Issues Cleaning Stainless Revolver

[Bennett Prescott]

I bought a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan a few weeks ago, fantastic gun, and have been having a good time with it... never thought it would be easy to put a few hundred rounds through a six-gun in one week, especially with the .454 kicking as hard as it does.

Anyway, this is my first revolver, and my first un-coated stainless gun, and I'm having difficulty cleaning it. The majority of the gun cleans fairly easily, although it's got a few nooks and crannies that are hard to get into, but the one thing I can never get back to "new" is the barrel-facing side of the cylinder. After shooting, there's a pretty hefty amount of black "whatever" around the gap between the cylinder and the barrel, and also around the outside of the cylinder where some gasses escape. It takes a heck of a lot of elbow grease and bore cleaner to get the residue off the outside of the cylinder, but I have been unsuccessful so far removing all of it from the cylinder face.

Am I just going to have to give up, or is there some solvent or technique I'm missing that would let me return it to virgin steel?

 

[cslinger]

That is the nature of revolvers. You will typically have two areas that are extremely labor intensive to clean and that is the cylinder face and the area around the forcing cone/top strap.

As long as your gun is stainless you can by some lead away cloth and that works pretty well on the cylinder face. The cloth is a tacky material that cleans lead very well. Never use on a blued gun.

A dremel with a brush attachment works pretty well also.

 

[jameslovesjammie]

A brass toothbrush from the dollar store's automotive department and some Hoppe's #9 works very well, also.

 

[GRIZ22]

As long as your gun is stainless you can by some lead away cloth and that works pretty well on the cylinder face.

This is the easiest least abrasive way of cleaning that stuff. I use it on all my stainless guns.

A Dremel will also work but be sure you use a brass wheel.

The cloth is the best and will last a long time.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

Do not get frustrated

Get this cloth and do not look back. It will have the face of that cylinder looking like new.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=623952&t=11082005

 

[totoro]

cleaner

I use nevr-dull metal polish.Alot of people use it on their aluminum rims.#.50 at any auto store

 

[DPris]

Why bother?
Make a reasonable effort to get most of the powder fouling off & get on with life.
It won't hurt the gun.
Denis

 

[Brian Williams]

I just wipe it with a soft cloth, shoot it again, forget the cleaning.

 

[Bennett Prescott]

Thanks, guys.

Mr.RevolverGuy, I'll give that product a try and see how it works... I figured when good old elbow grease and plenty of bore cleaner and oil weren't helping there would be a better suited product.

Others... Dremel tools? Really? I'd like to keep the whole gun for at least a few years, I don't want to take an abrasive tool to it! Am I missing something?

DPris, I've got other rough and tough "work" guns that I expect to take a beating and aren't exactly show pieces (my Glocks, although I do think they look great). This wheelgun is just so... something else, though, I want to keep it looking as good as possible.

 

[DPris]

Ben,
I've never made any effort whatever to keep a gun looking like it came, I expect them to wear & to show it.
Only once have I ever given the burn marks on a stainless revolver cylinder a second glance beyond normal cleaning, and that was only because I had to take some photos of it looking new after I'd fired it. They're just gonna come back next time the gun's used & I've got many better things to do than waste time trying to keep the stainless revolvers pretty on the end of the cylinder that I don't look at a whole lot.

Different strokes.

Denis

 

[Big Boomer]

Remington® 40-X Bore Cleaner

with a little brass brush, spread it on, let it sit about 5 minutes and scrub off. It will bring it back to factory new. It WILL take off bluing so don't try this on any blued parts.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

I have a soft bristle stainless steel brush I bought from the shop where I got my stainless Single Six, and it does a great job without leaving any marks on the gun at all.

 

[SeanSw]

I wouldn't bother cleaning that face of the cylinder unless the gun were going to be sold.

 

[19-3Ben]

I've tried those lead-away cloths. THey work ok, but not great. The best thing I ever did was take a little Brasso metal polish on a felt wheel, and use my rotary tool/dremel to clean the cylinder face. It came out like brand spankin new. No kidding. if you want the gun to look brand new, Brasso...felt wheel...rotary tool....make it happen. It will take less than 5 minutes of your time as well. Super quick and super easy.

 

[bakert]

I swab mine with Breakfree, let set for a few minutes then wipe of with a cloth, old towel etc. Too much time and trouble to me to make them shiny as new.

 

[paperpuncher49]

OK.....shake you head, laugh, or whatever, but using a Pink Pearl eraser available at any office supply store or maybe even WallyWorld does wonders to lighten the coloration on the front of the cylinder on my stainless GP100.

 

[Bellzy]

I leave the scorch rings on the front of my cylinder. They don't hurt anything and it gives the gun character, kind of like a meerschaum pipe gains character over time. It shows that you and your gun have spent some time together and know each other well.

 

[lev83]

Flitz will remove the fouling from your gun effortlessly and it is inexpensive.