Cleaning Revolvers

T

The Rattler

New member
I am relatively new with handguns, and so far, I prefer revolvers. I have several questions for the group regarding cleaning revolvers.

1. I have been cleaning the bore of my revolvers from the muzzle end. I believe to clean from the breech end, one would need a system like Otis sells where the instruments are pulled rather than pushed. I like to push a patch covered bronze brush or a jag with a rod, as opposed to pulling a "patch holder" ;i.e., the needle eye type instrument. Pushing a jag or patch covered brush seems much more efficient and thorough than using the "patch holder."

a. Does starting from the muzzle end potentially harm the rifling? Please give me your views about the propriety of both systems. Which does a better job of cleaning? Am I ok with the way I am doing it now by starting at the muzzle end?

2. I know about the importance of using a cone to protect the muzzle end when starting from that end. Accordingly, I use a cone. Is it necessary to use a cone when cleaning the cylinder chambers too? Keeping that cone in place slows me down and is somewhat a bother.

3. Is it ok to use a jag when starting from the muzzle end? Is it better or worse than using a patch covered bronze brush? What are the pros and cons of each?

4. How often is cleaning necessary? I fire around 25 - 50 rounds every 2 to 4 weeks. I currently clean them after every use. Maybe it is because I am still a newbie, but I enjoy cleaning almost as much as shooting. I have heard, however, that some people say it is not necessary to clean your guns that often, and that doing so can potentially be bad for the gun.

5. I have a Smith & Wesson 686 and a Ruger .22 LCR. Do they ever need to be broken down for cleaning? I know that the cylinder of the S&W can be removed. Is that necessary or recommended? Can it be broken down further? What about the LCR?

Your thoughts and views will be greatly appreciated. I will not be surprised if there are differing opinions. Nevertheless, I have no background and experience to draw from. For that reason, all responses will be carefully considered.

Thanks.
 
1. I don't think cleaning from the muzzle end risks damage to the rifling so much as the crown, so if you're going to clean from the muzzle end, protecting the crown is a good idea. I use the Otis thingie so I can clean from the breech end. I simply use a patch and some Kroil or Ed's Red, which is about all that's typically needed if you're cleaning the gun regularly. When I was shooting lead and was concerned about leading, though, I'd use a Lewis Lead Remover, which is also pulled from the breech end.

2. Clean the chambers from the back without a cone. I run a wet patch through the chambers, then a brass brush, wet patches until clean, then a dry patch.

3. I've never used a jag from the muzzle end. The jags I've used were on rifles and were pretty tight fits, but inserted from the breech end. I personally can't definitely say whether it'd be bad for the gun, but I wouldn't be ramming a jag past the crown.

4. After just 25-50 rounds, I'd just wipe the gun down to get the surface crud off. You could run a patch through the chambers if you like, but I wouldn't touch the barrel every 25 - 50 rounds. Right now, I'm shooting about 500 - 600 rounds per week (2 practice sessions and a match per week), and after each practice session (250 - 300 rounds), I run a patch (from the forcing cone) through the barrel with an Otis thingie, wipe out the chambers, then the exterior of the gun. Before a big match, I'll also use a brass brush to get the heavier stuff off the gun (e.g. front of the cylinder & around the ejector star. etc).

5. Your 686 and LCR don't have to be broken down for regular cleaning. In fact, it's best if they're not. If you know what you're doing, it wouldn't hurt to give them a very detailed internal cleaning and lubing every 5k - 10k rounds, though.
 
I'm in the camp that says - clean them every time you shoot them / and I think they'll last longer. To me, cleaning a gun, is just part of the hobby.

If you clean from the muzzle end - you just need to be careful of the crown of the barrel ( if you chip it, it will affect the accuracy of the gun ). I'm not saying I don't do it ....but just be careful. A bore snake ...running it thru from the chamber end, is easy as well - and does a good job. A little solvent in the bore and the cyclinders ...and then run the bore snake thru 3 or 4 times is about all it needs.../ an oily patch thru it and you're basically done.

On a .357 mag(like your 686 ) ....a 20ga patch and a .22 lr bore swab on a rod ...make running a little oil thru the gun on a patch real easy. If you have 12ga patches...use the whole patch ...but you just have to put the .22 bore swab into one area, near the corner to get it thru the bore or the cyclinders. On my single action guns...I remove the cyclinder, etc..for cleaning.

If you don't know what you're doing ...don't remove the side plate / but you can educate yourself how to do it ...Jerry Miculek and others have some really good DVD's on revolvers..../ it takes some patience, and a little skill to put everything back right ...but I think its fun/makes me appreciate the mechanism a little more. But if you're not mechanically inclined - just don't do it.
 
I think if you ask this question to 20 people, you'll get 20 different answers. :D
Here's mine.

1) I've never used the Otis. Seem like a neat idea, but I don't buy their advertising hype that one should clean in the direction of the bullets simply because it's the direction of the bullets. We typically clean from the breech end when we are able because the chamber is a "natural" cone and it promotes easier and more stable running of a cleaning rod. It's also FAR easier to hold the firearm "normally" and clean from the breech end when possible. And definitely, the most "important" part of the barrel (where accuracy is concerned) is at the crown as it's the last part of the barrel to manipulate the bullet before exit, so we'd stay away from it if we could. On revolvers... we can't. (unless you use some pull-through system)

2) I don't use any cone or bore-guide, because I find them too fumbly. It takes care and patience, and a lot of it. Care & patience is what I use.

3) If you put a patch on a bristle brush, you end up with a massive clod of fibers and nasty... end up having to throw out the brush. And the little needle-eye/loop thing has always been, in my opinion, next to useless. Not a bad tool if you simply wish to slather the bore with solvent and allow the solvent to sit awhile and work, but for the actual cleaning, a brass jag is all that I use. And FWIW, an rod tip made of plastic is next to worthless. Occasionally, I'll use one such tip to pick at a place or assist in pushing a pin, but I never screw one of these tips in to a rod for any reason. I'd sooner throw it in the trash than screw one in to my rod.

4) Over cleaning can & often -WILL- be bad for your gun. When I was younger, had only a few guns, I'd shoot them a lot and they would need cleaning. I'm older now with a larger array of them, and unless they've had 250+ through them, I don't mess with barrels. Chambers, perhaps, depending on how mucky they feel. After any range session, a good wipe (especially on the breech face) and on the cylinder face, and on the exterior of the revolver to get all the powder and charring off always happens.

5) I do absolutely remove the one forward screw and remove the cylinder on any S&W revolver when I wish to clean it properly, or more to the point-- when I want to clean the cylinder/chambers. Frankly, I think it removes the potential for stress to the crane that may come from running a rod or jag/brush through those chambers when the revolver is open. I can also get a quick wipe on the inside of the middle of the cylinder to remove any fouling that impedes the ultra-smooth surface that allows the cylinder to spin freely. This is important for two reasons -- it keeps the familiar double action trigger pull because the cylinder is NOT binding and it promotes less stress on the hand (the part that advances the cylinder) because the cylinder isn't binding or sticking or otherwise resisting to spinning freely.

Care must be taken when removing that forward screw (or any screw) on a Smith & Wesson, because the lion's share of folks that have ever dinked with S&W screws have butchered & bubba'd them up.

When working on a Ruger DA revolver... not being able to remove the cylinder angers me. :mad:
 
I like to rely on chemistry rather than elbow grease-let them soak. EXCEPT nickel plated guns, Hoppe's WILL remove the nickel plating.
 
I've always cleaned from the crown end for revolvers.... Never a problem. As said above just be careful not to damage the crown area. Standard rod and patch and brush. Not that difficult :) .

I don't clean every time now. Since none of my guns lead enough to matter (all I shoot is lead), it isn't a problem. All depends on 'how much' I use 'em before I clean 'em. Never put in the safe uncleaned of course.... Just the current working guns that are in the range bag. Easy to gauge when time to clean. Every year I'll go through once and clean the internals (again depending on how hard it was used) . BP shooting, of course, being the exception as these revolvers are cleaned immediately and taken all the way down, oiled and reassembled.

BTW I do clean from breach when possible, say the semi-autos or the rifles.
 
I think if you ask this question to 20 people, you'll get 20 different answers
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth?

Here's the way I do it. I'll admit that I usually at least give mine a lick and a promise every time. I hate getting soot on my hands. I don't really think it makes a big difference to the gun.

I spray mine with Gunscrubber or something like it. Lately that's been Remington Shotgun cleaner. It does a better job than anything I've ever used. I amost never used a brush, just patches. I'll spray the patch, run it through the bore a time or two, then follow it up with a second patch. The second once usually comes out clean enough for me. A dry patch, then one with oil, wipe the exterior with a silicone rag, and it's good to go.

I clean from the muzzle end. I've never used a guide. I've never worried about damaging anything. It's a cleaning rod, not a plunger. Take your time and be careful. That's all there is to it.
 
After a session of 50 to 100 rounds through a particular revolver, I'll use a powder solvent on a patch and run it through the bore, maybe three patches. Then I run a patch very lightly oiled (unless I've been cleaning with CLP in which case, it's already oiled). Same thing with the cylnders (a couple of patches total).

I let the solvent work a few minutes on the front of the cylinders and around the forcing cone and crane. Then I use a nylon brush to give them a quick brush and wipe off. Outside, I just wipe down with a rag with just a bit of CLP or Eezox.

That's about it for men. BTW, I've also often used just an oily patch in the loop at the end of some heavy nylon twine run from either end of the barrel. I'm not sure how I got started doing this, maybe I couldn't afford a real cleaning rod when I was a kid (not kidding). It works -- which just shows how much we over think all this sometimes.
 
I am fanatical about cleaning my guns. Here's my routine:

Patches soaked with Hoppes #9 in the barrel and the chambers. Let soak for about 15 minutes.

While soaking, use toothbrush with Hoppes on rest of gun. use steel toothbrush on forcing cone.

Tornado bursh soaked in Hoppes in barrel. 25-30 passes. Follow with Hoopes soaked patches until they come out clean.

Chuck nylon brush to drill. Dip in Hoppes and spin on low in each chamber for 5 seconds. Follow with Hoppes soaked patches until they come out clean. Follow with dry patches.

Use Lead Away Cloth on front of cylinder face (stainless guns only).

Start to finish is about 25 minutes. I feel it's worth it. My guns look new. Newest revolver I have is 35 years old.

Every third cleaning, I use a Lewis Lead Remover on barrel and chambers. That thing is a miracle. Strips of lead come out with each pass.
 
Homerboy - I thought I was reasonably tough but I bow to anyone who even knows where to find a steel tooth brush, let alone owns one. Dude.....
 
A good tip I use is a .357 brush for the bore and a .40 cal brush for the chambers (tighter fit).

I see the need for the cone to protect the bore and crown 'if' the cleaning rod is harder than the bore.
 
Here's my take ... I soak the bore in something that will loosen any debris .. then gently brush from the muzzle ... then a little oil and a bore snake from the forcing cone forward ... I'm careful but not a psycho about the crown, I've never noticed any issues with my method and the bore sparkles when I'm done ... add me to the list of folks who clean after every use ... get home, sit on the floor, go to work, smell like gunpowder and Hoppes ... take a shower, job well done ...
 
I clean from the crown end, no cone or anything special. Just take my time and make sure I dont jam it in there like bam-bam slamming his club down.

Only thing I do that someone told me about and made sense is.... I wrap a rag or old t-shirt .. or any cloth really.. around the back strap and across the firing pin. This way if I go to far with the bore brush, there is something there to protect the firing pin from being damaged. That is really the only thing I do.
 
I will start using a bore snake so I can clean from the breech to the muzzle. few passes seems to do a good job for the most part
 
Homerboy - I thought I was reasonably tough but I bow to anyone who even knows where to find a steel tooth brush, let alone owns one. Dude.....
Click to expand...

Hah! Got it in Dick's. The bitch jabs me every time I try to wipe it off before putting it away. And I ONLY use it on the forcing cone.

But a Lewis Lead Remover is the REAL miracle. Cleaning the inside of the barrel and the forcing cone. You think it's clean then you run that thing through there. And you realize it wasn't.
 
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