Cleaning a CVA Kentucky pistol?

[tguil]

Getting into a bit of black powder shooting after more than thirty years being totally away from it. Quit then because it was so darn slow.  Now, at age 69, I'm slow too. 

I have dusted off my CVA Kentucky pistol that has been a very nice bookshelf piece all this time.  Checked out everything and it is still in good shape.  I'm just about ready to take it out, but have a question about cleaning it.  Can I adequately clean it without removing the barrel?  Any cleaning suggestions would be appreciated.  If I have to remove the barrel, suggestions here would be helpful too.

Tom

[Rock Home Isle]

 When I clean my gun at the end of the day, I swab the bore a few times with a patch that has been wetted with a cleaning solution. I also use it to swab the bore while shooting at the range if I notice that there is a lot of fouling in the bore. The ammonia in this solution neutralizes the acidic compounds that form when burning blackpowder and there is nothing better than Dawn Dish Soap for scrubbing out a dirty bore.
 
 After a patch or two, I then run a dry patch down the bore. The dry patch should come out with a greenish tint with little or no black rubbed into it. If there is a lot of black, then run a few more patches wetted with the cleaning solution. Once I'm satisfied, I finish cleaning the firearm with a fine WWII military oil that was originally designed to be used with the very corrosive Cordite Powders of that age. This military oil is great for use on Blackpowder firearms.
 
 Once the bore is cleaned, and the flash-hole/nipple has been cleaned, and the lock has been cleaned and oiled, I then wipe down the outside of the stock & barrel, being careful to wipe away any residual powder residues. Once done in this fashion, your firearm will be clean...it will not rust...and you don't have to boil water.   
For a good blackpowder Cleaning Solution...here is my cleaning solution formula:
 
 1 Liter Storage Bottle
1 Cup House Hold Ammonia
1/4 Cup Dawn Dishwashing Soap

 Fill the 1 Liter Storage Bottle 1/2 full with warm to hot water. Add 1 cup of House Hold Ammonia and then 1/4 Cup of Dawn Dishwashing Soap. Mix well and top off the liter bottle with warm water.
 
 
 -aim small miss small-

[Draxx]

 I simply take the barrel and lock off my Kentucky, squirt them with my Ballistol/water mix (1 pt Ballistol/4pt water in a spray bottle) and drop the parts in a bucket of warm water. Scrub the parts while under water and scrub the bore. I rinse with very hot water, blow/shake the parts dry and squirt em again with the ballistol/water. Make sure to really get in the bore well with the ballistol. Swab out the moisture.

 Wipe em down and lay em out to dry. Reassemble.

 Mine is on a book shelf 2 feet from an aquarium and has not shown any signs of rust after years of this procedure.

[His lordship.]

I like to keep things simple.  I once had a CVA kentucky pistol and would swab the bore with a wet patch, and pull the nipple and side screw to get inside the drum with a Q-tip.  Swab until clean and then oil the bore and drum area.  Wipe down the outside with a wet rag, dry and oil.


I have a Lyman Plains pistol now, I hold my thumb over the nipple, and pour water down the bore using a funnel, shake, dump out the water and repeat 2-4 times.  Pull the nipple, soak it in water, and swab the bore with a patch until clean.  Run a pipe cleaner down the drum, use a Q-tip, dry and oil.  I also use an aerosol lube and squirt it down the bore to get into the nooks and crannies.  Then use an oiled patch to get into the lands and groves of the bore, I rarely take the gun completely apart.


Wipe down the exterior with an oily rag, wipe the wood dry and re-install oiled nipple, with some grease on the threads, only putting marginal torque on the nipple.  Zip zip, nice and fast.  No rust.  I always fire a cap before loading it the next time at the range to clear out any oil buildup.   

[tguil]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Tom