Cleaning Stainless steel guns.

[wv109323]

I bought nearly and unfired S&W 686-1 stainless .357 Revolver. Upon firing the front of the cylinder got a black ring where the cylinder gap is.
Is there a cleaner that removes that powder burn?
Also have a Model 14-6. I shoot it a lot. It builds up crude that I can not remove. This is on the circumference of the front of the cylinder between chambers. What removes this?
I have tried Hoppes 9 and Shooters Choice. I have allowed them to set over time and still they do not remove the crud.

[Joe K]

I have good results with Ed's red bore cleaner. Easy to make and you may already have some of the items needed. You can do a search for the recipe. Brass brush for the stainless and toothbrush for the blued works for me. Hope this helps.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

177750It comes off fairly easily with some Hoppe's No.9 and a Scotch Brite pad, but it doesn't hurt anything and I rarely bother.

[Petrol & Powder]

I agree with Der Gebirgsjager, it doesn't hurt anything.

However, if you want to remove those markings on the front of a stainless steel cylinder, the Lead Remover & polishing cloth from Birchwood Casey will do the trick in very short order. DO NOT USE LEAD REMOVER CLOTH ON BLUED GUNS!

Another cheap trick is to use a pencil easer on the front of a STAINLESS cylinder.

I try not to use abrasives on the front face of a cylinder.

For blued guns, Hoppes #9 on a patch held tightly with your thumb against the cylinder face is as good as anything else. Again, not that critical other than aesthetics.

Some people use wax on guns to help prevent build up and make cleaning easier. Be very cautious with automotive type waxes on guns, most of them have mild abrasives in the wax. That's not big deal on a stainless gun but it can be a problem on a blued finish. Johnson's Paste Wax is safe on blued guns. Some of automotive waxes are free from abrasives as well but care is needed when selecting them.

[Ed_Shot]

+1 for the Birchwood Casey cloth for stainless steel. Only need to use a 1" x 1" piece per cleaning to make my 686 shine.

[oteroman]

That cloth is magic.....

[tygar]

I use carb cleaner to clean crud off all guns. I frequently don't even have to do more than just run a patch thru the bore a few times with it on to clean bores. Always remember to oil cause the cleaner removes "everything". It works great for removing the staining & carbon.

[imashooter2]

Harsh cleaning has ruined more firearms than shooting. Most folks don't bother to remove the burn rings. As for the build up on the outside... I use a lightly flared .38 case as a scraper if it is in the scallops and copper Chore Boy to finish it up.

[Hickory]

Gun owners, for the most part see a firearm as a thing of beauty and workmanship. We tend to want to look at a gun and want to admire them in an unblemished state. To keep things in prospective you need to see the carbon build up on the cylinder from this view point.
Think of the carbon build up as a tattoo on the neck of a very beautiful woman, there is not much you can do except wish it were not there, and ignore it.

[6bg6ga]

On the outside I use oil and it removes the junk without causing any problems.

[6bg6ga]

Yes, a gun is like a beautiful woman. Clean her gently and she will hold her beauty. Clean her with the wrong stuff and she will look like a crack *****.

[44man]

Best I found is M pro 7 and a suede brush, no abrasive. Why make a gun pretty by removing steel?
How many cleanings to open the cylinder gap?

[Bigslug]

I'd break out the Birchwood Casey cloth if I was getting ready to sell the gun in question. Day to day cleaning? Scrub off any raised crud with a bronze toothbrush and accept that the black ring is the mark of a working firearm.

[ricksplace]

Ed's red is by far the best stuff I have ever used. Particularly with cast. Gave samples to my friends, now they all use it.

[Fishman]

Flitz

[Wild Bill 7]

I clean the gun first with fire clean. When cleaning the face of the cylinder all you have to do is put some fire clean on it and use a nylon brush and you are done.

[44man]

leave it alone. No need to shine it up. Do you cheat to sell a used gun that is not fired? I do not understand the need for CLEAN! Takes one shot from each chamber to have the ring.

[Three44s]

For stainless revolvers with no added finnish, I use Copper Chore Girl, Lead Away cloth, JB bore paste and Corrosion X.

I don't get worked up over the carbon ring on the front of the cylinder.

I want performance, not pretty.

The need for lead away cloth, Copper Chore Girl and JB bore paste goes away fairly quickly if your casting fundamentals are adherred and are pretty well off the table once a SS revolver is then broken in.

The Corrosion X helps to keep crud from sticking to the gun in the first place. The front of the cylinder being the exception however ....... too much flame temp! But no matter, the only deposits I pay attention to in that area are ones that will still rub off with normal elbow grease.

Personally, I am warry of using scotch brite pads on a regular or semi regular basis because I see a rough surface post use of this product. A rougher surface with hold deposits better than a slick one.

Three 44s