Revolver cleaning intervals for low volume shooting

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My cowboy action revolvers use nothing BUT lead. So they tend to get sticky chambers after about 150 to 200 rounds shot. Or they get so much powder fouling on the outside that they begin getting powder stains on me and the holsters. Then I clean them.

The ones that shoot jacketed rounds likely see up around 300 to 350 before the fouling shames me into cleaning them. And by that time the chambers are typically no longer a slide in/fall out sort of condition so they need it anyway.

So all in all this pretty much fits in with Sam's method noted above.
 
There's cleaning, then there's cleaning. I can't recall the last time I tried getting one of my revolvers looking new. Even after a 200-round practice session, I'll just wipe the gun down, run an Otis thingie through the barrel, and a brush through the chambers. Done.

Every so often (1-2k rounds), I'll use a brass brush to get some additional crud off the gun, then put a drop of oil where the yoke inserts into the frame, where the cylinder rotates on the yoke, and on the inner part of the ejector star. Maybe every 5-10k rounds, I'll pop the sideplate, clean, and re-lube.
 
Even when they come home looking like this all I do is wipe them down with an oily rag.:D

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not every gun will behave properly if its not taken care of. ever wonder why when you go to a range and rent a gun and go "man this is a piece of crap, it cant even rotate the cylinder.." its probably because
some employee merely wiped it down with a rag soaked in clp, and didnt actually clean it.
 
I wouldn't sleep well if I didn't clean them following a session, 1 or 1000 rounds, doesn't matter. Not to mention, a revolver should be maintained to prevent any type of build up in the forcing cone, or carbon build up in the cylinders.

And an AL should as well be maintained and cleaned, after all, it's an AL.

You don't have do a complete strip if we're only talking about 20-30 rounds, but I would at least run a cleaning patch and some solvent through it, and then a drop of oil in the right places.

GS
 
No more effort than it takes to run a solvent patch through the cylinder and the barrel, and wipe the exterior off every time I shoot it.

Now if you mean take it apart and clean every little part, the answer is never.
 
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I never take my revolvers apart. I doubt I would even if one was broke. As far as cleaning goes, clean it when it needs it. It is not a big deal to run a patch down the barrel, but I don't worry about it unless they are dirty, real dirty. Lead build up is another matter and I don't like lead buildup. I will clean it after use or after a couple outings. I keep the outside wiped down and make sure that there is a little lubricant around the cylinder (moving parts).
 
I honestly don't clean my revolvers that much, maybe every 2-3 range trips. I'll probably shoot 100-200 rounds per trip. I'll also shoot 357 and 38 special and have never had a 357 round stick due to a carbon ring or dirty cylinder so I could probably go even longer between cleanings.

There aren't a lot of things that will malfunction on a revolver when compared to a semi-auto so I just don't feel the need to clean them as much.
 
For me gun cleaning accomplishes things other than the obvious. I take several different guns to the range, and the exercise of breaking down the each gun and cleaning cleaning them keeps me in tune with the mechanicis of the gun, and how each one works. The more I know about my weapons, the more comfortable I become, and the better I shoot.

It is also more fun than mowing the lawn.

Not cleaning your guns is like not brushing your teeth, or washing your clothes. It shows a lack of pride.
 
Not cleaning your guns is like not brushing your teeth, or washing your clothes. It shows a lack of pride.
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Speaking purely for yourself, of course.






(Though I'll admit, I don't take a degree of pride in the presence or absence of soot on my guns. How they look doesn't really affect my mental state one way or another.)
 
I am not ashamed of my not so clean guns.
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Actually, these days there's almost a bit of a backlash against that. In competition or training circles showing up with a clean gun with a perfect finish can get you a little bit of (generally friendly) derision for looking like a noob or bringing out a "safe queen."

Finish wear and firing residue are then seen to suggest that you're a real user -- someone who's put in the days on the range to be competent, proficient, or even to have a degree of mastery of their weapons.

It even gets brought up in "new gun" threads here at THR. Something to the effect of, "Nice gun. Next time we see it it had better be dirty and be showing some honest wear!"
 
that honest wear commentation, its meant to be a way to say "nice gun, but shouldnt a person getting that much range time, have a turn line on the cylinder?"

alot of people in the 90s bought percussion revolvers and never cleaned the insides after use. and then commented that bp revolvers are junk because they rust up after only shooting 3 or 4 cylinders 8 months ago. and just sitting in the closet since.
 
I wipe them down, but just that. If a chamber is sticky I'll run a brush through them. Beyond that, not much. The guns that are "pretty" guns get cleaned externally after each use to keep them aesthetically pretty. All others do not. For a long time I fell in the camp that things had to be perfectly clean. I really only detail clean (which basically means a rod down the barrel) when I'm bored. I have yet to notice issues using this approach. Same thing with rifles and rimfires. I may lose the absolute guilt edge accuracy but it stays good enough for my uses.
 
I simply to not understand people who don't have enough respect for their property to take care of it. A good gun has a value, and is a good investment. For the few minutes it takes to clean a weapon, especially a revolver, it just doesn't make sense not to take care of it.
 
I prefer to carry a clean weapon so the police cannot accuse me of firing it illegally.
 
I simply to not understand people who don't have enough respect for their property to take care of it. A good gun has a value, and is a good investment. For the few minutes it takes to clean a weapon, especially a revolver, it just doesn't make sense not to take care of it.
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There is certainly a difference between maintenance and cleaning. Having the firearm perfectly clean makes little difference in the function and value. I'd also argue that firearms are rather poor investments from a strictly financial point of view.
 
If a person shoots say 25 rounds from a revolver per range session, at how many round intervals should the revolver be cleaned?
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Well, as you can already see, you will see different opinions on this issue. :)
It is a personal choice.

Personally, it would depend on how often I shot 25 rounds. If I did it every weekend, I would probably clean it every 2-3 months. If I shot 25 rounds every day, I'd probably clean it once or twice a month.
That's just me.

Carbon fouling comes off much easier while it is still fresh & soft.
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This is very true. Also, I shoot a lot of lead so I get more fouling than jacket bullets so I clean a little more than some, but certainly not after every range trip.
 
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