Slight leading on the cylinder - how best to remove it?

[FISH4BUGS]

For many years, I have had a wonderful 1956 manufactured 5 screw pre Model 29 S&W 44 magnum that is a shooter. No case, no tools, and it doesn't even have the original grips on it. I put some Pachmyers on it for comfort.
I shoot it....a lot! It is a real treat to shoot. You S&W collectors/shooters know what I am talking about. These guns, in their first year of production, were essentially a hand built gun.
I shoot cast RCBS 240gr swc bullets with 8 gr of WW231. It is a nice pleasant load to shoot. I just bought an H&G for 240gr plain based and one for 280 gr plain based to play with. That will come over time.
I will shoot occasional full house 44's just to remember what they are like. 240 gr JHP over 18.5 gr ww296. There is also another H&G mould waiting (#45 gc) to experiment with in the future.
The problem: the cylinder has some small lead "smudges" on the outside of the cylinder front and some small smudges in the front side of the flutes. Nothing serious but I would like to remove them.
How can I remove these lead deposits without harming the bluing? The bluing is about 98% everywhere, is a deep bluing, and I would really not want to harm the bluing anywhere.
Any thoughts?

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I use Hoppe's #9 on a terry cloth towel to remove those. Just takes a little extra rubbing.

[wbrco]

Kroil. Question for the group - would the use of a true copper chore boy scratch the blueing?

[44man]

Plain and simple, a piece of 0000 steel wool and Hoppe's or a rough cloth.
Now to jump on you a bit, your boolits are too soft and are slumping, spitting lead out the gap, you are shooting silly putty.
Next your 18.5 gr load of 296 is way below minimum with a 240 and could damage your gun. Min load is 21.5 gr. My standard for the 29 was 23.5 gr of 296 for the Sil bullet but the XTP preferred 24. Yes 1/2 gr over book max.
I suggest a standard primer, I use the Fed 150, with all powders.
Please don't download 296, you will not harm a 29 with proper loads. Go to at least WW boolits in the .44.

[FISH4BUGS]

Plain and simple, a piece of 0000 steel wool and Hoppe's or a rough cloth.
Now to jump on you a bit, your boolits are too soft and are slumping, spitting lead out the gap, you are shooting silly putty.
Next your 18.5 gr load of 296 is way below minimum with a 240 and could damage your gun. Min load is 21.5 gr. My standard for the 29 was 23.5 gr of 296 for the Sil bullet but the XTP preferred 24. Yes 1/2 gr over book max.
I suggest a standard primer, I use the Fed 150, with all powders.
Please don't download 296, you will not harm a 29 with proper loads. Go to at least WW boolits in the .44.
No offense taken at all. My bullets are 5lbs ww to 1lb linotype - the Lyman #2 formula. BHN somewhere around 16 so i don't think they are "silly putty". They are hard cast bullets.
As for "downloading" with 296, I have shot this load for years. I am fully aware of the so called 'risks" associated with 296 and downloading, but this load is just beginning to show signs of higher pressure (slightly flattened primers). I have never had a misfire, a hang fire or excessive signs of pressure in all the years I have been shooting them. I put a heavy crimp on all the bullets.
While you may say that it won't hurt a 29 to shoot max loads, this gun is too valuable to shoot loose. A 5 screw pre 29 is not like the current ones. I purposely shoot slightly lesser max loads to lengthen the life of the gun.
While your mileage may vary, what works for you might not work for me. The 231 loads are great plinking loads and that is where the lead is coming from. The full house loads are jhp's.

[Nueces]

I clean revolver chambers with a rifle bore brush chucked in a cordless drill/driver.

First, wet the chambers with Ed's Red solvent and let the cylinder sit for a bit while the gun is wiped down. I use a folded square cotton makeup pad clamped in a pair of locking forceps. The cotton carries a load of solvent to thoroughly wet the chambers.

For 44 and 45 chambers, I use a 45 caliber rifle bronze bore brush and a 375 brush for 38/357. Run the drill slow and move it back and forth in the chamber.

Then, another wipe with a folded cotton pad and the chambers are spotless.

[Lagamor]

I have a Colt with the deep mirror blue from that time period. I don't think any company has done such a beautiful blueing job in a very long time. Back when companies took pride in their product. Such a shame.

[Dpmsman]

I have a pad that I bought from my LGS called the Frontier metal cleaning scrubber. It doesn't scratch the blueing and works great at removing rust.

[ikarus1]

I use hoppes and 0000 on my 9 shot 22lr revolvers since they lead the outside of the cyl pretty bad with LRN ammo

[FISH4BUGS]

I use hoppes and 0000 on my 9 shot 22lr revolvers since they lead the outside of the cyl pretty bad with LRN ammo
OK...I LIKE the idea with Hoppe's and 0000 steel wool. I have a lot of both.
BUT I still am not comfortable with doing that. I would be crushed if it started taking bluing off.
I'll try it but will use a very light hand.

[ikarus1]

0000 will not scratch bluing, but it may polish it to a deeper blue without the oil. With the oil or kerosene based Hoppes cleaner...it will just remove lead and rust

[FISH4BUGS]

I have a Colt with the deep mirror blue from that time period. I don't think any company has done such a beautiful blueing job in a very long time. Back when companies took pride in their product. Such a shame.
I agree. The 50's was about the last time Colt and S&W really did quality work.
I encourage anyone to handle a pre war Colt and S&W if you have a chance. The fit, finish and actions were top notch. Something you get only in custom guns today.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

If you are not comfortable trying 0000 steel wool -I use Hoppe's gun oil instead of #9 solvent, try it on a lesser quality gun first. It polishes to finish and does not harm it. You can pick up a junk Smith or Colt from the pawn shop and turn a sows ear into a silk purse.

[44man]

No offense taken at all. My bullets are 5lbs ww to 1lb linotype - the Lyman #2 formula. BHN somewhere around 16 so i don't think they are "silly putty". They are hard cast bullets.
As for "downloading" with 296, I have shot this load for years. I am fully aware of the so called 'risks" associated with 296 and downloading, but this load is just beginning to show signs of higher pressure (slightly flattened primers). I have never had a misfire, a hang fire or excessive signs of pressure in all the years I have been shooting them. I put a heavy crimp on all the bullets.
While you may say that it won't hurt a 29 to shoot max loads, this gun is too valuable to shoot loose. A 5 screw pre 29 is not like the current ones. I purposely shoot slightly lesser max loads to lengthen the life of the gun.
While your mileage may vary, what works for you might not work for me. The 231 loads are great plinking loads and that is where the lead is coming from. The full house loads are jhp's.
Lyman 2 is softer then I shoot, mine run 20 to 22 BHN after water dropping. But let's look at it differently. 8 gr of 231 seems reasonable but will be around 25,000 cup. But that is INSTANT and not spread out. I have had more trouble with cast and fast powders then anything. Try water dropping once. Let them age. Your alloy is not in my Lyman book but should be harder.
I have owned 5 29's since 1956 and if you shoot one loose I don't know how. No lube maybe but they will stand full pressure forever. Most SHOT LOOSE is wear from dry. I shot the snot out of mine. Frame stretch???? Just how? Clean too good and shoot steel against steel.
Yet I will still say there is danger in downloading 296. You can shoot many years that way until the "OOPS." The powder is safer a tad over max then below minimum.
Crimp does nothing but aid boolit movement under recoil, tension rises above. Heavy crimp can destroy what you want.
What am I saying? You don't need to baby a 29, it was and is a great gun, just don't shoot 300 or heavier boolits. Not the pressure, just inertia on parts.
Still, lead out the gap needs solved.

[44man]

Guys wear a BH or SBH, not the loads but dry. Wear. I use STP on revolver cylinder pins and front bushing, ratchet. My SBH has exceeded well over 82,000 loads so heavy, up to 330 gr boolits that you will shake your head. No measurable wear. I have zero end shake and no other that can be measured.
Keep weight range of boolits right in a 29 and it will be found perfect by aliens when the earth is gone. Darn wonderful machine.

[Triggernosis]

Use BRONZE wool, not steel wool. You can order it from Amazon for around $5, or pick it up at Lowe's.

Correction: I meant to say BRONZE wool, not brass wool.

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm going to say Kroil and let it sit on the gun for a few minutes before you rub it off with a cloth. I see no need for anything abrasive, even slightly abrasive like 0000 steel wool.

[44man]

Blue jobs are carded with 0000 steel wool. So is browning. It removes rust between coats.
Blueing is just rust after all but the wool will not harm the color.
My worst job ever was to clean cop's guns in Cleveland. Frames and cylinders leaded from the gap. I could not remove the blue.
The solution was to shoot boolits that did not spray lead from the gap.
If the chambers are off a little. You might be cutting boolits, Keith style and wad cutters the worst.

[Dpmsman]

I bought a Model 29 classic a couple years ago for a really good price because it had a couple of specs of rust on it. I didn't know how to remove the rust without damaging the finish so I talk to my local gun shop guy and he said to use this white metal Frontier brand scrubbing pad with a little oil and it worked like a charm didn't scratch the bluing whatsoever. I also have a brush in one of my cleaning kits that's made of the same material that I use for removing lead off the cylinder face that also works really well. Not sure if I would use steel wool though but YMMV.

[44man]

I get no leading at all with my guns. I don't need to look for stuff but I have some pads like Scotch Brite with no abrasive that might work, it is white. I wonder if it is the same?

[MT Gianni]

https://www.amazon.com/Birchwood-Casey-Remover-Polishing-6-Inch/dp/B00AU67BEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490794440&sr=8-1&keywords=lead+removal+cloth

This works well.

[ikarus1]

I get no leading at all with my guns. I don't need to look for stuff but I have some pads like Scotch Brite with no abrasive that might work, it is white. I wonder if it is the same?
Scotchbrite is more abrasive than 0000 steel wool. I wouldnt use it on any blued finish you care about. It does polish up stainless pretty well

[fecmech]

The 0000 steel wool won't hurt the blueing. I don't clean my guns very often as they get shot multiple times a week. My K38 gets a lead film in the flutes on the cylinder after multiple hundreds of rounds. What I do to clean that is bell an old brass case excessively and use that as a scraper in the flutes to get that lead film off and then finish with 0000 steel wool. Works well for me.

[Dpmsman]

I get no leading at all with my guns. I don't need to look for stuff but I have some pads like Scotch Brite with no abrasive that might work, it is white. I wonder if it is the same?

192114 this is the stuff. Those lead clothes are great for stainless but you have to be careful with blued. I have one and it says on the package it can remove bluing.

[44man]

I can't find mine but it is just white nylon with no abrasive at all. Might have used them up in the shower. Flat pad.

[Bill*B]

Whatever you decide to do, I'd try it out on a revolver that I loved less, first!