Difficulty cleaning 686 SSR

[shootinghoosier]

OK, this sounds stupid, but I'm having a heck of time cleaning the outside of the cylinder on my 686 SSR. The usual black carbon junk that usually wipes off easily on a blued or nickel or finish seems to attach/adhere to the satin stainless steel finish on my gun. It literally takes 3-4 times as long to clean that gun as my others, which are not satin stainless. It's almost to the point that I don't want to shoot it.

I've not tried anything "exotic", just been using either Hoppes #9 or Outers Solvent, followed by a light rub down of gun oil. But that just doesn't do it. I have to rub and rub in the flutes with my finger nail and a soft cloth. Ideas? What should I be using?

 

[Flipside]

OK, this sounds stupid, but I'm having a heck of time cleaning the outside of the cylinder on my 686 SSR. The usual black carbon junk that usually wipes off easily on a blued or nickel or finish seems to attach/adhere to the satin stainless steel finish on my gun. It literally takes 3-4 times as long to clean that gun as my others, which are not satin stainless. It's almost to the point that I don't want to shoot it.

I've not tried anything "exotic", just been using either Hoppes #9 or Outers Solvent, followed by a light rub down of gun oil. But that just doesn't do it. I have to rub and rub in the flutes with my finger nail and a soft cloth. Ideas? What should I be using?

Hoppes Elite / MPro 7 works just fine for my 686's... Just give it some time to soak in before using a toothbrush.

 

[Chuck Jones]

Sounds like you're shooting a lot and good on you for that!

Bead blasted SS is a little harder to clean than the standard smooth or polished stainless, have you tried letting it soak overnight?

Let the solvent work, brush with an old toothbrush and if that doesn't do it coat the surfaces liberally and let it soak overnight.

You might also try one of the water based cleaners, they seem to work particularly well on carbon and powder fouling.

Mirachem • The Safe Alternative to Hazardous Chemicals and Cleaners
M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaning Products
Hoppe's 9 - The Elite Family

Hope this helps.

/c

 

[Steve_NEPhila]

Are you ready for the less popular view: Leave it!

There is no need to scrub your revolver to look like it was just taken out of the case at the dealer. Remove what may get in the way, but do not go out of your way to scrub every one of your firearms until it looks like they were never used. BTW, a little carbon on the outside of the cylinder is not going to harm reliability or performance.

 

[Babalooie]

Are you ready for the less popular view: Leave it!

There is no need to scrub your revolver to look like it was just taken out of the case at the dealer. Remove what may get in the way, but do not go out of your way to scrub every one of your firearms until it looks like they were never used. BTW, a little carbon on the outside of the cylinder is not going to harm reliability or performance.

It's patina.

Try FLITZ. It works for me, when I'm prepping guns for sale.

 

[bpeddicord]

You can also use some 0000 steel wool pads. You can find them in packs at hardware stores, Wal Mart, Home Depot, etc. Just don't keep scrubbing until you start shinning the metal. Just put a dab of Hoppe's on the steel wool and scrub lightly.

 

[stevieboy]

I take a patch that I've saturated with J & B Bore Cleaner (available from Brownell's) and wipe the surface. That will remove about 50% of the carbon stains. The rest comes off with a little light brushing with a bronze brush. The entire process takes 2 -3 minutes and will render the surface pristine.

Another and perhaps less abrasive approach is to rub the surface with a lead removal cloth. I have some Birchfield-Casey cloths that work very well. It takes a bit of elbow grease and, maybe 4 - 5 minutes of work, but the stains will come off. Just don't attempt this with a blued gun because the lead removal cloth will remove the blueing along with the stains.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

Get some scotch pad and make it nice and brite and you won't need to baby it anymore. Bead finish are for look at guns and the bright is for the working gun. I ordered one of the first V-8 without the bead finish and I love it. Cost $25 extra dollars to get it and less work on thier part.

 

[parabarbarian]

Bar Keepers Friend?

 

[socal s&w]

I do not have the satin finish, but on a the standard finish I use a car product called Nev'r Dull. It comes in a tin can with a cotton rolled inside that is saturated with mag cleaner.

Works great on the side of the cylinder, not so good on the muzzle end from the leading/heavy carbon/powder area around the holes. Works great for all of the other places on the gun too!

 

[shootinghoosier]

Thanks guys, I'll give some of these ideas a try.

 

[bigshot500]

Have you looked at Jerry Miculeks revolvers??? Their cylinders are black and his guns run perfect...Consider it a status symbol

 

[Joe American]

I use Gum Out Carburater cleaner. Sometimes you may need to use it and a toothbrush. It works ggod on tihard to reach areas and bores. I always follow up with oil as it removes all residue and oil evenout of the pores in the steels. Take care not to get it on wodd finishes.

 

[Steve_NEPhila]

Have you looked at Jerry Miculeks revolvers??? Their cylinders are black and his guns run perfect...Consider it a status symbol

You mean these? Straight from his website:

Those are Jerry's actual guns... and they run great. A few of mine look a bit like that. What looks good and what works well can be separate attributes. To quote Shakespears: "Keep your bright swords, for the dew will rust them."

 

[glock20man]

I've had great success with Birchwood Casey Lead Away cloths. A little square and a little rubbing and my 686 looks like new. MPro-7 works well too.

 

[nebmike]

I've had great success with Birchwood Casey Lead Away cloths. A little square and a little rubbing and my 686 looks like new. MPro-7 works well too.

I was just going to say the same thing. Its also the only thing I've come across that will remove the "burn" rings around the each chamber on the face of the cylinder. I've got stainless revolvers that are manufactured clear back to 1976 that look like they've never been shot (and trust me, they've been shot a LOT).

 

[Mikie]

EZ Brite Wonder Cloth

An EZ Brite Wonder Cloth works surprisingly well. It is impregnated with some kind of solvent that dissolves lead and returns the SS to factory new. It is strictly for SS revolvers because it will take off the blueing of a blued revolver.

 

[robmcd]

I've had great success with Birchwood Casey Lead Away cloths. A little square and a little rubbing and my 686 looks like new. MPro-7 works well too.

I also use Lead Away on my 686 SSR - works great. Flitz works good too. Both will slightly polish the surface. Brownell's sells stainless revolver chamber brushes that clean in a single pass.

 

[gusshuman]

Shooter's Choice works.

Al

 

[ctkenc]

Me Too

I was just going to say the same thing. Its also the only thing I've come across that will remove the "burn" rings around the each chamber on the face of the cylinder. I've got stainless revolvers that are manufactured clear back to 1976 that look like they've never been shot (and trust me, they've been shot a LOT).

Me too ... I found the Birchwood Casey rags made th job easy and quick, leaving it looking like new. They work so well on my 686SSR I'd be surprised if anyone ver used anything else, especially if they've tried one.
Ken