Black powder pistols, how do you clean yours?

[tacfoley]

Tac Thanks, was only asking as my RFD has an expensive steam cleaner that he uses/recommends and when I saw those cheap hand held ones thought they may be worth considering.

If you look inside the case for any Colt revolving pistol, there is no mention on the instructions for any kind of steam cleaner. Just hot water and a scrubber of some kind, followed up, in the original, by whale oil, or even fine lamp oil.

Of course, you may use whatever give you pleasure, but why complicate things that were designed to be easy enough to do around a camp fire with no running water except what was in the nearby stream, and no means of heating it except a fire?

tac

[TonyB55]

I only use 777. Very hot soapy water, bore snake with a little cooking oil and then a little drop of oil in the moving parts. The gun is like new and shoots fine. Takes about 15 mins.

[Sussexboy]

Most of us in our club use screen wash. I was told by the guy that ran the BP course that it is what he always recommends. It works very well, but having only used that I have nothing to compare it against. I half fill a small margarine tub, put in the cylinder and detached nipples, and by the time I have cleaned the barrel and frame the cylinder and nipples are clean. I then swab it all out with dry patches and spray with oil.