Cleaning the 357 cylinder after an afternoon of 38 specials.

[robertbank]

Petander wrap some copper Chor Boy strands around a copper brush and those rings will disappear after a couple of strokes. You can get the Chor Boy cleaning pads any where they sell kitchen cleaning stuff. I get then at Safeways locally. Make sure they are 100% copper not copper plated.

Take Care

Bob

[tazman]

For what it is worth, I found out what was causing the hard crud ring I was getting in my cylinder. The particular brand of bullet lube was the culprit.
I switched lubes to NRA 50-50 type from White Label and the problem ended. Even after long sessions the crud comes out easily with Hoppes and a brush.
It also remains soft enough that during the same session, I can use 357 mag cases in the gun.
I know this doesn't do much to help remove the ring you are working with now, but it might help prevention in the future.

[Martin Luber]

Kroil is good. You can fire brush it too. Cigar lighter or propane torch on low flame. Run it up the cylinder or barrel for 5 seconds, then brush. ****-be-gone. Pronto.

[Walks]

For the 7+yrs My Kids shot Cowboy with me. It was .38Spl's in their 3 SAA Clones and Marlin 1894CS & 1894CB rifles.
After a match a Copper Chamber Brush (from Brownells) was wet down with Ballistol and scrubbed out each cylinder and each rifle. Left wet, they were easy enough to clean when we got home.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

If JB bore paste was mentioned, I missed it. I put some on a tight fitting patch and work it back and forth 5-10 times per chamber. Doesn't clean it spotless, but good enough to allow 357s to chamber easily.

[walnut1704]

Huh. I guess I'm the only one that never had a problem with this. I have .357's that I've fired tens of thousands of .38 Special rounds through and never had a problem chambering .357 rounds. I just clean normally with a few passes with a .375 rifle brush dipped in solvent. There's a burn ring in there but it doesn't seem to cause a problem.

[Petander]

We men have been soaking and cleaning these for a while now.

Typical "shoot the lead out" -guns, cylinders full of lead that just keeps coming,barrels have layers of copper/lead. Non-casters sometimes shoot factory lead ammo and neglect cleaning big time.

Takes a while,no big deal excellent guns.

[tazman]

Who is your friend in the background?

[6bg6ga]

I use motor oil and it does a good job of cleaning the 357 a S&W 686 stainless 6". After a number of anything the gun looks like its has seen 3 days of close combat. A rag with some motor oil on it will clean the exterior up like new and I have cleaned the cylinder so that 357's slide in nicely.

[Petander]

Yeah,cleaning fresh residue is easier. I have decades old stuff here.

Who is your friend in the background?

He moved in a year ago from the woods,we had absolutely no intention to take a cat. Oh well,the winter,snow, all that made hy heart melt. No regrets.

[alamogunr]

I use motor oil and it does a good job of cleaning the 357 a S&W 686 stainless 6". After a number of anything the gun looks like its has seen 3 days of close combat. A rag with some motor oil on it will clean the exterior up like new and I have cleaned the cylinder so that 357's slide in nicely.

This is the first time I've heard of using motor oil. Is it regular or synthetic? I keep some synthetic around and use it as lubrication occasionally, but never as a cleaner. Does it have any effect on the cylinder face?

[Soundguy]

For what it is worth, I found out what was causing the hard crud ring I was getting in my cylinder. The particular brand of bullet lube was the culprit.
I switched lubes to NRA 50-50 type from White Label and the problem ended. Even after long sessions the crud comes out easily with Hoppes and a brush.
It also remains soft enough that during the same session, I can use 357 mag cases in the gun.
I know this doesn't do much to help remove the ring you are working with now, but it might help prevention in the future.

When I first saw your post, my initial thought was lube issue. Glad you tackled it.

[tazman]

I just remembered. I used some automatic transmission fluid to help loosen the first and worst problem. There are enough cleaners in transmission fluid to help with a lot of different things.
If I am not mistaken, Ben's Red and Kroil also have transmission fluid as a component.

[DHDeal]

I just remembered. I used some automatic transmission fluid to help loosen the first and worst problem. There are enough cleaners in transmission fluid to help with a lot of different things.
If I am not mistaken, Ben's Red and Kroil also have transmission fluid as a component.

You are not mistaken about Ed's Red and transmission fluid. Wouldn't be surprised if Kroil uses transmission fluid either, but don't know for sure.

Not quite the same thing, but for years I've always punched the bores of my BPCR's after I'm done shooting for the day and headed home. Not that they lead the bore anyway, but a good soak never hurt.

Good fresh chamber/bore brushes chucked up in a drill have always cleared up my cylinders and I never let my revolvers sit without cleaning the cylinder between sessions. Call it OCD, but I don't like dirty guns. I understand having buckets of brass sitting around, but 357 Magnum brass goes in 357 Magnum chambers (44 Magnum and 454 Casull same same) and 38 Special goes in 38 Special. Not preaching here, it's just what I do.

[Petander]

[smkummer]

For what it is worth, I found out what was causing the hard crud ring I was getting in my cylinder. The particular brand of bullet lube was the culprit.
I switched lubes to NRA 50-50 type from White Label and the problem ended. Even after long sessions the crud comes out easily with Hoppes and a brush.
It also remains soft enough that during the same session, I can use 357 mag cases in the gun.
I know this doesn't do much to help remove the ring you are working with now, but it might help prevention in the future.

I am using lee liquid alox and a simple cloth or soft brush with any solvent easily cleans my 357 chambers. In fact my “ gauge for cleanliness is if a 357 easily falls in. But I don’t recall the last time I fired 250-300 rounds in one gun. I might shoot that much ammo but I generally take 3 flavors of colt 38/357 chambered revolvers.

[trapper9260]

I use Mpro-7 works good for me I know some in the past post said about it , it dose a good job and dose not take long to clean up also. The smell of hoops dose a job on me. My gunsmith told me about it and he use it also. There is one for lead and one for copper to remove . I use one or the other for depend on what I shoot at the time .

[derek45]

use 38's in a 38
use 357's in a 357
load bunny fart 357's in a 357

for cleaning, take a "chore boy" kitchen scrubber, and wrap some around a bore brush. ( make sure it's 100% copper scrubber, not copper coated steel chi com ****)
KROIL helps too.

[Soundguy]

Yeah,cleaning fresh residue is easier. I have decades old stuff here.



He moved in a year ago from the woods,we had absolutely no intention to take a cat. Oh well,the winter,snow, all that made hy heart melt. No regrets.

He looks like a nice fellow.

[Petander]

He looks like a nice fellow.

It's been an amazing year,to watch how a half-wild,scared,sick killer turns into a domestic cat again. There was no way to touch him when he moved in,even looking was too much. Took me two weeks to get him walk inside the house. No more mice in the house!

Purring on my chest every morning now,kissing my nose. There are worse routines to start a day.