Need your recommendations. Please Help.

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ms6852

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I have a beautiful 686 30 yr old Smith and Wesson in which I am having a hard time removing powder rings made from firing 38 rounds instead of 357 located on the cylinder. I have tried solvents and brass brushes but does not seem to work. Any suggestions would be helpful.
 
Make sure you are looking at powder rings left by .38's and not seeing the cylinder throats. I've never seen powder fouling that couldn't be removed with a couple passes of a solvent soaked brush and a few tight wet and dry patch passes.
 
Hi,
The only thing that has worked for me is soaking the cylinder bores with Hoppes for say a several hours. If you still have some after that then take a bronze brush attach it to a drill and soak the brush in Hoppes again work at low speed to pass back and fore through the cylinder bores.

This issue is one reason I am not using 38 specials in my 357 magnums anymore. What I use at the range now is CCI Blazer 158gr HP 357 magnums. This round has less recoil than most and is easy on the revolver. I use this round in my K frame magnums. I am of the believe not that one should use 357 magnums in a 357 magnum revolver. Leave 38 specials for a 38 special revolver.

Good luck,
Howard
 
I thought about the sonic cleaner but don't have one at the moment. I try soaking the cylinder for several hours as most have suggested, did not think about diesel fuel. Thanks for the advice every one.
 
This is the bane of my .357..... and the gun is becoming a safe queen for it :mad:.

Here's the top remedies I've heard of so far:

- .40 or .45 cal brass brush on a drill
- empty .357 brass casing slight flared and sharpened to be used as a scraper
- take up handloading and load .357 cases with .38 spc loads

Let us know if diesel works any better than dedicated gun solvents...
 
Blue Wonder is an excellent bore cleaner for removing powder fouling, lead and copper. It contains surfactants that help loosen and dissolve the mess in about 10 minutes. Use enough clean patches to remove the residue and then coat the chambers and bore with gun oil.
 
Take a spent .357 case and using a needle file, put "teeth" into the mouth of the case. Use this to remove ring, and to "keep clean" during and right after shooting .38 spl loads in a .357.

Some folks braze a piece of brass onto the spent casing, bent, to allow for use in chamber along with the charge holes.

Old school but...
See if that helps.
 
a brass brush in a drill or dremel will not hurt anything.

I prefer to go slow but I don't think it really matters.

Lewis Lead removers are also highly touted. While they seem like a great design, I have never needed one.
 
My recommendation is in the future shoot 357 Magnum ammunition in 357 Magnum guns and 38 Special ammunition in 38 special guns. For some strange reason a great many people differ with me on this. YMMV!

Dave

PS: IMO the same applies to the 44 Special and 44 Magnum. Just sayin'.
 
I have to say I've never had a problem in over 30 years removing the crud from the cylinder after shooting .38's in any of my .357 revolvers. A little solvent, spin the brush a few times, and it's done. I never knew this was even a problem for anybody until I read it in a gun forum.
 
"I have a beautiful 686 30 yr old Smith and Wesson in which I am having a hard time removing powder rings"

I just acquired a 30 year old model 36 in a trade with the same problem. I ran a patch through soaked with Hoppe's solvent and let it soak for about 10 minutes, then used an oversized brass brush soaked in solvent running in an electric drill. This worked for me!

LD45
 
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