What is the best way to clean heavy carbon from the cylinder and surrounding forcing cone on these Airweight 637/638/642 finishes? I'm aware Hoppe's is not recommended, even though others have stated they used it without problems. Also, can brass brushes be used on these finishes? I'm inclined to think not.

Bore Tech C4 Carbon Remover Bore Cleaning Solvent Liquid

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Stang1911

T2star,
The Barrel and Cylinder are made out of Stainless Steel and therefore should not be affected at all by Hoppes 9. AFAIK the only part of the gun that is aluminum or alloy is the Frame. You can use stiff nylon toothbrush in conjunction with the solvent.

You can also use a Birchwood-Casey LEAD-AWAY cloth which works even better. When I clean my Cylinders I always remove the Cylinder from the Revolver. It takes two seconds and only requires removing the one screw retaining it. It is much easier to clean with it out of the Frame and there is much better access to it.

El cheapo wally world Carb. or brake cleaner sprayed Outside or in garage with door open. $1.97 a can. Use Soft bronze or brass brush, finish with white rag to make sure its all gone.

Thank you all for the info and posts.

The Birchwood-Casey cloth is indeed awesome... worked far better than I expected.

Glad I asked as I wasn't aware of the clothes and seeing the glowing reviews on Amazon, I ordered one.

Reference the Lead-Away cloth, it does contain mostly mineral oil, kaolin (a mild abrasive) and a small amount of ammonium hydroxide, so make sure you follow the package directions and clean off any residue from the gun after use. Also, if you keep the cloth in the original packaging, and double bag in a zip-lock this will help keep the cloth from drying out over time.

MSDS:
https://www.birchwoodcasey.com/conte...ng%20Cloth.pdf

The real "achilles heel" of the finish on the models you mentioned is the clear coat over the aluminum frame. Lots of reported issues with this coating flaking, de-laminating, and coming off, particularly around and under the synthetic grips. This may be caused both by harsh cleaners, and by sweat making it's way under the grips. Consequently, as a precaution, be sure to remove the grips, wipe this area down each time you clean, and apply a light coat of a suitable rust preventative.


S&W model 642......damage under grip. Both de-lamination and oxidation here.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I've never seen a finish that Hoppe's #9 will harm when it's used for cleaning but there is no need to soak anything in it. Many who may have little or no experience say it will harm nickel finishes but I have nickel S&W revolvers that I bought new thirty, forty, or more years ago that have been cleaned regularly with Hoppe's #9. No harm to any of them.

The Birchwood Casey cloth came today, and holy smokes, it removed all the carbon in a matter of seconds. Very impressed.

Lead-away cloths work great. Don't use them on blued guns. M-Pro7 gun cleaner and a brass brush will remove the black rings. Follow it up by wiping down with their CLP.

Those lead-away cloths work like magic. The combo of the cloth and the carbo, which is microabrasuve has made the front of my cylinder in my 627 look like a mirror. I kinda like that.

Birchwood Casey, Hoppe's and the original Kleen Bore all make versions of the cloth.
Below are the links for the company sites but you can probably find better prices from online stores or maybe not lol. Amazon has all 3 and I think Midway USA does too. Check the size of each package when comparing prices. I have not used the Hoppe's product but have used the other 2. I prefer the Kleen Bore product.

Lead Remover & Polishing Cloth - Birchwood Casey

KleenBore Lead Away™ Gun Cloth | KleenBore

Buy Quick Clean Rust & Lead Remover Cloth and More | Hoppes

I'm glad you got the Birchwood Casey Lead-Away cloth and it works well for you. Like I said, I like the Kleen Bore product best but nothing wrong with the one you bought. I think the Kleen Bore package gives you a larger cloth for a better price. I just wanted to add info for reference.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

A kydex holster did a number on the finish on my 638. Beware.