Question on cylinder cleaning

[revjross]

I have a S&W M&P 360. As most will know it is a .357. I usually practice with .38's and some have been lead bullets. I always clean after shooting but there has been an area inside the cylinder that I can't get clean. I have used Hoppes bore cleaner and Gun Scrubber with brushes and rags, and I just can't get all the crud out of the end of the cylinder. Any suggestions?? Thank you!

 

[rcmodel]

A. Cordless drill.
B. Powder solvent.
C. New .40 cal Bronze bore brush. (or .38 cal chamber brush)

Assemble A, B, & C, and spin the brush for a few seconds in each chamber while running the brush in & out slightly.

Works like magic!

rc

 

[Publius1688]

+1 to rcmodel. This same technique works well if you get nastiness in your shotgun barrels, too.

 

[rcmodel]

I might add that I sometimes use 0000 (extra Fine) steel wool wound on the bore brush & drill on stubborn hard carbon ring cases that come through the shop.

It will not hurt the chamber finish if used with solvent or oil.

rc

 

[revjross]

Thanks RC and Publius. When I first read it, I thought you were joking!! ---- But it really makes sense, I will give it a try!! Thanks again.

 

[gwnorth]

Remember that when you look down the chambers from the breech end, you will see a ring at the end. This is because the cylinder chamber is not a straight bored cylinder. It narrows at the muzzle end, the throats. When looking down the chamber, this will appear as a ring at the muzzle end.

 

[revjross]

Thanks, the crud starts building up even before the ring. I'm sure it's because the .38's I'm shooting are shorter then the .357 chamber.

 

[dfariswheel]

Another option that doesn't need a drill are bronze chamber brushes.

These are over-size, special extra-stiff bristles that quickly remove all fouling.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1287/Product/BRONZE_RIFLE_PISTOL_CHAMBER_BRUSHES

 

[gwnorth]

I shoot a lot of .38spl in my .357 revolvers. After each cleaning, I lightly oil the chambers (I like Otis bore oil or militec-1). Before I load them up again, I'll run a dry patch down them to make sure to remove any excess. That light coat of oil though makes cleaning a snap - I just use a couple of passes with a .40 caliber bronze brush and any crud from the .38's is gone. Even after shooting 300 or so .38spl rounds in a row, I've never had any issues with stubborn build up or cleaning (although I also make sure to clean after each trip to the range and not let it sit for days or weeks).

 

[Drail]

Another thing that helps (if possible) is to clean the gun at the range while it is still warm from the last string of firing. The longer that crud sits in the chamber the harder it is to remove. At the very least take a Q tip and soak the chambers (lightly) with some solvent before you case the gun and go home. I have found that doing this with CLP makes cleanup at home much easier. And using a brush that fits the chamber tightly works better than using one that is sized to fit the barrel. On a .357 chamber I use a .40/.41 cal brush. Wrapping some Chore Boy copper scouring pad around an old brush works well also.

 

[Sport45]

Another thing you might try is to flare the mouth of a .357 case enough that it barely fits the chamber. It can be used as a scraper to clean the chambers.

 

[Drail]

That's a very good idea Sport45.

 

[notbubba]

The best thing I've found to do is to let the cylinder soak in the solvent longer.

Then the brush will get the crud, it's baked in place from the heat of shooting and soaking will soften it up.

At least thats what works for me shooting Cowboy action.