Help: Webley Premier seized up after introduction of neatsfoot oil

[buttloaves]

Would that have a leather seal, if it has maybe the oil has expanded it to the point where its stuck, maybe pour some white spirit into the transfer see if you can wash it out, long shot, otherwise pull the piston and reseal. If it's not leather then i haven't a clue, you sure it wasn't super glue?

[andrewM]

Thanks butloaves. Yes, given it was 1975, I think it is certainly leather.

Perhaps you are correct and it has expanded but one would think the leather would have absorbed it without expansion, given that it was presumably in a similar position 42 years ago, when new.

Interesting idea re the white spirit.

Rgds
Andrew.

[DCL_dave]

I think your pistol has a PTFE piston seal...not sure if or how neatsfoot oil would react with PTFE but it sounds like you're going to have to strip it and have a look at the very least.

[DCL_dave]

Also...neatsfoot oil is rendered from cows hooves, and will solidify into a lard like product if left to go cold...depending on how much you put down the transfer port, it could just be suction/vacuum locked i.e. a solid plug of lard is holding the piston onto the end of the cylinder and transfer port is plugged too...so try a bit of gentle heat to the pistol body see if that will loosen it/melt the solid neatsfoot oil/lard, but I reckon you'll still have to pull it apart to clean it all out.

[Airsporter1st]

It was definitely Neatsfoot, I suppose - no chance something else was in the bottle?

[Missedagain1]

I think your pistol has a PTFE piston seal...not sure if or how neatsfoot oil would react with PTFE but it sounds like you're going to have to strip it and have a look at the very least.

From what I recall PTFE is totally inert and therefore shouldn't react with any other substance. My thought would be leather washer but how soon after putting the oil in did it stop working? My thoughts are would a leather washer expanded that quickly and caused it to jam/size.

Probably no help but my 10 bobs worth!