SAA and black powder

[Lucky Cuss]

Howdy, I am thinking of making the switch to BP but I am concerned about cleanup. Not the barrel and frame but the action. How often and what is the best method to clean the internals. These are both Colt SAA model P's, which have been customed tuned and sport "Har" triggers. Will the BP eventually change the way they feel? They are 3rd generation hoglegs but were made with a removable cylinder bushing. Thx, Lucky Cuss

[gunsmither]

:) I wouldn't worry too much about it. I shoot Black Powder .45 Colt loads in my Vaquero, and numerous Cap N' Ball guns. I clean the surface well with Hoppe's Nine Plus, then squirt the Nine Plus into the actions, and blow out the excess with compressed air.

On the C&B's, there's a lot of crud that comes out (mostly cap residue), but in the Ruger .45 Colt, hardly anything gets inside. My compressed air/Nine Plus system has worked well for a few years now, with no rust inside the guns, as Nine Plus leaves an oil film which protects the metal. Beats taking them apart all the time. Safe Shooting! Joe :)

[Holiday]

Howdy,Lucky!I wpoldn't worry too much about the internals.I used to shoot Uberti clones before I switched toVaqueros. At my first three day match, I fired almost 150 rounds of Black Powder through my pistols. I cleaned the barrels and cylinders at the end of the days shoot, each day, but waited till I got home to break them down. I was pleased to find they had NO fouling in the internals to speak of! I have done the same with my Rugers a couple of times, but there is very little fouling that will get into the action. The worst will be around the hand and the slot in the recoil shield where it enters the cylinder area. Usuall I will clean the barrels, the cylinder, then squirt my cleaner into the slot to blow the soot out. Then I will dry it out with WD-40 to displace the water. Oh, by the way, I use a water/soap/Ballistol mixture as a cleaner. Also, Carburator cleaner makes a good cleaner to blow the internals out and it drys fast. When I use this, I follow with a dose of WD- 40.

Some of the top shooters simply remove the stocks and drop the frame into a pan of warm soapy water while they finish their other guns. This works too. Blowing out the action with an air hose or using a water displacement oil is a must, though. Good luck, welcome to the Dark Side, as we bp shooters sometimes call it, and keep yer powder dry!