686 .357 stuck

[mboyda]

Bought 686 new 5 months ago. Been shooting mostly .38s handloads. Today tried shooting .357 both factory and handloads. All the brass got stuck in the barrel and had to be push out with a cleaning rod. Even though I've been vigilent (I thought) with cleaning looks like a ring built up in cylinder at top of were .38 end. When .357 brass expands it gets stuck. I'm gonna soak in hops #9 overnight and clean.

Is there a way to prevent this buildup, mix shooting .357 w/.38, or just clean better.

 

[rz625-8]

Clean better with brass brush. And use rod with rubber hammer incase cases get stuck again in the cylinder chambers rz625-8

 

[JayDubya]

Shooting .38 sp in a .357 eventually causes a ring to build up where the .38sp case ends. When this happens, inserting and removing .357 cases becomes a problem. My solution is to periodically use a .40 S&W brass brush, soaked with Hoppe's #9 (I am a traditionalist) on the cylinders. And scrub. The slightly larger size of the brush means you have to work a little harder, but the results are gratifying.

Cordially, Jack

 

[dfariswheel]

A a few bronze chamber brushes from Brownell's.

These are faster than most any other method of cleaning the chambers, and are probably the safest for the chambers.

These brushes have stiffer bristles than bore brushes and do a faster, better job than using over-caliber bore brushes.

BROWNELLS : BRONZE RIFLE/PISTOL CHAMBER BRUSHES - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

 

[H Richard]

I will offer two cures.

1. Acquire a Clymer De-leader reamer, ( I think Brownells has them). It is basically a chamber reamer that will slide in and cut the carbon ring out.

2. Take a 357 empty case and run it through the neck expanding die set to flare the case enough so it just barely fits in the chamber. Tap it into the cylinder and it will scrape the carbon ring out. May have to be repeated several times.

Use brake and parts cleaner and/or acetone to clean the chambers when shooting .38's.

 

[westkybanded]

Used to have this problem from time to time with a "C" gun. Put a .40 cal bronze bore brush in a drill and spin it in the inside of the chamber. Polishes it up real nice!

 

[Lou_NC]

Here's another option:
BROWNELLS : Lead Remover Kit, 9mm/.38 (516-100-038) - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

A Lewis Lead Remover should help scrub that ring out of the chamber. I agree with your idea of letting the solvent soak and soften the ring. I've cleaned up a LOT of used, neglected revolvers and it's amazing what the "old reliable" Hoppe's #9 will do if you give it overnight or 24 hours to soak.

Lou

 

[HAWKEYE10]

Please let me add don't use Hopps #9 on a nickle gun. Just thought some one reading this thread might want to clean their nickle gun with Hopps #9. Don

 

[Pisgah]

>Please let me add don't use Hopps #9 on a nickle gun. Just thought some one reading this thread might want to clean their nickle gun with Hopps #9. Don

Soaking it in #9 --- probably not a good idea. Normal cleaning -- no problem whatsoever.

 

[stevieboy]

The advice you've received about ring removal is good. There are two ways to avoid a recurrence. (1) shoot only .357s, and (2) if you fire .38s, clean thoroughly after every trip to the range.

I presently own three revolvers that are chambered in .357. Two of them, my 686 and my 27, see only .357s, usually the 158gr. variety. Neither of these guns have had any problem with carbon buildup in their cylinders. My third .357 is a 66 no-dash. Out of an over abundance of caution I've restricted that gun's diet of .357s and shoot mainly .38 plus Ps from that gun. I scrub the gun's chambers with a bronze brush and J & B Bore Compound after every trip to the range. A cleaning session, including the scrubbing, takes about 45 minutes. Time well spent, I say.

 

[TNDave]

A a few bronze chamber brushes from Brownell's.

These are faster than most any other method of cleaning the chambers, and are probably the safest for the chambers.

These brushes have stiffer bristles than bore brushes and do a faster, better job than using over-caliber bore brushes.

BROWNELLS : BRONZE RIFLE/PISTOL CHAMBER BRUSHES - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

This is the answer. There are other ways but no good other ways to clean your chambers.

 

[johngalt]

I load my .38 special power loads in .357 brass. - no extra cleanup required.

 

[woodsltc]

A a few bronze chamber brushes from Brownell's.

These are faster than most any other method of cleaning the chambers, and are probably the safest for the chambers.

These brushes have stiffer bristles than bore brushes and do a faster, better job than using over-caliber bore brushes.

BROWNELLS : BRONZE RIFLE/PISTOL CHAMBER BRUSHES - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

Yep..........this is the right way to go. As d'wheel said, chamber brushes are the fastest and the safest for the chambers.

Don

 

[mboyda]

Ordered the chamber brushes but picked up .40 brush. Let it soak overnight in #9 then scrubed it w/ .40 brush. Still had the rings. Let it sit anouther half day and and again. Finally is clean. From now on just have to stay on top of it. Being a newbee I think I babied it to much with brass brush. Plus now I know what to look for. Got my little Taures soaking now as well. While I only shoot .38 out of it can't stand to not have it clean.