How to clean , Lubricate a revolver?

[ChristopherG]

what should i use to clean the exterior of my 10-5 s&w .38 spl its nickel plated, the gunsmith said solvent on the exterior is what dulled my finish.....

I don't see how solvent would 'dull' nickel--though nickel plating does requires some extra care. You specifically don't want to expose it for any great duration to a solvent that includes ammonia, which is used in copper-removing barrel cleaners. The nickel plating is underlain by a copper plating, and if ammonia gets in through tiny cracks in the nickel to eat away the copper basecoat, then the whole mess will come off in chips and flakes--not what you want.

Breakfree CLP does not have ammonia and should be fine. If your nickel plating is dulled, I'd recommend long, loving attention with a soft cloth and a quality polish.

 

[davinci08]

help VERN

i dnt know the topstrap or cylinder throat. casn you be cleare vfor a novice? I have s&w 22 10 shots matte silver

 

[davinci08]

help me vern i am new to this sysyem

 

[davinci08]

I dont know how toclean n mt gun i never didv it--i hve oil and cleaner and stuff-do i use the bore snake at al or save it forv the trail.

 

[davinci08]

CAN i USE wd 40 ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GUN? DO i COPPER BRUSH THE MUZZLE AND THE THECYLANDERS. thE i"m lost

 

[davinci08]

i DON'T KNOW WHAT i SHOULD CLEAN ON MY PISTOL OTHER THAN THE BORE AND CYLINDER HOLES WITH SOLVENT AND THEN OIL THEM. IS THERE ANYTHINGB ELSE i SHOLD CLEAN? wHATV OTHER THINGS--i DONT KNOW THE NAMES--SHOULD BE CLEANED
YOU CAN E MAIL ME AT DESHARICAULT@ YAHOO.COM
THANKS A LOT

 

[20nickels]

Davinci08,
Yes, WD40 is great for the outside. For the bore and chargeholes (if necessary) I like Hoppes #9.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Remove the cylinder and crane and maybe the grips if you are really messy. If you just purchased a used revolver you might remove the side plate to at least inspect it. If it is new refer to the first sentense...And don't worry about full disassemble for a number of years...

 

[gizamo]

What a bunch of Mamby Pambies....

Just kiddin guys....LOL

Actually, every new to me S&W gets taken apart and reassembled. While there, I generally do a tune.

I cannot recall how many problem guns I have bought from dealers that supposedly had timing/lock-up problems that were solved by a basic dissassembly and complete clean/reassemble...

I would bet it would be an amazing number of guns that went back to the factory, that just needed a good cleaning....I've watched folks at the range put the gun verticle (barrel up) and run a solvent soaked brush across the recoil sheild....Where they thought all that lead,carbon and solvent was going is beyond me ~ obviously a good deal was getting forced through the hand window (duh).....And then there are the older guns that got the "drops of oil" down the hammer. After about twenty years it congeals into a real mess.....

So what to do, google Jerry Miculeks' DVD about complete dissassembly, cleaning, and reassembly of S&W revolvers...He takes the novice through all the steps...and you won't believe the crud that accumulates in your gun....affecting it's action...

Giz

 

[johnnylaw53]

I don't think one should use WD 40 anywhere on a weapon. It is not oil it is make to repel water and it does penatrate well. which translate into if some get on your ammo it may get into the primer and kill the ammo. the out side should just be wiped with a somewhat oiled rag. Oh the boresnakes are great just don't forget to wash them now and then.

be safe

 

[The Bushmaster]

WD-40 is not a rust preventitive and should not be used on firearms...Not only that. It washes the oils off the metal and then evaporates leaving the gun unprotected...

 

[hemiram]

I would take every gun I ever bought completely apart (not to the point of driving pins out, but anything screw attached) and cleaned up an lubed it. I didn't like messing with the innards of the S&W and their clones, as they were a real hassle to put back together, just one of the reasons I like Dan Wessons so much, I can put one, and actually have built one, together from a boxful of parts in a couple of minutes..

WD40 is a no-no, IMO, I use CLP and Break Free, and some Castrol or Tufoil gun lube on the slide rails of my semiautos.

 

[Ops Officer]

Birchwood-Casey lead remover cloth is your friend for stainless revolvers, esp. for fouling between the topstrap and the forcing cone. But don't use it on blued finishes.

 

[CajunBass]

I took the sideplate off a Smith & Wesson revolver. Once. I was young, stupider than I am now, and didn't know any better.

I boggered up a couple of screws, then chipped the sideplate when I pryed it off. I was smart enough to stop there when I saw the internals.

Learn from my stupid mistakes.

Don't do it.

Or at least learn to do it right.

 

[Zip7]

The handiest thing you will ever get for cleaning is those wax/silicone impregnated hoppes cleaning rags. They are usually yellow. Especially if you have blued guns. I always have several in my box.

I take my single actions apart, clean the inside of the frame and the cylinder, bore, base pin etc. with hoppes #9 solvent. I try not to get much of that in the action.

Once I've scrubbed all those well, using the bore brush for the bore and cylinder chambers, followed by a jag & patch, I will spray all over with a evaporating cleaner/degreaser like electrical contact cleaner or brake cleaner, or hoppes cleaner/degreaser to get rid of the #9.

I then run a jag with an oiled patch through the cylinder holes and the bore (and the base pin hole on SA). mist the whole gun lightly with silicone spray lube (available at most automotive stores - cheap) and wipe off / polish everything I can reach with the Hoppes rags. Once one gets pretty dirty or dry, I toss it and use a new one.

I tend to stay away from WD40 type products, and there are a lot of them. WD 40 is supposed to be a penetrating oil + cleaner + lube. It does these things too, but for lube I use plain silicone spray lube, and for cleaning, I use straight cleaner/degreaser. Penetrating oil is not necessary for firearms maintenance unless your guns is rusted up badly.

Again - the hoppes rags are your friends.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I remove the cylinder every time I clean my revolvers. I find it much easier to thoroughly clean the cylinder when it is off the frame.

For stainless guns, I drop the cylinder into a plastic jar with a 50/50 mix of Simple Green and water. Leave it in overnight and even the worst burn rings will wipe right off.