Revolver cleaning

[Iron Mike]

Perhaps someone can help me with this.When I clean my semi autos I field strip them. With revolvers I just clean the barrel the cylinder and take a tooth brush with solvent to the frame.At what point should I take it down further or should I?

 

[stans]

I do remove the cylinders from revolvers if I can. Gunk can build up in the crane assembly and inhibit the rotation of the cylinder.

 

[bountyhunter]

I do remove the cylinders from revolvers if I can.

Ditto here, every time. Why? You need to hose out the inside of the cylinder with acetone spray cleaner and then add a good grease to the end of the crane tube where it goes in. left dry and or dirty, that spot wears pretty fast and you get cylinder end shake.

Also, be sure to clean and grease the slot in the frame the hand comes through (the piece that turns the cylinder). It's also a high stress point and wears fast if neglected.

 

[TallPine]

How do you get the cylinder out of a Security Six ...?
Isn't that quite a project?

I just put some CLP on the moving parts, then let it trickle down inside and exercise everything to work it in. Wipe off any excess that runs out.

Places like the transfer bar (while cocked), the hand, and the bolt.

 

[George S.]

How do you get the cylinder out of a Security Six ...?
Isn't that quite a project?

I just put some CLP on the moving parts, then let it trickle down inside and exercise everything to work it in. Wipe off any excess that runs out.

Places like the transfer bar (while cocked), the hand, and the bolt.

You can download a copy of the Security Six Instruction Manual from Ruger's website. You will need Adobe Reader to open it.
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/PDF/40.pdf

It looks like the Security Six is field stripped very similar to the GP100 so it is fairly to do. No tools are needed except for a screwdriver to remove the grip panels. You will need a small pin to retain the mainspring assembly but a small panel nail or brad will work.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've never cleaned a revolver without removing the cylinder and crane, both of which soak in a jar of Hoppe's No. 9 while I'm cleaning the barrel and frame. About every fifth or sixth time I take a revolver to the range, I remove the side plate, strip it down to the fame, and clean and oil all the internal parts. Pain in the ankle? You bet! Worth it? Yep.

 

[P95Carry]

Don't forget too ....... to clean thoroughly under the star.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have found that a lot of revolver cleaning is not necessary. Removing the side plate, or taking out the cylinder has not been shown to be productive to me. I do a through cleaning about once a year, and I shoot a pretty fair amount.

 

[Roger Williams]

I have found that a lot of revolver cleaning is not necessary. Removing the side plate, or taking out the cylinder has not been shown to be productive to me. I do a through cleaning about once a year, and I shoot a pretty fair amount.

Same here. I only totally tear my guns down and clean them once or twice a year. I just came to the conclusion that they didn't need the amount of cleaning I was giving them.

After a typical trip to the range I clean my revolver's barrel, frame and cylinders. Once in a good long while, I'll strip it all down and give it a thorough cleaning.

 

[9mmepiphany]

i'll check under the sideplate about every five thousand rounds. usually it's just the barrel, cylinder/chambers/under the star and inside the frame window. i don't believe it was designed to have the sideplate taken down at each cleaning

when i used to shoot in competition, it was just a quick pass through the barrel with a patch, a brush through the chambers and a quick scrub under the star between matches...complete cleaning at the end of the season.

 

[Iron Mike]

Thanks for your help .I do remove the cylinders on my Ruger single actions and clean under the stars on my double actions but the side plates on my Smiths look so tight that I was hesitant to remove them,but I shall in the future.Thanks again, Mike

 

[Dienekes]

I did training and qualifications for 50 plus officers for many years and carried a wheelgun for duty most of my career. As a general rule there is rarely a need to pull the cylinder/crane assembly. The manufacturers didn't think so and neither do I.

Given enough time and rounds the cylinder MAY gum up on the arbor and get sluggish in rotation. Just give it a light spin while it's swung out, and if it doesn't spin nicely, think about taking it to a qualified smith to do. This might occur about every ten years or so.

Two things that don't get enough attention are keeping the area under the extractor star absolutely clean and dry to avoid cylinder binding against the breech face, and making sure that the ejector rod is tight. If it loosens you will get similar binding. I used to put a drop of blue loc-tite on the threads and that was the end of that.

Same with the sideplate only double. More good guns have been ruined by tinkering than were ever worn out.

This may not be what you want to hear but it's the truth.

 

[Joe A]

I had the opportunity to meet Jerry Miculek at the S&W IDPA match last weekend. Asked him to check the action on my PC 625. Picked it up and said "I see a problem right here". A little concerned I ask "what's wrong". Jerry says " it's too damn clean!"

Now I hadn't shot yet and had just cleaned it the night before but I've been told he doesn't clean them a whole lot relative to his round count. Truth be told, I usually take a boresnake to the barrel and cylinder along with a quick wipe of obvious grime after each shooting session. Very lightly oil as necessary. Once every couple of months (1000 - 1500 rounds) I'll clean with a solvent and brush and may take the cylinder off. May pull the side plate once a year or so. I find using compressed air helps me get a lot of gunk out.

BTW, Jerry Miculek is one pleasant gentleman along with being an amazing shooter.

 

[HSMITH]

One of the best reasons to pull the cylinder out every time is it prevents bending of the crane. Bent cranes are far more common than people think, most don't know until it is bent far enough to start binding.

I hardly ever pull sideplates on the guns I don't shoot a lot, safe queens or whatever you like to call them. I clean and lube them VERY well when I get them and that typically carries the internals several years. The guns I shoot a lot get torn down completely regularly, every 8-10K rounds or so unless they start feeling sticky or gritty first. One M19 I have gets 2-3K rounds per month through it, so it gets cleaned quite a bit. Cylinders get cleaned EVERY time on my guns, and a light cleaning of the rest of the gun pretty quickly when I get home is the normal procedure.

 

[Eskimo Jim]

This is how I clean my revolvers:

1) prepare area with newspapers & supplies
2) make sure the firearm is unloaded
3) squirt some solvent (usually remington solvent) down the barrel and into the cylinders (If a single action then the cylinder is removed)
4) squirt a little solvent on a patch and start cleaning the frame
5) use a toothbrush if there are any stubborn spot.
6) Boresnake through the cylinders and barrel
7) treated cloth, silicone for blued or special cloth for stainless that takes off all of the residue
8)lightly oil stainless, blued is left with the silicone on it.
9) reassemble if needed, see that each part functions properly

I have never taken the side plate off of any revolver. I try to avoid disassembling any firearm so that I don't mar a screw, lose a piece or mess something up.

-Jim

 

[TonyB]

My Sp101 is so easy to disassemble that I usually take the cylinder off every other time I clean it..not really needed tho,because it's usually pretty clean.but I keep it lubed....

 

[Dienekes]

Two more things that actually serve a purpose. Make an "L' shaped rack with a recess for the butt of the revolver and appropriate slots for the barrel and ejector of the swung out cylinder to hold the revolver horizontally in position for cleaning. The gun is a lot easier to handle and less chance for the cylinder and crane assy. to flop around (cranes can be bent).

Brownell's makes chamber brushes for revolver chambers; stainless steel, longer and slightly larger in diameter than bore brushes. They do a nice job and are fast.

Sometimes you need a "Lewis Lead Remover" for throat and barrel leading. Brownell's now carries them as their own product. Again, the above rack helps a lot when using it.

Otherwise, "If it ain't broke..."

 

[SteelyDan]

I don't claim to have any special expertise here, but it wouldn't even occur to me to remove the cylinders on my Smiths for cleaning unless there was a problem or until I had 3000 or 4000 rounds through it. Not there yet, so I haven't done it (and I like to take things apart).