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Old December 13, 2010, 02:51 PM   #1
BConklin
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question re: cleaning 1858s

The only thing that worries me about cleaning all the parts in hot soapy water is that the loading lever latch spring will rust out. It's buried in the recess in the loading lever and it seems to me it will rust up if that part is immersed in water...even if the parts are heated in the oven at 150°

I ask the experienced Remington owners - are my fears unfounded?
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Old December 13, 2010, 02:59 PM   #2
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Cleaning in Hot soapy water and drying in the oven will garnantee rust!
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Old December 13, 2010, 03:26 PM   #3
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I use a compressor to blow air it high pressure into all of the small and large spaces after rinsing in hot water and I get absolutly no rust on mine. If you dont have a compressor. You can use a hair dryer. I found that in the oven I would get a little bit of surface rust but when blowing with even cold air I get none. The heat in the oven speeds up the rusting process but it drys before much can take place (unless you have a convection oven). The trick it to remove the moisture before it can act on the metal. I think a hair dryer will work OK too but you will need to make sure that you blow it into the action and chambers. One of the best things about the compressed air is that it fores the water out of even the threads and nipples if you apply it closely to them.
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Old December 13, 2010, 04:33 PM   #4
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The result of being fired thousands of times over the last five years and
cleaned in just cold windshield washer fluid and sprayed with WD-40.
This is a custom 800.00 Pistol.

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Old December 13, 2010, 04:35 PM   #5
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Old December 13, 2010, 04:36 PM   #6
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Old December 13, 2010, 04:40 PM   #7
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If you don't have access to compressed air, use a hair dryer to make sure everything is dry.
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Old December 13, 2010, 04:47 PM   #8
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1. Let the pistol rinse after soapy water, soap residue is not nice stuff.

2. Let the metal all get evenly heated to as hot as is bearable in really hot hot rinse water before "calling it good". This helps dry the nooks & crannies well.

3. Hair dryer is your friend, as is good oil. Use lots of both high heat air from the ol' Wally-World $10 hair dryer. Make sure to direct the air flow everywhere with the hammer both cocked & un-cocked & the cylinder removed from the frame. I wear a leather insulated glove & keep going till its uncomfortable to hold before I call it dry.

4. You always have access to a little blown air. Like they say in the movies "All you do is pucker your lips & blow".

For me it's almost 2 years & counting without a single trace of anything bad anywhere.
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Old December 13, 2010, 07:07 PM   #9
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cleaning

I don't use the oven because I don't pull the grips everytime I clean . I pull the cylanders and scrub with hot soapy water and tooth brushes and bore brushes. While I'm doing this a big pot of water boils on the stove.After rinsing the gun and parts I pour hot boiling water over the gun while holding the grips. Shake the water off and dry with a towel. I don't have a compressor but most electronic stores sell cans of compressed air for blowing dust and dirt out of computers and such. A hair dryer is more than OK . Then I spray with Ballistol.
I definately will try Kwhi 43's suggestion about window cleaning fluid and I am not sure why I don't use WD40. Gees , I use it for everything else.
Shooting is supposed to be fun,what ever I can do to simplify cleaning I am gonna try.
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Old December 13, 2010, 07:37 PM   #10
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All I use is WD-40 with a follow up of Remoil. No rust.
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Old December 13, 2010, 08:34 PM   #11
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I use hot soapy water and Rem-oil. Never had a rust problem, even on my guns that have no finish.
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Old December 13, 2010, 10:23 PM   #12
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Ditto for windshield cleaner (20/10 bug formula) and WD-40. I do, however, set the cylinder under the running hot water in the sink to splatter while I am wiping down the frame and punching the barrel. I do not wast my time boiling water or stripping out the internals (WD-40 up & down into the "works" gives a nice coating). You can get canned air and flush out the chambers and innards easier than using an air compressor. Q-tips are great for swabbing the deep chambers.

P.S. Note in the photos from kwhi43 of the target gun how the nipples are drilled to create a recess. That allows a lighter hammer fall but generates the same PSI of striking power to set off the caps and channels more of the flame down the flash holes. Great pix!
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Old December 14, 2010, 11:15 AM   #13
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So - even with water cleanup systems, the one spring I mentioned doesn't pose problems as long as care is taken to dry the gun well or displace the water with WD40.

Good - Thanks all
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Old December 14, 2010, 12:09 PM   #14
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Don't tell all my secrects Hellgate!
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Old December 14, 2010, 12:14 PM   #15
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For those who'd rather not expose their guns to WD-40, isopropyl alcohol from the local drug store works very well as a water 'displacement' medium. Technically, it solublizes the water, which then quickly evaporates along with the alcohol. You may have used it to treat swimmer's ear in the same way.
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Old December 14, 2010, 12:51 PM   #16
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Sure but....

I have carefully examined my Remingtons and Colts and none of them have ears.













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Old December 14, 2010, 12:59 PM   #17
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I've only cleaned my gun 4 or 5 times (and one of those times was after letting it sit close to a week...no rust!)

I use fairly hot water with just a little soap. I pull the grips, and plunk the frame, cylinder, and nipples in the water for a couple minutes. I rinse water from the tap down the barrel and chambers and try to flush out any of the sooty crap in the action.

I tilt the gun up at rest at a 45 degree angle and spray the hell out of it with WD40. Every chamber gets a generous coating as do all of the nipples. I let them drip drain any excess then follow up with some rem oil.

No rust and the action sounds buhdah smooth.
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Old December 14, 2010, 02:36 PM   #18
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"Sure but....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have carefully examined my Remingtons and Colts and none of them have ears. "


and even if they did you wouldn't let them go swimming, would you.
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Old December 14, 2010, 03:11 PM   #19
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Quote:
Don't tell all my secrects Hellgate!
If he didn't tell, I was gonna ask!
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Old December 14, 2010, 04:08 PM   #20
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Mykeal,
I have used rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl) to speed dry my guns during real hot weather but I have noticed that I do get rust (flash rusting) in cooler times. If I use 99% isopropyl then it dries even faster even in cool weather with less rust. I have not tried denatured alcohol yet (ethanol solvent), maybe that would dry the metal without leaving a rust in cold weather. Guess there's a test in the making.
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Old December 14, 2010, 06:52 PM   #21
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Quote:
This is a custom 800.00 Pistol.
[email protected] - I am curious what you had done to your pistol other than the target sights and the nipples drilled out? Who was the original manufacturer?

Thanks
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Old December 14, 2010, 09:54 PM   #22
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It came with the target sights. Started out as a Pietta. what did I have done?
Lets see, Target custom barrel, cylinder line bored, & sleeved to a .36
Build in stop on loading lever. Adjustable trigger stop. Re-blued so everything
matches. Re-timed so everything locks up tight. I did the nipple work. Target
trigger. Trigger is about 6 oz. on letoff. About the only thing left that is stock
is the frame. I paid 172.00 for the pistol new and another 400.00 to have all
the work done. But that was five years ago. I think to buy one now like mine
will cost about 800.00 Work was done by a Master shoot at Friendship In.
He does most of the revolvers at the Nationals and the North South Skirmish
people. I can say this, they will shoot!!.
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Old December 14, 2010, 09:58 PM   #23
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Old December 15, 2010, 08:34 AM   #24
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After the hot water bath a shot of Ballistol well emulsify any moisture remaining in the nooks and crannies of your gun.
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Old December 15, 2010, 11:54 AM   #25
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I generally use plain ol' Windex for a solvent. A nylon bristle brush for the bore and chambers, and an old toothbrush for most everywhere else. Rinse everything with very, very hot water so the parts get heated enough to evaporate most all of the residual moisture, then while they're still quite warm spray everything down with a generous amount of WD-40.

Let the parts cool down a while, then wipe off the excess during reassembly. I apply a small amount of the appropriate lube(s) to the pivoting/sliding points in the action and to the cylinder base pin. I also like to remove the nipples and use a thin coat of anti-sieze compound on the treads.
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