Cleaning the 357 cylinder after an afternoon of 38 specials.

[charlie b]

I am in the .357 brass in .357 crowd. But, I don't have any range restrictions to deal with either.

In the old days shooting tank cannons the accumulators would get clogged with carbon. Military bore cleaner would not cut it. Brake cleaner worked ok but was horrible to work with. We used wire wheels to work on it and it still seemed to take forever. Then Break Free CLP became available. Stuff was like magic. Swab it in there. Swab out the loose stuff. Swab and let sit for an hour and wipe free. If we could we'd let them sit for another day and then swab out and they would be as clean as could be. The only problem was it came in 55gal drums and had to be stirred before use. Amazing to watch troops come up with ways to mix up stuff in a drum

Problem now days is I only see it in the expensive spray cans. I have migrated to Ed's Red (modified) these days. ATF, Kerosene and Acetone or MEK. It seems to work on just about anything. Also works best after soaking for 10 min or so.

[onelight]

Some good ideas here , I am liking the one with a jar of Ed's Red and a soaking going to try that.

[Petander]

I need to make a fresh batch of Ed's Red as well.

[DougGuy]

I use an old dulled 357 finishing reamer with some select portions ground off so it doesn't really cut much but the fouling and doesn't bottom out on the back of the cylinder. This gets most of it gone, and sometimes I still have to go back with a dremel tool and a #453 wire brush.

[onelight]

I use an old dulled 357 finishing reamer with some select portions ground off so it doesn't really cut much but the fouling and doesn't bottom out on the back of the cylinder. This gets most of it gone, and sometimes I still have to go back with a dremel tool and a #453 wire brush.

I would trust you to do that to my gun.....but not me

[Petander]

I found a lanolin can that says "use before feb 2005". No special odor or anything. Can I still use it in Ed's Red?

Funny how the time flies. I remember buying that lanolin to make Ed's Red more " skin friendly".

[charlie b]

I've never used lanolin in the Ed's formula. He mentioned it was only for longer term storage and I find his preserving 'oil' of ATF and Kerosene works just fine.

Then stopped putting mineral spirits in it after reading some analysis by Fryxell. So now it is just the ATF, Kerosene and Acetone.

[Petander]

I keep surprising myself by shooting more and more mild 38 wadcutters in a 2 1/2" Mod 66. What's up with my magnumitis?

VFG has new "intensive" wads that work really well,too. They have brass or fiber/particles embedded in the wool wad material. I use 9.3 mm for 38/357/9mm.

[tazman]

I keep surprising myself by shooting more and more mild 38 wadcutters in a 2 1/2" Mod 66. What's up with my magnumitis?

Not an issue. That load is fun in any K frame Smith, 38 or 357.
Cheap, easy to load, pleasant to shoot, and very accurate. What is there to dislike?

[rfd]

for my .357 smiths, they all get starline .357 brass, though the loads depend on the gun's weight and will range from mild (snubby) to mediumish (k-frame). but i Vastly prefer a good .38spl smith and my fave is my k-frame model 67 with 3.8 grains of w231 under a 158 grain acme or precision hi-tec. it's all good, they're all good cartridges and revolvers.

[Rodfac]

I regularly shoot my S&W .357 Model 520 with .38 Special wadcutters. I have learned that running a chamber brush (plastic bristles) through the chambers WHILE THEY ARE STILL WARM will easily remove the crud. I do it about every forty rounds.

Excellent advice from Dale53. If you over do it and let the build up go, I find that an ALL COPPER chore boy, wrapped around a .30 cal. bronze brush makes quick work of the lumps...does a fine job on the forcing cone and bbl. as well.

ALL COPPER Chore Boy works better than the old standby, the Lewis Lead Remover IMHO.

ALL COPPER...not the copper plated variety at Walmart. Take a kitchen magnet with you, it'll tll the difference immediately. I got mine off Amazon, maybe ten years ago and still have a life-time supply...tho I'm coming up on 74 now.... Best Regards, and Hi to Dale53...Rod

[Dale53]

Rodfac;
"Hi!" right back at you, Rodfac! It's good to hear from you.

All the best to you and yours,
Dale53

[Petander]

I am in the .357 brass in .357 crowd. But, I don't have any range restrictions to deal with either.

In the old days shooting tank cannons the accumulators would get clogged with carbon. Military bore cleaner would not cut it. Brake cleaner worked ok but was horrible to work with. We used wire wheels to work on it and it still seemed to take forever. Then Break Free CLP became available. Stuff was like magic. Swab it in there. Swab out the loose stuff. Swab and let sit for an hour and wipe free. If we could we'd let them sit for another day and then swab out and they would be as clean as could be. The only problem was it came in 55gal drums and had to be stirred before use. Amazing to watch troops come up with ways to mix up stuff in a drum

Problem now days is I only see it in the expensive spray cans. I have migrated to Ed's Red (modified) these days. ATF, Kerosene and Acetone or MEK. It seems to work on just about anything. Also works best after soaking for 10 min or so.

I just got a couple of those Break Free spray cans. To me it seems that (Original) Ed's Red is faster and more aggressive removing everything from 38's in 357. I remembered Break Free working better...?

Anyway,more and more 38's have been fired in my 66, I went to 170 Mihecs now. Great fun! VV3N37 is good for +P loads.

[charlie b]

Yep, IMHO Break Free changed their formula a bit. Probably to work better in the spray cans. Spray cans to me are just a way for them to make a lot of money. Big cans, small amount of product, and lots more product used than necessary.

You can probably also remember a container of cleaner lasting a couple of years too.

[TNsailorman]

I like the Ed's Red formula so well that I have a 3 gallon glass jar of it that I made up last summer. The first I made up I did in 1 pint bottles. Now I use the 1 pint bottle on the bench to clean with. It ought to last a while but then again I am sharing it with my brother and son-in-law, both pistol shooters. Gun stores around here have caught on to spray can oil and cleaner and that is about all you see on their shelves. They know the customer will be returning a lot more often as spray cans offer a lot less product and cost more to boot. More money for them and I can't really blame them.

[quasi]

I use the Bullshop lube for sprue plates on my cylinder insides, it works great. I Qtip it on and brush it out.

[Alferd Packer]

ATF and kerosene
Also power steering fluid and kerosene
May be same stuff in ATF and power steering fluud.