Stupid revolver cleaning question...

[SilentStalker]

Ok, so I am fairly new to revolvers but my wife has had one forever and never cleans the damn thing so I figured I might give it a go. Anyways upon inspection I don't see how you clean the dang thing. I mean I know you are not supposed to clean from the muzzle end but on a snub nose revolver there is no way to get a rod, brush, or patch down it without going through the muzzle end. Can someone elaborate or explain the best way to clean this thing? Thanks in advance and sorry for the stupid question of the day.

 

[Texan Scott]

The purpose of not cleaning from the muzzle end is to keep debris out of the action. with a revolver, the cylinder is open; it doesn't matter. you can clean it from the muzzle end.

 

[Kp321]

Another reason not to clean from the muzzle is cleaning rod wear on the rifling at the muzzle. Either use a bore snake type of cleaner or a rod guide to prevent damage.

 

[Texan Scott]

Yeah... do wear out the muzzle... then again, if you only clean it every few years or so, a couple dozen cleanings could take a while...

 

[SilentStalker]

Thanks guys.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

For the past few years I've been using a nylon brush which seems to work very well in revolvers. You might want to hunt them down...

I also use a cleaning brush that looks a little like a tooth brush for cleaning the cylinder face and forcing cone area. After you clean everything give the entire revolver a quick spry of a good gun oil like Rem-oil or one of those all in one cleaners like G96.

 

[earplug]

GI double end tooth brush and a 45 CAL. patch

I shoot and clean my J frame at the range.

Been doing this for decades and have found that a double ended GI cleaning toothbrush with a large patch will do all thats needed without damage to my revolver.
I use CLP with my lead bullets and have no problems.

 

[bhk]

It is extremely easy to use a .22 diameter cleaning rod in .38 or greater centerfire revolvers without the rod touching the bore at the muzzle. Been doing it for many, many decades. If you can't do this, you might have coordination problems.

 

[RSVP2RIP]

Get a pull through and you don't have to clean from the muzzle. I really like the various "bore snakes" but also have and use the Otis system, but their special patches are expensive and don't have the contact area of the bore snakes. When copper/lead builds up then I use a brass muzzle guide and a rod with JB bore paste and brushes with solvent. If the gun isn't shot much then the Hoppe's Bore Snake would be a great option.

 

[rcmodel]

One curious fact is, for most of the 20th century, S&W provided a .22 caliber cleaning rod and caliber specific cotton bore mop with every new S&W sold.
Regardless of caliber.

They told you in the instruction sheet, and fully expected you to clean a revolver from the muzzle.
And provided you a steel or aluminum cleaning rod to do it with.



Pull-through cleaning equipment was well known then, but not provided by S&W, or recommeded by them, as it will not clean chambers or bores as well, or do several other things a cleaning rod will do better..

rc

 

[Jaymo]

I like a cleaning rod for the chambers and a Boresnake for the barrel. That's the way I clean my "stupid revolvers".

 

[HKGuns]

I use a 44/45 Caliber bore snake on mine and they seem to work great. I've only recently turned into a revolver shooter, but they're pretty easy to clean up....Nothing really to take apart....I just slather it up in Mpro7 and let it sit for a while and the bore snake the crap out of everything and tooth bursh the parts the bore snake doesn't clean.

 

[RSVP2RIP]

Pull-through cleaning equipment was well known then, but not provided by S&W, or recommeded by them, as it will not clean chambers or bores as well, or do several other things a cleaning rod will do better..

I wonder if a pull through was more expensive than a bent wire?