Cleaning carbon off a stainless cylinder

jcadwell · April 23, 2007, 06:27 PM

I've got a Super Redhawk in 454 Casull that I've put about 200 rounds through. The face of the cylinder is now covered in carbon... Anybody have any easy ways to get it off? Hoppes #9 didn't touch it, and light brushing with a brass brush didn't either. I have an ultrasonic cleaner if I can get the cylinder off, but I'd prefer a simple solution that won't harm the stainless finish.

hot sauce · April 23, 2007, 06:34 PM

http://secure.armorholdings.com/klee...roduct174.html

It works very well on my 686!

TexasCop · April 23, 2007, 06:59 PM

I would always use break free with a bronze brush and LOTS of elbow grease...

hot sauce · April 23, 2007, 07:02 PM

Nah man, The lead away cloth is almost effortless and the burn rings litterally come right off in seconds. Trust me and save yourself a brush and a sore elbow. You'll be thanking me later.

P.S. , DO NOT USE THIS ON A BLUED GUN. THE FINISH WILL COME OFF! Not that I know first hand or anything. Some noobs might see this thread and decide to clean a blued gun which would'nt be good.

smokin54 · April 23, 2007, 07:43 PM

I use the lead away cloth on my stainless guns but I wrap a small peice of it around a flat file for doing the cylinder face , I shoot alot and am very carfull about cleaning the cylinder face . I dont want to round off the edges of the chambers on the cylinder , I belive that rounding these off will eventually end up in a small loss of velocity and maybe a loss in accuarcy . I only clean the face of the cylinder when i begin to worry about the function of the revolver or am not going to shoot it for a extended period , I always do rust protection but have this thing were i shoot the same guns time after time for a while and then rotate them and shoot something else .

cheygriz · April 23, 2007, 07:58 PM

Are we talking "stain" or actual "build up?"

Build up I remove with a nylon tooth brush and Shooter's Choice solvent. Stain I don't bother removing.

clayking · April 23, 2007, 09:05 PM

Another vote for the lead free cloths.........little rubbing and away it goes..........ck

jhenry · April 23, 2007, 09:12 PM

Lead Away cloth is the thing you are looking for. Works like magic, never use it on a blue gun. I however have stopped using it because the carbon rings just come right back and they do not affect function at all. It got to be a pain in the patooty to add the extra and unnecessary step. I would however dig it out and use it if I were inclined to sell a stainless gun just to spiff it up.

seed · April 23, 2007, 11:41 PM

Another endorsement for the Lead-Away cloths. They are freakin' awesome. I'd definitely wear nitrile gloves while using them though.

BobK · April 23, 2007, 11:41 PM

Flitz or Lead Away

UH1-D Rotorhead · April 24, 2007, 12:08 AM

I have been using Gunzilla for the last year (used by many of the "sailors" at the Little Creek Amphib Base)...it is a "green" product, vegetable based, eco friendly, removes all stains on stainless, nickle, etc., can be used on blued guns, and is alubricant...all in one product; check the web site: www.topduckproducts.com.

BTW, in all of the military, only two communities practice almost daily, using both hand guns and long guns...Special Ops and the Coast Guard...they both use Gunzilla.

mrawesome22 · April 24, 2007, 12:56 AM

Hoppe's Foaming Gun Cleaner will take it right off. I foam mine up and use a toothbrush. No fumes either. Will not hurt any finish.

jcadwell · April 24, 2007, 07:05 PM

Thanks for the help. The lead away cloth took it right off.

I wanted to clean it mostly because I like having clean guns. I take my reloading and workmanship seriously. If I take a gun out to the range it get cleaned shortly thereafter. My firearms are like tools, and I don't put them away dirty...

Stargazer · April 24, 2007, 07:20 PM

jcadwell, Keep using that sucker even after it turns black. I cut mine into 3x3" squares and actually take a couple with me to the range. I clean it up at the range with the LA cloth patches and then wipe her down with a normal rag to polish and clean whatever the LA cloth leaves behind. It's almost already clean by the time I leave there. I wad it up into a small thin cone and clean out the cylinders too. Only thing left is a little scrubbing with the LA cloth and a brass brush for those tight places like above the barrel and the bore. I'll use those patches 3-4 times before pitching them and they still work at removing the stains.

Ammo Junky · April 25, 2007, 05:23 PM

Hopes and a brass brush does work. It wil take off 100% of the carbon stain. It does take several mineuts of scrubbing.

DWARREN123 · April 26, 2007, 05:45 AM

I just tried some Rem 40-X Bore Cleaner and Rem oil on my stainless Ruger revolvers and it works great. Just about as fast as Lead Away and cleanes everything off that's not suppose to be there.

OBIWAN · April 26, 2007, 06:59 AM

slip2000 carbon cutter

April 23, 2007, 06:27 PM	#1
jcadwell Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2006 Posts: 166	Cleaning carbon off a stainless cylinder I've got a Super Redhawk in 454 Casull that I've put about 200 rounds through. The face of the cylinder is now covered in carbon... Anybody have any easy ways to get it off? Hoppes #9 didn't touch it, and light brushing with a brass brush didn't either. I have an ultrasonic cleaner if I can get the cylinder off, but I'd prefer a simple solution that won't harm the stainless finish.

April 23, 2007, 07:02 PM	#4
hot sauce Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2006 Posts: 506	Nah man, The lead away cloth is almost effortless and the burn rings litterally come right off in seconds. Trust me and save yourself a brush and a sore elbow. You'll be thanking me later. P.S. , DO NOT USE THIS ON A BLUED GUN. THE FINISH WILL COME OFF! Not that I know first hand or anything. Some noobs might see this thread and decide to clean a blued gun which would'nt be good. Last edited by hot sauce; April 23, 2007 at 07:06 PM. Reason: Covering my @$$ and watching out for noobs!

April 23, 2007, 07:58 PM	#6
cheygriz Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2002 Location: high up in the rockies Posts: 2,232	Are we talking "stain" or actual "build up?" Build up I remove with a nylon tooth brush and Shooter's Choice solvent. Stain I don't bother removing. __________________ If you think a mighty military force is expensive, wait 'til you see what a weak one costs.

April 23, 2007, 09:05 PM	#7
clayking Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 797	Another vote for the lead free cloths.........little rubbing and away it goes..........ck __________________ Never argue with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

April 23, 2007, 09:12 PM	#8
jhenry Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Location: Ozarks Posts: 1,769	Lead Away cloth is the thing you are looking for. Works like magic, never use it on a blue gun. I however have stopped using it because the carbon rings just come right back and they do not affect function at all. It got to be a pain in the patooty to add the extra and unnecessary step. I would however dig it out and use it if I were inclined to sell a stainless gun just to spiff it up. __________________ "A Liberal is someone who doesn't care what you do, as long as it's mandatory". - Charles Krauthammer

April 23, 2007, 06:34 PM	#2
hot sauce Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2006 Posts: 506	http://secure.armorholdings.com/klee...roduct174.html It works very well on my 686!

April 23, 2007, 06:59 PM	#3
TexasCop Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2006 Posts: 396	I would always use break free with a bronze brush and LOTS of elbow grease...

April 23, 2007, 07:43 PM	#5
smokin54 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Posts: 184	I use the lead away cloth on my stainless guns but I wrap a small peice of it around a flat file for doing the cylinder face , I shoot alot and am very carfull about cleaning the cylinder face . I dont want to round off the edges of the chambers on the cylinder , I belive that rounding these off will eventually end up in a small loss of velocity and maybe a loss in accuarcy . I only clean the face of the cylinder when i begin to worry about the function of the revolver or am not going to shoot it for a extended period , I always do rust protection but have this thing were i shoot the same guns time after time for a while and then rotate them and shoot something else .

April 23, 2007, 11:41 PM	#9
seed Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2004 Posts: 410	Another endorsement for the Lead-Away cloths. They are freakin' awesome. I'd definitely wear nitrile gloves while using them though.

April 23, 2007, 11:41 PM	#10
BobK Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2005 Posts: 838	Flitz or Lead Away

April 24, 2007, 12:08 AM	#11
UH1-D Rotorhead Junior member Join Date: March 15, 2006 Posts: 576	I have been using Gunzilla for the last year (used by many of the "sailors" at the Little Creek Amphib Base)...it is a "green" product, vegetable based, eco friendly, removes all stains on stainless, nickle, etc., can be used on blued guns, and is alubricant...all in one product; check the web site: www.topduckproducts.com. BTW, in all of the military, only two communities practice almost daily, using both hand guns and long guns...Special Ops and the Coast Guard...they both use Gunzilla. Last edited by UH1-D Rotorhead; April 24, 2007 at 01:51 AM.

April 24, 2007, 12:56 AM	#12
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	Hoppe's Foaming Gun Cleaner will take it right off. I foam mine up and use a toothbrush. No fumes either. Will not hurt any finish.

April 24, 2007, 07:05 PM	#13
jcadwell Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2006 Posts: 166	Thanks for the help. The lead away cloth took it right off. I wanted to clean it mostly because I like having clean guns. I take my reloading and workmanship seriously. If I take a gun out to the range it get cleaned shortly thereafter. My firearms are like tools, and I don't put them away dirty...

April 24, 2007, 07:20 PM	#14
Stargazer Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 505	jcadwell, Keep using that sucker even after it turns black. I cut mine into 3x3" squares and actually take a couple with me to the range. I clean it up at the range with the LA cloth patches and then wipe her down with a normal rag to polish and clean whatever the LA cloth leaves behind. It's almost already clean by the time I leave there. I wad it up into a small thin cone and clean out the cylinders too. Only thing left is a little scrubbing with the LA cloth and a brass brush for those tight places like above the barrel and the bore. I'll use those patches 3-4 times before pitching them and they still work at removing the stains. __________________ 5.56mm, reach out and touch something. .458 SOCOM,reach out and knock something down. M70 Web Page

April 25, 2007, 05:23 PM	#15
Ammo Junky Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: IL Posts: 537	Hopes and a brass brush does work. It wil take off 100% of the carbon stain. It does take several mineuts of scrubbing. __________________ Will work for brass. I apologise in advance for spelling errors.

April 26, 2007, 05:45 AM	#16
DWARREN123 Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2006 Location: BETWEEN TN & KY Posts: 1,759	I just tried some Rem 40-X Bore Cleaner and Rem oil on my stainless Ruger revolvers and it works great. Just about as fast as Lead Away and cleanes everything off that's not suppose to be there. __________________ Have a nice day!

April 26, 2007, 06:59 AM	#17
OBIWAN Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 1999 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,342	slip2000 carbon cutter