school me on gun cleaning

[trav]

Ok, in my past, my experience has been with rifles/shotguns, and my cleaning kits were always the Hoppes kits. My process for cleaning my guns has always been to

(make sure everything is unloaded, remove clip/bolt, etc)

thread the swab in the cheap plastic "hoop"

dip in the #9

run it down the muzzle of the gun and back

remove the black swab, replace with a clean one

repeat until it is coming back "clean"

wipe down all metal parts with #9

run clean oiled swab down the muzzle, then another dry swab.

wipe down gun with rag

then wipe down the gun with an OILED rag... if the oil is too heavy, I will wipe it down again with a dry rag.


Now, this is how I always did it when I was a younger man. I just bought my first revolver, and have been easing back into the hobby. I am looking more into keeping everything well clean and lubed, and find things online like "Never clean from the muzzle", "never use segmented rods", "never clean without a guide"... I wanted to pick up a better assortment of cleaning materials, and am seeing jags, mops, wire bore brushes, etc... Now I feel like I am doing myself and my guns a huge disservice with my low end cleaning. I was looking at the Otis kits (primarily because I like the coated wire "rod") but have read opinions that they arent so great.

What are some of YOUR methods for a decent cleaning after a day at the range? I want to make sure I am doing it the "right" way. I want to be able to hand down my guns to my kids/grandkids one day, and I want them to be in good shape. I want to use the proper tools, and the proper methods.

Thanks in advance!

 

[rcmodel]

My revolvers all get the bronze bore brush + Hoppes #9 solvent on a short pistol cleaning rod from the muzzle treatment, every time I shoot any of them.

Then the forcing cone of the barrel gets special attention if it needs it.

Brass bristol toothbrush & solvent to get carbon out around the barrel shank, etc.

Then I use an oversize bore brush in a cordless drill + solvent in the chambers, especially when I have been shooting .38 Spl in .357 Mags, or .44 Spl in .44 Mags.

Followed up by solvent soaked patches, then a clean patch or two, then an oiled patch to leave a light oil film in the bore & chambers.
Maybe on a caliber specific jag in center-fire calibers, probably on a slotted tip on .22's.

Followed by a complete wipe-down with a RIG-RAG and R.I.G. grease.

It's worked for me on about 25 revolvers, for about 50 years.

Not a big fan of Bore-Snakes, as there is no possible way you can get all the carbon rings out of chambers and forcing cones with them.

Never used an Otis kit, and probably never will.
I just like good brass or stainless steel cleaning rods I guess.

rc

 

[Hondo 60]

I cringed when rc said "Then I use an oversize bore brush in a cordless drill"

But I guess if you're careful...
with me? no, that wouldn't be good
Me & power tools have an understanding....
(no offense meant Rcmodel)
But anyway, I like the rest of what he said.

And yes, you have to clean the barrel from the muzzle.
Unless maybe you could get a rod with several elbows in it

 

[madcratebuilder]

I cringed when rc said "Then I use an oversize bore brush in a cordless drill"

But I guess if you're careful...
with me? no, that wouldn't be good
Me & power tools have an understanding....
(no offense meant Rcmodel)
But anyway, I like the rest of what he said.

And yes, you have to clean the barrel from the muzzle.
Unless maybe you could get a rod with several elbows in it

You got to read the full sentence.

Then I use an oversize bore brush in a cordless drill + solvent in the chambers, especially when I have been shooting .38 Spl in .357 Mags, or .44 Spl in .44 Mags.

This is the best way to get lead and powder residue from the chambers when short shooting it.

 

[MrBorland]

I use an Otis thingie, and clean from the forcing cone with Kroil and patches. I use the Otis thingie to clean the chambers too - wet patches, bronze brush, wet patches, clean patches. Be sure to get under the ejector start.

I shoot a lot of lead, and while leading isn't much of a problem, I'll use a Lewis Lead Remover once in a while. Seems to do a better job than a brush. I found the LLR is excellent for cleaning the residue out of the chambers as well, and I prefer it to a bronze brush here as well.

If I have a match coming up, or if I just shot one, it likely can use a little additional TLC with a bronze brush (the toothbrush-looking type) and solvent on the cylinder as well as on the nooks and crannies in the cylinder "window" on the frame, especially around the forcing cone (I'm sure to run a clean patch down the barrel & chambers afterward). The front face of cylinder is brushed just enough to get the heavy stuff off (I don't worry about the rest), rear face of the cylinder to get the ejector star clean, and sides to clean the flutes.

I'll finish with a final wipe-down (including under the ejector star), then a tiny drop of oil on the inner ejector rod, and down the yoke, where it inserts into the frame, as well as where it holds the cylinder.

 

[psyshack]

Get yourself IMHO a bronze and nylon brush and get after it. While not a must and muzzle protector would be nice. I also put my #9 and other bore cleaning solutions in squirt bottles.

Good luck!

 

[Brian Williams]

While at the range I do a wipe with a rag to get the smoke residue off. Every few range sessions I use a Lewis lead remover pulled thru the barrel, twisted around in the forcing cone and a few times thru each cylinder charge hole. Every so often I do a complete strip and lightly oil where parts slide but not on any sear. A few places get some grease, under the trigger return slide in a S&W revolver, a tiny bit on the rails of my 1911 and nothing on my Glock. My guns are dirty, not filthy, grimy or gritty, they do not look new and probably never will.

 

[trav]

Thanks for the responses. Putting the #9 in a squirt bottle is a fine idea. I think I am going to buy a lower priced Otis kit, just for the bits, and pull thru device. The Lewis Lead Remover is also on the list of things to buy.

After I shot my revolver, I did run several patches thru the cylinders, but they were REALLY filthy. gonna have to figure out a different method to clean those, or buy stock in whoever produces Hoppes patches!

 

[rcmodel]

gonna have to figure out a different method to clean those

See post #2 again about the cordless drill & over-size bore brush.
Use a 6mm brush in a .22RF, a .40 cal in a .38, and a .45 cal in a .44.
They also make over-size chamber brushes, but it takes some looking to find them.

It's the onlyest way to clean chambers good.
And very easy & fast!

rc

 

[CodaSmog]

Has anybody used a #2 pencil eraser to get the (raccoon eyes) carbon deposits off the end of the cylinder?

I think Im going to give it a try the next time out and do a before and after pic.

 

[rcmodel]

Rub long enough and it will take the bluing off too.

Just soak with powder solvent for a while, then clean with a brass "toothbrush" or bronze bore brush.

But in the grand scheme of things, those rings are going to be there if you ever shoot the gun.

If it's a safe queen, clean them off and then don't shoot it again.

rc

 

[CodaSmog]

Its a 686 and definetly not a safe queen!

I've been using the brushes and its not perfect, but for a 30 year old gun I want to try and take good care.

Thanks! I'll look for the powder solvent.
CS

 

[rcmodel]

Since it is a stainless gun, you can use one of those Lead-Away cloths to clean most of it off without too much permanent damage.

rc

 

[GLOOB]

OP, my 2 cents on your cleaning regimen:

The loop is fine for applying solvent to the bore. But try using a jag for the followup patches. You'll probably save some time and get more efficient use out of your patches. I don't use a loop at all. Just a jag.

Cleaning from the muzzle is necessary on most revolvers. If you have steady hands, don't sweat the muzzle guard. Except on .22's, it isn't hard to center a cleaning rod.

Bore brushes are a must have. But I don't use them on the bore, every time. Only when there's some visible fouling left after running a couple patches. Ditto for bore solvent. I usually just use oil unless there's an issue. That I don't have to go through the whole routine twice just to put some oil back on the bore.

 

[bluetopper]

I always just give my handguns a bath in diesel. I have a little tub with some in it just for the purpose. Nothing I've ever used is any easier or better.

 

[Walkalong]

Since it is SS, if you ever want to get it squeaky clean Slip 2000 Carbon Killer works great.

Me, I do pretty much like rcmodel does.

 

[KAS1981]

Didn't read what anybody else does, but this is what I do:

Spray the gun down with Ballistol. The frame, the bore and in the cylinder chambers, everything. Let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes.

Run a brass brush down the bore and in the cylinders. Spritz a little more Ballistol down the bore & chambers to flush them out.

Scrub around the forcing cone.

Run a Bore Snake through the bore & all the cylinders until they are clean, dry & shiny. I found this to be much faster & easier than running patch after patch after patch through them.

Wipe the entire gun down thoroughly.

Done!