Cleaning lead from 617 top strap: How do you do it?

[SAWMAN]

I was cleaning my 617 this morning after a nice weekend of shooting. (First time to the range - Absolutely love the gun!)

I am curious if anyone has any tips or tricks to cleaning the lead residue around the forcing cone and top strap?

I flattened a brass 38 special cartridge case and used it to scrap the majority of it away and then used a copper brush. Seemed to work pretty well, but does anyone have something that works better?

I was also thinking of giving it a couple coats of Ren Wax to see if that would help prevent buildup, anybody uses something else?

 

[gwalchmai]

I use a bronze GI toothbrush and scraper, but mine's a flattened .223.

 

[kennyb]

some use dental picks as well

 

[Bullet Bob]

I whack it with Hoppe's #9 and a toothbrush, and figure that whatever remains is a protective coating

 

[SJshooter]

To really get in there, I will tear off small strips of lead away cloth and wrap them around a toothpick or bamboo skewer and then scrape with the tip/sides.

 

[andyo5]

Verrry carefully!
With a brass scraper and/or a toothpick.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

I use mothers polish and a microfiber towel.It takes the lead right off and leaves a nice shine all at once.

 

[crankyoldlady]

"Flossing" with fish line.

 

[hsc]

Shoe string with solvent or Kroil

 

[Engineer1911]

I don't bother. It will get dirty again. That's not to say I don't launder my underwear.

 

[Matt Hooper]

I use a sponge tool soaked in Ballistol. I wet the area down really good and leave it for a few hours. Come back at it with a soft cloth and a tooth brush and it works fine. I'm kind of fastidious though and clean my guns every time I shoot so the build up isn't horrible.

 

[MichiganScott]

I use a bronze GI toothbrush and scraper, but mine's a flattened .223.

Works for me.

 

[SAWMAN]

I use mothers polish and a microfiber towel.It takes the lead right off and leaves a nice shine all at once.

Mothers is my secret weapon, that stuff can work magic!

I'm a bit OCD (Or as some point out CDO because the letters should be in alphabetical order) about my guns. I am extremely meticulous and thoroughly clean after every range session.

Thanks for all the great ideas!

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

Just a heads up on Mothers polish,Use it ONLY on stainless guns.It will remove blueing in a hurry!

 

[stang1911]

x-acto knife very carefully

 

[Nick B]

I use a bronze GI toothbrush and scraper, but mine's a flattened .223.

Same here .

 

[andyo5]

I get a stiff tooth pick and scrape, scrape, scrape....

 

[Lou_NC]

I usually wait until it's pretty bad, so I find that softening the fouling by soaking with Hoppe's #9 works best. I remove the cylinder (not necessary but easy enough to do on a S&W) and invert the revolver in padded jaws on my bench vise, tilting the barrel down slightly. Then I use an eyedropper to "fill" the area between the barrel extension and the top strap with Hoppe's. (Surface tension keeps quite a lot of solvent in place). I usually leave it untouched overnight, then scrape away with my flattened .223 brass the next day. If I don't get it all in one pass, I'll soak it overnight again and it usually comes off completely the 2nd time. Maybe finish up with a patch and brass brush.

I find that Hoppe's really softens the fouling quite a bit IF you give it enough time to work.

Lou

 

[9mmsubgun-m11]

Soda blaster will remove lead build up in a couple seconds and will not harm the finish.

 

[Jeffro57]

Lead away cloth and a few swipes, it's done. Not for blued guns!