How often to break down and detail a revolver?

[TTSX]

This weekend, I went to YouTube university and learned how to take down a Smith revolver to the frame. I performed the task on a well used 625 and a barely used but holster worn 586 so if I mangled the finish, it wasn't on one of my nicer, newer guns. What I noticed with the 625 is that someone had been in there at some point. Don't know when it how often but the signs were there. It was a little cruddy but not awful

My 586 likely had it's cherry popped. There were no marks on any fasteners and the side plate was almost a press fit unit. The insides were robbed of lube long ago and minor surface rust had started here and there but much less than I'd expected.

Neither gun felt gritty or rough before going in so if I didn't decide to crack em open, I'd never have known the difference. Can't say I know many people who regularly go deep into their revolvers, either. I'd it relatively normal to just not maintain these things or is it an intimidation factor? Generally not needed?

Read More

 

[oremike]

I try to detail clean all my handguns the week between Christmas and new years. When I was a working man I always took that week off because if I didn't I'd lose the time and no-one wants to give days back for free. Use it or lose it is what they called it.

 

[Koda]

Can't say I know many people who regularly go deep into their revolvers, either. I'd it relatively normal to just not maintain these things or is it an intimidation factor? Generally not needed?

Ive wondered about this for semis too.
Many years ago I broke down my first 1911 and put it back together successfully. Never had any of my guns broken down since but I'm aware that using them, lint, rain, moisture, greased surfaces wear the grease off everything internally... happens. Yet, guns run reliably for years.
Not certain there's an answer but would love to hear a gunsmiths opinion on this.

 

[titsonritz]

@Cerberus Group

 

[Bobbygun]

Keeping it real. I'm not all that mechanically inclined. I think the risk of me taking a revolver completely apart and not being able to get it back together correctly far outweighs MY risk of damage from the elements. I do keep my guns clean and buy Rem Oil in the big can. Most of my guns don't see as much usage as a lot of the guns other forum members write about. I've traded off a few guns that I had for many years where the recipient was thrilled with the condition of the gun they received.

Great question though. I will be following this thread with interest. Who knows, maybe @oremike could expand his The Proficient Marksman business to include revolver cleaning and I could be his first client.

 

[Koda]

I am also curious what the complete teardown maintenance should be for any handgun thats regularly carried and trained with?

My favorite 1911 has been thru all kinds of weather elk hunting. I once spent an hour shaking and picking a pine needle out of the frame, I got it.

 

[Cerberus Group]

I might pull a side plate once every few years, depending on how often it gets shot and carried. Generally, those being carried, it'll get the usual crane/cylinder removal and cleaning. The cylinders get cleaned using a bronze or heavy duty nylon oversized brush chucked into a drill on low speed...works wonders.

As for lube, having gone through the S&W Revolver armorer course years ago, they recommend an extreme minimal amount of lube anywhere...and the old timers used mineral oil for lube.

Am pondering an extreme low cost S&W Armorer course in the spring. It would cover complete disassembly and the usual tuning and smoothing for J,K,L and N frames. I might present a more intensive course that would include crane alignment, timing, end shake, and cone correction procedures, but that requires specialized tools that most likely not anyone is going to have, except for a 'smith.

 

[TTSX]

I might pull a side plate once every few years, depending on how often it gets shot and carried. Generally, those being carried, it'll get the usual crane/cylinder removal and cleaning. The cylinders get cleaned using a bronze or heavy duty nylon oversized brush chucked into a drill on low speed...works wonders.

As for lube, having gone through the S&W Revolver armorer course years ago, they recommend an extreme minimal amount of lube anywhere...and the old timers used mineral oil for lube.

Am pondering an extreme low cost S&W Armorer course in the spring. It would cover complete disassembly and the usual tuning and smoothing for J,K,L and N frames. I might present a more intensive course that would include crane alignment, timing, end shake, and cone correction procedures, but that requires specialized tools that most likely not anyone is going to have, except for a 'smith.

I remember hearing about that mineral oil thing before. Going by that standard, I just gave everything a light coating, such that my fingers were oily and my oily fingers put the parts in the places. Felt unusually light to me but the old guys probably know these guns best.

I wouldn't mind attending a course on these but I have a feeling we're not local to each other

 

[Cerberus Group]

Am guessing you're south of Salem...I travel that way for gunshows now and then, might make it a point to get together on one of my trips...no charge

 

[oremike]

Am guessing you're south of Salem...I travel that way for gunshows now and then, might make it a point to get together on one of my trips...no charge

I'd sit in to learn about my wifes Model 60. The only other Smith I've got is a old hand ejector in 32 -20.

 

[Cerberus Group]

I'd sit in to learn about my wifes Model 60. The only other Smith I've got is a old hand ejector in 32 -20.

If we can find a place that would hold a few people, let's do a NWFA Revolver get together and go through them.

 

[oremike]

Creswell has this https://www.ci.creswell.or.us/page/facilities-rental
But I'm sure there might be other choices like at the Community collage or someone with a bigger shop than my one car garage.

 

[Tony617]

I open up my 686-1 every couple of years when I have shot it. I have the orginal bottle of Hoppe's Gun Oil that I bought with my first bottle of Hoppe's #9. I use the oil sparingly.

 

[boattail]

My double actions get tore down on a biannual basis. Single actions….hmmm, I never have pulled one all the way down.

 

[orygun]

If we can find a place that would hold a few people, let's do a NWFA Revolver get together and go through them.

Hell, yeah! I'd love to be involved with something like that. I'm not afraid to take things apart, but real world coaching is invaluable.
Once, years ago, "some guy" talked me all of the way through disassembly and reassembly of a 1911 over the phone. I wouldn't mind having that guy show me how to properly take my S&W revolvers apart for maintenance.
I would also be interested in that S&W Armorer course if the first thought didn't work out.

So now you all know my S&W revolvers haven't ever been apart in my hands. After dragging my 60 around darn near every day for the last 4 years or so, I'm sure it has dust n lint where it doesn't belong.
When I had single action revolvers I'd possibly tear them down every couple of years, but would clean and lightly oil them much more often.
Wrong as it is, stainless steel can make one lazy.

 

[dangerranger60]

My current J frame 642 had a very rough trigger action. When I first got it I dry fired it a lot thinking it would smooth out. After a month or so of it not smoothing out I opened it up to do a fluff n buff and maybe a spring reduction.
What I found when I opened it up was a little gob of heavy grease at the pivit points that was contaminated with metal chips, a trigger return slide that was as rough as a rasp, and a return spring that looked like a tractor suspention spring.
I could have just cleaned up the return slide and replaced that spring, and shot the gun happily after that. But I cleaned every nook and craney, polished the slide replaced the springs with a wolf set, and lubed with a light grease.

When I opened the gun again 5 years later, it looked just like when it went back together. Next year will be 10 years, I will probably replace the springs and detail strip it. with new springs, new lube, etc ... it should be good for another 10 years. DR

 

[Nosferatu]

You clean these damn things? Weird.

 

[solv3nt]

You clean these damn things? Weird.

I finally got my factory lubed p220 to jam after about 1k rounds.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

I've got a Model 29 that I open carry daily around the ranch, so it's hanging out exposed to whatever the weather conditions happen to be and also gets fired at least every couple days. I don't have a set schedule for tearing it down, it's more dependent on the conditions it's been exposed to. If it's been rained or snowed on, it gets a full disassembly, drying and lube that same night. During the dry months when the dust and dirt are kicking up, every couple weeks. When it's really dusty, once a week. If it were a concealed carry piece that didn't get abused by weather, I'd probably be in the once or twice a year camp.

 

[Nosferatu]

I finally got my factory lubed p220 to jam after about 1k rounds.

Well, that things junk now. Toss it in the river.