Cleaning routine

[RanchRoper]

Here's mine, what's yours?

- I use a Workmate table for my rifle. Lay a towel over top, crank it open enough to place the rifle in the groove between the boards, open the action and snug it up so the rifle won't move. Good to go.
- Run a bore mop soaked in Hoppe's cleaner down the barrel 3 or 4 times. It picks up a lot of the surface lead. I only shoot lead, NEVER copper.
- Run a brass brush down the barrel a couple of times to loosen up anything else in there
- Run some Hoppe's soaked patches down the barrel until I get no more lead
- Run some dry patches until she looks good
- Next clean out the chamber, elevator and bolt with Hoppe's
- Once everything is clean, it's time to lube
- A little gun oil on the bolt, in the joints around the action (lever, chamber, elevator, etc)
- Run a lightly oil lubed patch down the barrel
- Turn the rifle over, and spray a little Rem Oil in the mag tube on the spring and work it up and down a couple of times, just run a thin line of oil from one end to the other on the spring
- Give the whole rifle a light spray of Rem Oil, wood and all
- Wipe it down, and put in back in the gun sock, which then goes into my buckskin rifle sheath

Takes about 30 minutes total. Every few hundred rounds I pop the side plate on the right side and check the linkage. I can just back out the lever screw on the left side enough that I can tap the right plate with a rubber hammer. It comes out easy. CAUTION: if you have one of these Uberti's the edges on that plate are RAZOR sharp. Might be the same on the 1866 or 1873. Don't know about the HRA Original but heads up.
Yesterday was the day to pop that plate and have a look. Up until now and after many thousand rounds through the rifle, it's been very clean in there. Yesterday was the first time it had a bit of black gunk on the linkage, and on the inside walls. I sprayed some Rem Action Cleaner in there, basically just a de-greaser, and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then just wiped it out, and it was clean as a whistle. (Sharp machined edges in there too) Spray Rem Oil in it, and put the plate back on. Action is pretty darn slick now.

Anyhow, makes for a relaxing afternoon.

[BigAl52]

I thought maybe you was going to tell us about cleaning that new High Wall. Where is the High wall.

[RanchRoper]

Ugh, don't get me started...The guy I buy from is going through the process of renewing his gun import license. Between the red tape of Washington and gun-unfriendly Canada, I'm sure that's a gong show. Anyhow, maybe Santa will bring it...

[JEBar]

I try to clean ours outside (for some strange reason my wife doesn't like the fragrance of Ballistol ) but that often isn't possible .... I usually cover the kitchen table with paper which goes outside as soon as the cleaning is finished .... I basically clean the barrel and receiver as needed .... I don't fire lead bullets so that eliminates any issues with lead .... I check for copper build up and remove it as needed .... I do check all screws I can get to but really don't do anything fancy

[RanchRoper]

I clean my guns in the saddle shed...my wife would not like that odor in the house...

[Mags]

.
With your cold temperatures I hope it's heated!

I clean my guns in the saddle shed...

[Mags]

My bore cleaning is from the receiver and out through the muzzle.
1. Bore snake to get what is loose or will come loose.
2. Couple of swabs with Hoppes #9 to mop the bore out.
3. TetraGun swab to check for copper buildup.
4. If little or no copper buildup more Hoppes #9 swabs until bore is clean (or I get bored with running swabs).
5. Then dry swab out the bore.
6. Lightly lube bore and action and external non-brass metal.
7. Then my favorite, Renaissance Wax the wood and brass to make it SHINY !

4a. If there is copper, plug the chamber with a bore squeegee, the screw end of the squeegee into the chamber.
5a. With a big medicine dropper, drizzle a couple tablespoons of TetraGun into muzzle.
6a. Plug the muzzle with a second bore squeegee.
7a. Rotate the rifle around to distribute the TetraGun in the bore.
8a. Let set/soak for 30min.
9a. Remove the muzzle end squeegee.
10a. Feed a cleaning rod into the muzzle, wiggle it a bit while turning to get the rod end screwed onto the squeegee in the chamber.
11a. Pull the squeegee out through the muzzle.
12a. Wipe the squeegee off and put it on an Otis cable.
13a. Run the Cable/squeegee through (receiver and out the muzzle) multiple passes.
14a. Go to step #4.

[Rifletom]

Pretty much how I clean my Henry .45 Colt. No copper, only coated cast. Pretty easy. Now, in my .357 rifle, if I shoot any jacketed bullets, I started using "Wipe-Out Patch-Out" liquid. New to me, but, dang, this stuff WORKS! Simply follow directions[easy] and Presto! Clean bore. There you have it.

[RanchRoper]

I find the oil wipe down really warms up the dull brass patina....

[BigAl52]

I keep my Brass shinny so I can show it to Vaquero