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

[USSR]

So I sorted all the brass my buddy left me over the last 5 years. Only two boxes of it were the same I guess, PPU brand. So I tumbled it and sized it. I went to trim it and danged if you wouldn't know it, it's all .005 or so short of the trim suggestion. So I either can trade it off or hope a few magnum loadings will grow it.

Don't bet on it growing. Unlike bottleneck rifle brass, handgun brass tends to get shorter. Don't sweat the .005".

Don

[TDB9901]

Kroil or Ed's Red on a brass .410 shotgun bore brush. In more severe cases chucked in a power screwdriver or ran at reasonable speed in a variable speed drill.

[c0wb0y84]

I have shot bajillions of 38 special rounds in 357 revolvers and never had a problem if I simply clean the gun using normal methods after shooting. Something has gone wrong if you have to bust out a flex hone.

I imagine if the gun was cleaned using normal methods after being shot with short cases it would've been fine. But from the looks of it the person that owned the gun prior to me never did any more cleaning than a patch down the barrel and the carbon in the cylinders from shooting who knows how many .38 spl is hard as glass and nothing that I have done has touched it yet. So I guess something must've gone wrong.

[Bazoo]

I imagine if the gun was cleaned using normal methods after being shot with short cases it would've been fine. But from the looks of it the person that owned the gun prior to me never did any more cleaning than a patch down the barrel and the carbon in the cylinders from shooting who knows how many .38 spl is hard as glass and nothing that I have done has touched it yet. So I guess something must've gone wrong.

Sounds like how the previous owner of my GP100 cleans.

[murf205]

Bazoo, I don't mean to try to spend your money for you but Starline has 500 rnds of 357 brass for $87 and it was the best $ I spent in a LOOOOng time. Even though I had several rounds of 357 brass, it was slightly different lengths and some had a lot different neck tension. My purchase from Starline solved all this and when you rotate the loadings they will last a really long time, especially at the 38 spl levels that you are talking about. And...you can clean yours and mama's revolvers normally. But....you know what you want better than I do, just my experience.

[Terminatorret]

From a SASS forum:
"...I just took a 357 case with an inside bevel and belled it till it just barely fit the chamber. Squirted a shot of Break Free in, shoved in the 357 case. The case scraped out the "ring around the collar" and didn't score the chamber."

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Boogieman]

No need to remove the cylinder if the gun will fit in the cleaner. Just remove the grips, when it's clean , dry it and oil it good It will be dry of oil. I just bought a HF ultrasonic, it's the best ay I've ever used to clean brass

[Bazoo]

Okay boogieman, how do you dry the lockwork without disassembly? Seems like lots of small spaces for moisture to hide.

[Bazoo]

So far what I've tried and have succeeded with is the chamber brush chucked in a drill. I'd rather find a simple method like the tool or a belled case because I can't pack a drill with me everywhere I take my cleaning kit. Next I'm going to try the belled case and then maybe the scraper. The scraper sure seems nifty.

[salvadore]

Is this really a thing? I own a model 60-10 for since they first hit the market and a model 28 for I guess about 15 years and fire .38 cartridges exclusively in them. Recently took 30 years worth of hodge podge cartridges out in the desert for can control, about 300 rds., then I read this post. So I retrieve a .357 load that I use in a rifle and tried to chamber it in the 28. No problem, I have never gone to any extreme measures to remove an imaginary carbon ring and had not cleaned the revolver prior to chambering the .357. What gives?

[44MAG#1]

Is this really a thing? I own a model 60-10 for since they first hit the market and a model 28 for I guess about 15 years and fire .38 cartridges exclusively in them. Recently took 30 years worth of hodge podge cartridges out in the desert for can control, about 300 rds., then I read this post. So I retrieve a .357 load that I use in a rifle and tried to chamber it in the 28. No problem, I have never gone to any extreme measures to remove an imaginary carbon ring and had not cleaned the revolver prior to chambering the .357. What gives?

It gives people something to discuss and think about. That is really about it. Never had any trouble myself. But I don't let cylinder fouling get that bad regardless of the loads I shoot. Am ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, or something like that.
Oh well.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

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.

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.

Like Outpost said, Soaking in Kroil, or I use Ed's Red (even if it isn't right after shooting,even weeks/months later).
You are just softening the carbon.
After a good soak (minutes or hours), then use a chamber brush, then I use a brass jag with a denim (or coarse fabric) patch. Repeat if necessary.

Bazoo, I think all my revolvers, that can shoot specials have a stained ring, inside of the chambers where a carbon fouling ring once was...Stained just like all my revolver's cylinder faces. While I have friends that will "super" clean (buff wheel polish) those stains, I do not, because I would worry about metal loss.

[Bazoo]

Interesting replies. Thanks everyone.

There has been several occasions that after firing a few cylinders of specials i switch to magnums and they chamber and eject fine. But there has also been several instances when the gun hasn't been cleaned from the previous shooting session and I go to shoot it again and magnums will not chamber.

I don't normally clean my guns after every time I shoot them. But it seems like at the least, a cursory chamber cleaning is in order to compliment the usual wipe down.

When I got the GP100, it had a carbon ring. I cleaned it and 357s would chamber fine but with a flashlight you could see this carbon. I picked at it with a brass rod and chunks scraped off.

[Boogieman]

Okay boogieman, how do you dry the lockwork without disassembly? Seems like lots of small spaces for moisture to hide.

I use an air compressor and an old food dryer. could use a heat lamp

[gunther]

After blowing primers with 357 loads in a M28 that had a steady diet of 38 specials, I'm inclined to see a box of Starline 357 brass as a good investment. The gun has been cleaned many times and the shadow of a ring is still there to remind me "It's a 357".

[Bazoo]

I appreciate the replies. I hadn't thought of pressure issues. I bet a carbon ring would stretch magnum brass with magnum loads.

I've not had any problems with magnum loads blowing primers (before or) after having cleaned the gun thoroughly and then maintaining it. I've loaded some Lee 358-140-SWC over a pretty stiff charge of 296, and other than some trace leading all was fine.

I don't really have an issue with using magnum brass other than availability. One thing I like is the history of the 38 special and in a way I feel like I'd be taking away something if I turned my back on the 38 casing. I guess I'm a bit OCD in that I like special loads in special brass, not to mention it's more efficient for lighter loads to be in smaller cases. I'm actually thinking about getting some short and long colt brass to mess with for lighter loads.

[Three44s]

With my stainless guns I use JB Bore paste with specifically designed chamber mops and brass brushes. Any good solvent will do in the beginning.

After I begin to get a handle on the fouling I switch upto Corrosion X.

My experience is that the CorrosionX tends to get into the pores and reduces greatly how fouling sticks after cleaning. It is pretty striking.

The Bore paste polishes a little and wears out stubborn fouling.

I would shy away from power tools and stainless brushes after my experience I just illustrated above.

Three44s

[Smallbore]

I have been using Bore Tech C4 carbon remover and am really impressed.
I got it on the recommendation of another service rifle shooter to clean AR bolts.
Man does it work! My GP100 chambers are much easier to get the carbon rings out with this stuff and a bronze brush.
HTH,
Smallbore

[glaciers]

I got to say I'm with JonB on the Ed's Red. Just today I cleaned out a carbon ring on a 327 SP101. Could almost not get fired cases out, it was a fight. 10 minutes Ed's Red, brass brush, patches and done. Spotless, no fight.

[pocketace]

chore boy strand wrapped on a brash brush..

helps to let it soak with cleaner sprayed down it. still takes time.

i can get a bad lead residue ring when using speer bullets in a 357 case.