Cleaning a stainless S&W revolver

S

SteveJewels

US Veteran
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
106
Reaction score
143
Location
Dayton, OH
What product(s) is recommended to clean a stainless S&W revolver?

In case there are differances among models and vintages, it is a no dash 686.

The previous owner shot exclusively 38 Spcl ammo so there are carbon deposits in each of the chambers of the cylinder. Both a product and a method to remove the carbon would be appreciated.

The face of the cylinder is pretty crusty. No chunks. LOL Just lots of carbon.

I am not looking to polish it, just to restore it to something like it was when it was new.

Thanks!
 
Register to hide this ad
I use stainless brushes with Hoppe's in the chambers and on the front of the cylinder on stainless guns. Also use JB Bore Cleaner when I first get a gun and than occasionally there after. It is a mild abrasive paste.
 
Last edited:
If you don't mind spending a few bucks, Kleenbore and Birchwood-Casey both make excellent lead removal cloths. They last a long time and do a great job of quickly removing lead and powder deposits. A gentle application of Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish works great to remove other deposits on stainless steel.
 
I use Flitz Metal Polish. I found it works good and doesn’t take too long. A parts brush or tooth brush for scrubbing. I had a Ruger SP that I polished the hole gun on a polishing wheel. It looked like Chrome when I was done.
 
Depending on how much he shot, if he shot as you say, exclusively 38's and how often he cleaned, if at all, that carbon is gonna be a bear to remove. Sure you may be able to remove enough to chamber and fire 357's alot of that diamond-hard carbon will still be there.
One avenue may be to pin gauge your chambers and if theyre not all the same or if theyre small you could have them reamed and while he's at it he could fully remove the carbon. The he I reference is DougGuy over at castboolits.com. I've had him do a few of my own and he knows what hes doing.
Or, you could try a hone from BRM, they too will remove the carbon, far easier and faster than most chemicals, if they remove it at all. Even some JB's on a patch wrapped around a brush will do better on old baked on carbon than most chemicals.
I swear, borescopes are one of the best and one of the worst items I ever added to my cleaning routine. I used to think my bores and chambers were clean, until I used the borescopes. Sure, looking down a bore or into a chamber theyll look clean, theyre not.
 
For the chambers ... wrap a brass brush with 0000 steel wool to make a tight fit ... smear / coat the brush/steel wool with J-B Bore Cleaning Compound ... scrub the crud out ... adding more steel wool and J-B Bore Cleaner as needed .
Some use a slow turning power drill ... I just go old school and do it by hand , so nothing gets damaged .

This is a good way to clean crusty bores too .
I,ve shot 38 specials in my Ruger Blackhawk 357 since 1971 and the chambers are perfectly clean , using this method .
Gary
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies.

I've used Kleenbore and Birchwood-Casey lead removal cloths successfully in the past. Was wondering if something better had come along.

The answers seem to be focused on the carbon in the chambers. What about polishing the rest of the pistol, the barrel, frame, and outside of the cylinder? I'd prefer something non abrasive and to avoid the obvious contrast of the unpolished nooks and crannies.

Not looking to make it a show piece. Just show it some respect which it obviously has not had.

Thanks!
 
I cut patches from those lead wipe away cloths and use them to clean the chambers to get the "crud" out. Works for 22's too.

The outside, I just hit it lightly with Flitz (Apply with a finger, buff off by hand using a soft cloth) then use Renaissance Wax on it. Same method. Apply with a finger, buff by hand with a soft cloth. Same as I would a blue gun.
 
I've had great luck with MPro7 gun cleaner and a bronze brush. I use a bronze tooth brush for the cylinder face and the forcing cone. For a really dirty gun, I hose it down and let it sit for a while before I hit it with the brush. I've used the cloths but I think this method does a better job.
 
I too recommend a copper Chore Boy. Make sure it's true copper and not copper plated. If it's still dry from shooting I like to vigerously run the Chore Boy wrapped around a brass cleaning brush through the chambers dry. It should be a bit oversized. Some stuff can peel right out of thebarrel or chambers. After you've gotten maximum benifit from that add the chemicals.

I've always had good luck with the original Breakfree CLP. I don't know how it compares to the current stuff. The smell sure is different.

For the cylinder face for removing the carbon, after the lead buildup has been removed, I've had very good luck with Miracle Cloth. But that's the old ones with lemon oil. it will also work well for finishing the chambers when cut into patches. I don't think they use lemon oil anymore. Never use it on a blue gun as it will take the blue right off.

You can also try a Lewis Lead Remover. It works well for removing the final buildup in the chambers but with a heavily leaded gun you'll wear out too many screens.
 
For carbon, any solvent with bronze brushs and patches. I use Ballistol and Hoppes #9.
For lead fouling. Copper Chore Boy wrapped around a bore brush really gets the lead out!
I get best results doing this dry. Back and forth, add strands of choice boy as needed. Copper is softer than stainless and doing this will not harm your rifling.
For your cylinder, use the same chore boy with brush except chuck it up in a cordless drill and ream out each chamber. Quick and easy.
Follow up with patches down the bore and chambers until they come out clean. I prefer Ballistol for this.
Cylinder face, don’t worry about the carbon buildup, all revolves have it and it doesn’t hurt anything!
 
I use Pro Shot Lead Free Gun Cloths to remove cylinder burns from the cylinders of my stainless 625-8 PC after every range session.

They remove the carbon and put a nice shine on the cylinder face with very little effort, but they'll remove the bluing from blued guns.

I clean each of the charge holes using Hoppes #9 with patches and a bore brush.
 
Last edited:
Blitz cloth works miracles on flash rings with minimal effort.
 

Attachments

  • Blitzind[1].jpg
    Blitzind[1].jpg
    31.5 KB · Views: 20
I chuck an oversized brass brush into a drill, 20 gauge will do, and go at the chambers.

A brass wire brush for the cylinder face, also in the drill, and you’re good to go.

Or you can spend time and $ scrubbing away; your call.
 
Last edited:
I use the same cleaning products on stainless guns as I do on blue.

Solvent (Hoppes) for the barrel and charge holes and on the nylon brush used to clean the ash, powder, burned oil, and other garbage from under the extractor, from the face of the cylinder, and from the fouled areas around the lunette, the barrel shank, and the breach face.

A good gun oil (usually Break Free CLP, but never, ever WD40) is used to provide a light coat of oil to guard against corrosion.

I caution everyone against the use of steel wool or similar by any other name unless you want to send your stainless revolver back for a re-do of its passivation to remove contamination left by the steel wool.

Unless of course you like the surface of your fine satin finished stainless revolver to turn brown when the microscopic particles of steel left on it from steel wool rust.

As a dealer, there was a period of time where I had to send brand new stainless steel revolvers back to S&W as they arrived straight from the distributor in the aforementioned ugly brownish/reddish color.

Actually, this is caused when the carbon steel tooling is used on the stainless steel revolvers during the manufacturing process. It usually does not happen because all of the stainless steel guns receive the passivation treatment before they leave the factory. Sometimes, a stainless model makes it out the door either without passivation, or with it done improperly.
 
^Ok, now that you’ve gotten the inside clean, let’s get out the Semi-Chrome polish and brighten up the outside. That stuff will make a cylinder look like it’d just been machined. Semi-Chrome will brighten up the outside to the point your gun may start resembling chrome, or nickel. It takes a bit to get it that way. You may want to quit cleaning/ polishing with Semi-Chrome if you don’t want your handgun too shiny.
 
First I remove the crane and cylinder then I take a patch and soak it in either LCP or Hoppy’s 9 and swab each chamber with the solvent. I make certain I get the chambers really wet with solvent. While I’m cleaning the rest of the gun I let that sit and loosen up the carbon. After cleaning the frame and barrrl I take a bronze bore brush and really scrub each chamber. I make certain it’s a tight fit and the brush is saturated with solvent. If the carbon is stubborn I’ll take a worn out 45 cal brush and scrub some more. The bronze is softer than the stainless so it won’t damage it. I keep the brush wet and just scrub until it’s clean.

I have also found that brake cleaner spray helps too. It’s pretty effective in breaking carbon loose and flushing it away. Just use it in a well vrntated area, no smoking, open flame or sparks and wear nitrile gloves. I’m concerned about absorbing some of these solvents through my skin.

On the cylinder face some Flitz on a patch rubbing the rings until they come off works or a lead away cloth works equally well. LCP or Hoppy’s on a bronze toothbrush will do the trick too.

Just don’t do this aggressive cleaning on the face of a blued cylinder see. You can ruin the blue quickly.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
S&W 586-8 Revolver
Replies
2
Views
527
Doriangray6
D
jimmyj
S&W Model 65-3 Revolver
Replies
1
Views
441
Tom S.
Tom S.
M
S&W 65-5…first revolver purchase
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
touchoneoff
touchoneoff
W
Cleaning new blued revolvers
2
Replies
32
Views
1K
djohns6
D
W.E.G.
29-3 in stainless?
2
Replies
21
Views
480
bubbajoe45
bubbajoe45

Latest posts

Back
Top