innocent question re revolver cleaning

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Mr. Magnum

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this may sound silly but i just have to know.

How many times do i have to fieldstrip my revolver to clean the internal parts provided that i get the chance to visit the range twice in a month?

any insights would be great! thanks! :banghead:
 
Hello
It depends on what you are calling Internal Parts ? I remove the cylinder and crane each time and clean the throats and face to rid them of Burned Powder and smoke, along with clean the Bore of the barrel.I take the side Plate off when ever I get a new or used one to Oil the Internal parts with Corrosion-X and do not repest this process unless I see problems. So far, I have not had to remove the side plate more than once. Revolver Fanatic
 
I do the "standard" cleaning of cyllender, forcing cone, barrel, pretty much each time I shoot. As for the "guts" (trigger sear and inner workings) I really just flood it with Breakfree CLP about once a year and let it all drip-dry. About the only time I open things up is if I have some reason to suspect that something is going wrong.
 
ZeSpectre, do you take the sideplate off, or spray it in via the trigger or hammer?
 
I usually take the grips off (but not the sideplate) and then let 'em have it in the hammer opening, in the trigger opening, all over. I use waaay too much Breakfree and make a terrible mess doing it (do this outdoors, wear eye protection against the spray), but all kinds of crap gets flushed out as the breakfree runs back out and I figure I'm keeping the internals rust free.

'course I'm also wiping Breakfree off the gun for the next two weeks as it seeps out of various places :D but I figure that's okay for a once-a-year or so thing.
 
Ditto on what Zspectre said...only, I use FP-10 which is breakfree on steroids.

There is no reason to ever take the side plate off the revolver if you only fire it twice a month. After five years or so, you might want to take it in to a gunsmith for a thorough cleaning. OBTW, you do not need to remove the crane either in order to clean the face of the cylinder. Some people just enjoy taking their weapons apart...I'd advise against it. Leave the thorough cleaning to a gunsmith. There are revolvers decades old that have never been disassembled and superbly functioning, smoothe firing, dependable weapons. "If it ain't broke...don't fix it."
 
just thought that during application of CLP breakfree on the finishing touches of my cleaning procedure, then maybe some of the lubricant may eventually seep inside along with some minute powder/lead residue and just maybe affect the performance of my smith in the long run.

Hmm...some say do, some say don't.

But thanks for all your posts. I'll keep all of these in mind. Appreciate it.

i happen to have a S&W model51 .22magnum revolver which was handed to me by my dad 5 years ago. it came from the 70's era and when my interest in revolvers took part last '03, (forgive me) but since i was an ultimate newbie, i tried to open up the entire thing to see the mechanism, tinkering with parts here&there (thank god my curiosity didnt kill me). It happend 3-5 times if my memory serves correctly. Still shoots well with no malfunctions. But i won't let it happen again.

Just got myself a new 627-5PC.
 
Revolvers almost never need to have the sideplate opened for cleaning. Also, be aware that revolvers require VERY LITTLE lubrication. I've seen far more revolvers with issues caused by being gunked up with years of excessive lubrication and the crud attracted by that lube than I ever have from too little lube. Come to think of it, I've never seen a revolver with problems from too little lubrication.
 
Hi
I agree with what Member .41 Dave has said. I use Corrosion-X as my Main Lubricant. It is a synthetic oil and will not get sludgy over time nor dry up. Just a thought, Revolver fanatic
 
Revolver Cleaning

Mr. Magnum,
Complete dissassembly really depends on your environment, the material of the revolver, how it is used and how the revolver is stored.
If your gun goes from a dehumidified gun safe to the range, cleaned and promptly returned, than you can probably go longer than most on the complete dissasssembly.
I recommend to my regulars to have their carry revolvers completely dissassembled once a year with detailed cleanings semi-annually.
Hunting revolvers should be done at the start and end of the season.

A lot of the revolvers I see are daily to occasional carry guns so I usually see rust forming inside the frame where the yoke pivots and on the hammer's pivot point inside the frame. I once found 10 strands of cat hair in one gun!
I wouldn't recommend spraying a lot of lubricant into these areas because it will attact dirt and general gunk into you firearm. Just disassemble, clean, wipe down with a light lube. It's a very easy process and if you do it once a year, you should be fine.

Have a great day!
 
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