dipped the projectile into the melted lube. When I shot them the cases dropped out easily with no resistance. There was some soot on the outside but very little in the cylinder chambers. It appears that the cases expand sealing the chamber before the projectile makes that jump into the barrel. I am so impressed with Black Powder than I intend on loading more for my other 1800 style firearms. I used Windex w/ Ammonia to clean up and it worked great. I then dipped the cylinder and barrel into hot water for a minute to heat up the metal and allowed to dry then while the metal was till warm I sprayed it with WD 40 (that was all I had at the time where I was at). I will order some Balisol and try your method. My next project is to load 44-40 for my 1873 Winchester Deluxe model (1881 ship date). Thanks for all you do for us.
@mnharris10 .44-40 and .38-40 are both great at limiting fouling blow back due to their bottleneck design. I don't have much trouble with .45 Colt because I use 250-grain bullets and a tight crimp. If you use 200-grain bullets in .45 you'll see more blowback. For me, .44 Colt and .44 Spl produce the most action fouling, and even they aren't bad.
Nice. I've always been kinda intimidated by black powder guns simply because so many people complain about how horrible they are to clean and all. But seeing this, it really doesn't look like THAT big of a chore - a bit more time-consuming and perhaps a little more messy, but the principle isn't really THAT different from what I go through in cleaning, say, my Mosin-Nagant 91/30 after shooting corrosive surplus ammo. Good info!
Again, another excellent video. Mike, I have been watching your stuff for a few years now and enjoy your presentation. Nice work. I can also appreciate your dedication despite the weirdos who always have a better way or know it all. Kudos!
One caution of note, most if not all chemical lead removers will also remove bluing, so you need to be careful with them. Mike's pretty stainless revolver won't have that problem.
After cleaning with Ballistol/water, I always run a patch of pure Ballistol down the bore, and I spray the entire outside of the gun with aerosol Ballistol. Then I put it aside for several hour...up to a day sometimes, to let the Ballistol creep into the pores of the metal...the result is no rusting. I also treat most of my handguns with a product from Tercolan called "Sweet Shooter". It seals the micro-pores in metal.
I have a small ultrasonic cleaner that's primarily used for jewelry to clean revolver cylinders and nipples with hot, soapy water (dish detergent). It works well and saves a lot of time. Ballistol is a good product if you can get past the odour.
I have been shooting black powder firearms myself for a bit over 40 years and as far as black powder goes I haven't really found anything much more effective than Dawn dishwashing liquid and very hot water for cleaning them. Rinse in almost boiling water and they dry themselves in a couple of minutes from the heat. Afterward any good gun oil for coating the outside and internal mechanisms and beeswax and tallow for the cylinder pin and loading mechanism.
I found that a plastic auto trim removal tool works as base pin removal tool. It has a fork and is rigid and works OK. I discovered this by accident when I had a stuck pin on my Pietta SA.
@PAR3DOC Yeah. I use a patch soaked in Kroil to clean the chambers and bore instead of the Ballisol/water mix. But I finish up with an overall spritz of straight Ballistol spray...then I wipe it off.
Cont. That will quickly get excessive to clean each cylinder 10 times like I did the bore though. Seriously considering an ultrasonic machine for the cylinder. Or maybe when my can of Eezox gets here from the states that will help prevent this after cleaning. I am not sure if its residue from the BP causing rust or if its moisture and ballistol just not being up to protecting the metal. Hopefully Eezox with fix the rust issue.
Thanks Mike for another video. You mentioned the little fouling resulting from the .44-40. Do you get more fouling back in the chambers or action with other calibers? Thanks again for the videos.
I took a look at my new SAA after I've cleaned it a few days ago (with moose milk and patches), if you shine a light on the chamber from behind it looks clean, but if you shine on it from ahead I see brownish patches and my patches came out rusty looking too. Have you seen this on your guns any? The bore looked fine but I went through it with 10-15 times with MM / dry patches / pure ballistol, that kind of cleaning seems to be whats needed for me.
I found the PB catalyst oil after a good cleaning...no rust even after a real wet spring and cabinet storage my musket looks good as when I bought it. Maybe this tip can help.
It was developed prior to WW1 I believe and was also designed as a wound dressing, I have used it often for that on hunting trip accidents. Is the stuff in the spray can similar to the Moose Milk I make up 1/7 Ballistol / Water? Good video, Thanks.
Hey, Mike. I typically use hot soap and water, but your method seems worth trying. Do you have to cut the ballisol with water yourself, or does the kind in the spray can your using come cut with water?
I was just getting ready to comment about how I was surprised you didn't use an old toothbrush in your cleaning protocol, when out comes your toothbrush. lol I couldn't do without my old toothbrush for gun cleaning chores, and Q-tips. Also, if you every shoot the Cowboy Action style lead bullets in any of your guns, what do you use to clean out the wax etc residue?? Many thanks.
Does the water actually dry up? I feel like that water would cause rust someway somehow down the line; even if it is mixed with ballistol. I hope to be wrong though.
Jeremy Orr I wouldn't, but, if you want to, you should mix some with water in a 1:10 ratio of CLP:water and clean with that. The water will neutralize the corrosive elements in the fouling
Put my 1860 in the dishwasher after I remove the grips and put the nipples in one of the little plastic baskets in the dishwasher, after the dishwasher was finished there would be a light coat of rust on the inside of the barrel and the cylinder chambers, I soak a patch with vegetable oil and swab out the barrel and the cylinder chambers. Finish by wiping down and lubing with Ballistol.
Air Handler???? It should be Air Head. I have contacted all the major Black powder suppliers and Pyrodex people. Also it's been around sense World War One meant to be used to clean cordite powder in the rifles and hand guns of the time.. It works !!!!!!.Mabey if you could read it would work for you just like it has for over 100 years. I have 22 black powder firearms and it works just fine fore me and many others. Air handler needs to learn to spell his screen name. Air head!!!!!.
Mike another great video. I've been shooting for about 53 years and hand guns about 50. I'm still learning thanks to gentlemen like you. I have recently used authentic black powder and fell in love with it in my original BP 1873 Colt. I used 40 grains of 3 f powder lubing the bullet groove with Lambs Talon and Bees Wax 50/50. After loading I dipped the projectile into the melted lube. When I shot them the cases dropped out easily with no resistance. There was some soot on the outside but very little in the cylinder chambers. It appears that the cases expand sealing the chamber before the projectile makes that jump into the barrel. I am so impressed with Black Powder than I intend on loading more for my other 1800 style firearms. I used Windex w/ Ammonia to clean up and it worked great. I then dipped the cylinder and barrel into hot water for a minute to heat up the metal and allowed to dry then while the metal was till warm I sprayed it with WD 40 (that was all I had at the time where I was at). I will order some Balisol and try your method. My next project is to load 44-40 for my 1873 Winchester Deluxe model (1881 ship date). Thanks for all you do for us.
@mnharris10 .44-40 and .38-40 are both great at limiting fouling blow back due to their bottleneck design. I don't have much trouble with .45 Colt because I use 250-grain bullets and a tight crimp. If you use 200-grain bullets in .45 you'll see more blowback. For me, .44 Colt and .44 Spl produce the most action fouling, and even they aren't bad.
Nice. I've always been kinda intimidated by black powder guns simply because so many people complain about how horrible they are to clean and all. But seeing this, it really doesn't look like THAT big of a chore - a bit more time-consuming and perhaps a little more messy, but the principle isn't really THAT different from what I go through in cleaning, say, my Mosin-Nagant 91/30 after shooting corrosive surplus ammo. Good info!
Thank you for continuing your very informative videos:
Again, another excellent video. Mike, I have been watching your stuff for a few years now and enjoy your presentation. Nice work. I can also appreciate your dedication despite the weirdos who always have a better way or know it all. Kudos!
One caution of note, most if not all chemical lead removers will also remove bluing, so you need to be careful with them. Mike's pretty stainless revolver won't have that problem.
Great video!
Thanks for your vids. Mike!!!
Thanks, these were very helpful.
After cleaning with Ballistol/water, I always run a patch of pure Ballistol down the bore, and I spray the entire outside of the gun with aerosol Ballistol. Then I put it aside for several hour...up to a day sometimes, to let the Ballistol creep into the pores of the metal...the result is no rusting. I also treat most of my handguns with a product from Tercolan called "Sweet Shooter". It seals the micro-pores in metal.
Sweet Shooter is impressive stuff.
I have a small ultrasonic cleaner that's primarily used for jewelry to clean revolver cylinders and nipples with hot, soapy water (dish detergent). It works well and saves a lot of time. Ballistol is a good product if you can get past the odour.
I have been shooting black powder firearms myself for a bit over 40 years and as far as black powder goes I haven't really found anything much more effective than Dawn dishwashing liquid and very hot water for cleaning them. Rinse in almost boiling water and they dry themselves in a couple of minutes from the heat. Afterward any good gun oil for coating the outside and internal mechanisms and beeswax and tallow for the cylinder pin and loading mechanism.
I found that a plastic auto trim removal tool works as base pin removal tool. It has a fork and is rigid and works OK. I discovered this by accident when I had a stuck pin on my Pietta SA.
@PAR3DOC Yeah. I use a patch soaked in Kroil to clean the chambers and bore instead of the Ballisol/water mix. But I finish up with an overall spritz of straight Ballistol spray...then I wipe it off.
Marie I don't want
Cont. That will quickly get excessive to clean each cylinder 10 times like I did the bore though. Seriously considering an ultrasonic machine for the cylinder. Or maybe when my can of Eezox gets here from the states that will help prevent this after cleaning. I am not sure if its residue from the BP causing rust or if its moisture and ballistol just not being up to protecting the metal. Hopefully Eezox with fix the rust issue.
Hello Mike,
You would find the cleaning process much easier (but perhaps not as much fun), if you use an "ultra sonic" cleaning bath.
Thanks Mike for another video.
You mentioned the little fouling resulting from the .44-40. Do you get more fouling back in the chambers or action with other calibers?
Thanks again for the videos.
I took a look at my new SAA after I've cleaned it a few days ago (with moose milk and patches), if you shine a light on the chamber from behind it looks clean, but if you shine on it from ahead I see brownish patches and my patches came out rusty looking too. Have you seen this on your guns any? The bore looked fine but I went through it with 10-15 times with MM / dry patches / pure ballistol, that kind of cleaning seems to be whats needed for me.
I am a boiling water and soap man myself. I take my guns apart every single time because I do use water. This looks easier I will give it a try.
I found the PB catalyst oil after a good cleaning...no rust even after a real wet spring and cabinet storage my musket looks good as when I bought it. Maybe this tip can help.
Try Midway USA
It was developed prior to WW1 I believe and was also designed as a wound dressing, I have used it often for that on hunting trip accidents. Is the stuff in the spray can similar to the Moose Milk I make up 1/7 Ballistol / Water? Good video, Thanks.
Hey, Mike. I typically use hot soap and water, but your method seems worth trying. Do you have to cut the ballisol with water yourself, or does the kind in the spray can your using come cut with water?
I wonder if the no bushing cylinder is because the gun is stainless? I got a stainless Uberti with no bushing.
Mike, is your process similar for smokeless powder?
I didn't know that you could leave the moose milk on the gun without ill effects. Thanks.
Does black powder shooting have any issues on the Colt internal Lockwork?
I was just getting ready to comment about how I was surprised you didn't use an old toothbrush in your cleaning protocol, when out comes your toothbrush. lol I couldn't do without my old toothbrush for gun cleaning chores, and Q-tips. Also, if you every shoot the Cowboy Action style lead bullets in any of your guns, what do you use to clean out the wax etc residue?? Many thanks.
Do you do anything to prevent/flush out BP fouling from inside the action?
After shooing about 50 rounds, I break the gun down to the screws and totally clean revery surface.
Why not shop towels? Aka the blue paper towels. Not worth the extra money? I usethe shop towels as patches sometimes.
Where do you get your Ballistol?
Does the water actually dry up? I feel like that water would cause rust someway somehow down the line; even if it is mixed with ballistol. I hope to be wrong though.
First of all, you wipe it off. Secondly, any residual water evaporates, but the Balistol remains.
What jags are those? All the ones I see have a point on the end, but I like your flat faced version better. What brand?
You can get therm at any muzzleloading shop. on-line go to Track of the Wolf, or Dixie Gun Works
Can you use frog Lube on black powder revolver?
can you just use clp on black powder fire arms?
Jeremy Orr I wouldn't, but, if you want to, you should mix some with water in a 1:10 ratio of CLP:water and clean with that. The water will neutralize the corrosive elements in the fouling
Using water is the best way
I've always used "kerosene".
What cleaning equipment did they have in 1873?
pretty much like modern equipment...slotted tip rods, oilers, etc.
Put my 1860 in the dishwasher after I remove the grips and put the nipples in one of the little plastic baskets in the dishwasher, after the dishwasher was finished there would be a light coat of rust on the inside of the barrel and the cylinder chambers, I soak a patch with vegetable oil and swab out the barrel and the cylinder chambers. Finish by wiping down and lubing with Ballistol.
Air Handler???? It should be Air Head. I have contacted all the major Black powder suppliers and Pyrodex people. Also it's been around sense World War One meant to be used to clean cordite powder in the rifles and hand guns of the time.. It works !!!!!!.Mabey if you could read it would work for you just like it has for over 100 years. I have 22 black powder firearms and it works just fine fore me and many others. Air handler needs to learn to spell his screen name. Air head!!!!!.
Get yourself a bore snake. Spend more time shooting!!!!
Ballistol is ridiculously over priced.$20 for 16 oz, that's $160 a gallon
You can get a gallon from Ballistol for $80.
balistol sucks dude, how much did they pay u for this?