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Cleaning OLD Triggers

RCrosby
I have a nice Bofors Forester that has been well cared for but I'm pretty sure the trigger has gummed up a bit from close to 50 years of unattended lube.
Removing the assembly from the action is no problem but I'm a bit minded about whether to disassemble it further or just do what I can with solvents, air gun and new lubes.
Basic materials on the shelf include brake cleaner, Kroil, CLP, Corrosion-X and Rem.Oil.
Interested in how others tackle this situation; i.e. best way to clean, best lube when it's ready to put back together and how tricky the trigger disassembly may or may not be.
Thanks,
Rob[:D][:D]

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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • tsr1965
    Soak in kroil for a couple days, then wipe and brush off what you can. After that hit good with brake cleaner, and put some new lube on, and try it. Repeat as needed.

    Best
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  • bpost
    At Auto Zone you can get a Chemtool B-12 gallon bucket of solvent with a basket in it. The stuff is great for removing gun gunk, old oil, grease yuck and crud.

    Just put the trigger assembly is the basket and let it soak over night, shaking the can every few hours. It will not harm bluing but will leave you with a spotless trigger group, ready to re-oil and test before further disassembly is tried.
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  • Mobuck
    If you have access to an air compressor, my suggestion is to soak/spray with your choice of solvent and blow out the crud. If you're concerned about finish damage, use a milder solvent. I use Brake parts cleaner on anything not synthetic/plactic. It takes off most gunk and leaves a basically dry surface ready for relubing.
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  • Bert H.
    The best way to clean a removable trigger assembly (and I have done it many times on old Model 1885 set trigger assemblies), is to soak it in a tub of acetone. The acetone will dissolve all of the old grease, lube, oil, and whatever else is in it. After the soak, simply let it evaporate dry, and then lightly oil it.
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  • 260
    A+++ to all the above... good advise. 260
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  • mrbruce
    Hard to believe how many folks lube the triggers....
    Flush them with lighter fluid and run them dry like it should be done....
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  • mrbruce
    Hard to believe how many folks lube the triggers....
    Flush them with lighter fluid and run them dry like it should be done....
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  • RCrosby
    Mr. Bruce,
    Seems like there should at least be something on the pivot points, no? I understand the need to avoid stuff that will gum up over time, but????
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  • beantownshootah
    I do NOT like oven cleaner as lye can be corrosive to both your fingers, gun finishes, aluminum, and other things. IMO, there is no role for it in ordinary gun cleaning.

    But +1 to mostly all of the above.

    Remove trigger assembly. . .immerse in suitable solvent and occasionally agitate, and/or flush thoroughly with brake cleaner.

    Then lube gently with favorite lubricant.

    Yes, you can probably get away without any, but lube in the trigger unit both helps reduce wear and also to prevent rust/seizing.
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