SliXprings Scraper -- Remove Carbon Rings In .357 Chamber After Shooting .38 Special

[Liberty1776]

An annoying ring of carbon will build up ahead of the brass in the chamber if you shoot a lot of .38 Special in your .357 Mag Winchester or your .357 Mag revolvers. (We do, shooting 120 .38 rounds in the Winchester between us at Cowboy Action competitions and my .357 Ruger New Vaqueros build up a ring, too.)

Eventually you'll feel the rings as you load the revolver and you know it's building up in the rifle even if you don't feel it much. You'll really feel it attempting to load a true .357 round in the chamber and the carbon rings are still there. You'll need to force the round in.

To remove the ring, the best tool I've found is the SliXprings - SliX-Scraper sold by Long Hunter at https://www.longhunt.com/storelh/ind...product_id=320





This tool is a precision scraper with the dimensions of a full-length round -- .357 Mag, .44 Mag or .45 Colt. A blade is machined into it that cleanly removes the carbon ring without harming the walls of the chamber on both revolvers and rifles.

For revolvers, simply spray some solvent into each chamber and drop the scraper into the cylinder like it's a round. Turn the scraper counterclockwise with a slot screwdriver. You can feel it removing the carbon. Then finish cleaning as normal.

For the Winchester, feed a cleaning rod into the muzzle and screw the scraper onto the rod. Pull the scraper into the chamber and rotate clockwise as it scrapes. Push the rod back out of the chamber and unscrew the scraper. Done.

Models are available in .38/.357, .44 and .45 -- the major calibers that have longer and shorter versions of brass, if you're shooting .44 Special in .44 Mag and .45 Schofield in .45 Colt.

You can buy this tool and be done in seconds or brush till the cows come home.

[Pipefitter]

Or, you could just bell a 357 empty case and tap it into, (and possibly out of ) the chamber. I have been doing this for years.

[Liberty1776]

Or, you could just bell a 357 empty case and tap it into, (and possibly out of ) the chamber. I have been doing this for years.

Way less expensive, for sure. A little tricky in a Winchester, but certainly possible.

[Electrod47]

I have several .357's that see 95% of the time only .38 brass. Proper sized wire brush wrapped in bronze wool knocks it out so fast. i don't even consider this an issue.

[Shawlerbrook]

Very interesting ! Thanks for posting.

[dannyd]

I have one it's works as advertised; rifle or revolver. Been using it about 8 years.

[Ed_Shot]

A .223 Rem case rim is .378" dia....just fits a .357 chamber. Cut the case below the shoulder and glue in a wood dowel of appropriate length. I raise burrs around the case rim with light cuts from a pocket knife for good scraping contact. Works for me.

[Liberty1776]

A .223 Rem case rim is .378" dia....just fits a .357 chamber. Cut the case below the shoulder and glue in a wood dowel of appropriate length. I raise burrs around the case rim with light cuts from a pocket knife for good scraping contact. Works for me.

This is why I post my solutions to the challenges and gun-related problems I have faced -- others have their solutions that work well, and are often cheaper. But few of us know of those solutions. Thanks for responding.

It's all good.

[mnewcomb59]

I chuck a short section of cleaning rod in an electric drill and use a 40 cal brush to clean 357 chambers in revolvers. I use a full length rod and a muzzle guide and do the same for rifles. That tool looks nice and I would probably get one if it was $5-10. I lose the $2 cleaning brushes fast enough that I feel like I never wear one out. I would be extra salty when I inevitably lose that small tool.

I have tried the flared case trick and it doesn't work too well for me. First, you don't wanna use a short piece of brass. You wanna measure 10 cases and use the longest. Then, you gotta lightly trim it so the case mouth is square, then you gotta chamfer the inside, then you can finally flare it. After all the prep it still has to go in and out of the chamber about 50 times with solvent to remove the crud. Or, just use the drill and an oversized brush for 10-20 seconds each chamber.

[mnewcomb59]

Also I have found that powder coated 38 specials keep the 357 chamber cleaner for 3-4 times the amount of rounds of a lubed bullet. I gotta clean revolvers and rifles after 3-400 rounds of lubed 38 specials or my 357 loads won't chamber. I can go over 1000 rounds of powder coated 38 specials and 357s still chamber.

[stubshaft]

Interesting, thanks for posting.

[rockshooter]

one of the rachet-type chamber brushed for an M-14 works fine too
Loren

[Randy Bohannon]

Best of all is .357 Rem.Mag. brass for your .357 chambered guns .38 Special brass for .38 Spacial guns and zero carbon rings to mess with.

[dannyd]

The guns just aren't that had to clean. Don't about you guy's but every weekend I shoot anywhere from 200 to 500 38 special rounds out of my Gp100's or Blackhawks without any problems. After loading 69,331 rounds of 357 magnum and 69,683 rounds of 38 special. The 38 special HBWC is the most accurate round for me to shoot. Your mileage may very. Now I do shake a little now that I have my Medicare Card.

[Bigbore5]

The guns just aren't that had to clean. Don't about you guy's but every weekend I shoot anywhere from 200 to 500 38 special rounds out of my Gp100's or Blackhawks without any problems. After loading 69,331 rounds of 357 magnum and 69,683 rounds of 38 special. The 38 special HBWC is the most accurate round for me to shoot. Your mileage may very. Now I do shake a little now that I have my Medicare Card.

I can't find enough primers to shoot that much anymore.

[dannyd]

I can't find enough primers to shoot that much anymore.

Try Ammoseek.com primers are out there if your willing to pay for them.