First, let me preface this with the fact that I'm an idiot, at least when it comes to "mechanical" things. I blame it on my Dad, really never taught me anything, so I'm content with having to pay someone to do most of my repairs, etc.
Ok. Revolvers. I kinda DO enjoy cleaning them but have a specific question. You know where the the cylinder falls away from the barrel, when released? The barrel sticks back into the now opened area and there is a "lip" around it that gets quite black. Not really sure how to clean it? It seems that it needs to be really scrubbed, but it's such a small, specific area. I'm thinking a metal "dental" cleaning instrument to scrape away at it but, certainly, don't want to do any permanent damage.
So, any help is appreciated. And PLEASE talk down to me while correcting me as to terminology and such? Remember, I'm an idiot!(about THIS stuff! )

I use a toothbrush on blued guns and bronze bristle brush on stainless coupled with either Hoppes or Shooters Choice solvent.

First off, don't scrap anywhere on your gun with a dental pick. You have a few options to clean that area. If you have an aerosol gun scrubber product, you can hose that area down and then wipe clean. Q-tips also help in this area. A soft toothbrush may be used on tough deposits. Finally, don't be too concerned about it. Any buildup there is merely cosmetic. For my guns that I shoot a lot, I don't spend a lot of time there, I just get it relatively clean and move on. It will be dirty on the first shot next time you shoot the gun anyway.

Thanks for the quick replies, fellas.
First I thought I read your shouldn't use Hoppes on Blued, but I suspect THAT's a whole 'nuther discussion?!
QTips really didn't seem to do to much and toothbrush was a little better, but that "top" part is almost flush to the top thingy and practically inaccessible. Sorry that I use thingy alot...

...and, shoot, while I'm on a role......
How do you guys clean the barrel on a snubby? I was told/thought that you would NEVER run the "brush"(is it copper?)
from the crown, back. ALWAYS run it the way the bullet goes, right? There is NO way to do that with the brush attached to the rod. I do spray some stuff in there and use a bore-snake.

Put a patch in there and grab it from both sides of the frame, then work it back and forth. Just like flossing your teeth.

There is no way to clean from the rear ("chamber") end on a revolver barrel. You can run the brush from the front if you really need to, however: put a thick cloth, or towel, or something against the recoil shield. Many revolvers have dings from people running brushes through the barrel. When the brush comes out of the forcing cone it suddenly stops resisting your pushing and slams into the recoil shield. Brushes with exposed metal ends (almost all of them) will leave marks if this happens. The recoil shield is the area behind the cylinder where the firing pin is.

It won't make a bit of difference on a pistol, and not in most rifles, either. I use copper-bristle brushes on my handguns, and have yet to see anything in the way of damage or scratching or wear from them.

I like to dab powder solvent on the dirtiest areas and let it soak for a few hours, then attack it with Q-tips. You can't clean a handgun without Q-tips........it's the law. I'm pretty sure it's in the Bible, too.

The caution is not to use Hoppe's or any solvent with a high ammonia content, such as Shooter's Choice, Hoppe's 9 Plus or any other particularly advertised for removing jacket fouling in NICKEL guns.

Some nickel finish guns have a thin wash of copper on the steel. Microscopic imperfections in the nickel allow the ammonia to attack the copper and the finish fails.

Even without copper underneath, because nickel is not a sacrificial coating like zinc plating, it is a barrier layer plating of a more noble metal; so every tiny pinhole causes the steel to rust bloom and pit in an effort to cathodically protect the nickel.

Cigar Guy:
The rear of the barrel is called the forcing cone. What I have been using for years is Mpro7 gel to clean the barrel and their cleaner/degreaser for the rest of the gun. Spray the cleaner on the forcing cone and let it sit for about three or four minutes and scrub with a tooth brush or cleaning brush until clean. In the meantime, run a patch of the gel through the barrel and let it soak for about the same time. The color on the patch will let you know if it is powder or copper. If it is powder, run a dry bronze brush through it, all the way, and out completly three times and then run a clean patch to see if you still have the residue. However, since you cannot clean the barrel from the rear, you have to use the front of the barrel called the muzzle. Do not use an aluminum rod since it is soft and particles can be embedid in the rod and scratch the barrel. Purchase a bronze, stainless or wood one piece cleaning rod for a better application. Also, purchase a muzzle protector which you insert on the cleaning rod to protect the crown while you are cleaning the barrel from the muzzle. Do not let the rod hit the recoil shield while you exit the barrel on the down stroke cleaning the barrel as it will damage it. I have been using this method for all my guns and they look new. I recommend this method to all my firearm classes and if the military and LE agencies use MPRO7, you can't go wrong. Hope his helps.

Nick

A toothbrush is essential for good gun cleaning maintenance. I use my wife's when she p****s me off - LOL.

A regular nylon toothbrush for blued guns, and a bronze one may be used on Stainless guns if needed. A set of cotton sneaker laces soaked in your favorite solvent works wonders for the area between the forcing cone and the top strap, as not much else fits in there. Just work it back & forth a few times. Use your toothbrush under the ejector star as well.

I used Hoppes for many years and while it may no longer be state of the art, it will not harm a blued or stainless gun. I have settled on RIG #2 - the oil, not the Universal Grease for cleaning, lubricating and preventing rust on my firearms many years ago.

As stated by another poster, use a Dewey or other good quality stainless or coated rod, (not aluminum) to clean the barrel and chambers with. I have never found it necessary to use a rod guide in a hand gun. It really is not that difficult to keep the rod from rubbing against the barrel, but if you feel the need, go right ahead. To me it's more trouble than it's worth. In a revolver it is perfectly OK to clean it from the muzzle, but on removable pistol barrels, clean from the rear.

When it comes to the cylinder face burn marks, - - - DON'T get crazy and over zealous about removing them cause you will more than likely do more harm than good. If the gun is stainless and it will "hang on your wall" than go ahead and use a lead-a-way cloth to remove them, but when you shoot the next time, just be aware that the marks will come right back. Scrub them with a toothbrush to remove the built up deposits, but don't go nuts.

Don't use stainless steel bore and cylinder brushes, use BRONZE. Use cotton patches, not the synthetic ones. Other than that, it's mostly common sense.

Chief38

Thanks SO much everyone. <repeating to self> Forcing cone, forcing cone, forc.....

Otis Technology is now making brushes short enough to be inserted from the breech end. They work well with their cable cleaning system.

__________________
NRA Benefactor

Oh, my, goodness! The mother lode! Thanks!

chief, are the stainless torpedo brushes bad to use on revolvers? Bob

My usual procedure ...
1) Wipe gun down with a clean micro fiber cloth bought from the local hardware store.
2) Run a copper/brass brush through the barrel and cylinders. A bore snake is another option that I did not see mentioned.
3) Floss between the barrel and frame with the edge of a micro fiber cloth.
4) Clean tight corners with wood tooth picks (e.g. recessed cylinders). I have never damaged the finish of a gun with a tooth pick, and they don't leave lint behind. Some tooth picks are better made than others. For this purpose, it is probably better spending the extra dollar.
5) Wipe gun down again with 2nd clean micro fiber cloth.
6) Wax on Johnson's Paste Wax with 3rd clean micro fiber cloth.
7) Wax off Johnson's Paste Wax with 4th clean micro fiber cloth.
8) Run the micro fiber cloths and any bore snakes through the washer. Run the micro fiber cloths through the dryer. Hang dry any bore snakes.

I probably need to invest in one of those special forcing cone cleaners.

You can "make" a pick type tool from brass or copper wire and scrape the gunk off without scratching the steel. Any brass or copper tacks left on the metal will come off with a stiff nylon brush (M16 brush works well). I have some picks made from heavy gauge copper wire that I hammered into a chisel shape and allows me to get into crevices. There are short bore brushes that will fit in the cylinder opening and can be threaded onto the rod which you pass through the muzzle and then pull it out. The Lewis Lead Remover has a tapered tip that will clean the inside of the forcing cone.

Somewhere on this forum, a member recommended IOSSO for cleaning the forcing cone area. I added a tube to my last Midway order. Its the real deal. I use it with one of those Army M16 "toothbrushes" to scrub the dirty bits.



And the M16 brush even works better than my wife's toothbrush:

__________________
-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I use pipe cleaners (first with solvent of choice, then dry) between the top of the forcing cone and the top strap of the frame. Use a sort of buffing action like the shoe-shine guy does - slightly wrapping it over the cone at downward angles on each side - and tug back and forth. Seems to work for me in getting the grunge out.

Also, I have some plastic dental style picks that do surprisingly well for tight spots - and they can't harm the finish.

Regards.

R-WE, welcome to the Forum! Great idea on the pipe cleaners! I usually brush this area, but will try your idea. I think that i will dirty some guns today so I can try it. Bob

Keep an eye out when you use the pipe cleaners........... I smoke a pipe and do use the pipe cleaners on guns too, but sometimes they shed! If you are cleaning internal parts, check to make sure the pipe cleaner does not leave behind a few "hair balls".

Chief38

Regarding your question on using a bronze brush from the muzzle end on revolvers....nothing wrong with that as others mentioned above. Just make sure you finish your in or out stroke completely. Changing stroke direction in the middle of the barrel is not a great idea. Protect the crown the best you can, specially on rifles.
Regards,
Guy -

I have used pipe cleaners, Q-tips, strips cut out of old rags (similar to the shoelace method) and a typewriter cleaning brush (when I can find them). The typewriter brush has two to three times the bristle area of a toothbrush and I think it has slightly stiffer bristles. I also use a small brass rod for scraping stubborn deposits and at times an older "copper" penny on the flat surfaces. Never use steel on steel to clean or scrape. The tornado brush someone mentioned was designed to clean chambers only and should not be used in the bore. They are best reserved to scrub the buildup left in the cylinder from shooting specials in a magnum revolver and are made for stainless. Incidentally, regular steel (i.e. steel wool) should not be used on stainless firearms, the residue can initiate rust in the stainless. Regarding the reversing of a brush before completely passing through the barrel, it's like the old Chinese finger trap, the one where you put your fingers in and can't get them out.

Good luck,
Steve