How best to deal with carbon ring when shooting specials in a magnum cylinder?

[Bazoo]

My wife and I each have a 357 magnum chambered revolver and I also have a 44 magnum chambered super blackhawk. I shoot a lot of 38 specials in the 357 chambered guns and I'm looking for suggestions as to the best way to mitigate the carbon ring that builds up in the cylinder.

I have taken Outposts suggestion and purchased the brownells stainless chamber brush and it seems to help a lot, but still takes a fair amount of elbow grease. I've tried chore boy but it didn't do as well as the SS chamber brush. I am spinning the brush in the chamber with a solid handled cleaning rod. Should I be pushing it through? It seems too tight to push through.

I've been using hoppes 9. But I'm open to other suggestions. Would eds red or Kroil make an appreciable difference?

Is there other techniques or tips that will reduce the ring or effect required to remove it?

Thanks

Bazoo

[LUCKYDAWG13]

why not just use 357 and 44 magnum brass and use light loads

[44MAG#1]

Carbon is susceptible to hot water. I worked in a factory that had plastic injection machines. We sometimes used a polyvynil compound at times it would sometimes give carbon buildup in the barrel. One of the engineers from the company thst made the stuff recommended squirting water in the barrel along with purge compound to remove it. It worked but with a gun it would have to be dried thoroughly and oiled. If it is carbon and other stuff too it would take something else. I just scrub the chambers well with a powder solvent. And I am satisfied

[stinjie]

In my stainless Security Six,i've had good results soaking with Deep Creep for 10-15 min,then use a .40 cal brush.

[Winger Ed.]

If I clean shortly after coming back from the range, a bore brush knocks it right out.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Try a Lewis Lead Remover. It's a pistol sized cleaning rod with an expanding rubber tip. You remove the tip (a screw in the center) and apply a small square of mesh (I think it's bronze mesh) onto the top of the tip, then screw the screw back in tightly which expands the rubber tip. Soak the bore with a patch of Hoppe's, then run the mesh patch back and forth a few times and you'll have a clean cylinder. You'll see streaks and bits of lead in the mesh. These have been around forever, and most PPC guys used to utilize them to clean their cylinders to like new after hundreds of rounds.

DG

[c0wb0y84]

The 800 grit flex hone is advertised to be for cleaning carbon out of cylinders. I don't have any personal experience with this...yet. I plan to though.

[Outpost75]

Swab chambers with Kroil at the range, leaving them wet until you get home.

Then use the SS chamber brush and Kroil again and most of the crud ring should come out easily.

[Valley-Shooter]

There is a tool made just for this problem.

SliXprings-Scaper


https://www.badmanbullets.com/Online...prings-Scraper

I haven't used it, but looks like a good idea.


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[Wayne Dobbs]

I recall that Clymer used to have a de-leading reamer for .357 Magnum revolver chambers. Discussed it with them at SHOT back in the 90s. Don't know if they still do one or not.

[Rapidrob]

2ND Lewis Lead Remover. Been using mine for 45 years now, it works.

[Petrol & Powder]

I have shot a lot of 38 Specials in 357 mag chambers and I have never had a problem.

I clean my guns after I shoot them. Problem solved.

As for a Lewis lead remover - it is a great tool. I would caution using it on a cylinder still mounted to the crane. You must support the cylinder in your hand so that the force isn't transmitted through the crane and potentially damaging it. When I use a Lewis lead remover on a barrel (which is rarely needed unless working up a new load) I always hold the gun by the barrel. I typically don't use a Lewis lead remover on a cylinder unless it is dismounted from the crane.

When I read about people scrapping, scrubbing and soaking chambers in cylinders; I have to wonder when was that gun last cleaned?
A little bit of Kroil, an appropriate brush on a non-rotating cleaning rod and a few twisting passes through each chamber followed by a patch and you're back in business.

[Dale53]

I shoot a lot of .38 Specials in my .357's. I carry a plastic chamber brush in my shooting box. While the gun is still warm from shooting, I run the chamber brush in each chamber a time or two - problem solved. Then a simple cleaning with a good solvent when I get home it's "good to go"!

Dale53

[tazman]

I have been dealing with that issue for decades. My solution had two parts.
1- Clean your gun as soon as you get home and don't give it time to harden. Hoppes 9 will do to soften it. Soak liberally, allow a little time to soften, and then brush out.

2- I use White Label NRA 50-50 lube in my lubrisizer or White LAbel X-lox for tumble lube. Some other brands leave a residue that gets really hard when you shoot a long session. This doesn't.
When I changed to this lube in my revolvers, the crud ring issue went away immediately.

A suggestion for a tool for removing an existing crud ring- Take a piece of 357 brass and flare the mouth slightly so that it is a push in fit for the chambers. You can roughen the edges of the case mouth if you wish. Run rhe case into the chambers with a twisting motion and it will scrape the ring out after you have softened it some.
This is for the really difficult to remove rings. Since the case is brass, it won't hurt the chambers as it is too soft, but it will remove the ring when you get it softened.
This was suggested by a member here and it works.

Leaving the ring in place for a few days allows it to harden and become a real problem.

Do a search on this site for" crud ring 357 cylinder". You will get lots of threads on this topic.

[lotech]

Many .38 and .44 brass brushes are undersize for some cylinders and don't do an effective job in removing the carbon ring. I have a Lewis Lead Remover and it will work, but not as well as an oversized brass brush. For .357 magnum cylinders, I use a .375 rifle brush and Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red. For .44 Magnum cylinders, a .45 pistol or rifle brush and solvent is usually fine. These methods require only routine cleaning work, nothing else.

[USSR]

I just scrub the chambers well with a powder solvent. And I am satisfied

Ditto.

Don

[gnostic]

I carefully, use a worn out brass brush from a 44 special in a drill motor, once in a while. That leaves the cylinder looking new....

[contender1]

"The 800 grit flex hone is advertised to be for cleaning carbon out of cylinders."

I would NOT recommend this method. Honing can & will eventually cause problems in itself. You will be removing metal. Removing metal in the throats is NOT a good idea.

As noted,, one of the best things is to clean while still warm & not set up or hardened. Often,, a simple quick cleaning at the range,, followed by a deeper cleaning at home is quite easy. While still fresh & warm, run a wet patch of Hoppe's a few times in each chamber,, followed by a brush, followed by Hoppe's again. Let the last run of Hoppe's stay in the gun until you get home. Clean the same day.

[Groo]

Groo here
Using a bore snake every couple of cylinders works well,
one or two pulls in each chamber.
That way it does not have a chance to build up..///

[Bazoo]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I bought my GP100 from a friend that shot almost exclusively specials. So when I cleaned it there was this tough fouling that needed scraping to remove. I got it out except it looks like it has stained the inside of the chambers where the ring was. It chambers and extracts fired magnums now. Is this just a burn ring like what happens in the front of the cylinder?

Cleaning after a range session isn't really practical for me most of the time. I have a backyard range and often shoot several times a day, but smaller amounts. I don't have a dedicated range time. I often test loads here and there and then plink of the evenings. I could manage a once a day when I'm don't cleaning probably. I don't normally clean any of my guns the day I shoot. I'll have to think on my methods.

I haven't done enough shooting to see if my reloads using BAC lube has had any effect on the buildup. The previous ring was from factory ammo.

I could make special powered ammo in magnum cases, except I have very few magnum cases. I have 200+ magnum cases I'm working with, in two batches. But I get a fair amount of 38s from a friend so I have several 200-300 round batches. Wish he liked 357 and big bore...

I appreciate all the responses and I'll look into some of the suggestions of products and changes in method.