Care for older Smiths
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bamabiker
Member
Brake cleaner and then CLP. At least that's what I do.
Three Ibuprofen and a glass of Bourbon to start....
If the dirt and gum is light to moderate I spray and toothbrush with Berkbile varnish remover and gum cutter (a version of carb cleaner).
If things are a bit dirtier, I will submerge the piece in my own version of Ed's Red. (I use about 1/3 each, acetone, ATF, and Marvel Mystery Oil.)
Let it soak several days, and work the action each day (sideplate on). After that, spray the excess solvents off with compressed air, then spray well with the gum & varnish remover. When dry, i very sparingly add a bit of Mobil-1 synthetic motor oil. Work the action a few times and remove all excess oil, reassemble, and you should have a butter smooth action that will stay that way for decades.
If things are a bit dirtier, I will submerge the piece in my own version of Ed's Red. (I use about 1/3 each, acetone, ATF, and Marvel Mystery Oil.)
Let it soak several days, and work the action each day (sideplate on). After that, spray the excess solvents off with compressed air, then spray well with the gum & varnish remover. When dry, i very sparingly add a bit of Mobil-1 synthetic motor oil. Work the action a few times and remove all excess oil, reassemble, and you should have a butter smooth action that will stay that way for decades.
Submersion in mineral spirits may do the trick, but a soak in Ed's Red is likely to do a better job of dissolving old, gummy lubricants. A fast way is to spray the action with non-chlorinated brake cleaner (cheap version of Gun Scrubber) or Gun Scrubber (expensive version of non-chlorinated brake cleaner). After cleaning, a light lubrication of the action is in order. You can use wax (pure carnuba, Johnson's paste floor wax, or Renaissance Wax) for most of the revolver, but I would use a proper oil on surfaces that require lubrication and I would not wax the chambers of a firearm that will be fired.
I buy the 15.3 fluid ounce Denco brand from Amazon in three case shipments which works out to $2.78 a can...Compare that to Gun Scrubber at $16.99 a can...
...BenSoaking
Depending on how tough the disassembly job is, my recipe requires 3 ingredients: ATF, acetone, lamp oil (coal oil) in equal amounts. I use a new paint can (available at Lowes) in which to store the mixture as you can reuse it as you need it. Several months ago I acquired a milsurp CZ50 that was so gummed up you could not disassemble it. I finally got the grips off and dropped it in the sealed can of mixture where I promptly forgot about it. Seven weeks later I retrieved (remembered) it and it disassembled in 5 minutes. I use it a lot on my antique guns 100+ years old.
Depending on how tough the disassembly job is, my recipe requires 3 ingredients: ATF, acetone, lamp oil (coal oil) in equal amounts. I use a new paint can (available at Lowes) in which to store the mixture as you can reuse it as you need it. Several months ago I acquired a milsurp CZ50 that was so gummed up you could not disassemble it. I finally got the grips off and dropped it in the sealed can of mixture where I promptly forgot about it. Seven weeks later I retrieved (remembered) it and it disassembled in 5 minutes. I use it a lot on my antique guns 100+ years old.
Depends on your level of expertise. The best way is always to strip the action down and clean each part by hand. If that is not something you want to do, get a can of aerosol Carb-n-Choke cleaner from Walmart. It is made to remove petroleum varnish without scrubbing, but a toothbrush will do the job faster. Spray and brush, spray again and brush until the varnish is gone. I then use a synthetic aerosol oil to coat the interior making sure all parts are coated. Using compressed air, drive out excess oil and reassemble.
Old Corp
Member
Disassemble and place parts in container of mineral spirits has been my go-to for years. Holding each part and scrubbing it with a toothbrush will usually eliminate the worst gunk.
Lacking mineral spirits, I've used kerosene (it used to be cheap!) or gasoline, which everyone knows is not a safe or great practice, but works.
Always reminds me of a S&W M1917 .45 I had once. At some point in it's life someone had actually packed the action with what appeared to be axle grease, which had begun to petrify.
It was in there so well, I looked for a Zerk fitting somewhere on the gun. That took a LOT of soaking and scrubbing.
Lacking mineral spirits, I've used kerosene (it used to be cheap!) or gasoline, which everyone knows is not a safe or great practice, but works.
Always reminds me of a S&W M1917 .45 I had once. At some point in it's life someone had actually packed the action with what appeared to be axle grease, which had begun to petrify.
It was in there so well, I looked for a Zerk fitting somewhere on the gun. That took a LOT of soaking and scrubbing.
Just remember to remove the stocks first!! 
Non-chlorinated...
...BenPisgah
Member
Remove grips, set aside; remove sideplate, place it and revolver in a large pot of boiling water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent; simmer for 30 minutes or so, remove from water and rinse with clear boiling water; oil everything quickly with light gun oil. Won't harm a thing, makes all squeaky-clean.
Absolutely...I've been criticized by some for using water in my Dunkin Gunwash procedure but you'll never find a speck of rust on my guns unless it was there during a previous caretaker's tenure...
...BenThe use of ANY magic potion (especially those sold in spray cans) without first disassembling the entire gun and scrubbing each individual piece is a waste of time-----and whatever the cost of the magic potion.
I reckon the question to be answered is do you want a clean gun, or one that looks clean----if you don't look too close?
You pays your money, and you takes your pick!
Ralph Tremaine
I reckon the question to be answered is do you want a clean gun, or one that looks clean----if you don't look too close?
You pays your money, and you takes your pick!
Ralph Tremaine
James K
Member
Similar to cleaning a black powder revolver. Some quality dishwashing liquid to soak then scrub. The boiling water rinse makes it all evaporate quickly.
Truth, You can't get at the schmutz between parts pinned or assembled together without disassembly and thorough cleaning which usually requires scrubbing after years of neglect. It can be daunting the first time, fortunately there are good books available to guide the newcomer. I have an old friend that to my knowledge has never cleaned a gun, he uses them until they fail, hands them over to his favorite gunsmith who happily charges him to clean and return. Every gun he has ever handed me is filthy, today he brought a well used 657 down to show another guy and one of the other fellers went out to his car, returned with a cleaning kit and went through it the way it should be cleaned after use.
I agree with disassembly and each piece individually cleaned, but I do like the 50/50 Acetone &ATF to do the cleaning. I never use any grease inside the S&W revolver, just a good grade of your favorite oil. My preference is Break Free.
Years ago a friend of mine passed on, leaving behind a treasure trove of high quality tools and everything necessary to repair nearly anything in the firearm field. I was one of the few people invited to go through his gear and make a donation to the charity of his choice. His wife is a good woman with a great sense of humor, something needed while living with a guy seemingly stuck in the 1860's. I was looking through his vast array of cleaning supplies and was filling a small box with the likes of old school turpentine distillate, his wife brought in a small 1/2 pint and asked me whats this "It was marked Sperm Oil"? I told her, well its not what you think it is...its oil from rendered Sperm whale fat. It used to lubricate the industrial revolution. Its from Brownells with a list of uses on the back. I started using it on all of my black powder firearms where a light oil is required, mainly in the locks and trigger parts. Its great stuff and only takes about one small drop to lubricate the entire lock assembly. Muzzle loaders perform best when only using as natural a product as possible, no petroleum products anywhere, it does not mix well with black powder. The best cleaning solution we've come up with is three ounces of Dawn Liquid dish detergent, four ounces of water-soluble mineral oil, and sixty-four ounces of distilled water. As was mentioned earlier black powder cleans up very well with hot water and soap, wiping a barrel down with our cleaning mixture between shots keeps fouling to a minimum and improves accuracy exponentially. Same goes for bullet lubes in black powder cartridges or minie balls, no petroleum products allowed. Mineral oil is accepted as a result of the coal industry, if you just go with what smells right you will find natural is better, with the exception of one of my all time favorites Ballistol, I love the stuff and a buddy of mine says it smells like old gym socks. Some of the guys do use modern lubes like Shield and Breakfree. The one modern lube I use occaisonally was developed for the automatic transmission business for an assembly lube its called Lube Guard and is biosynthetic, no petroleum although a form of wax ester. Its slick as owl #### and provides an excellent protective barrier from moisture.
