Hammerdown
11-14-2008, 02:45 PM
Hello
Max has asked me to walk through the steps I use in revolver cleaning and care. First and foremost , Step out and buy a good Gun smith screw driver set. I use a B-Square set myself but there are several good ones out there to Purchase just make sure they are Hollow ground as that style straight blade is more precise and will fit the straight screw more securely. One slip with a cheap screw driver will cost you a life time of scared gun over it that you will never forgive your self over. I start out by removing the grips. Take the screw back out of it's thread but Do not remove it Yet. I Use the screw to Push off the grips. You will feel the right Panel pop off the guns frame, then you can push the left panel off from the rear without damage. If you try to pry them off, you could Damage the grip panel or the gun itself. Once the grips are off, set them aside to keep cleaning solvents from coming in contact as it may damage the finish of the grips. Next on the very Front of the revolvers side Plate you will see a screw right behind the trigger. Make sure your screw driver bit fit's this screw tightly and remove it. These can be a challenge if they have not been out since it left the factory so take caution when doing this procedure. Once the screw is out, Open the cylinder of the revolver. Be careful when doing this as the screw in the side plate you removed is the one that holds the cylinder crane assembly in place, so I do it with the gun on it's side and gently Pull the crane assembly and cylinder out of the revolver. Once the cylinder and crane assembly is out of the revolver, they should separate by gently Pulling back on the cylinder releasing it from the crane. if it does not pull out, it is an older style that you will have to unscrew the extractor rod to get the two Components apart. This can be done by using a Extractor tool, or by Taking a Piece of leather or if you don't have that a waist band belt can be used. Wrap the leather all the way around the extractor and use the pliers to remove the extractor from the cylinder. Remember Pre-1950's revolvers will be right hand extractor threads and post Mid 1950's revolvers will be Left hand extractor threads. Once you get the extractor shaft out of the cylinder pay close attention of how it all comes apart as there may be a gas ring on older guns and there should be Two inner springs one being about the size of a pencil in Diameter which is the Outer extractor spring, and the Other spring will be the size of a Ball Point Pen spring in nature as this is the Internal extractor shaft spring. Keep all parts together just the way they came out of the revolver and all should be fine. Now with the extractor Pulled out of the cylinder this will allow you to clean the face of the cylinder along with the internal bore much easier than when it was in the revolver.If it is a Blued finish I would NOT recommend Those Lead Free wiping Clots. I have heard they actually remove the bluing from a Gun so stay clear of them. I use Hoppes Number # 9 and a Bronze Bristle brush ion Blued cylinder faces. and for the Nickel finished cylinders the same, but when cleaning Nickel I always finish up by Polishing the cylinder face with a Metal polish like Flitz, Maas cream, Or a Product from Renaissance called Pre-Lim. These Polish's will work well on Nickel, but do Not use them on Bluing as they will take the bluing right off the cylinder. For blued cylinders I use the Hoppes and a Bronze brush along with Elbow grease to remove the Burnt Powder and flame rings we all hate to see. I have used Chore Boy which is a copper pad found in the grocery stores cleaning aisle. Chore Boy will safely take off the Burnt Powder and Flame rings from bluing without hurting the guns finish. Make sure as long as you have the extractor apart that you clean it well with Hoppes and wipe all the parts clean when you are done. Now moving onto the main frame of the revolver. I use a bronze brush and Hoppes again to rid the bore of copper or lead deposits. Do NOT use stainless steel bristle bore brush's as they will destroy the Lands and rifling of a bore in no time. Once you clean the bore just run a few Patch's down though to make sure it is squeaky clean and dry. if the gun is a new used Purchase take the time to make sure all the lead is out of the bore. .22 Caliber bores are known to hold a lot of lead in the grooves of the rifling so check it to make sure it is clean as it will effect the guns accuracy. I have also taken chore boy and wrapped a bit of it around the outside of a .22 Bore brush and cleaned the bore that way. You would be surprised to see how much lead a .22 Bore can hold and we can miss if not Paying close attention to this Important detail. Once the bore is clean I roll the revolver on it's back. I use the bronze brush again with Hoppes and clean all around the forcing cone. You will not be able to get the bristles above the forcing cone where it meets the guns top strap, but if you will take a cleaning Patch with Hoppes and place it between the top of the forcing cone and the top strap evenly then slide it from side to side, this will clan that area back up to new condition if you out enough effort into it. Be sure when cleaning this area to make sure all the lead and burnt Powder is off the face of the forcing cone, and in the top strap area you will notice a perfect line across the top strap right in front of the forcing cone. This is called The flame Travel line which is caused by the hot Gases from burning Powder and it too can be removed of it's lead and Burnt Powder if rubbed down hard with a cleaning patch and Hoppes. In the Pre-War S&W Revolvers there is a Oval dished out section right behind the forcing cone. This is called commonly The "Crud Hole" it was machined into the top strap of the revolver when it was made to allow Black Powder to accumulate without effecting the rotation of the cylinder while cycling the cylinder of the weapon. Next take your cleaning brush and scrub down the recoil shield behind the cylinder and wipe it clean and dry when done. When I have all my cleaning done, I reassemble the revolver. Once it is reassembled, I use a Gun Oil of which I Highly recommend called Corrosion-X. This is a very good synthetic Lubricant that I have found to leave my guns working much smoother that standard Gun Oil and it does not sludge up no matter what the Temperatures are. I simply Place a couple of drops in the recoil shield where the Cylinder hand slot is and a drop or two in the extractor rod when depressed I make certain to get a Little on the extractors main shaft along with the Crane spindle before Placing the cylinder back on it.Now Place the small flat head screw back into the front of the side plate and wipe the entire gun down from Finger Prints. I then apply a good coat of Renaissance Wax of which I will include a link to their Products at the end of this message. Rest assured, I have tried all the Products out that claim to be the best at Protecting a guns finish and Renaissance comes out way ahead each and every time. I apply it very thin as you do not need much. I also apply it to the face of the cylinder and inside the cylinder window on the guns main frame as it provides a barrier between the crud, burnt powder and smoke. Once it dries wipe it clean and it is Hard to gte off, but well worth it after it is done as Finger Prints are a thing of the past when using this product and you don't have to have your gun swimming in Oil again as the wax seals the finish and is the Only Product I have found to truly work and keep Rust off my Guns. In the cleaning part you saw me mention Pre-Lim. It is also a Renaissance Product and is a creamy substance. This product is safe to use on Blued or Nickel finish's and lifts rust off Bluing we can not se with The Naked eye and makes the bluing Look a mile deep with Taking any off the weapon. It is the Only Product I have found to make Bluing stand tall and when you first Polish your gun with it you will notice the Polishing cloth appears to be orange or Brown, Well that is Rust it has taken off and the shine and depth left behind can be seen in any of my Nickel or Blued revolvers. Once all the wax is removed the last thing I do is Place the cylinder thumb Piece and nut and the grips back on the gun. This has always worked best for me and I hope it helps you as well...
http://www.restorationproduct.com/
Max has asked me to walk through the steps I use in revolver cleaning and care. First and foremost , Step out and buy a good Gun smith screw driver set. I use a B-Square set myself but there are several good ones out there to Purchase just make sure they are Hollow ground as that style straight blade is more precise and will fit the straight screw more securely. One slip with a cheap screw driver will cost you a life time of scared gun over it that you will never forgive your self over. I start out by removing the grips. Take the screw back out of it's thread but Do not remove it Yet. I Use the screw to Push off the grips. You will feel the right Panel pop off the guns frame, then you can push the left panel off from the rear without damage. If you try to pry them off, you could Damage the grip panel or the gun itself. Once the grips are off, set them aside to keep cleaning solvents from coming in contact as it may damage the finish of the grips. Next on the very Front of the revolvers side Plate you will see a screw right behind the trigger. Make sure your screw driver bit fit's this screw tightly and remove it. These can be a challenge if they have not been out since it left the factory so take caution when doing this procedure. Once the screw is out, Open the cylinder of the revolver. Be careful when doing this as the screw in the side plate you removed is the one that holds the cylinder crane assembly in place, so I do it with the gun on it's side and gently Pull the crane assembly and cylinder out of the revolver. Once the cylinder and crane assembly is out of the revolver, they should separate by gently Pulling back on the cylinder releasing it from the crane. if it does not pull out, it is an older style that you will have to unscrew the extractor rod to get the two Components apart. This can be done by using a Extractor tool, or by Taking a Piece of leather or if you don't have that a waist band belt can be used. Wrap the leather all the way around the extractor and use the pliers to remove the extractor from the cylinder. Remember Pre-1950's revolvers will be right hand extractor threads and post Mid 1950's revolvers will be Left hand extractor threads. Once you get the extractor shaft out of the cylinder pay close attention of how it all comes apart as there may be a gas ring on older guns and there should be Two inner springs one being about the size of a pencil in Diameter which is the Outer extractor spring, and the Other spring will be the size of a Ball Point Pen spring in nature as this is the Internal extractor shaft spring. Keep all parts together just the way they came out of the revolver and all should be fine. Now with the extractor Pulled out of the cylinder this will allow you to clean the face of the cylinder along with the internal bore much easier than when it was in the revolver.If it is a Blued finish I would NOT recommend Those Lead Free wiping Clots. I have heard they actually remove the bluing from a Gun so stay clear of them. I use Hoppes Number # 9 and a Bronze Bristle brush ion Blued cylinder faces. and for the Nickel finished cylinders the same, but when cleaning Nickel I always finish up by Polishing the cylinder face with a Metal polish like Flitz, Maas cream, Or a Product from Renaissance called Pre-Lim. These Polish's will work well on Nickel, but do Not use them on Bluing as they will take the bluing right off the cylinder. For blued cylinders I use the Hoppes and a Bronze brush along with Elbow grease to remove the Burnt Powder and flame rings we all hate to see. I have used Chore Boy which is a copper pad found in the grocery stores cleaning aisle. Chore Boy will safely take off the Burnt Powder and Flame rings from bluing without hurting the guns finish. Make sure as long as you have the extractor apart that you clean it well with Hoppes and wipe all the parts clean when you are done. Now moving onto the main frame of the revolver. I use a bronze brush and Hoppes again to rid the bore of copper or lead deposits. Do NOT use stainless steel bristle bore brush's as they will destroy the Lands and rifling of a bore in no time. Once you clean the bore just run a few Patch's down though to make sure it is squeaky clean and dry. if the gun is a new used Purchase take the time to make sure all the lead is out of the bore. .22 Caliber bores are known to hold a lot of lead in the grooves of the rifling so check it to make sure it is clean as it will effect the guns accuracy. I have also taken chore boy and wrapped a bit of it around the outside of a .22 Bore brush and cleaned the bore that way. You would be surprised to see how much lead a .22 Bore can hold and we can miss if not Paying close attention to this Important detail. Once the bore is clean I roll the revolver on it's back. I use the bronze brush again with Hoppes and clean all around the forcing cone. You will not be able to get the bristles above the forcing cone where it meets the guns top strap, but if you will take a cleaning Patch with Hoppes and place it between the top of the forcing cone and the top strap evenly then slide it from side to side, this will clan that area back up to new condition if you out enough effort into it. Be sure when cleaning this area to make sure all the lead and burnt Powder is off the face of the forcing cone, and in the top strap area you will notice a perfect line across the top strap right in front of the forcing cone. This is called The flame Travel line which is caused by the hot Gases from burning Powder and it too can be removed of it's lead and Burnt Powder if rubbed down hard with a cleaning patch and Hoppes. In the Pre-War S&W Revolvers there is a Oval dished out section right behind the forcing cone. This is called commonly The "Crud Hole" it was machined into the top strap of the revolver when it was made to allow Black Powder to accumulate without effecting the rotation of the cylinder while cycling the cylinder of the weapon. Next take your cleaning brush and scrub down the recoil shield behind the cylinder and wipe it clean and dry when done. When I have all my cleaning done, I reassemble the revolver. Once it is reassembled, I use a Gun Oil of which I Highly recommend called Corrosion-X. This is a very good synthetic Lubricant that I have found to leave my guns working much smoother that standard Gun Oil and it does not sludge up no matter what the Temperatures are. I simply Place a couple of drops in the recoil shield where the Cylinder hand slot is and a drop or two in the extractor rod when depressed I make certain to get a Little on the extractors main shaft along with the Crane spindle before Placing the cylinder back on it.Now Place the small flat head screw back into the front of the side plate and wipe the entire gun down from Finger Prints. I then apply a good coat of Renaissance Wax of which I will include a link to their Products at the end of this message. Rest assured, I have tried all the Products out that claim to be the best at Protecting a guns finish and Renaissance comes out way ahead each and every time. I apply it very thin as you do not need much. I also apply it to the face of the cylinder and inside the cylinder window on the guns main frame as it provides a barrier between the crud, burnt powder and smoke. Once it dries wipe it clean and it is Hard to gte off, but well worth it after it is done as Finger Prints are a thing of the past when using this product and you don't have to have your gun swimming in Oil again as the wax seals the finish and is the Only Product I have found to truly work and keep Rust off my Guns. In the cleaning part you saw me mention Pre-Lim. It is also a Renaissance Product and is a creamy substance. This product is safe to use on Blued or Nickel finish's and lifts rust off Bluing we can not se with The Naked eye and makes the bluing Look a mile deep with Taking any off the weapon. It is the Only Product I have found to make Bluing stand tall and when you first Polish your gun with it you will notice the Polishing cloth appears to be orange or Brown, Well that is Rust it has taken off and the shine and depth left behind can be seen in any of my Nickel or Blued revolvers. Once all the wax is removed the last thing I do is Place the cylinder thumb Piece and nut and the grips back on the gun. This has always worked best for me and I hope it helps you as well...
http://www.restorationproduct.com/