revolver cleaning
- Thread starter labnoti
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I also have a real good friend who not only refuses to clean his guns he says, with firm belief, that a gun
barrel should be seasoned like an iron skillet & left that way. But I respect his opinion even if I really
know better. He is old school on everything, got that from his Dad, a great person.
Then one fine day I ran a Rem Tactical he had just bought which was dirty & I was allowed to clean it.
I walked it in at 100 yards like a clock & with my reloads tuned it to 5 shots under 1".
Now the bad part, we had just sighted his Rem 700 30-06 in just over 1" at 100 yards & he wanted
it to do what the Tactical had done, so HE ASKED ME to clean the Rem 700 30-06 with 20 years filth & junk
in the barrel & see if it could go under 1" as well.
After cleaning which proved difficult, the 30-06 would not shoot a group under 3" with any round we had!
You know what happened as well as I do. So we left the rifle with our sons & 100 rounds of ammo, after
that it was back to 1" groups again.
I have never heard the end of it from him, he still believes bullets run better on thick junk.
I know all mine shoot better from a 1 shot dirty barrel but this is ridiculous.
Got a headache hope this came out right.
barrel should be seasoned like an iron skillet & left that way. But I respect his opinion even if I really
know better. He is old school on everything, got that from his Dad, a great person.
Then one fine day I ran a Rem Tactical he had just bought which was dirty & I was allowed to clean it.
I walked it in at 100 yards like a clock & with my reloads tuned it to 5 shots under 1".
Now the bad part, we had just sighted his Rem 700 30-06 in just over 1" at 100 yards & he wanted
it to do what the Tactical had done, so HE ASKED ME to clean the Rem 700 30-06 with 20 years filth & junk
in the barrel & see if it could go under 1" as well.
After cleaning which proved difficult, the 30-06 would not shoot a group under 3" with any round we had!
You know what happened as well as I do. So we left the rifle with our sons & 100 rounds of ammo, after
that it was back to 1" groups again.
I have never heard the end of it from him, he still believes bullets run better on thick junk.
I know all mine shoot better from a 1 shot dirty barrel but this is ridiculous.
Got a headache hope this came out right.
mcb
Member
IMO,clean gun personal pride, dirty gun embarrassing.
The blackened Stainless Steel 627 I posted up thread is filthy with winning. That dirt was from my last few USPSA matches where in the most recent I took 10 of 46 shooters despite being the only competitor to shoot the match with the noble round gun, beating 36 bottom feeders. That dirt ain't embarrassing it's the color of accomplishment.
BobWright
Member
Having been in ROTC, the National Guard, and the US Army, I was indoctrinated to clean my guns faithfully after shooting. (Though in the Army, we cleaned rifles when we had nothing else to do.) So now I clean my guns after each range session. I only remove the cylinders and clean the revolver's bore and smoked-up recesses and oil.
My cleaning set-up:
Bob Wright
My cleaning set-up:
Bob Wright
stchman
Member
I get stainless revolvers as they are easier to clean. I use Hoppe's #9 and a brass brush to get rid of the burn rings and the forcing cone. I usually have to soak the affected areas for a few hours to let the #9 eat the burnt gunpowder. After I get the burn rings and forcing cone clean, I use one of those lead away cloths. The bore I just use #9 and a bore brush.
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,297
stchman
Your revolver cleaning routine sounds very much like my revolver routine, right down to the Hoppe's No.9 and the lead away cloth. Keep up the good work!
Your revolver cleaning routine sounds very much like my revolver routine, right down to the Hoppe's No.9 and the lead away cloth. Keep up the good work!
stchman
Member
Thanks, no need for fancy cleaners and lubes. I forgot to mention that I use non chlorinated brake cleaner to flush all the gunk away. There's a reason Hoppe's #9 has been cleaning guns for over 100 years, it works.
ColtPythonElite
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 10,473
IMO,clean gun personal pride, dirty gun embarrassing.
My dirty guns are a badge of honor. After a range trip, I just wipe them down with an oily cloth and put them away....I have handguns that I have not cleaned yet and some that have not been actually cleaned in years.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I clean mine when they need it and it has nothing to do with the internet. I grew up indoctrinated like everyone else. When I started talking with folks who shot a lot more than I did, I began questioning the practice. Bottom line is that it's just not necessary to clean after every range outing. I 'usually' wipe them down after shooting. I swab the chambers and under the extractor star when they need it and the bore practically never. I periodically clean & lube the basepin and ejector. From the lowly $200 Single Six to the +$5000 custom, they all get treated the same.
I keep my guns clean so when someone ask to see one of my guns( rifle or handgun) , I can show it to them with pride and if they ask to handle it they can do so without getting their hands filthy. Proving to them that I shoot them is not necessary. Just the way I am.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Other people don't factor into my regimen whatsoever.
really.
I usually run a patch wet with Ed's Red or Hoppe's down the bore and let is soak in for a bit. After a few minutes I'll dip a brush in the solvent and scrub the bore a few times before I start running patches on a jag. When the patches come through clean, I call it good. While I'm waiting on the barrel I will clean the cylinder. Sometimes with a larger brush (.40 for my .38/.357) and sometimes with just some patches. I don't usually worry about getting every speck of carbon out of the chambers. I do wonder about the front of the cylinder. I've pulled out the cylinder, removed the ejector rod, and soaked the front end in solvent before; but that's a real pain to do. You should really have a rod removal tool if you plan on doing that very often.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Meaning that what other people think when they handle my guns doesn't factor into how or how often I clean them.
Hertzer
Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2018
- Messages
- 93
For revolver cleaning I usually just use Hoppe's and a bore snake for the barrel and brush's for the cylinder cleaning then run dry patches down the bore to see if more work is needed asa well as dry patch or soft clean cloth to clean up any extra cleaner or oil on rest of the surfaces. Only time I tear a revolver down for further cleaning is if it seems to need it.
I spend a lot less time cleaning now than I used to when I first started shooting. In the beginning, I was so assiduous in my cleaning regimen, and spent so much time on cleaning, that I actually bought an autopistol because I could tell it was going to be a lot easier/faster to clean than the revolver I started out with.
After shooting in a few 1000 round reliability matches it became impossible to ignore the reality that a decent centerfire handgun will handle a LOT of shooting before it really needs to be cleaned. I couldn't rationalize the necessity of cleaning a gun after a 100 or 200 round range trip when I knew, in reality, that the gun would still shoot just fine after 950+ rounds had gone downrange without cleaning.
The first time I did a 1000 round match I did before and after closeup shots of the disassembled gun parts to see if anything was harmed by, or showed unusual wear from the extended shooting session without cleaning. Turned out there was no need for concern.
So now I mostly clean my guns when I get bored or when I just feel like cleaning a gun.
Carry/self-defense guns are an exception; they get thoroughly cleaned after every shooting session. Not because I think it's necessary to keep them working, but because I don't want to put a dirty gun in my carry holster or have it against my clothing or skin. Also, a thorough cleaning gives me an opportunity to carefully inspect the gun to insure that there's nothing I need to worry about in terms of function--since there's more in the balance for a "working" gun.
Obviously, even when I don't clean a gun, I wipe down exposed surfaces to insure that corrosion doesn't become an issue, and guns used with black powder and/or corrosive ammo always get cleaned appropriately. But I don't clean most of my guns after every range trip. In fact, sometimes I'll go several range trips without cleaning a gun. At this moment, according to my records, I have 5 centerfire guns that have been shot but not cleaned. Most of those will almost certainly get at least one more trip to the range before they are cleaned--unless I get bored or get the bug to clean a gun.
When I do clean, I clean for function, not to get every last bit of residue out of the gun or to restore every surface to perfectly pristine appearance. I periodically (based on round count) do a detail strip and clean along with a thorough inspection--but certainly not every cleaning. Basically, over the years, experience has changed my gun cleaning activity from a compulsion to restore it to 'cleaner than new condition' after every range trip to a practical effort.
I don't have anything against the people who feel like they need to or must clean the gun to spotless condition after every range trip. If they want to, or feel they need to, spend that much time cleaning, more power to them. I will admit to a twinge of irritation when someone suggests that anyone who doesn't follow their example and clean as much, as often, or as thoroughly as they do must be irresponsible, inexperienced, or otherwise inferior.
After shooting in a few 1000 round reliability matches it became impossible to ignore the reality that a decent centerfire handgun will handle a LOT of shooting before it really needs to be cleaned. I couldn't rationalize the necessity of cleaning a gun after a 100 or 200 round range trip when I knew, in reality, that the gun would still shoot just fine after 950+ rounds had gone downrange without cleaning.
The first time I did a 1000 round match I did before and after closeup shots of the disassembled gun parts to see if anything was harmed by, or showed unusual wear from the extended shooting session without cleaning. Turned out there was no need for concern.
So now I mostly clean my guns when I get bored or when I just feel like cleaning a gun.
Carry/self-defense guns are an exception; they get thoroughly cleaned after every shooting session. Not because I think it's necessary to keep them working, but because I don't want to put a dirty gun in my carry holster or have it against my clothing or skin. Also, a thorough cleaning gives me an opportunity to carefully inspect the gun to insure that there's nothing I need to worry about in terms of function--since there's more in the balance for a "working" gun.
Obviously, even when I don't clean a gun, I wipe down exposed surfaces to insure that corrosion doesn't become an issue, and guns used with black powder and/or corrosive ammo always get cleaned appropriately. But I don't clean most of my guns after every range trip. In fact, sometimes I'll go several range trips without cleaning a gun. At this moment, according to my records, I have 5 centerfire guns that have been shot but not cleaned. Most of those will almost certainly get at least one more trip to the range before they are cleaned--unless I get bored or get the bug to clean a gun.
When I do clean, I clean for function, not to get every last bit of residue out of the gun or to restore every surface to perfectly pristine appearance. I periodically (based on round count) do a detail strip and clean along with a thorough inspection--but certainly not every cleaning. Basically, over the years, experience has changed my gun cleaning activity from a compulsion to restore it to 'cleaner than new condition' after every range trip to a practical effort.
I don't have anything against the people who feel like they need to or must clean the gun to spotless condition after every range trip. If they want to, or feel they need to, spend that much time cleaning, more power to them. I will admit to a twinge of irritation when someone suggests that anyone who doesn't follow their example and clean as much, as often, or as thoroughly as they do must be irresponsible, inexperienced, or otherwise inferior.
Don Dayacetah
Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2018
- Messages
- 94
IMO,clean gun personal pride, dirty gun embarrassing.
Also, start with a clean gun, it's easy to keep it clean. Let it get dirty, it's always a problem to clean.
NoirFan
Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 671
I clean my revolver every time I shoot it because I want to scrape out the crud ring in the chamber; sticky chambers can really slow down reload drills. I also fire a lot of hot swaged lead reloads so the barrel fouls pretty quickly.
To start, I plug the barrel from the breech end and spray Birchwood Casey scrubber down the muzzle and all the chambers, then go do something else for a half hour. Then I scrub our barrel and chambers with a brush wrapped in copper cleaning pad strands. I will make the possibly controversial claim here that you don’t need the pure copper pads because I have been using the copper-coated steel with no scratching and good results. Then I oil the bore and chambers, scrub the frame with a Hoppes soaked toothbrush and wipe it down with a rag, then oil the moving parts. About 40 minutes total and 10 minutes actual work.
To start, I plug the barrel from the breech end and spray Birchwood Casey scrubber down the muzzle and all the chambers, then go do something else for a half hour. Then I scrub our barrel and chambers with a brush wrapped in copper cleaning pad strands. I will make the possibly controversial claim here that you don’t need the pure copper pads because I have been using the copper-coated steel with no scratching and good results. Then I oil the bore and chambers, scrub the frame with a Hoppes soaked toothbrush and wipe it down with a rag, then oil the moving parts. About 40 minutes total and 10 minutes actual work.
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tactikel
Member
My Dad was a Navy Veteran (1944-45 Pacific). All my guns were " ship shape" at all times. Aside from
pride and respect, I learned to strip, inspect, identify wear points, clean powder and lead fouling. My guns have never malfunctioned or suffered loss of accuracy from my neglect.
I use #9 and a bronze brush for revolver chamber and bore. For heavily fouled Chambers like shooting .38 in a .357 I use a .40 brush dipped in #9 chucked a hand drill run each chamber until the ring is gone.
pride and respect, I learned to strip, inspect, identify wear points, clean powder and lead fouling. My guns have never malfunctioned or suffered loss of accuracy from my neglect.
I use #9 and a bronze brush for revolver chamber and bore. For heavily fouled Chambers like shooting .38 in a .357 I use a .40 brush dipped in #9 chucked a hand drill run each chamber until the ring is gone.
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