Comments on: The Basics of Cleaning Your Revolver

By: yvonne

yvonne — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:12:03 +0000

This website was great. I just bought myself a 38 special model 10 and went to range once bought a cleaning kit and then here i go on the computer to fiqure out the cleaning. good site and everyones comments are helping me alot i definitely do not want my gun to be ruined any pointers guys on storeing it pretty concerned about rust and all.

By: John

John — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:09:16 +0000

Thank you, I receintly bought my first gun and a gun cleaning kit (kit had no directions). After an afternoon of target practice with a few friends, I brought it home for a good cleaning. Not knowing how, I typed in a search and was very fortunate to find your website with great instructions on how to clean my S&W .44 magnum. I’m sure if I was to use my revolver on a regular basis, I would be more interested on which way to stroke the barrel. But the sock tip and procedure was perfect. This will be the way I teach my children.

Thanks again.

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:48:52 +0000

Thank you to all of you for your advice, I am a new gun owner and this was very helpful. My father is in Iraq for the next 7 months so I really have no mentor on cleaning my .38.

By: me

me — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:44:39 +0000

Some good additions here. I would also say:

Ammonia-based copper solvents, such as certain of the ingredients in Hoppe’s #9, and many other brands also, can attack and dissolve nickel directly; nickel and copper are very chemically similar and it is actually a bit difficult to separate them when ore is found that contains both metals.

Also, I have found that for stubborn fouling, I can moisten patches with Hoppe’s #9 and put one in each end of the barrel, and one in each chamber, and let it stand a few days safely.

Also, note that the chambers, except at the very forward end, which is called the “chamber throat,” a bit larger than the diameter of the bore. You may wish to use one size larger brush to clean the revolver’s chambers, i.e., if it is a .38/.357 revolver, use a .40/10mm brush to scrub the chambers.

Lastly, for very stubborn, very hard carbon deposits of the type that can build up in rings around the chambers on the front of the cylinder, you may wish to scrape at those gently with a brass tool of some kind, perhaps a length of 1/8″ brass rod filed to a point and affixed to a sturdy handle for good leverage. You don’t want to damage the surface or change the extremely tight tolerances, but no good can come of leaving the crud in place. Carbon fouling can absorb moisture from the air and promote corrosion, especially if the ammunition was loaded with certain types of primers using an older chemical priming mixture, and worse.

By: T.R. Melcher

T.R. Melcher — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:54:27 +0000

When cleaning any firearm, do not dip your bore brush directly into the solvent container. It contaminates the solvent. I use little plastic bowls I make from cuting the bottoms off plastic water or soda bottles. Put some patches in the bowl then apply solvent using a eye dropper or syringe. I apply solvent to the brushes the same way.
When you scrub your bore and chambers the brush becomes laden with carbon, powder residue and metal fouling. When you dip the brush into the solvent container all of this crap comes off in the remainder of your solvent which soon becomes so contaminated it’s of no use.

By: Aglifter

Aglifter — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:49:14 +0000

Don’t forget to rinse out your brushes, etc w. water after cleaning. Personally, I use the Otis system for my revolvers, but that’s just me.

You might want to really emphasize cleaning under the star — even a small speck of dirt/carbon underneath it can cause problems on a revolver w. a tight cylinder gap.

(Ya’ll are making me miss my toys, I just travel w. the horrible tupperware crap from Austria that I carry in inclement weather…)

In my experience, Hoppe’s #9 should be sufficient protection for the outside of a stainless steel gun. I usually put eezox on the outside of mine, or I have them coated/hard chromed.

By: Philbert

Philbert — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:04:49 +0000

Drink a soda while cleaning? This is very irresponsible advice. Cleaning a firearm will expose you to toxic chemicals in the solvents as well as the lead on the gun. Never eat or drink while handling firearms or ammunition. Also, wear disposable gloves to keep the solvents and lead off your hands, and goggles to keep chemical splashes away from your eyes.

By: Wayne Shelledy

Wayne Shelledy — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:40:51 +0000

son-in law had Hep c and killed himself; how can the weapon be cleaned safely without getting infective?

By: AcmeNews

AcmeNews — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:02:37 +0000

This is a nice article. but the intro photo is horrible.

This two-bit cowboy has his finger inside the trigger guard (on the trigger as far as I’m concerned), his thumb is cocking the hammer and the muzzle is pointing at his hand.

It looks to me like this “gunslinger” is about to have one less hand with which to sling guns.

Revolvers are great. I’ve ditched all semi-autos in favor of revolvers because they always work and feel good in the hand.

By: Zundfolge

Zundfolge — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:01:16 +0000

A little side note about Nickel finished guns:

Do NOT use Hoppe’s (or any other “copper solvent” type cleaner).

Nickel is bonded to the steel by a thin layer of copper and if you have a nick or deep enough scratch anywhere on the gun, the Hoppe’s will get under there and start to damage the Nickel finish.

My Nickel finished S&W Model 29-2 (last of the P&R Smiths) is cleaned with Shooter’s Choice FP-10.

That said, is there any manlier a scent than good old Hoppe’s No. 9? I think not.

By: Jim Beam

Jim Beam — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:38:34 +0000

Actually, you do not want to dip your brass brush into the solvent. Solvent breaks down copper that will end up on your brush and in doing this loses it’s potency. Dipping the brush in the solvent will deposit copper into the solvent and lower the effectiveness of the solvent. It is much better to keep your solvent in a bottle that has a nozzle and drip the solvent onto the brush.

By: CaptStevenM

CaptStevenM — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:41:33 +0000

Another tip, get a plastic coated cleaning rod. That way, if you accidentally hit the side of the barrel when cleaning, you won’t scratch it or hurt the rifling.

By: Cybic

Cybic — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:32:41 +0000

Good Article. Love the old sock idea. I didn’t realize the problem until I starting cleaning and kept hitting that area. I was using a cleaning cloth wrapped around the frame to stop the brush hitting those sensitive parts. I’m amazed no one actually warned me about it. I live in Australia where it is very rare to own any type of firearm. I have a S&W 686 “6 and love cleaning it. There’s nothing like coming back from the range (after firing .357 Mags) and sitting down to clean your gun. I do find it relaxing.

By: steve

steve — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:54:07 +0000

damned good idea ,using an old sock,thanks

By: andy

andy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:30:19 +0000

More firearms have been ruined by overeager cleaning than by any other reason, a wiseman once told me.
For mine, and i have some oldies, garands, M1 Carbine, 1911A1, 1903, etc… no brass brushes, only solvent, and i prefer mops to patches. but ALWAYS, as has been said. with a protector on the crown, and spend the money on a good rod, poly coated, lots of bearings in the grip so it spins freely. Pull the patch or mop from breech to bore. treat your rifle the opposite of your lady, ONLY go back-to front.