Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Cleaning out the receiver?

What's the best options for washing/spraying out the inside of the receiver? Got an old 1899 where somebody kept spraying gun oil into the receiver, and now there's a lot of oily dirt/residue.

I'd rather not pull the rotor if there's another way that won't discolor the rotor (which I presume most gun cleaner's will).

Still trying to figure out how it got so oily/dirty inside the receiver and back by the bolt and trigger assembly and yet the oil never soaked into the stock. Happy about that, but odd.

It's just a shooter, so nobody panic. The Leader is safe.

This will send some of the fellas through the roof, but in a bad goop situation where I was not taking the gun apart I have used a high pressure carburetor cleaner. Remove the wood of course. It dries itself pretty quick, so you have to re-lube it when through. I have not ruined any bluing in the past by doing this, but someone else may have a better solution.

Ultrasonic maybe? Non-intrusive, but I don't know how expensive a setup would be. In instances like that I always stripped them down and soaked overnight in solvent, and had at it with a tooth brush, dental picks and brake cleaner. High pressure air is your friend at that point too. I would be careful to choose a solvent that won't affect the bluing on the exterior with prolonged contact.

Ultrasonic would break it loose, but 95% of it already seems to already be loose. It's just ALL the way under the rotor and everywhere else. I could probably just get by with something to rinse it out.

And, yes, the wood would come off.

Got some spray gun cleaner I've used on bolt actions, but always kept it away from brass rotors. Carb cleaner probably similar?

Almost tempted just to rinse with boiling water.

boiling water may work with a little mild soap in it, and it will dry itself as well. Worked great on my old TC muzzle loader barrels. Be sure and use some pot holders, the metal will get hot quick, fast, and in a hurry.

brake cleaner or carb cleaner should not affect the rotor,if you are concerned ,put a brass pipe fitting in cleaner and try it out.old carbs had lots of brass for needle valves,and brake cleaners are sprayed on almost everything in the automotive industry

norm

yeah, I don't think that many solvents are going to react with the rotor or tarnish it... I would think if anything the rotor might come out bright and shiny "at worst." Of course... I've been known to be wrong in the past.

What, you don't like your rotors to be bright and shiny?!

Appreciate that, I'll try the boiling water first and then a Q-tip soaked with carb cleaner before soaking it in that.

Been leery about stuff in the receiver since I got some foaming bore cleaning leakage onto the rotor on my hunter EG and it started turning green. Though that's intended to dissolve copper, so it makes sense.

Thanks all. Easier to ask than to have to pull a rotor to shine it up.

Come on Rory, put on your big girl panties and take out that rotor

They are a piece of cake to do once you have done a couple.

Someday I'm sure I'll need to. Until then, I'll improvise!

I can honestly say, I've yet to completely disassembly a 99 and put it back together. Just have not had a need to yet.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but it's really not that hard to do.

Rory
Get Some Kerosene-Diluted with 1/4 Part Alcohol or Mineral Spirit's-strait, Put In Squeeze Bottle, And Flush all Gunk Out, Lightly Rinse with Denatured Alcohol with 1/8 W.D. 40 Mixed in.
Works Like a Charm.Make sure you remove stocks and cover all other metal.

I have no doubt its not difficult, I understand how it all functions, just have never had to need to do it yet. Almost did it once to clean an early 1899A but ended up feeling like it was clean enough and it operated smoothly.

Many women have said that about me!

Gary
You Made My whole day, Tnx for making me laugh.
Steve

I polished the rotor on the 99C. The rotor removal/install was scary after reading a few things on the internet. If you leave the rotor parts together and remove/install it as a unit, it is not bad at all. Leave all of these pieces together. (Not my rotor in the pic, just a pic of the parts)

Yea, I think that was the part Gary was refering to...

When I firsr came here I had a question about WD 40 around Guns. That was ansered well, thanks. What I had been doing was cleaning the sand out of my postmill 99A. As careful as you are if you live around sand and wind, it gets in. Hot sopey water cuts light oil and crud about as well as anything. Just as it does blackpowder residue. Any way I took off the wood. Gave it a bath, in the tub. Wiped and blew it dry, the hotter the water, the hotter metal, and the better it will dry. Then I used WD 40 to dry out any moisture that might have lurking, inside and out. Cleaned up excess WD, re oiled put back together, good as new. Use something to disburse the moiture, that is not designed to cut rust (blue) and this should be a good procedure if needed. If all else fails. Send it to Johno, bet he could lay it on the Post Office counter. Put on his blindfold take it apart clean oil, reassemble, and have it ready to ship back. 30 min tops.