Burnside Help

[warjr]

I am trying to restore a Burnside and have looked for information on disassembly of the breech block. Does anyone have information? This Burnside apparently has a cartridge of some sort which I am soaking with oil to remove. However, it is apparent the entire block probably needs to be taken apart and cleaned completely.

[Mike w/ 34th]

How many pieces do you have the gun in already? I'm assuming you at least have the breech out, and you can find the two screws that hold the block onto the lever. That just leaves removing the sliding breech. Look at the back of the breech block, and you should see a figure-8 shaped cutout. You should be able to get your thumbnail under the left side of the pin, pull is straight back, and rotate it to the left, so you can slide the moving block out of the breech. If the figure-8 pin won't move, there's a screw on the left side of the breech, remove it and a little penetrating oil should free the pin and spring. If the sliding block won't move, soak it in oil for several days, and then use a popsicle stick to pry the block loose.

Cleaning the block is fairly staightforward. Use a proper nipple tool (two-sided, not square) to remove the nipple and clean out underneath. You can use a guitar string to gently clean the flash channel from the platinum tip back to the barrel. It may get hard carbon fouling caked in there. If you have a blockage in the channel, you may need to use a jeweler's drill bit (I got mine from Bernie's Lapidary Supply) and finger pressure to clean it out.

Cleaning out the chamber, use a .50 cal brass brush on a short T-handle. It'll mangle the brush, but it will clean out the chamber. A .44 brass jag will also work. If you have a piece of brass stuck in the chamber, it is probably good and corroded. It may take something to break the corrosion and get it loose before you can polish out the chamber.

Good luck with the clean up.

-Michael

[John Holland]

I hope you aren't trying to remove the chamber sleeve ! ! !

JDH