Cleaning the 357 cylinder after an afternoon of 38 specials.

[375supermag]

I have never had that problem since I quit using .38Spl cases in my .357Mag handguns back in the late '70s-early '80s.
Using my Lewis Lead remover was more "fun" than I wanted to continue to experience

I always shoot .357Mag cases in my .357Magnums...no .38Spl cases allowed.

I have a couple of .38Spl handguns for shooting .38Spl cartridges. Same reason I never shoot .44Spl cases in my .44Mag handguns...just not worth the hassle of removing the carbon ring crud out of the charge holes. Again...I have .44Spl handguns for shooting .44Spl cartridges.

[Virginia John]

Once you get the cylinder clean, start using a synthetic CLP such as Frog Lube (there are several good ones out there) and you wont have this trouble in the future. Make sure to completely follow the directions. Many of the automotive penetrating lubes work quite well for cleaning the crud out of the cylinders and bores.

[MattOrgan]

I've used the same .410 shotgun bore brush on an old Outers shotgun chamber brush handle for many years to remove the chamber ring in .357 chambers after shooting .38 special rounds. A couple of twists removes everything easily no matter how many rounds I've fired, a dry patch gets any residue that's left. I've found that using Ben's Red lube keeps the fouling to a minimum and soft enough to wipe out with a patch. I still get a harder ring of fouling with 45/45/10 tumble lube, less so with Ben's Tumble Lube, but nothing like I used to get with factory wadcutters or commercially cast with hard lube.

[Petrol & Powder]

Tazman- I'll start by saying that I have far more 38 Special revolvers than .357 mag revolvers but the vast majority of my shooting is with 38 special cartridges even in the longer mag chambers. The whole "Carbon ring", "Crud ring" etc.; issue is overblown in my opinion. Someone here posted that it is mostly bullet lube and burnt powder; I agree with that.
While it is true that a build-up of debris in the forward portion of the charge hole will interfere with chambering of the longer .357 cartridge after extensive use of the shorter 38 Spl. casing (as you experienced) - It just isn't that hard to remove that debris.
The suggestions for using a 40 caliber brush are good, particularly if you mount it on a non-rotating, short cleaning rod. As for a solvent; pick what you want. Just about anything that will "cut" bullet lube will work. I like Kroil but frankly ATF & kerosene would probably work just as well.
I would stay away from stainless steel, that stuff is hard. No doubt it would make quick work of stubborn debris but I'd be worried about the long term use of something harder than the gun steel.
Always remember to support the cylinder and not the gun, when cleaning the cylinder. You can spring the yoke quickly if you're using something like a Lewis lead remover or a tight fitting brush.
Always start your shooting with a clean DRY chamber. A couple of passes with a simple nylon brush during your shooting session can really help as well. I keep one of those cheap nylon brushes with the twisted wire handle in my range bag along with an old tooth brush and a rag.

[robertbank]

I have been cleaning my cylinders with a brass brush and 100% copper Chor Boy strands wrapped around the brush for years and it works and gets the fouling and any lead ring built up very quickly. I have never had to resort to a drill mounted brush but it would be faster. Not sure I think using a stainless steel brush is what I would want at the end of my drill. The fouling is not that hard to get out. I usually start with a brush designed for a .40 cal. for a tighter fit. I shoot IDPA with my revolver so I use 38spl cases mostly. Over the past few years I have accumulated a lifetime supply of 38spl brass and a couple of lifetimes of .357mag brass. Life is good.

Take Care

Bob

[alamogunr]

What is a "chamber brush"? Some posts have said they use one and others use an oversize barrel brush.

[bedbugbilly]

My 357s that I have now have never had 357s shot in them by me - all I load and shoot in them are 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 spl. I'm usually using Bulls Eye but also Red Dot once in a while. Normally, I don't get a lot of build up in the chambers but when cleaning, I pretty much run a very wet patch of Hoppes in and let it set for a while - then follow up with a 40 caliber brush. On my single actions, I could easily remove the cylinder and put it in a can to soak but really have never had to do that - so I guess I'm lucky in that respect. Even with the 38 Colt Shorts I've never had a big problem with build up other than in my Smith 3" Model 36 J frame. For some reason, the build up in that particular handgun is move evident than the others whether they be 38s or 357s. The 38 shorts shoot so well out of my 36 though that it is well worth the extra cleaning time if necessary - a fun little plinking load.

In a range session - I normally will shoot anywhere from 150 to 250 rounds - the idea that was given of carrying a cleaning rod with a 40 caliber brush is a good one. If build up is a problem, a couple of swipes through each chamber every so often doesn't take long and certainly would cut down on the heavy build-up if left alone until actual cleaning time.

Good thread . . . .

[sw282]

Chamber brushes are used to clean the area in a barrel that supports the case/round..The chamber of a revolver is the cylinder..Chamber on others is the breech end of the barrel. Chamber brushes are slightly bigger in dia than the ammo round...

[bhn22]

And all of the chamber brushes I've seen have been stainless steel. At first this sounds harsh, but most stainless steel is still softer than the cylinders steel, but harder than bronze brushes. All told though, I still wouldn't use SS brushes in the bore.

[sw282]

0nes l use are either nylon or brass. l don't use any material harder that the barrel/chamber/cylinder..No chance to scratch the bore.

l don't use steel rods either.. Mine are brass ,aluminum, or coated.. l use the equipment and cleaning drill when shooting benchrest..A $2 stainless brush will wreck a $1000 Shilen,Kreiger, or Jarrett barrel real quick thru improper cleaning

[Patrick L]

I use a Brownell's stainless cylinder brush. It is made for just this purpose, they say don't run it through the bore.

I keep one right in my range bag. As soon as I'm done shooting I give each chamber a quick pass. One or two passes and Viola! All clean.

[tazman]

I just had a strange thought. If I let the carbon build up and harden it shouldn't close up any tighter than the boolit diameter. This would remove the jump from the case mouth to the throat thereby increasing the accuracy of the revolver. The only drawback would be that I would lose the ability to shoot 357 cases in the gun.
Is that a really stupid idea or what?

[bhn22]

The fouling flakes off in places, plus the fouling won't fill the cylinder to the point that it creates an artificial throat.

[Bzcraig]

Fireclean is awesome and expensive but it works. After using FIREClean twice I was able to completely remove the carbon rings with a little Hoppes on a patch. The other thing I have done that works in put enough Hoppes in one of the plastic cake frosting containers to cover the cylinder and let it soak.

[Driver man]

I shoot 38,s in my GP100 and have the same problem .Eds Red gets rid of most crud but the real hard ring left I use acetone and a bronze brush. Careful not to let the acetone on the grips etc.

[Petrol & Powder]

............

l don't use steel rods either.. Mine are brass ,aluminum, or coated...........

There's a school of thought that grit can become embedded on a soft brass or aluminum rod and act as an abrasive; therefore a steel rod may be safer. Not sure if I buy into that or not. A clean brass rod is probably pretty safe to use and even a steel rod is likely softer than the barrel steel. I don't think the side of the cleaning rod is all that dangerous to the bore but the sharp end where the jag or brush attaches may be a potential problem.

[9.3X62AL]

I got tired of the crud rings in my Magnum chambers, and went Proper Case Mode in the Mag rollers 6-7 years ago. Chore Boy copper pad filaments do a nice job on the crud rings when wrapped around a played-out bore brush, but life is just easier by not having to go there.

[Char-Gar]

Perhaps they still do, but at one time Clymer made a reamer to remove such crud from 357 Mag. chambers, if it had been allowed to build. I bought one and it is probably still around the shop somewhere, but I have not used it in decades so it's whereabouts may be unknown or even unknowable.

[bassnbuck]

1. Use only mag brass in .357 and .44 mag. [ what I do]. 2. Buy a new revolver. I like both ideas

[sw282]

l use Deweys rods. They are made of carbon fiber and then coated. 0n my bench rest rifle l use a bore guide and clean from breech to muzzle. Patches are pushed all the way thru and removed at muzzle before extracting rod