Your revolver cleaning tips?

[CountryGent]

The revolver, by its mechanical nature, is a bit different in the cleaning department. Any steps you've found conducive to keeping the wheelgun in best working order? Any mistakes you've learned to avoid?

Cheers.

Read More

 

[TTSX]

Well, it's not normal I suppose, but I like to shoot a cylinder of high pressure fmj loaded rounds after a session of shooting lead. Seems to help blow extra crud out of the cylinder, barrel and forcing cone area. It's like a fun pre clean

 

[Knobgoblin]

I have at least one retired guy in my crew of regular friends. He's cleaned 4 or 5 guns for me so far this year.
Everybody I hang out with is a gun nut like me. My plan is to repay my debt to the community one day.

 

[kmk1012]

Biggest tip from me would be remove the grips and get WET with the cleaner and some gloves. I use CLP and get it in all the kooks and crannies before a good long soak, then attack with a good brush finished by a good rinse and wipe job. I'm sure there's a "members quote taken out of context" in there somewhere but I'll leave it up to the creative minds here.

 

[nammac]

I use a firm toothbrush to ensure the frame area above and around the forcing cone are devoid of debris from shooting. I also scrub the forcing cone face and the opposing cylinder face, to ensure no binding due to buildup. And clean diligently under the extractor star.

Other than that, I just bore snake the cylinder chambers and the barrel. Followed by wet patch/dry patch until all chambers and barrel are clean. As @TTSX mentioned, if there's any signs of leading, a cylinder of fmj's make cleaning a breeze.

A wipe down of the frame inside surfaces, the cylinder and the external surfaces pretty much does it. As you know revolvers are very forgiving when it comes to maintenance, they can be neglected, to a degree and still function.

 

[Nosferatu]

Take the grips off, toss it in the sonic cleaner.

 

[nammac]

Take the grips off, toss it in the sonic cleaner.

This is sure to keep the internals clean.

 

[Flopsweat]

Biggest tip from me would be remove the grips and get WET with the cleaner and some gloves. I use CLP and get it in all the kooks and crannies before a good long soak, then attack with a good brush finished by a good rinse and wipe job. I'm sure there's a "members quote taken out of context" in there somewhere but I'll leave it up to the creative minds here.

Too many to count...

 

[Nosferatu]

This is sure to keep the internals clean.

Gets all the belly-button lint out of the rear sight and hammer gaps too!

 

[ron]

Cleaning a 357 revolver that shoots a lot of 38 special can be a PIA. Hoppes #9 scrub and soak the
cylinder and barrel works good but does not always get the crud out. Lead away Cloth cut into patches to clean
the inside of the cylinder. Also it can clean the end of the cylinder. Depending on how many rounds you shoot,
a revolver needs to be completely disassembled and cleaned and lubricated periodically.




Cleaned the end of the cylinder in a SS 686+ revolver. Even a cylinder face that has not been cleaned for many
years, Lead Away cloth can clean it just by wiping the cylinder!

 

[dangerranger60]

I wipe my EDC revolver down weekly. I give it a good scrub every time its shot, this includes tightening every screw, once a year it goes in the ultra sonic tank, and gets stripped and re greased. once every 5 years It gets a complete teardown and has all its springs changed.
The non EDC revolvers only get cleaned every time they get fired. DR

 

[ron]

I wipe my EDC revolver down weekly. I give it a good scrub every time its shot, this includes tightening every screw, once a year it goes in the ultra sonic tank, and gets stripped and re greased. once every 5 years It gets a complete teardown and has all its springs changed.
The non EDC revolvers only get cleaned every time they get fired. DR

No grease. Use a high quality oil like Remington oil or Hoppe's oil. Grease make the hammer sluggish.
Per Grant Cunningham, oil for parts that spin on a shaft or pivot and grease for parts that slide.

 

[drstrangelove]

Do not let oil dry to a varnish in the cylinders... will make extraction a bytch.

 

[tenthousand]

Cleaning a 357 revolver that shoots a lot of 38 special can be a PIA. Hoppes #9 scrub and soak the
cylinder and barrel works good but does not always get the crud out. Lead away Cloth cut into patches to clean
the inside of the cylinder. Also it can clean the end of the cylinder. Depending on how many rounds you shoot,
a revolver needs to be completely disassembled and cleaned and lubricated periodically.


View attachment 1823279
View attachment 1823281

Came here to say this. I use the Birchwood Casey and it works well. I haven't tried the KleenBore yet.
Use caution on beed-blasted finishes. It will polish it.

 

[ronin223]

Remove the cylinder completely and clean the rod that the cylinder rotates around or the cylinder stops rotating. Trust me I learned the hard way.

 

[Happyguy]

I use an auto parts cleaner with orderless mineral spirits, of course I had to change the pump from water bass to petroleum base use, I can shoot the jet where the dirt is. I had a bolt from a Savage 340 that seemed to have dried lubricate in it and soaking it in the tank really helped.

 

[orygun]

Remove the cylinder completely and clean the rod that the cylinder rotates around or the cylinder stops rotating. Trust me I learned the hard way.

This was my first thought.
My nephew shot his Taurus 22 revolver so much the trigger was very hard to pull. The cylinder was dragging on it's axle and took a lot of scrubbing to get it clean and working correctly.

Another step I am going to start doing during cleaning, and maybe even more often than cleaning, and that's to check to make sure all screws are tight.
A while back I pulled my 60 out of the holster and the thumb piece to open the cylinder was missing. S&W replaced it and the nut at no charge, which was cool, but the other day I noticed it was now missing the rear sight! (This one is adjustable) I was able to find the sight in the driveway, but no sign of the screw...
Looks like I need to call S&W again.