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!

 

[Isis1200L]

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.

Bamboo chopsticks (cut to make sort of a chislely point) and the smaller skewers are really good for getting
into the nooks and crannies. I wet the area down with "gray" Archoil first, and let it sit a bit.
Gets that spot above the forcing cone nice and clean.
I use the "gray" Archoil to clean, and the "white" to keep the buildup to a minimum. Archoil is a nano-tech lube.

 

[Jim1392]

Birchwood Casey lead remover cloth. Then dental pick VERY carefully.

 

[Florida Guy]

Birchwood Casey lead remover cloth.

This cloth is perfect for stainless. Don't use the entire cloth, but cut small pieces off and throw away when they turn black.
Excellent for cleaning the lead off the front of the cylinder.

 

[Twogunnes]

Turpentine does an excellent job of removing lead.

I usually use PineSol. Works great as a bore cleaner after shooting lead bullets. I usually add just a little turpentine, but not sure it is necessary.

Does not do much for copper fouling though.

 

[Murphy's Law]

Try "dental floss" you'd be surprised.

 

[Lou_NC]

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

Haven't heard of that gun cleaner before. What is "Soda blaster"? I'm always looking for easier ways to clean my guns!

Thanks,
Lou

 

[Macinaw]

Like many have said; this is the ticket.

 

[9mmsubgun-m11]

Haven't heard of that gun cleaner before. What is "Soda blaster"? I'm always looking for easier ways to clean my guns!

Thanks,
Lou

Basically a sand blaster but you use cheap baking soda instead of sand/glass beads. You can get a cheap hand held model from harbor freight for less than $20.00. I built a hand held to clean suppressor baffles-removes lead in short order. Last time I cleaned my 640 and 686 CS-1 I used the blaster and it makes them look like new in a couple seconds.