Well my revolver is filthy, now what?

[Delaware_Dan]

Well back from the range and my GP100 is pretty dirty. The cylinder face(?), and the forcing cone, and, well the whole thing is a mess. Armed with only a Hoppes cleaning kit and a .38 bore brush where do I start?(I am working so I have a bunch of rags too) The cylinder face is bothering me the most. Now I have kind of cleaned this thing once before and it was a huge pain, so but now it's necessary. Any tips to make this process a little less painless would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. -Dan

[JWT]

Cleaning the cylinder face has been covered on several earlier threads. A Lead Away cloth with work very well, but should only be used on stainless guns, not on blued ones.

[NGIB]

If the cylinder is really funky, remove & soak it. Not sure if this is easy on a Ruger but it's a snap on a S&W...

[Kreyzhorse]

A lead away cloth is the more important thing when cleaning a stainless steel gun. Grab one and your job will be much easier.

[Delaware_Dan]

I have never even heard of a lead away cloth, thanks. Does anyone know how to remove the cylinder?

[Kreyzhorse]

For a cleaning after shooting, I wouldn't bother removing the cylinder. A toothbrush and some solvent will remove whatever filth muck you see including under the extractor. The lead away cloth will clean the rest of the cylinder face.

[max it]

hi, I wouldnt mind taking my cylinder off model 19 S & W
How easy, and how?

much obliged.

Max

[CraigC]

Wipe down the exterior with a soft oil-damp rag. Take a brush to the bore only if it's leaded. Swab the chambers with wet patches. Wipe off the interior frame window and crane area with the rag. No more is necessary. Removing the carbon scoring from the cylinder face is likely to do more harm than good, particularly long term. There's absolutely no reason to go overboard in doing that, just wipe it off and leave whatever is left. Most shooters go way too far in their cleaning regimens and are too stubborn to try it any other way.

[Jkwas]

Wipe down the exterior with a soft oil-damp rag. Take a brush to the bore only if it's leaded. Swab the chambers with wet patches. Wipe off the interior frame window and crane area with the rag. No more is necessary. Removing the carbon scoring from the cylinder face is likely to do more harm than good, particularly long term. There's absolutely no reason to go overboard in doing that, just wipe it off and leave whatever is left. Most shooters go way too far in their cleaning regimens and are too stubborn to try it any other way.
I agree. Unless you are putting it away for long term storage, a light cleaning is all that is needed. I was fanatical, but not anymore. Ever see the range rentals? yeeech.

[BillCA]

Dan,

My typical starting point is to ensure the gun is unloaded and remove the grips to protect them from solvents. Usually this involves removing only one screw.

Bore:
Next, I'll soak a patch and swab out the bore with several strokes. Repeat with another patch and let soak. Now soak another patch and swab out the chambers. You may need to change the patch every 2-3 chambers if you did lots of shooting.

Now the gun is oozing solvent. Using a bronze/brass brush, push it through the bore several times. Any little metal flakes you see should be copper or lead. Run a patch or two down the bore to dry it and inspect for visible leading, dark spots or smears. Repeat the brushing with a solvent-soaked brush to remove the deposits.
Note: Place a rag over the rear of the frame to prevent the brush from slamming into the area around the firing pin.

Cylinder:
Note: Be sure to support the cylinder with your weak hand to prevent straining the swingout arm. Run the brush through each chamber from the rear, rotating the brush slowly out the chamber mouth. The rotation helps loosen any leading. 2-strokes per chamber is enough. After cleaning all chambers, run dry patches through the chamber to dry them and inspect for smears, rings, lumps, etc. Use a solvent-soaked brush to remove these deposits. Use a lint-free rag or cloth to clean under the star-extractor.

Pre-oiling Wipe-Down
With the bore and chambers clean, wipe down the gun with a rag. Shop towels work fine here. You can use powder solvent on the rag and rub off external powder fouling around the muzzle, frame and cylinder.
[Optional: Use a solvent-soaked nylon toothbrush to clean between the barrel and topstrap. Not all of it will come off.]

Re-inspect the bore and chambers. Touchup clean as needed.

Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off excess solvents and dry the gun. Use a patch with solvent for spot cleaning (or Q-Tips). Inspect for and remove any lint, strings, loose nylon bristles.

Re-lubricate:
If you fire every weekend or frequently, you can probably skip re-lubrication and do it every other or every third time. If you use any degreasing-type cleaners like Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner, you must relubricate your gun.

Place one small drop of oil in the following places on the cylinder:
- On the star extractor shaft under the star, with the star fully open.
- At the front of the cylinder around the center pivot area
- At the front of the swing-arm for the cylinder where it meets the frame.

One drop each:
- The cylinder bolt at the bottom of the frame window
- The center pin hole in the recoil shield
- The firing pin hole
- The cylinder hand window
- Cock the hammer and add the drop at the bottom
Close the cylinder and cycle the action by hand several times.
- For S&W's, a drop on the locking pin on the barrel lug.

Cycle the action by hand five or six times and wipe any excess oil from the gun. Reinstall the grips.

If your gun will be stored for several months, put two drops of oil on a patch and run it through; the bore; each chamber; to prevent rust. Wipe the exterior of the gun down with a clean cloth with up to 3 drops of oil on a corner to coat the gun with a thin layer of oil. Buff excess oil off.

[BillCA]

Cylinder removal.

For routine cleaning cylinder removal is not necessary. It should only be necessary after shooting over 200 rounds and/or when the gun is to be soaked in solvents.

For S&W and Colts, the screw on the right side and below the frame window must be removed to release the cylinder. In the photo below, the screw at the front of the sideplate (next to the trademark text) is the correct screw.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff111/BillCA/Hobby/jf/M649_002.jpg

Warning: Use the proper size screwdriver blade to prevent marring the screw and/or gun. Colt, Charter and some S&W revolvers use a 3-piece unit. The screw is a threaded "cap" that retains a spring & plunger. Remove carefully!

On Ruger DA revolvers, the grips, hammer & mainspring assembly and triggerguard & action assembly must be released or removed to allow removal of the cylinder. It's much easier to leave it in place unless you really need to remove it.

[stevieboy]

I never cease to be amazed at how people's cleaning regimes differ. Obviously, they all seem to work in the sense that we're all still shooting, so there's clearly room for much variation.

For what it's worth, here's mine -- premised on the idea that I like my guns to be really spotless. I clean each of my guns after each trip to the range.

With a stainless gun I start by running a patch saturated with J & B bore cleaner down the barrel and then, through each charge hole. I resaturate the patch for each charge hole. Next, I spray a good gun cleaner liberally into the barrel and in each charge hole. I really like Birchfield-Casey Gun Scrubber. Then, I brush out the barrel and each charge hole thoroughly, using a bronze chamber brush. Then, I run solvent-soaked swabs through the barrel and each charge hole, repeating until they come out without evident discoloration. Typically, the first one comes out nearly black and the 4th or 5th will appear to be nearly clean. I follow that up with clean dry swabs until there is no carbon residue on them.

Next, I take a bronze brush, saturated with Gun Scrubber, and thoroughly brush the cylinder face, the area under the top strap, and around the forcing cone. The next step is to wipe down all of these areas with a solvent soaked cloth. I carefully examine the area between the forcing cone and the top strap for accumulated carbon. If there's a thick deposit, I get that out by twisting a little bronze wool into a thick strand and rubbing it against the deposit. After I've done that, I wipe down the entire gun's surface with one or two Gun Scrubber-saturated swabs. I pay special attention to the area under the extractor star, which can get very dirty and which I have a tendency to forget. When the swabs no longer show any carbon stains, I finish by wiping down the entire gun with a swab into which I've sprayed a little Smith & Wesson gun oil. The last step is to wipe down the entire gun with a clean soft cloth. The entire process takes me about 30 - 40 minutes. I find that larger caliber revolvers are easier to clean than 22s because rimfire ammunition tends to be really dirty.

With a blued gun I follow the same process except that I do not ever use a bronze brush on the gun's surface That's a recipe for removing the blueing!! A bronze chamber brush for the interior of the bore/charge holes is fine, however. Any scrubbing I do with a blued gun is done with either a very soft toothbrush or a soft nylon gun brush. Also, I wipe down my blued guns with a lead removing cloth. That seems to take out the remaining lead stains nicely.

Some of you seem to think that scrubbing the cylinder face with a mild abrasive (such as a bronze brush on a stainless cylinder face) will do damage. I've been cleaning my guns this way for years and have not noticed any.

[Delaware_Dan]

Removing the carbon scoring from the cylinder face is likely to do more harm than good, particularly long term.

I take a bronze brush, saturated with Gun Scrubber, and thoroughly brush the cylinder face

Now I am confused. I bought a bronze brush and some more Hoppes today and was planning on giving it a good scrub. The first quote now has me a little concerned. Thanks again for helping me with this guys, I have never really scrubbed the thing, and I am not really sure about how to go about it. Oh and it's a stainless 4inch Ruger GP100 with Houge rubber grips.

[AlaskaMike]

You have to consider what kind of fouling will impede the functioning of the revolver, and what kind is just cosmetic. On my stainless .44 Anaconda I used to go nuts trying to clean the powder fouling off the cylinder face, but decided that after a couple of good wipes the remaining fouling is really just cosmetic and not worth worrying about. My guns are shooters, not show guns.

Mike

[CraigC]

Now I am confused. I bought a bronze brush and some more Hoppes today and was planning on giving it a good scrub. The first quote now has me a little concerned. Thanks again for helping me with this guys, I have never really scrubbed the thing, and I am not really sure about how to go about it. Oh and it's a stainless 4inch Ruger GP100 with Houge rubber grips.

I think the problem stems from the idea a lot of shooters have that stainless guns are dishwasher safe and can be handled differently. Some to the point of outright abuse. If you treat them exactly as if they were blued, you'll never have a problem, or create one. If you talk to any of the big time sixgun writers or the custom gunsmiths, you'll find that 99% of the time, their cleaning regimens are very conservative. A thorough cleaning after every range session serves the needs of the shooter, much moreso than the needs of the gun in question.

[orionengnr]

I am not sure how a brass brush can do any damage to a steel cylinder. That said, I don't stress over the blackened front of the cylinder. Whatever wipes off does; whatever remains can stay.

I have read that a Pink Pearl pencil eraser will take the blackness off of a stainless revolver's cylinder face--I've never tried it, but may one day. Considering I only own one stainless revolver, it's not that high on my list of things to do.

[Boatme98]

DD It's no good now. I think you need to just get rid of that nasty thing. I'll take off your hands. :D

[mellow_c]

You guys all need to try Slip 2000

I'll try to keep it simple

I swear to God, out of everything I've ever tried for cleaning and or lubing a gun. it does it all the best. There is nothing that this stuff cant do for your gun, and do the best (except for maybe medium or Heavy Machine gun grease), and it wont harm wood or plastic or any finish. Also it's non petroleum based, is not NEARLY as bad for your hands and skin. and Has a huge operating temperature , it will NOT dry up, and it will NOT gum up....

anyway, google it, and buy some and try some. I've converted every firearm I own to just this stuff and I'll never go back

I feel weird like I'm advertising, but I really mean this as a great tip to all my fellow firearm enthusiasts. Since the one product does it ALL, it saves me alot of time and effort. Plus all my guns work better, are slicker in their action, and now have superior wear and corrosion protection. I remember the day I converted my GP100. Man, the trigger really smoothed out!

[mearly]

I just bought a Pef Center 627 and took it out to the range and ran 100 rounds through it ... and as you might expect it no longer looked very new .....

I had recently ordered some of the KG products KG-1, 2, 3, 4 and 12 and decided to give them a try ... I was extremely impressed ... with just a little effort the gun cleaned up really nice .... I am going to start using the KG products on the rest of my handguns ...... and will see how they work on my benchrest rifles also .....

https://www.kgcoatings.com/index.php

[B.N.Real]

Lead removing cloths should only be used on stainless guns unless they are approved by their makers for use on blued guns.

Some will REMOVE BLUEING OFF HANDGUNS.

Patience is a great friend when you are cleaning any gun.

That gunk got fire branded to your gun so don't expect it to just fall off the gun.

Soak those spots you don't like using a small amount of gun cleaning compound on a small soft bristle brush with gun cleaning solvent while you watching tv or doing something else.

Kind of like basting your gun with that solvent.

Remember that the outside finish of your gun is EXTREMELY EASY TO SCRATCH!

So DO NOT GO GUNG HO with any brushes on that exterior finish!

A soft clothe with solvent is really the only thing that you can use on the outside of your gun.

For the rest there are many excellent posts here to refer to.

Heck,I'm learning better ways to clean my guns too!