Cleaning my antique tip up

[guitar1580]

I just got my Model #1, 2nd edition. It is in great mechanical condition. The bore is also in exc. cond., with no rust or pitting, but looks like it could use a light cleaning. I'm wondering about using a brush or solvent. Maybe just a light cleaning with patches and oil.

Should I take any precautions when cleaning one of these?

It appears to be shootable. I know not to use modern ammo. Do any of you shoot these? I wouldn't mind trying it just a couple times, but not on a regular basis.

Josh P

 

[murphydog]

As you know, these are easy to clean from the breech end. I tend to use a Hoppes Bore Snake with a little Break Free, but any standard method should be fine.

I asked the shooting question with model 1s a while back. Most said they would not, even with CB caps, but others said they had done it without problems. The issue is these were made for black powder .22 shorts, which generate lower pressures and/or a different curve than a modern .22 loading. I doubted a primer-only .22 short would cause any problems but finally decided against shooting it.

 

[H Richard]

If the gun is solid, and the lock up is tight where the cylinder lines up properly and stays there, I would shoot one with CB Cap. (Provided it has already been fired during it's lifetime). It would be a very seldom occurrence.

 

[Speedo2]

They're still making these things:

If I felt compelled to shoot my tip-up, I guess those wimpy little spit balls are about all that I'd use. So far, I've been able to resist the temptation with my First-third. But then I like to come close to what I'm aiming at, and these things are notoriously inaccurate:

 

[Kweeksdraw]

If I felt compelled to shoot my tip-up, I guess those wimpy little spit balls are about all that I'd use. So far, I've been able to resist the temptation with my First-third. But then I like to come close to what I'm aiming at, and these things are notoriously inaccurate:

You could pick a large target and stand real close!
This is the gun Mark Twain wrote about while traveling through the gold country in California. He said they "shot a bullet the size of a homeopathic pill!"
Then he said they tried shooting at a cow with it and "She was safe enough as long as she stood still, but if she tried moving around she got into trouble!" Or words to that effect.

On the serious side, is there anyway to find out what kind of pressures these cb caps develop? There is an even smaller load called the BB cap. Some are offered here: http://www.22ammo.com/bbcb_caps.html They say they're 750 fps. Still, I don't know...

 

[nutsforsmiths]

I purchased a 1st, 3rd model about 15 years ago. It came with 20 rounds of 22 short that are very old. The cases on these are made of copper and the headstamp is the letter 'H' for Henry. I'm sure they are black powder rounds and would be fine to shoot, if they would ever still work by this point. I also "inherited" a tin of shorts like the ones pictured above from my Uncle. They are from the 1950s, so they may be fine, but I'm not sure. I also found a box of Winchester black powder 22 blanks a couple of years ago, but I haven't fired those either.

I have yet to shoot my tip-up and probably never will. It has been fired in the past and is not in perfect shape, but considering it is blued and factory engraved, that is yet another reason not to shoot it.

 

[Richard C]

Friends have been telling me about CB caps, those are the first I've seen. I hear they make very little noise.