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Re: Period Revolver Cleaning help
I can only speak to the purchases by the British army and the Canadian Militia. When Colt's revolvers were purchased by individuals the instructions for loading and cleaning were pasted inside the lid of the case.
When purchased for the government cleaning rods were part of the appendages.
The instructions for loading and cleaning, a direct transcription from the individual instruction labels, were published in Militia general orders, repeatedly. Instructions for Rifle Muskets were published in manual form and General Orders.
I own and use a Colt reproduction 1851 Navy and altered the case to the London Colt casing. I had to create a cleaning rod by turning a piece of walnut and inserting a rod with a slotted head to match the examples in the book Colonel Colt , London.
I memory does not fail me, I believe that I used an M16 cleaning rod cut to length drilled and pinned to the turned head.
This has served well for 35 years in the field and when I come home. The L shaped nipple wrench and cleaning rod both fit into my havresack with no inconvenience.
As to warm water, no, use water as hot as you can stand it. When I first joined the Canadian Army we used the Bren gun. We cleaned the barrel with boiling water. This cleared the residue and the heat helped the barrel cool without rusting. We would of course lubricate after.
Water is effective in cleaning black powder. I was caught in a heavy rain and my pistol was saturated causing the powder to pour out like India ink. When I went to clean the cylinder before reloading, the residue squirted out like ink from a fountain pen. It took longer to clean the residue from my hands than from the pistol.
Erik Simundson
I can only speak to the purchases by the British army and the Canadian Militia. When Colt's revolvers were purchased by individuals the instructions for loading and cleaning were pasted inside the lid of the case.
When purchased for the government cleaning rods were part of the appendages.
The instructions for loading and cleaning, a direct transcription from the individual instruction labels, were published in Militia general orders, repeatedly. Instructions for Rifle Muskets were published in manual form and General Orders.
I own and use a Colt reproduction 1851 Navy and altered the case to the London Colt casing. I had to create a cleaning rod by turning a piece of walnut and inserting a rod with a slotted head to match the examples in the book Colonel Colt , London.
I memory does not fail me, I believe that I used an M16 cleaning rod cut to length drilled and pinned to the turned head.
This has served well for 35 years in the field and when I come home. The L shaped nipple wrench and cleaning rod both fit into my havresack with no inconvenience.
As to warm water, no, use water as hot as you can stand it. When I first joined the Canadian Army we used the Bren gun. We cleaned the barrel with boiling water. This cleared the residue and the heat helped the barrel cool without rusting. We would of course lubricate after.
Water is effective in cleaning black powder. I was caught in a heavy rain and my pistol was saturated causing the powder to pour out like India ink. When I went to clean the cylinder before reloading, the residue squirted out like ink from a fountain pen. It took longer to clean the residue from my hands than from the pistol.
Erik Simundson
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