Ian E Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Had a look through the forums and can't find anything definitive on exactly how to do this. Some suggest soaking the action in petrol or brake thinner, then blowing that out with an air line, then oiling and blowing that out then putting greese on. Others say don't use an air line as it can know the mech of true... Comments, suggestions or links to the "proper" way to do it ? Edited January 24, 2014 by Ian E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Strip it down and clean it properly I am afraid Petrol OR brake fluid of ANY type would be getting nowhere near my guns! Remove the stock "or side plates" carefully map out the action then remove the mechanisms and clean.as you go. Don't forget to to clean out the firing pin chambers too! Cotton buds are great for that! I give the action a quick spray of silicone, as oil picks up dirt! Edited January 24, 2014 by Lord Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Strip it down and clean it properly I am afraid Petrol OR brake fluid of ANY type would be getting nowhere near my guns! Remove the stock "or side plates" carefully map out the action then remove the mechanisms and clean.as you go. Don't forget to to clean out the firing pin chambers too! Cotton buds are great for that! I give the action a quick spray of silicone, as oil picks up dirt! +1 You won't get a better advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian E Posted January 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) silicone, that's a new one I've no intention of striping the whole thing down. Really just want to renew the grease, of course i need to remove the old stuff first. Edited January 24, 2014 by Ian E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashman1 Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Im with you some people have far to much time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humperdingle Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I can't recall ever seeing a shotgun action with much visible grease. By 'action', are you talking the part of the gun housing the trigger, hammer, sear, etc? Or the more 'visible' parts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Grease on hinge and choke threads that's about it unless stripping the action To components and rebuilding..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashman1 Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Thats more like it atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian E Posted January 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 That's what I want to clean and grease Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 A rather famous gunmakers once told me how they treat the inside of their actions. A mixture of Vaseline and 3 in 1 oil to create a thin paste. This is then 'painted' onto the internal parts using a stifish childs paint brush. I have used this method on my guns, with the exception of my auto's, for over 50 years without any adverse effects or wear issues. I can safely say that, if required, the internal parts can be readily wiped clean, should the need arise and I have never had dirt or grit mixing with the 'grease' to cause excess wear. I still use grease on the hinge pin/s and knuckle and have never had a gun 'shoot loose'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazbev Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Blast the mech out with an OIL based penetrating oil or gun cleaner like napier or legia or let the whole thing soak in a tub clean it all off with rag cotton buds anything you have, paying attention to the area where the firing pins come out,I was surprised how much crud comes out of here and how little crud there is on the rest of the mech. Use a fully synthetic motor oil I use castrol 5 w 40 and give everything a very fine smear with the oil ( this oil sticks to metal and never dries) on moving or sliding parts you can be a bit more liberal wipe up excess. High temprature grease like copper slip on chokes. Everyone has their own ideas,I have been in engineering for years and not much can beat these modern oils,we never use silicone as a lubricant because we are told it goes tacky and can't handle heat and runs, oils can handle huge amounts of heat and doesn't lose it's properties easily and stays in place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livefast123 Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 I use Castrol Edge 0w30 sparingly on all my guns and they run beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtaylor Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) No doubt some will ridicule my method but I've never had a problem from doing it and learnt it from a mate in the army. Strip the stock of the action and replace the bottom plate if it's a side by side. Then boil it in a saucepan of water for 15mins or so. This melts all the old grease/oil and the bubbles/hot water get the majority of the crud out, mud, grit etc. Then gently blow the water out with an air line, the hot metal will dry it all off very quickly. I then lightly oil the springs, sears, safety, top lever, moving internal parts etc. with 3-in-1 oil or gun oil, grease the moving bits where the barrels rotate and reassemble it. Edited January 24, 2014 by rtaylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Blast the mech out with an OIL based penetrating oil or gun cleaner like napier or legia or let the whole thing soak in a tub clean it all off with rag cotton buds anything you have, paying attention to the area where the firing pins come out,I was surprised how much crud comes out of here and how little crud there is on the rest of the mech. Use a fully synthetic motor oil I use castrol 5 w 40 and give everything a very fine smear with the oil ( this oil sticks to metal and never dries) on moving or sliding parts you can be a bit more liberal wipe up excess. High temprature grease like copper slip on chokes. Everyone has their own ideas,I have been in engineering for years and not much can beat these modern oils,we never use silicone as a lubricant because we are told it goes tacky and can't handle heat and runs, oils can handle huge amounts of heat and doesn't lose it's properties easily and stays in place The silicone I use is a spray! It gives a light mist of silicone but does not become tacky! It is a good lube that will not pick up contamination from dirt nor metal particles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Oii works its way into the actual moving parts, coating the load bearing surfaces - and stays to protect the surfaces even under pressure and movement. Motor oils are specially designed to do this and prevent metal to metal contact/damage. I'm not convinced silicone can/will do this as well. The oil/vaseline mix is indeed a long used mix that has been used/recommended over the years, but I suspect modern synthetic motor oils are even better on the metal. Use sparingly though and avoid the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Every season I have used petrol and a paint brush to clean the action then spray with acf-50 Works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 I was given 2 'don't do this' rules about cleaning/lubing the action by a gunsmith. 1) Never, ever spray WD40 in there and 2) Never, ever use grease in there. He didn't mention silicone but, speaking as an engineer myself, I can guess that he'd say "Why?" You really don't need to use any fancy pants methods or products. White spirit used with a small brush is a perfectly acceptable way to clean out any powder residue and dust. You can use an airline to dry off but keep the nozzle at least 18" away and watch out for any moisture afterwards. The only lubrication the action ever needs is a drop or 2 of light oil on the pivot points and metal to metal contact areas. The important thing is to use minimal amounts; less is always more when it comes to lubrication. Miroku and Browning actions are much more prone to dirt ingress than the modern designs such as Beretta, especially in the firing pin channels, but once every 15K rounds should be enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 I would soak it in WD40 and leave it overnight-then buy a can of compressed air and blow it out-if you cannot get a can ask someone with a PCP airgun if you can borrow their tank for 5 minutes-only a few quid to refill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) WD40 is quite a good cleaner and does disperse water hence the name 'WD' but it only contains a tiny amount of oil and it's just not any good as a lubricant. At the same time when it dries it leaves a residue which makes it a reasonable short term rust preventative but it's absolutely not what you want inside a gun, especially around the inertia block. WD is fine for light cleaning the barrels or wiping down the outside, especially after getting wet, but I would never let it get in the action or into the cocking rods on a Beretta. Edited January 25, 2014 by Westward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livefast123 Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 I was advised against using silicon on metal to metal surfaces when I was rebuilding my Webley Falcon as apparently it modifies the molecules of the metal and causes friction and wear. Not being an engineer, I don't know true that is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 I don't know if it's true either but for me the question is why bother with it anyway. Light machine oil is by far the best lube for a shotgun action, a £2 tin will last about a million years and you can buy it anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickyh Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I was advised against using silicon on metal to metal surfaces when I was rebuilding my Webley Falcon as apparently it modifies the molecules of the metal and causes friction and wear. Not being an engineer, I don't know true that is... Silicon oil between two pieces of metal moving will create 'Pickup' tearing the metals apart very quickly. I see it a lot at work (I'm a Engineering Inspector). Just the same as screwing stainless into aluminium. Ben Taylor of the airgun company BTAS Wrote an article about it with pictures from his lathe destroying metals using silicon oil. I wouldn't have the stuff in my workshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazbev Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Everyone has their own ideas but just to point out a couple of things. Machine oil or 3 in 1 type oil will do the job but a modern hi tech synthetic engine oil will do it better. We use silicone in engineering to stop things sticking together basically,usually non metallic parts that don't rub together, never as a lubricant ,it gets warm and runs,goes tacky, and doesn't adhere to metal as well as oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malantone Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I was advised to clean out gun/rifle actions with a brake cleaner aerosol. It cleans all the crud out quite well and I relube with Young`s 303 oil by Parker Hale, never had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett1985 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 a quick way to clean without stripping the action (which i have done with no adverse affects) is to pop it into a home ultrasonic bath like the ones that maplin (and aometimes lidl/aldi) sell. cleans out the crud, and leaves you free to re-oil with your chosen lube.... it also does a bloody good job of bringing the action back up to its original splender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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