Time for that yearly cleaning of my work gun

[Pat Riot]

Here's what I would do in your situation.

1. If you have a compressor, use it to blow out any dust/lint from inside the frame. I'm not talking about disassembling the gun past taking off the grips. Just blow things out as well as you can.

2. Spray Gun Scrubber (or Paslode Cordless Tool Cleaner) into the assembled frame (grips off) until it runs out clear and shake it out. Wait a few minutes for everything to dry completely.

3. Spray Hornady One Shot into the frame, shake it out, wait for everything to dry completely, replace the grips, dryfire it a couple of times and you're done.

If I wanted to make it as simple & quick as possible, I would just do the following:

Spray Hornady One Shot into the assembled frame (grips off) until it runs out clear and shake it out. Wait a few minutes for everything to dry completely. Replace the grips, dryfire it a couple of times and then you're done.

Maybe 5 minutes of time spent (10 if you do the compressor step), and I think you'd only need to do it once a month as long as the gun doesn't get dropped in the mud or water, or something.

The One Shot provides really good corrosion protection and also leaves a dry lube in place once the liquid carrier dries/evaporates. The dry lube won't attract/hold dirt/lint/dust. It's also a decent spray cleaner although there are cheaper spray cleaners. There are other similar products out there (e.g. Hoppes Gun Doctor), but I know One Shot works well.

It's not quite as good as a thorough cleaning, but it should prevent you from ever opening it up again to find rusty parts. Also, the action should work a lot better/smoother and you should see less parts wear without the grit/dust accumulation. I think that in the long run it will actually save you time as your annual cleanup should take MUCH less time and effort.

I can understand your wanting to put off a detail strip and clean, and once a year isn't a bad interval for that kind of service. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything at all to service the gun in the interim. There's quick and easy stuff you can do once in awhile that will still make a big difference overall.

I would seriously recommend taking
this advice...every 3 months...or even sooner...

Wouldn’t it suck if the last thing that went through your mind just after the click that should have been a bang are the words you read in this thread?...

 

[labnoti]

Don't use chlorinated brake parts cleaner on firearms (the red can). Use the non-chlorinated (green can) if you have to. Ruger used to use chlorinated solvents on their Redhawk revolvers at the factory, until they discovered it was the cause of catastrophic failures (the barrel would break off the frame). Now they were actually applying the fluid they were using to the barrel threads where it's mated to the frame, and cleaning a gun, especially only once a year, doesn't result in the same kind of long-term exposure, but there's still no reason to use something like that on a gun when there are better solvents for the purpose.

My suggestion if you don't want to maintain the gun more regularly is to lubricate the sear surfaces with a synthetic grease and then spray it with Hornady One Shot Cleaner and Lube. If you can remember to do so, just spray the gun and inside the hammer and wipe it down with a rag every once in a while and it will do far better.

 

[JohnKSa]

In R.L. Wilson's book, he quotes Jay Jarvis as stating that the problem was a barrel thread lubricant, not a cleaning solvent. So it stayed on the barrel threads; it wasn't just in place briefly during a cleaning step. In my opinion, a quickly evaporating solvent is not going to be in contact with anything long enough to cause problems. However, if a gun owner is concerned about even brief exposure, they can skip the tool cleaner/Gun Scrubber step and just use the One Shot as a cleaner. It doesn't contain any chlorine compounds.

 

[fxvr5]

Okay well at first I was ganna say something a bit close to the edge. But now that I see you have converted a smith and wesson to a dan wesson I’m moved. Plus I read your write up. Is it a 327 or 357 cause I’m confused.

327 is the model #. It's an 8-shot 357 magnum.

https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/performance-center-model-327

 

[bluejeans]

*Canadian Trapper* one of my all time go-to knives!

Todd.

I didn’t know this style had a name... now I do, thanks. It’s a knife a made a couple years back out of o1 steel

Did you have to modify that hogue grip? I like the looks of it.

I don’t believe hogue makes an nframe rubber boot grip. This is a k-l grip that I trimmed with an xacto knife to fit... the outside contours match but the inside has to be reshaped to make it line up

Is it a 327 or 357 cause I’m confused.

.
Caliber is .357 mag. 327pc is the model number ( 3=alloy frame 27= nframe .357)

I would rather carry the weight than have a scandi frame which is what it appears you have here.

I used to carry a stainless gun ( model 65 then a 66) on my hip but I was getting back problems due to the weight and the number of miles I hike I rough terrain each year.. hundreds often thousands of miles drove me to a scandium gun and I like the 8 shots... then I switched to a chest holster which helps too

 

[bluejeans]

I would smear those parts with grease and see how they look next winter.

Interesting. I like the idea but my two concerns would be 1. Cold weather... will the viscosity of grease slow the fall of the hammer enough to not reliably ignite the primer? 2. Would it cause dust/ pine needles/ etc. to adhere to the internals?

 

[<*(((><]

Interesting. I like the idea but my two concerns would be 1. Cold weather... will the viscosity of grease slow the fall of the hammer enough to not reliably ignite the primer? 2. Would it cause dust/ pine needles/ etc. to adhere to the internals?

Valid concerns, I wouldn’t run grease on that, given the circumstances that revolver finds itself in.

 

[JohnKSa]

Interesting. I like the idea but my two concerns would be 1. Cold weather... will the viscosity of grease slow the fall of the hammer enough to not reliably ignite the primer? 2. Would it cause dust/ pine needles/ etc. to adhere to the internals?

1. Perhaps. 2. Yes.

In cold weather, you should be very careful about using grease. An oil is better but any wet lube will tend to collect dust. Dry lube is really the way to go.

 

[Duster340]

Nice piece. I like true working guns. Tools get beat up, used and abused. I'm sure it goes bang every time. Screw the cosmetics. Function is all that matters.

Be well

 

[sgt127]

The rust would bother me. I’d carry a little spray can of Ballistol and give it a wipe down whenever it gets wet. Even a little shot in the works, dry fire a few times to spread it around and wipe off the excess.

Perhaps the next annual cleaning, try Eezox. Dry film lube. Pretty tenacious.

I’ve seen worse and, the gun worked. So will (likely) yours.

 

[Deus Machina]

I'm too meticulous about things, but as long as it still works...
And after reading that build thread, I seriously want my workshop back and a project gun.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Speaking for myself. I would take along a can of Ballistol. If the gun became dirty and exposed to moister I would find fresh water and wash out the gun to remove all the dirt and grime. I would then take the gun and put it in a container and use 90% Water and 10% Ballistol. It leaves a light and slick coat of protection on ALL parts. You can also use the Ballistol for protecting a leather holster, against insects and for small wounds. And even a moisturizer for hands etc.
Where I hunt I have guns go into the dink, get muddy etc, one even into salt water. This method has always worked very well.

 

[LaneP]

I love the look of honest work-wear on a handgun. That said, the advice to use Hornady One Shot is one of the best for someone such as yourself. It only takes seconds to blast a few squirts inside the action and when the carrier evaporates it leaves a very durable film of anti-corrosion protection behind.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Me i would make it a truck gun and get a stainless steel revolver for your climate just my 2 cents

 

[Pat Riot]

Bluejeans, I have the 327 Night Guard. It appears yours has a 2.5” barrel as well, as opposed to the newer 327PC models with 2” barrels.

It really makes me feel good that you are proving some of my suppositions about these guns. They are tough and reliable.

I like that the gun frame is Scandium, the cylinder is stainless, the barrel is stainless and the outer barrel shroud is also Scandium. I have also heard that the shroud is Titanium. Not sure I believe that. All the externals are rust proof or rust resistant.

Did you remove the rear sight or does your gun have fixed milled sights? Cylinder & Slide makes the sights for these guns. I was debating replacing my rear sight with the one that had white dots. My original sight kept working it’s way loose until I used Loctite on it (blue). Here is a link for Cylinder & Slide sights, if you need it.
https://cylinder-slide.com/Category/SWsghts

What holster rig are you using? Holsters / rigs for these aren’t exactly growing on trees. I use a flap holster made for a S&W Governor when I hit the woods.

Thanks for posting your gun and showing it off.
Stay safe out there.

 

[ancientnoob]

I love the m327. I sing it’s praise whenever I can. Glad to see it stands up to the torture test. Your barrel is interesting.

 

[bluejeans]

Lots of recommendations for Hornady one shot or ballisol.. guess I’ll try one of those out. Thanks

Me i would make it a truck gun and get a stainless steel revolver for your climate just my 2 cents

I guess you missed that I got this gun to REPLACE my stainless guns.. and am happy I did. On the whole gun the only pieces prone to corrosion are the screws, hammer, trigger, cylinder release... I might look into replacing the carbon steel internals with stainless. I used stainless when I made the barrel liner too

Bluejeans, I have the 327 Night Guard. It appears yours has a 2.5” barrel as well, as opposed to the newer 327PC models with 2” barrels.

Mine was originally a 2” pc model. I made my own interchangeable barrels for 3”, 4”, and 6”. Pictured is with the 3” barrel: how I use it most.

Did you remove the rear sight or does your gun have fixed milled sights?(cut). Here is a link for Cylinder & Slide sights, if you need it.

Thanks for the link. I wish mine had adjustable sights; I looked all over for a nightguard model when I was shopping for mine but the pc with fixed sights is all I could get ahold of so I worked with that.

What holster rig are you using? Holsters / rigs for these aren’t exactly growing on trees.

They certainly aren’t. However, I make all my own holsters wether kydex or leather do not an issue for me. You can see the rig I use pictured in one of my posts above.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Having spent many years doing much the same type of work, along with some other woods work, though none of it in Alaska, I can vouch for the fact that when doing that type of work, dirt and debris gets EVERYWHERE, Including being sticky from pitch/sap. Moisture happens every day either from the sky or from perspiration. Most days I worked at measuring spruce I went home bleeding. I slipped, tripped, and fell several times a week, and my lunch typically had wind blown dirt in it.

I think a spritz of penetrating lube is a good idea, but for what bluejeans does, and where he does it, extra bulk and weight is likely a no go. IMO any gun being used that way needs to be viewed as having a very limited life span of only a few years. Maybe 10 at the outside. And that’s fine. That gun is getting more use than most people’s. It’s cheap insurance.

Periodic replacement is going to be a thing.

 

[Pat Riot]

Mine was originally a 2” pc model. I made my own interchangeable barrels for 3”, 4”, and 6”. Pictured is with the 3” barrel: how I use it most.

Made your own barrels. Interesting.

Thanks for the link. I wish mine had adjustable sights; I looked all over for a nightguard model when I was shopping for mine but the pc with fixed sights is all I could get ahold of so I worked with that.

No, these are not adjustable. They are all fixed rear. There aren’t any adjustable available for these guns that I have found. But, they do have the replacement Tritium front sights, though. I was hoping to get a rear sight with the white square outline for mine but it appears they do now have the white dot rear sights now. They didn’t have those before. It was all black or nothing.

 

[SteadyD]

What ammo are you carrying?

 

[<*(((><]

Hornady One-Shot or Eezox is what I would be using.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I didn’t know this style had a name... now I do, thanks. It’s a knife a made a couple years back out of o1 steel

I think - as far as I can tell - that the name come, ironically from the Solingen versions. The current, best, maker; Grohman (who is a Canadian firm) doesn't use it. There's is called the No4 Survival.
I don't know your sheath situation but, Grohman sells very fine sheaths quite inexpensively too.
http://www.grohmannknives.com

Should you ever want to replace yours with a damn fine factory model rather than building your own, these full shank beauties hold up to anyone's testing and are very well priced too.

Here's my old Gutman Cutlery import and an example of where the "Canadian Trapper" moniker likely originated. My markings are all but invisible these days.

Todd.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Yes i missed that part

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Lots of recommendations for Hornady one shot or ballisol.. guess I’ll try one of those out. Thanks
I guess you missed that I got this gun to REPLACE my stainless guns.. and am happy I did. On the whole gun the only pieces prone to corrosion are the screws, hammer, trigger, cylinder release... I might look into replacing the carbon steel internals with stainless. I used stainless when I made the barrel liner too

You might look into plating them yourself. The DIY kits return great results when the instructions are followed to the letter. You'll also want to copper-plate first. Keeps nicely with your *roll yer-own* gun.

Todd.

 

[Buzznrose]

I’m glad that gun is doing well for you, but if I had your job in those conditions, I think I’d be carrying a Glock 29