best way to clean a revolver ?

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doc_brar
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best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by doc_brar » Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:28 pm

hi everybody this is my first post .can we use ed red to clean the junk?

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by MoA » Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:59 pm

Ed's Red would work as well...
or

To get the carbon out... use Auto-transmission fluid, or something call GM Top Engine Cleaner, or Brake Fluid.

You probably will not have an issue with Leading or Copper given the limited amout of usage..
Wet patch/Dry patch... if you wish a bore brush trhough the barrel and in the clyinders.

Use any syntehetic motor oil liberally if you will be storing it for a while... or Singer Machine oil if you're going to be carrying.

If the junk is not from shooting.... WD-40 lots of it. Works like a charm.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by Mark » Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:03 pm

The main ingredient to clean most any gun is something called "elbow grease", a term meaning physical work!

If the gun has not been used for a while and the action is all sticky or gritty, a good technique is to remove the grips and anything else plastic or wood and simply drop the entire revolver into a container of paint thinner, ATF, or mixture such as EDs Red. Let sit anything from a few minutes to overnight and remove and start cleaning it with some cloth and perhaps an old toothbrush.

My favorite gun oil mixture is 80% ATF and 20% paint thinner (mineral spirits). I do not measure but simply fill up an oil bottle most of the way with ATF and then top off with some mineral spirits.

I have not done this with a blued gun, but it works GREAT with stainless steel pistols- remove the grips and sneak it into an automatic dishwasher when your wife is not looking. I suspect it would be fine with a blued gun but try at your own peril. That includes forgetting about it until your wife discovers it in the dishwasher the next morning.
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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by doc_brar » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:30 pm

thanks guys is just brushing it enough?my gun dealer told me so

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by opensight » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:06 pm

Dear Doc_brar,

I would disagree with MoA regarding use of WD-40 to clean the revolver. WD40 is , to the best of my knowledge , a rust remover. It may gum up the revolver if used regularly.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by timmy » Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:29 pm

For lubricating things, especially where rust might be involved, I've always had excellent luck with automatic transmission fluid. Even for small parts, a little drop on the tip of a pin can do wonders.

Often for handguns, I've used a very small dab of molybdenum disulfide grease on parts like hammer pivot pins and such. From my early days as a young man, working as a technician in electro-mechanical telephone switching offices, I observed that many don't ever seem to understand that the only lubrication substance that actually lubricates is what is between the moving parts -- the blobs piled on and making a mess only do just that -- they don't lubricate anything.

For instance, when I moved into this house 12 years back, the door hinges squeaked and irritated my Wife. A very thin film of Lubriplate (a thin lithium-based grease) has solved this problem for many years. With guns, I don't feel great amounts of lubricant is needed to ensure wear protection and smooth operation. The biggest issue I've found is preventing binding in cold weather.

Regarding cleaning, the only problem I've encountered is leading in revolvers, particularly in the forcing cone, but also in the barrel. For clearing this lead fouling, I've found a Lewis Lead Remover to be ideal. It has a special attachment for cleaning forcing cones and another for dealing with the barrel itself, along with the chambers in the cylinder. The cleaning "agent" is a round brass screen mesh with a fine weave. This effectively clears the lead, while not injuring the barrel and other critical surfaces.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by MoA » Wed Jun 10, 2009 10:15 pm

Opensight: WD-40 is used extensively for cleaning crud, and even storage. When i put away my BP guns for a long time, I tend to do so with WD 40. Yes it becomes gunky after a couple of months, but more WD 40 solves that issue easily. In any case it is your choice.

timmy: MoS2+H2O= H2SO4 amongst other things. One of the reasons why people shooting Moly Coated bullets clean immediately after they have finished for the day.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by timmy » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:55 am

MoA:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/k83x7075h037r630/

http://mclube.com/lubricants/moly_grease_paste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum_disulfide

http://www.metcoat.com/molybdenum.htm

Given these properties, specifically regarding temperature and corrosion protection, especially in the almost universal use of moly-based lubes in applications that are water-prone, such as wheel bearings (including those on boat trailers) and constant velocity joints on automobiles, I believe this information is relevant when assessing information such as is presented here:

http://www.shootingsoftware.com/moly.htm

I draw your attention to the use of moly as a bullet lube vs its use as a lubricant on moving parts at much lesser temperatures mentioned in the properties descriptions and product specifications above (e.g., operating temps < 400*F).

I cite these references as a reason why I deem barrel cleaning regimens used when moly-based bullet lube is employed as not pertaining to moly-based lube use for simple mechanical part lubrication, which is what I was referring to in my post.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by MoA » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:53 am

Timmy:
True... however teperatures in a handgun will differ significantly than those on boat trailers.

IMHO... I use WD 40 extensively on my weapons. A lot of people do not.
Simillarly I wouldnt use a moly grease on my weapons, but would use a graphite.

I generally stay away from moly... but will be shooting hBN as soon as I can have my bullets coated.

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by timmy » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:51 am

teperatures in a handgun will differ significantly than those on boat trailers
On a hot day, the wheel bearings on a boat trailer can get fairly warm, especially at highway speeds. This effect is exacerbated by high rotational speeds -- the small tires of a boat trailer rotate much faster than the larger ones at highway speeds.

These temperatures would be much higher than those encountered on, say, the pivot pin for a handgun hammer.

In any case, both would be well under 400*F

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by doc_brar » Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:58 pm

thanks a bunch guys but can anyone explain in detail how to cean a revolver after firing it?

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by Rottmeister » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:37 pm

Just asking - how good is the commercial gun oil variety? They also claim to clean the rust and humidity.
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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by MoA » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:48 pm

doc_brar wrote:thanks a bunch guys but can anyone explain in detail how to cean a revolver after firing it?
Already explained... :cheers:

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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by Mark » Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:25 am

doc_brar wrote:thanks a bunch guys but can anyone explain in detail how to cean a revolver after firing it?
RottLord wrote:Just asking - how good is the commercial gun oil variety? They also claim to clean the rust and humidity.

I'll try to give my thoughts on these two questions, and tie them together a little bit too.

First, I am sure an internet search will provide a more thorough explanation but here are my thoughts on cleaning a revolver-

To me, there are 2 different requirements for cleaning a revolver (or any other gun for that matter). You can either do a "maintenance" type of cleaning which is done whenever you feel like it or after a brief bit of range use, or you can do a "deep cleaning" which is a good idea to do:
1) When you first get a gun, or
2) get it back after loaning it for an extended time, or
30 at least once a year in a humid climate.

To do a "quick clean" all one needs to do is go over the gun with a lightly oiled rag, and then run a couple lightly oiled patches through the barrel. The rag you use can be either cloth or paper towel. When using a paper towel I tear it in half and oil one half, then alternate between the two halves first oiling the surface then using the dry one to rub everything clean. The paper towel or rag need only be damp with oil, if it has so much oil it is shiny or glistening you are using too much! But anyway rub any dirty spots with the oily rag, then rub with the dry one until the gun is clean. If you take more than 5 minutes you are doing something wrong! To clean the bore either use a cleaning rod but if you do not have one then take a piece of copper wire and form it into a loop and tie a knob or pencil sized stick to one end, have the loop be about 3 inches longer than your barrel, now starting at the muzzle with the cylinder open push the loop through the barrel and when it appears at the chamber end put an oily rag through the loop and pull it out. NOW you can have a drippy-oily piece of rag! Do that a few times and then follow with a dry rag.

That is all, you are done!

To do a "deep clean" you will need a few more items. For starters, remove the grips and any other plastic or wood parts. Now use a wet rag soaked with a "bore solvent" or "powder solvent" or other such cleaner such as Eds Red or the delicious smelling Hoppes #9, go over the entire gun. Use a toothbrush dipped in solvent to clean in all the crevices you can find. Do not be afraid to dip/soak the gun if you think it is necessary. Using a cleaning rod with a brass brush scrub the bore thoroughly. If you have a break-open revolver such as a Webley by all means do this from the chamber forward towards the muzzle. (that helps prevent unnecessary wear to the muzzle and barrel crown).
If you have lead fouling soak in oil for a while and then scrub with a bronze brush with either copper pot-scrubber pad or plain old steel wool wrapped around the bristles of the brush. For a super-fouled barrel mix hydrogen peroxide (3%) with white vinegar 50/50 and let sit in the barrel for 2-3 minutes but no longer as it can pit the barrel and also stain the bluing so please be careful. Back in the old days heavily leaded barrels were cleaned by plugging one end and filling with mercury. The lead gets absorbed into the mercury and the mercury will clean quite a large number of barrels, but as you can imagine it has potential to be quite dangerously toxic!

Anyway, scrub and rub the entire gun clean, making sure you work the action a bit too. When everything is clean rub the entire gun down with a dry cloth, and then rub it with a lightly dampened cloth and reinstall the grips. One more once over with the cloth and presto you are done.


Now let me give my 2 cents of opinions about gun oils-

When people ask what the best gun oil is, usually the criteria they are wanting has to do with "How long can I put my gun away for in a drawer somewhere without cleaning/inspecting/oiling it?"

To me, there is no oil made on the planet that can guarantee 100% that you can oil a gun, put it away for a year in the back of a closet, and when you pull it out it will be in exactly the same condition it was when you put it away. So to me, any oil can be a satisfactory gun oil if used and inspected frequently. Heck, if you have nothing else even olive oil will work, just re-oil the gun weekly. I have mentioned that my preference any more is to use ATF but virtually ANY oil claiming to be gun oil will be just fine. It is more important to inspect and run a damply oiled rag over the gun every once in a while.

One more thing- what I like to do is take a small cloth and put it in an old 35mm film can or similar jar, and add about 1/8 teaspoon oil to it. Make up several, and you can just use paper towels too if you want, and you will always have a handy rag to wipe your guns down. Of course you can have a bigger rag in a jar, just make sure it is only damp with oil and not soaking.

In addition to ATF, sewing machine oil or synthetic motor oil both work fine as well.
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Re: best way to clean a revolver ?

Post by brar » Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:00 pm

Note:-It is just copy and paste by me but I think it is use full

Revolvers
I love shooting revolvers more than any other kind of gun. But this pleasure comes with a price; with six chambers the revolver is a pain to clean. Add that to the fact that mostly cast bullets are used in the wheelgun and you better roll up your sleeves.

I clean the chambers first. The cleaning procedures for the chambers are the same for a barrel. Soaked patches, brushing when necessary, soaked patch, dry patch, lightly soaked patch. You just have to do it six times. I have a stainless steel cleaning rod that was marketed for snub nose revolvers. I find it easier to use the short rod on the chambers.

After the chambers are clean I do the bore. Same procedure here.

If fouling is bad I break out the Lewis Lead Remover. It is a useful tool that uses brass patches to clean out the bore & chambers. A little trick, if you plan to clean a revolver's chambers with the Lewis Lead Remover, remove it from the gun to prevent stress and damage to the crane.

Next, clean the outside. A toothbrush will be required to get grit and lead off the frontstrap and frame. Sometimes a dental pick helps to clean around the barrel and frontstrap. Make sure that the extractor is clean and that underneath the extractor star is clean and dry. Do not lubricate that area too much or powder residue will collect there and eventually push the star out of alignment a tad. This will cause the revolver to jam.

You are done with the revolver. Wipe off the exterior and put it in the safe.
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