Brushes for revolver cylinders?

[rondog]

I'm wanting brass/bronze brushes for .44 c&b revolver cylinders that have a "ball" on the end of the brush for getting into the back end/bottom of the chambers to scrub the crud out. Is there such a brush out there? Or something similar, that's made for this? Source?

I rarely shoot my c&b revolvers because cleaning them is such a depressing chore. I'd like to change that.

[Outpost75]

I remove the nipples, then use a .50 cal. BMG bore brush and let the end of the brush tip poke into the nipple hole. A .410 shotgun brush can also be used this way.

[Nueces]

Test tube brushes are built that way.

[Omnivore]

rondog; I agree that this is an issue that's ignored in the gun cleaning accessory market. There are several instances of blind holes, or shoulders, which are practically inaccessible. The test tube brush sounds promising.

You don't need a metal brush though. Plastic bristles would be plenty aggressive for black powder fouling, but as you say they have to stick forward of the wire center to get the corners at the back of the chamber. Anything that can provide some wiping action and make it easy. Probably a foam/sponge cylinder on a stick would do just fine. A brass jag with the tip ground off is what I use to get down into the patent breech chamber of my muzzleloading rifle, with a patch of course.

I've been using Q-tips in the revolver chambers. They work but are a bit tedious and fragile. Also keep in mind that it is not necessary to remove all traces of fouling. The only solvents I've been using lately are Ballistol and plain hot water.

Part of the problem is that the Italian repros tend to have a rough-cut surface at the back of the chamber, and sharp corners, neither of which is necessary. A 200 or 300 dollar guns is a very cheap gun.

But again; do yourself a favor and don't be quite so concerned about getting the back of the chamber surgically clean. It's not that important. Give it a good rinse and a shot of some protective oil and forget about it.

[rondog]

Ok, guess I'm too anal about it. That's why I hate cleaning guns, because I feel they have to be CLEAN, and bp revolvers give me fits. But the test tube brushes sound promising. Just seems like there should be brass ones made for this.

[Omnivore]

Wire brushes are for removing metal fouling, or plastic fouling (such as in a modern shotgun), both of which will be forever non-existent in a properly used percussion revolver. Nay; all you need is some little bit of wiping action from a cloth patch or swab, good rinsing, a good layer of protective grease or oil afterward, and you're golden. Wipe the oil out of the chambers thoroughly right before loading though.

Endeavor to make it simple, rather than perfect, and it becomes more enjoyable. I'm still working on that. It applies to life in general also.

[mooman76]

They do make a brush with the brush that stick straight out like a small pain brush. That should do it. The nipples should be removed occasionally though so they don't get stuck in there making it very hard to get them out.

[Texantothecore]

Cleaning a bp revolver cylinder:
Rinse cylinder in water
Spray cylinder with Windex
Do the barrel with Windex while the cylinder soaks
Spray patch with Windex
Clean all six cylinders with patch on a jag which has had the spike ground off.
Rinse Windex from cylinder
Dry patch
Heavy oil sprayed on cylinder
Put away in case
This is done very quickly and has resulted in no problems with the cylinder.
The heavy oil disables any corrosive action of the oxidized bp. Don't get too demanding in the cleaning particularly if it keeps you from shooting. The above cleaning is done in under 5 mins.

The bp revolvers are outside, rough country guns, working guns. They are not safe or holster queens.
They will do fine.

[rodwha]

Bore mop!

[bedbugbilly]

The first thing that goes in to a pan or small bucket of hot soapy water is my cylinder. I let it soak while I clean and rinse off the revolver frame & barrel then after wiping them down and running patches through the barrel, I use a hair dryer to warm them up hot to get rid of any moisture left behind - followed by a good oil wipe down, oiled patch through the barrel, etc. Then I address the cylinder. I use a thick patch on a jag in each chamber while the cylinder is under water. Most times, I don't even remove the nipples. The wet patch removes all the fouling from the base of the chambers. Follow iwht a good hot water rinse - hold it under the tap and let the hot water run through each chamber and out the nipple - wipe and dry patch the chambers - followed by the hair dryer heat treatment. Oil well and put it all back together. It takes longer to describe than it does to do.

Today's BP revolver shooters are much more "compulsive" about clean up than what our ancestors were. During the war, it's documented that revolvers were immersed into buckets of hot lye soap water and hung on the edge of the bucket by the grip frames as one way of "cleaning" - followed by a good rinsing, drying and oiling.

Cleaning after BP is not that hard to do but unfortunately, many think it is and it prevents them from shooting as often as they'd like. Don't make it hard or over think it - just do it and enjoy it! I've been cleaning my BP revolvers as described above for 50 years and I've never had a problem. I don't remove the nipples each cleaning - perhaps every half dozen range sessions nor do I "tear down" the revolver each time. I might do a "tear down" once a year before putting the revolver away for the winter but if it is dryed well with a hair dryer and oil applied to the internals, even that isn't necessary.

[Lead Fred]

Take the dang things a part and drop all the parts in boiling soapy water.

You wont need a brush, everything will just fall right out.

The way they did them when they were issue firearms

[Texantothecore]

I think in terms of a trapper with a revolver camped next to a cold water stream.

I use cold water and windex and it works fine.

[Texantothecore]

A single strand of Choreboy in the bottom of the cylinder, moved around with a patch will scrub it clean.

[Texantothecore]

Another valuable tool I use in many applications is bamboo kebab skewers from the dollar store. You can scrape the bottom of the cylinder and get all of it out.
Also great for cleaning bullet moulds.