[twoblink]

I have a Ruger SP101, and it's easy to take down and clean with the transfer bar. That's why I'll probably buy a GP100, due to the systems being similar.

Since I've never taken down any other revolvers, are they just as easy to take down? Tools needed?

[Jim K]

Most modern revolvers are not easy to take down. Beyond removing the cylinder, most owners prefer to let a gunsmith work on the inner parts. But remember that revolver lockwork rarely gets out of order, seldom gets very dirty, and almost never needs work that can be done by the user.

Many auto pistols, like the 1911, P.38, Luger, etc. date from the era when soldiers and officers were expected to keep their guns clean and so the pistols are made for easy stripping. Pure civilian pistols, on the other hand, like the Colt 1903 pocket models and the Walther PP, were not designed to be easily taken apart.

Most auto pistol fans take their guns apart just out of curiosity and because they can do it. (Sometimes they can't get the guns back together.)

The exception to the revolver rule is with many old European military revolvers. It is common for the sideplate to swing open with removal of a single screw or the turn of a latch, exposing all the parts for easy cleaning and/or replacement. Nice idea, but it never caught on here or in England.

Ruger has sort of a compromise. The DA revolvers are fairly easy to take apart, but care is needed not to lose parts and in reassembly.

Jim

[Tamara]

Why would you "take down" a revolver for normal cleaning? Pop cylinder open; punch bore; scrub chambers, cylinder face and topstrap; close cylinder and you're done.

[JPM70535]

Most S&W revolvers are relatively easy to strip down to their individual parts. My firearms instructor at the LSP academy taught each cadet how to do it. All it takes is the little screw driver that used to come with every revolver. Reassembly is just as easy.

J frame Smiths are a little different in that the mainspring is a coil, where the K,L,and N are leaf type mainsprings. Aside from that they are pretty much the same. I just bought a new 649 with the new key lock. I took the side plate off and dissasembly looks to be the same, all the lock related parts seem to be against the left side of the frame where they shouldn't interfere with dissasembly.

Rugers are easy, in fact the only revolvers I don't take completely
take apart are Colt Pythons. When I took mine apart it took forever to get it back together again, so I figure it is a job best left to a gunsmith.

At the very least I feel the side plate should be taken off and the internal parts sprayed with a degreaser like Carb cleaner. Relubricaton can be with the oil of choice. ( After all we strip our auto-loaders down and think nothing of it, why should revolvers be different)

[10-Ring]

Cleaning my 9-shot 22lr revolver I learned it's much like cleaning a gun w/ 10 barrels :scrutiny: :rolleyes: But then again, once the barrel & the cylinder is done, it's pretty much time for a thorough wipe down.

[twoblink]

Tamara, because I'm anal and every gun that I own is cleaner then my room :D

There's the "after the range" cleanings, and then there's the "I rented 2 movies, and while I'm watching, might as well pull out the flitz tube and the flannel..."

[Tamara]

It's just that revolvers are much, much easier to bugger up during disassembly and reassembly than semiautos; especially revolvers with sideplates. I don't take 'em apart unless I absolutely have to, and even then, I prefer to take 'em to my favorite 'smith.

Do you also do cleaning and internal maintenance on wristwatches? ;)

[Pappy John]

"Why would you "take down" a revolver for normal cleaning?"

I do it so that I'm not putting pressure on the crane assembly while I'm busy scrubbing out the chambers. Am I being too careful?


"Do you also do cleaning and internal maintenance on wristwatches?"

Ummmm, yeah....I do change the batteries.

Frugal John:D :D :D

[J Miller]

I have had $&W's, Colts, and Dan Wessons apart many times. I find them quite easy to do. You just have to pay attention to their individual idiosyncracies. Haven't had a Ruger apart yet.

I rarely take one down all the way, unless it really needs a major cleaning. That hasn't happened in a while, but there are reasons to do it. I used to shoot more in a month than most people will shoot in a lifetime, at that point I would pull the sideplate on my guns about once a year and scub all the crap out of them. You'd be amazed at what accumulates inside a revolver. Now I live in IL where I rarely shoot anymore. (I hope to remedy that soon.)
So if I pull the sideplates off my DA guns now, it's from shear boredom.

I always remove the cylinder and crane from a DA when I clean it.
A filthy crane assembly can gum up a revolver to the point of malfunctions. Been there, done that. Plus it's easier to clean out the cylinder when you arn't manhandling the whole gun.

[JoeHatley]

S&W and Rugers are easy to detail strip. Dan Wessons are a bit more time consuming. Colt "V" spring actions can be very time consuming (gotta keep stopping to look at the damn instructions).

Joe

[twoblink]

If my wristwatch gets really dirty, I dunk it (waterproof, swissarmy watch) into some solvant, and let it soak, and then scrub it out clean..

When you take my revolver, and spin the cylinder, it spins for almost 10 seconds... I was in Oregon, and my friend was like WOW, I don't know how you clean your guns, but that is seriously impressive! :D

I don't like to put pressure on the crane assembly either..

Also, I take down the gun, as I find I learn something new everytime I do...

I do my own smithing most of the time too... As I don't have a smithing background, I generally take about 4-6 hours to learn everything about every gun I own.. I did the trigger job on most of my guns myself. The Ruger 22/45 was amazingly difficult....

Also, you get to find out that Ruger revolvers have 1 spring that will fly out if you are not careful...

[Standing Wolf]

I've never cleaned a revolver without removing the cylinder and crane. I strip a revolver down to the frame for a thorough cleaning once every year or two. It takes longer for a Colt than a Smith & Wesson.

[Jim K]

OK, guys, but so revolvers are easy to take completely apart and to get back together again.

So why do I keep seeing stuff like:

"Help! I tok my xxx revovllver aport and how do I git it bak twogetter & by da way, I loosted three pards and bended a cuple of moore and do yew reelly need those whutevr day are, and I reelly like to play gunsmit and it is reel eezy with all yew guys to help like yew did all the times befour wit my udder guns wen I dint no how to tak guns aport and now I do a lot and iv yew snd me yure guns ial ficks dem rite."

Jim

[BigG]

I didn't know Huck Finn was a member of this board. Welcome! How's Jim? :neener:

[Pappy John]

Obviously there are some people that would be better off not taking them down to clean. The ability to read instructions is a help. So is having the right tools for the job.

I'm pretty comfortable with it until "Sproing...whizzzz...Uh oh, where did that land?"

[Jim K]

Well, I worked for quite a while as a gunsmith, and I had far too many of those "Sproing...whizzzz...Uh oh, where did that land?" episodes. That is why I advise folks who don't know what they are doing not to take guns apart except for the minimum needed to do adequate cleaning. Those who confess to cleaning paranoia and who insist on doing things like removing revolver barrels or 1911 safety spring tunnels for the fun of it, just have to live with the results of that sort of nonsense.

Jim

[sm]

My dad was a watchmaker, the old quote from "old man Bulova" was...I can teach a person to fix a watch--I have a hard time teaching WHEN TO QUIT FIXING the darn thing ".

Revolvers I do as Tamara does, thats why I have a gunsmith friend. Semi's yeah I do a bit more--I know my limitations. besides I made a deal I wouldn't bugger up my guns if my gunsmith wouldn't bugger up his SO jewelry by setting his own diamonds. I don't do diamonds anymore--he doesn't do jlry for SO's ( we both got smart).

I still say from my experience, and that of my dad's--too many thngs get bugger up by improper tools, taking down too far, and "fixing too much".

I finally had my model 64 gone through, gunsmith smoothed the action in '80-'82...anyway...all these years, all those rounds, never did anymore than use Klenn-bore formula 3 in cyls, and bore with a patch or nylon brush, top strap ....etc. Heavy cleaning I used Zippo lighter fluid. With original grips looks like it just came off assembly line, buttery smooth action.

Gunsmith says its actually in better shape than newer guns he sees---and a far better than the newer ones the owners monkey with constantly.

YMMV