How do I clean and care for a revolver?

[Drjones]

Some friends of mine who are gun newbies are seriously contemplating a handgun purchase, and they are partial to revolvers.

I'd like to know any info you folks can post here about how to clean and care for a revolver.

Any links, pictures, diagrams, etc. are very much appreciated.

Sorry, no specific model in mind yet.

Thanks!
Drjones

 

[Black Majik]

Yeah, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure how to exactly clean my revolver also. I usually clean the barrel along with the cylinder and try to get as much powder off of the forcing cone and cylinders as I can.

I lube the cylinder latch and crane and give the rest of the gun a thin coat.

I doubt I'm doing it right but I'm a autoloader type of guy anyways... so my 686 usually just sits at home

But I am curious as to the proper way to take care of the revolver, when to take off the cylinder, how to take it off, how to clean the forcing cone and the cylinder face to a nice shine (they always get so dirty, even using a brush they still stay black for the most part)

Also, where do I put oil/lube the reolver.

Thanks (I feel so noob)

 

[Mark whiz]

I'm for sure no expert on cleaning revolvers, but I've been shooting the same ones for up to 10 years, so I guess I'm doing a pretty good job.

What I do is wipe the entire piece down with a solvent - I use MPro7 on everything I own. Then I clean the barrel with solvent like I would with any barrel, using bronze brushes & patches. When shooting lead bullets, I'll follow that cleaning by using some kitchen scouring pads strands twisted around a bronze brush with solvent...................that works really good to remove stubborn lead deposits.

I find the hardest part of revolver cleaning to be the cylinder holes............ it seems like they NEVER come completely clean. Treat them just like the bore.................brush & patch with solvent.....over and over and over again.

I also work a good oil on the cylinder rod and work & spin it, wipe clean & repeat several times. I've yet to pull the cylinder on any of my revolvers (except for my black powder cap & Balls).

I finish up with a coat of oil rubbed over the surface of the pistol, in the bore & cylinder holes, on the cylinder rod and in the advancing mechanisms in the frame - hammer & trigger too.

Then it's Miller Time!!!

 

[Plinkerton]

How To Clean Your Revolver

This is a good site. It's pretty much what I do.

Also, to clean the cylinder face, to get all the burn rings off, use a Lead Remover Cloth

These cloths will literally wipe the burn rings off. They work great.

Also, to help with getting the lead out of the forcing cone use a Lewis Lead Remover

They work great, and definitely help out a lot.

Have fun.

 

[Captain Bligh]

Note: Lead Remover Cloth is for stainless guns only. It is not to be used on blued guns.

 

[Quantrill]

Plinkeron's suggestion of a Lewis Lead Remover is excellent. Quantrill

 

[Benjamin]

http://www.biggerhammer.net/manuals/sw_revolver.pdf

Cleaning starts on page 23.

Absolutely DO NOT remove the side plate unless you know what you're doing. Lots of small parts.

 

[Drjones]

Thanks a ton for the great links, guys!

Exactly what I'm looking for!

 

[Blueduck]

Not really needed for function, but if you want to get the rings off the face of the cylinder on a blued gun Iosso's "Gun Bright" polish does a great job and does not harm the finish.

 

[Marshall]

As far as I'm concerned, everyone including me, is doing it right. It's kind of like cleaning a bolt action rifle, you do all you can without tearing the whole thing apart. In my carry and night stand revolvers, I even wipe by ammo down with an oil cloth before loading it back for carry. Is that obsessive?

 

[Plinkerton]

Note: Lead Remover Cloth is for stainless guns only. It is not to be used on blued guns.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that...

Thanks.

 

[Black Majik]

I have a quick question, will putting a drop of oil in the cylinder latch cause a problem since it may drip into the trigger action?

I used to do that but now after I read plinkerton's site he provided (thanks!) I'm not thinking it may be a bad idea.

TIA!

 

[Drjones]

As far as I'm concerned, everyone including me, is doing it right. It's kind of like cleaning a bolt action rifle, you do all you can without tearing the whole thing apart. In my carry and night stand revolvers, I even wipe by ammo down with an oil cloth before loading it back for carry. Is that obsessive?

Obsessive? No.

Harmful? Yes.

Oil and other chemicals can damage ammo, leaving you with a fancy-looking paperweight if you ever have you use your carry or nightstand guns.

You need to immediately throw away the ammo in your carry and nightstand guns and replace it with clean, dry ammo, and this time don't oil your ammo!!!!

Dork.

 

[Marshall]

Hmmmmm, never had a problem with that.

I don't "oil" them, I said I just wipe with my cloth, not the bottoms where the primers are either.

Thanks for your concern though.

 

[Drjones]

It is a well-known fact that oil can damage ammo.

If you choose to scoff at me, fine.

It's not my hide on the line.

 

[Marshall]

Drjones,

I didn't mean to sound disrepectful or unapreciative. All I meant was that I've never had any problems in that area, at all. But, I will take heed to your advice. Sure don't want any problems, maybe I've just been lucky, who know's?

 

[Drjones]

No hard feelings.

Some just like to learn the hard way and I figured you were one of those folks.

 

[TonyB]

Marshall/Drjones:I love when we all get along
When I clean my revolvers those rings in the cylinders drive me nuts....I use a brass brush 1 caliber bigger in the cylinders(for a few strokes) then use the proper size.....I shoot lots of 38's...when the 357's slide in easily I figure they're clean enough......I do think auto's are easier to clean...but most people don't...maybe I clean too much and expect too much....

 

[Cool Hand Luke 22:36]

I'll follow that cleaning by using some kitchen scouring pads strands twisted around a bronze brush with solvent...................that works really good to remove stubborn lead deposits.

Won't the nylon scouring pads score the metal surface inside the cylinders and make future deposits of lead/burned powder even harder to remove?

It seems to me that if a scrunge pad will scratch a stainless frying pan it'll do the same inside the cylinders.

 

[dshimm]

A neat way to get burn rings off the cylinder face is to rub with an ordinary pencil eraser. Always works.

 

[DMK]

I like to use a boresnake and pull it through the barrel from the forcing cone side.

 

[moxie]

Try this:

I've used this procedure on all civilian guns for over 30 years, except that I don't think I had Breakfree and Rem Oil for the whole time:
1. Clean entire gun with Hoppe's #9, one of the smells of freedom, the other being burnt JP 4, or Breakfree aerosol (carburetor cleaner works almost as good), depending on how dirty the gun is. Use a bronze bristle brush in the barrels and chambers to break up the crud, then cotton patches on a slotted tip until clean. Use a jag for a couple of swipes to get that last bit of crud out of the barrel. Use an old bristle brush to clean the bolt/breech face on rifles and autos and the cylinder face on revolvers. Scrub around the forcing cone with the bristle brush if shooting lead bullets out of a revolver.
2. Saturate with WD 40 (no, I've never had a problem) or Rem Oil, whichever comes to hand first.
3. Wipe off thoroughly with cotton rag and Q tips and slotted tip/jag with cotton patches. Get chambers bone dry (oil can kill primers).
4. Drip tiny drops of Hoppe's gun oil or similar on points of wear.
5. For autos, put a little dab of a good grease like Rig (or the old black Outers/Garcia stuff) on the slide rails and any bright spots. Ditto on friction and wear points in a rifle. Speaking of rifles, if a gas powered auto, clean the gas ports and tubes with a pipe cleaner. On M 16s and similar, make sure the key ways on the bolt rings are out of line.
6. Apply very thin coat of Hoppe's gun oil in barrel using a wool or cotton mop.
7. Thoroughly wipe off any excess.
8. Before a range session, run a clean patch through the barrel.
For magazines and moon clips, I use only Hoppe's #9 and dry thoroughly. Absolutely no oil, it can kill primers.
In the military we used milspec bore cleaner and LSA. Worked great. If you're on a budget get some of these at a surplus outlet and you'll be OK. Lots of guys have used thin motor oil or transmission fluid for gun oil with good results too.

 

[Drjones]

A neat way to get burn rings off the cylinder face is to rub with an ordinary pencil eraser. Always works.

Man, rust, gun crud....erasers do it all!!!

Anyone ever try one on a tattoo???

 

[Mark whiz]

Won't the nylon scouring pads score the metal surface inside the cylinders and make future deposits of lead/burned powder even harder to remove?

CoolHand..................
I've only been using this method for a few months, but it has worked very well. Actually works faster for me than using a Lewis Lead Remover and my pistols are getting easier to clean each time. I do suggest using the Copper-type pad rather than the stainless beacuse of the very thing you state, but otherwise I've nothing but good results and have heard of many others doing too.

OH here's another little trick I learned for cleaning the cylinder holes................ chuck a caliber size nylon brush in a drill or electric screwdriver and run the spinning brush back & forth thru the holes adding a healthy dose of solvent..................cuts thru most of the junk real fast - kinda messy through (Don't try this over Momma's new white carpet ).

 

[L-Frame]

I've had more than a few gunsmiths tell me regarding revolver cleaning, "less if more". In other words, many people treat them like semi-autos, wanting to take them apart and oil them after shooting. Unless you are a gunsmith or have the ability to tinker properly with revolvers do not even attempt to get into the insides of a revolver to clean it. Most revolvers never have to have the internals exposed. Oiling is very rarely necessary. S&W recommends one drop on the base of the hammer allowing it to work its way inside the gun, dry firing a bit to spread it and that is to be done rarely. Excess oil will only attract dirt, which, in turn will make it necessary to get into the gun to clean the crud/oil mixture out.