I picked up a nice stainless S-W 686 today and it has been so many years since I owned a stainless wheel gun I was wondering what solvent is best for the stubborn rings that wind up on the cyl face/muzzle. I remember using a cloth that was soaked in some sort of lemon oil. That was 20 years ago. What do you guys use. Any help appreciated!

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Let go...Let Gun

Try using a lead removing rag, it looks similar to the yellow silicone rags used to wipe down guns but alot stiffer. They can be found at most gun shops. Just cut a small piece off with a pair of scissors and rub away, it takes a little elbow grease but the results are fantastic.

I use Hoppes elite, wet down the face and brush with a stainless brush. That gets off the lead, then I use a greenie scrubber for the rings. This is only for the cylinder face, it will scratch the finish. To me the finish of the cylinder face is irrelevant, I want to make sure all the lead is gone so it won’t build up to the point of dragging against the forcing cone. The greenie works great for the burn ring.

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Shoot fast & live long
Warren

I would recomend NOT using scotchbrite to clean the face of your cylinder, it's a polymer with carbide inbedded in it. Over time you'll remove material from the face of the cylinder and open up the B/C gap.

What I have found to work well is to wet the carbon fouling with Outers Nitro Solvent, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then wiping it down with a patch of Lead Away cleaning cloth. Takes about 5 to 10 minutes of scrubbing with the Lead Away and the result is a perfectly clean cylinder.

I'm guessing the lead rings at the mouth of each chamber came from shooting lead bullets at .357 Mag velocities. I agree with the responders who say NOT to use any abrasives to remove them. I use Hoppe's No. 9 Nitro Powder solvent and a small stainless steel brush to remove these deposits. I have never had a problem with the ss bristles scratching the face of the cylinder. Shooting jacketed bullets solves the leading problem as well.

I also use the brush-and-solvent trick in the area above the forcing cone just under the top strap, on the crane and on the frame wherever these deposits occur.

Good luck!

Years ago, we used to use Semi Chrome (a chrome polish I used to buy at the local motorcycle shop). It is a paste and you just smear a little on and then scrub it (toothbrush, rag, whatever). I think that Flitz is a similar product and could be used in the same fashion. Actually worked pretty good.

Use what ever solvent you want with a brass brush, dry it then use the lead away cloth. It will look like new and only take a few minutes.

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Dom

I use Hoppes No. 9. If I use it every two or three trips to the range, it'll take it right off. If it won't, a little Flitz will.

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DO NOT wipe your blued gun with the lead removing yellow cloth. It will wipe the blueing right off the metal. Don't ask how I know.

I didn’t know that Greenies had carbide in them. They work so good for that I think I will keep using them anyway, I can’t imagine how many times you would have to scrub it down to take off .0002 two tenths of a thousandth of a inch. Which is so small most people wouldn’t even be able to measure it.

I’m not sure but I think even if you used lapping compound you’d rub your arm off before you took off half a thousandth.

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Shoot fast & live long
Warren

MPro7 with a bronze brush to clean most of the black carbon off the face, finish with the lead away cloth for the last remaining spots. Does not take long to get it clean.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Happich's SIMICHROME POLISH from Germany-awesome stuff.

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HIS Trains 'a LEAVIN

I use simichrome for the whole gun. Just a drop of this stuff on a shop rag and rub it in and then rub it off. If you have a stubborn one just repeat until it is polished. Seems to take the lead off really good. I even polished the barrel on my 460 XVR with it. It only took a few strokes to do the job then run a clean patch a few times and then lightly oiled patch through.

Attached Images

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