Solvent for cleaning cylinder and topstrap

[bikemutt]

I did try a search but couldn't find anything. Has anyone found a solvent that removes combustion byproducts (carbon?) from the topstrap and cylinder face? It's more visible on stainless and nickle revolvers certainly.

I've bought a few higher round count shiny guns before and always wondered how they looked so clean. None of the commercial cleaners I've tried seem to make much of a dent in the build up, CLP, G96, M-Pro7, none of them are effective.

The gun I'm most keenly interested in keeping ultra-clean is my Dan Wesson 715 which is very sensitive to cylinder face gunk.

Thanks.

 

[rcmodel]

A Lead Remover cloth works pretty well on Stainless guns but it will take the bluing off a blue gun.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=...87_a_7c3466_a_7c167022001_d_167022001_d_10197

I know some guys who use Flitz polish and a wooden skewer stick and set around the house for hours picking the last spec of carbon stain off.

I use Pro-Shot 1-Step and it removes carbon better then Hoppe's #9, but still not easy.

Ed's Red is also often used.
Mix up a gallon, take the grips off, and let the gun soak in it for a day!
http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=9

rc

 

[skidder]

I've always used Hoppe's #9 and a bore brush. We recently started selling "Winchester Gun Wash" at our store. Comes in a small aerosol can with a straw. This stuff dries really quick so you need to have a brush on hand (I just use a bronze bore brush).

 

[dfariswheel]

Other than a Lead-away cloth, the Kings of carbon removal are products like Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter.
A 15 minute soak will remove virtually all carbon.

Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter is a water-based non-hazardous product that smells like oranges.
It has to be well-shaken to mix, and you can either apply it with a Q-tip or drop smaller items in the jar.


The worst gun part I've ever seen for fouling are AK-74 muzzle brakes.
These foul so bad, they'll "solder" themselves on the muzzle from fouling build up.
The inside is caked and black with carbon.
A 15 minute soak removes all the carbon and leaves the hard chrome lining bright and shiny.

 

[bikemutt]

Other than a Lead-away cloth, the Kings of carbon removal are products like Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter.
A 15 minute soak will remove virtually all carbon.

Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter is a water-based non-hazardous product that smells like oranges.
It has to be well-shaken to mix, and you can either apply it with a Q-tip or drop smaller items in the jar.


The worst gun part I've ever seen for fouling are AK-74 muzzle brakes.
These foul so bad, they'll "solder" themselves on the muzzle from fouling build up.
The inside is caked and black with carbon.
A 15 minute soak removes all the carbon and leaves the hard chrome lining bright and shiny.

I ordered a 16 oz jar to try out, they apparently have moved into hyperspace; it's now called Carbon Killer, new and improved no doubt.

Some of the new non-toxic cleaners are quite remarkable. We grabbed such a cleaner at Sam's Club this weekend and applied it to an area on our carpet which had been victimized by a sick dog a year ago. The stain defied everything, including professional carpet cleaners. This cheap, non-toxic stuff eliminated the stain instantly, it just disappeared.

 

[Master Blaster]

I use Mpro7/ Hoppes elite and a Bronze brush made by Hoppes, its like a double ended toothbrush. This combo removes the lead (from cast bullets) and carbon from the cylinder end, and unlike the lead off cloths does not damage bluing.

The key here is the hoppes bronze" toothbrush", probably any other decent solvent will work, I just like the Mpro as it works very well and doesn't destroy the skin on my fingers.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

A white ink eraser will take it right off....I've been erasing the carbon rings on my polished Colts for years.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I use a "Lead Removing Cloth" to get the heavy stuff off the cylinder face. I use "G96 Gun Treatment" on the rest of the gun and it works great.

 

[Bob M.]

Nevr-Dull

This stuff works very well for the front of the cylinders also. Just take a bit of the wadding and rub it over the cylinder and the rings completely disappear.

Most auto stores will have it in the polish isle.

 

[briansmithwins]

Mpro-7 works the best of anything I've ever tried that wasn't abrasive.

BSW

 

[bikemutt]

I think MPro-7 is a good maintenance treatment, for a well-fouled cylinder face though, I've found it ineffective. Even more so for the topstrap junction where vigorous rag work is more challenging.

 

[Remllez]

To be proactive I'd use Mil-Tec 1 after you get them clean. It bonds to the metal making subsequent cleanings easier and faster without abrasives, use it and a bronze brush. Personally I don't mind it that much and accept it as part of shooting. In fact I think it looks good on an otherwise clean shiny gun.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

To be more provocative, I gave up a long time ago trying to remove the burnt on carbon rings from the front of a cylinder.

However, another way that does work is to fire a bunch of rounds loaded with Black Powder. For some reason, there is never any leading with Black Powder rounds, and the BP fouling seems to completely erase the carbon rings left on the front of the cylinder.

 

[CraigC]

First and foremost, in my opinion, you are wasting your time. There is zero practical reason to go so far as to remove the carbon scoring. It does zero harm to leave it alone but you can do harm removing it. If you proceed, be very, very careful with polishes and lead removal cloths. They DO, regardless of internet rhetoric and marketing, remove metal. Over time you will alter dimensions.

 

[bhk]

First and foremost, in my opinion, you are wasting your time. There is zero practical reason to go so far as to remove the carbon scoring. It does zero harm to leave it alone but you can do harm removing it. If you proceed, be very, very careful with polishes and lead removal cloths. They DO, regardless of internet rhetoric and marketing, remove metal. Over time you will alter dimensions.

+1!

 

[bikemutt]

Well, probably most revolvers are not bothered by carbon buildup. I have a Dan Wesson 715 .357 mag where this is not the case. For whatever reason the carbon buildup is rapid and results in inconsistent trigger feel towards the end of the session. The cleaner it is to start with, the longer the session.

I do agree though, removal by abrasive means may ultimately remove enough metal to affect things, which is why I asked about solvents and why I plan to try that angle first.

 

[briansmithwins]

I have a Dan Wesson 715 .357 mag where this is not the case. For whatever reason the carbon buildup is rapid and results in inconsistent trigger feel towards the end of the session. The cleaner it is to start with, the longer the session.

What's the barrel-cylinder gap measure? Sounds like it's too tight if normal carbon fouling is causing the cylinder to bind.

A least too tight is much easier to fix than too loose.

BSW

 

[Remllez]

I'm with the above post about B/C gap. Most of the Dans I've owned had at least one charge hole longer than the others. Your gap may be .007 on the shortest but .005 on the longest. Might check every charge hole and set it to .007 on the longest one.

I set mine up this way and can shoot all day without a rub. Trying to squeeze an extra 30 fps outa your gun by setting the B/C gap too close could be exactly what's causing the problem. YMMV

 

[bikemutt]

I set my DW using the supplied feeler gauge and yes, I do find the chamber with the tightest fit to lock in on.

The gauge states it is 0.006.

My suspicion is there's a thermal effect in play here; the gap appears to become narrower as the gun heats up. I started shooting two or three guns in rotation to stretch out the session with the DW. It's a bit frustrating but the gun is so much fun to shoot and so darned accurate I've learned to live with it.

 

[Remllez]

Try setting it at .008 that may be the sweet spot. That's one of the advantages of having a Dan, you can set the B/C gap to whatever works best for your gun/load combination. A tight .006 may well actually be .004 just depends on how tight your gauge pulls out.

I'm not criticizing your method just speaking from experience shooting them since the middle 80's. If your old enough you may remember setting the points in your distributor, no two people set them the same. If you have access to a chrono you can really see what the relationship between the B/C gap and velocity is.

I wish you well in your Dan experience, I find them to be very accurate and durable revolvers. Cleaning the carbon off the cylinder face is a tough row to hoe especially if you shoot every week.

 

[bergmen]

First and foremost, in my opinion, you are wasting your time. There is zero practical reason to go so far as to remove the carbon scoring. It does zero harm to leave it alone but you can do harm removing it. If you proceed, be very, very careful with polishes and lead removal cloths. They DO, regardless of internet rhetoric and marketing, remove metal. Over time you will alter dimensions.

Depends entirely on the handgun. In my case, the cylinder gap on my FA Model 83 Premier in .454 Casull is less than .001 (yes, that is one thousandths).

Crud buildup doesn't occur as soon as I thought it would but it does to a point that I sometimes have to clean the front of the cylinder face during a shooting session. I have used Brasso polish with great results.

Dan