Why is cleaning a revolver such a pain ??

W

Waitone

New member
Right up front, I'm new to revolvers. A few months ago I bought a 686 and have had a blast. Great gun, truly accurate, fine trigger, smooth presentation, nice fit, low recoil. . .

And it is a first class pain in the arse to clean. Oh, how I hate cleaning a revolver. Its a real problem because I like clean handguns.

I perceive it would be easier to clean by removing the cylinder and yoke. It appears to be advantageous to remove the ejector star from the cylinder. That way I can get a handle on the gun and do a better job.

Am I the only one why hates cleaning revolvers? Would life be any better if I would disassemble the cylinder?
 
I own revolver's, semi-auto's, rifle's, and a shotgun. Out of all my fire-arms I personally think my revolvers are by far the easiest guns to clean, but than again I do love revolvers!
 
Dont make it a pain,try to think of it as time with your guns without shooting them. I actually enjoy cleaning my firearms, I take pride in the fact that I properly maintain their working order and cleanliness. Think of it this way,cleaning your revo is like washing,waxing and polishing your brand new(Viper,Ferrari,Corvette,Mustang,whatever...) It will be worth more if its kept clean and in working order as well as impressing others to do the same. Plus, you get the enjoyment of driving it(or shooting it!);)
 
?? I think revolver cleaning is easier than semi-auto cleaning...no nooks & crannies in the slide or frame...

Maybe you're over-doing it? Here's what I do. You revolver experts tell me if I'm slacking...

1. Bore snake with CLP through the barrel a few times. Visually inspect (with piece of index card to catch the light) for leading. If yes, repeat. If still yes, then use a rod (carefully!) with something stronger. Generally, though, a few pulls does it.

2. Bore snake through each cylinder a few times.

3. CLP on a rag to clean cylinder face, cylinder gap, and ejector star & rod.

4. CLP rag to wipe exterior.

5. After many rounds (maybe 1000?) take off the grips & clean the innards with CLP spray, patches & dental tools. THAT takes a while.

Basic cleaning with 1-4 should take 15mins. Maybe less.
 
After over 30 years as a handgunner, I am inclined to agree with the original post. Basically it boils down to - one chamber with a semiauto vs multiple chambers with a revolver. Multiple chambers just take more time, and I tend to shoot more lead with revolvers so that contributes to the chore.
 
Clean them when REALLY needed ....

..... Then it won't be such a pain. Seriously.

I clean my revolvers when I start to see signs of accuracy, or functionality declining. I've put hundreds of rounds of ammo through my revolvers without cleaning, and I have some that are over 20 years old that look and function like they did the first time I shot them.

My personal opinion is that firearms which are fed a diet of MODERN ammunition get cleaned way too often. Of course I wipe them down after each session, and lube as necessary. However, if we are talking about cap and ball blackpowder revolvers, they get cleaned IMMEDIATELY, because black powder residue is hydroscopic and EXTREMELY corrosive. Unlike MODERN smokeless powder residue which is very benign.

Just my .02 - Take it for what it's worth ..........
 
Yes, revolvers are a pain to clean. That's just one of the many reasons I like my Ruger stainless steel revolvers. I disassemble them, put the barrel/frame and the cylinder in a plastic bowl to soak in solvent. After soaking several hours (or overnight), it doesn't take much scrubbing to clean them.

Yes, it's still a pain, but as Mike Irwin says, it's a labor of love.
 
Somebody else already mentioned using a bore snake. I started using one a few months ago, and that seems to really make things easier - mainly for cleaning the chambers. For them, it's good to get one 'one size larger' - i.e. use a .40 cal snake to clean the chambers on a .38/.357. Use the 'right size' for the bore.

I also find it easier to clean the cylinder if it's removed. On a S&W this involves removing a screw and then a few other simple maneuvers, which I don't feel qualified to describe. I'm sure there are already good instructions for this in the archives or elsewhere on the 'net.

Another point is to not go overboard and try to get face of the cylinder back to its original shiny, pristine condition. It's just not worth it, and involves a lot more chemicals and elbow grease than I, for one, want to deal with every time I clean the thing.
 
The Python has a handy takedown screw, that allows you to remove the crane and cylinder assembly. Unscrewing the ejector rod allows you to seperate the rod, star, crane, and cylinder. At that point it's fairly easy to clean.

On the other hand, cleaning my Security Six /is/ a royal pain, except for the lovely fact that it's stainless.
 
Think of it this way,cleaning your revo is like washing,waxing and polishing your brand new(Viper,Ferrari,Corvette,Mustang,whatever...)
Click to expand...

Well said.

Cleaning them after shooting is part of the ritual. It is when you give the horse a rubdown after the race. My guns are not "rode hard, and put away wet".

For me, the olfactory shift from gunpowder to Hoppe's brings back memories of shooting with my dad, and coming home to help clean the guns. Funny how you connect smells with events or situations............
 
Maybe a bit off topic RogerC, but have you noticed the smell of todays isn't quite as good as "Dads Hoppes"??
 
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Here's my method:

I wait until the house is empty, put a Prokofiev or Rachmaninoff piano concerto on the Bose, sit down at the kitchen table, and take my leisurely time. For some reason, I derive great pleasure in cleaning my guns, even the revolvers. Perhaps, if I had more of them and shot more, it would become burdensome but, thus far, I've made it an enjoyable experience.
 
S&W recommends simple cleaning as described by Dave R.

I swab and brush barrel and chambers (thousands of .38 spl shot in the .357 magnum chambers), brush behind and on top of the star, forcing cone, hand, frame mounted pin, face of cylinder.

Wipe, quick spray of Bore Tech Blast to the back of the frame mounted pin, chambers, barrel, internals to wash out dirt carried there by the Hoppes #9.

Wipe on light layer of oil on pin in star, ejection rod, hand, pin, crane. One or two drops of oil on front of hammer and work into the internals.

One also has a false muzzle that collects tons of carbon.

Two revolvers might take an hour.

I do think the smell of Hoppe's #9 has changed since I first used it 45 years ago.
 
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