maintaining old blued revolvers

M

Master Blaster

New member
Does anyone know of a good resource on the internet for information on maintaining revolvers.
I asked Smith & Wesson for a manual but they only have the generic revolver manual listed on their website.

I want information on S&W with the firing pin on the hammer, and pinned barrel. Is it ok to dryfire them any special precautions to take or maintenance? How do you remove the cylinder?

What is the best way to preserve the blue finish?

I am a revolver novice so any information or help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Blued revolvers sure look beautiful when they're new, but the blueing does wear off, especially if they're carried. With S&W revolvers, of which I own a 6" 19 and a 4" 27, they also loose bluing around the cylinder where the locking bolt(I don't know what else to call it) rubs against the cylinder. When I clean the gun I remove the stocks and use a soft patch with a few drops of Hoppes #9 to wipe the burnt powder off the exterior. I then use a soft silicon cloth to dry the entire gun. To remove the cylinder there is a screw on the right side of the frame at the very front of the inspection plate which when loosened will allow you to remove the cylinder. This should never be necessary since routine maintenance doesn't require removing the cylinder. On top of that putting a screw driver to the screw even once or twice will scratch the finish, which is what you want to maintain, so avoid it.

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You can't really avoid signs of wear--this is
a tool after all.Don't be afraid to take the
cylinder out--I believe it is a good idea to
give it a thorough clean from time to time.
As far as marking the screw is concerned--
just be careful,don't brutalise it and use
the right sized screwdriver.
Dry firing is OK--it is a centrefire and the
pin won't hit anything--if you like you can
use snap caps to cushion the strike,some do,
I don't see the point myself.
I've been a shooter for over 40 years and I
haven't worn a gun out yet.
 
Eventually, you may wish to remove the sideplate. These are very closely fitted. DO NOT TRY TO PRY THEM LOOSE. Remove all the screws from the sideplate, hold the revolver in one hand, sideplate down, and gently tap the butt with a rawhide or nylon hammer. The sideplate will fall right off into your hand.

Be aware that the foremost screw on the sideplate does, indeed, allow removal of the cylinder, but more importantly, allows you to adjust the tension of the screw against the crane. You should adjust the tension so that just a touch of resistance is felt when the cylinder is opened. It shouldn't just flop open. This screw, BTW, is notorious for coming loose and falling out, especially on N frame revolvers. Some Loc-Tite is indicated.

Hope this helps, Walt
 
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