Front of cylinder
- Thread starter JimH
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Powder and lead residue, easily cleaned with a lead removal cloth and a little scrubbing on a nickel or stainless gun...you'll take the gunk and the finish off a blue gun with this cloth.
FHBrumb
Member
If it's really bad, you can get a brass brush and chuck it into a Dremel, and take it off.
Again though, bluing might not survive. But Stainless does well.
In my opinion, those marks show you a good forcing cone gap. Too much gap, and the edges of the marks are not as clearly defined. Don't let the marks alone cause you not to buy.
Again though, bluing might not survive. But Stainless does well.
In my opinion, those marks show you a good forcing cone gap. Too much gap, and the edges of the marks are not as clearly defined. Don't let the marks alone cause you not to buy.
Dale53
Member
I don't even bother to clean it off other than wiping with a solvent dampened rag. I wonder how many good shooting revolvers have been reduced to "also rans" by entirely too aggressive cleaning methods. Those cylinder throats are critical to accuracy in a revolver. I just wipe mine off and don't worry a BIT about the black circles. My revolvers are still shooting EXTREMELY well after years of shooting and many thousands of rounds.
FWIW
Dale53
FWIW
Dale53
bpeddicord
Member
Rings on cylinder
I use a small dab of Hoppes #9 and some #0000 steel wool to clean off the face of the cylinder. Doesn't hurt the bluing and gets the lead and residue off with no problem.
I use a small dab of Hoppes #9 and some #0000 steel wool to clean off the face of the cylinder. Doesn't hurt the bluing and gets the lead and residue off with no problem.
Beemer-mark
Member
Ditto, but I never try to get it all off.
exfebee
Member
Those marks are known as "donuts". Everybody gets them if you shoot your revolver. Just use Hoppes #9, or some of the cloth cleaners such as "Lead-Away" & it all comes off. Don't use a metal file, electric grinder, or sandpaper as it can change the distance from your cylinder to the barrel cone, by expanding the cylinder gap. Best of luck.
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donaldw870
Member
As the other posters note, this is normal firing residue. I scrub my cylinder face with Hoppes #9 and a brass brush after every range session, and keep it decently clean.
Shooting4life
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If you go through all the trouble to to clean it off then don't shoot it cause it will just be back after the next range trip. The only time I would clean the front if the cylinder more than a wipe down would be if I was going to sell it.
Carl Williams
Member
Just my Humble opinion, but I would never clean the face of any cylinder with steel wool, regardless of how fine it is. Steel wool is very abrasive (cuts gun-grade steel). Use Bronze wool and Hoppe's #9 and you can clean, without removing steel you want to remain there... Bronze wool is abrasive enough to clean, but is softer than steel....
smiffundvessen
Member
Wipe with sightly oily gun rag. Go to range and get dirty again. Repeat often.
xopher88x
Member
Those rings drive me crazy even though I know they're harmless. I use the Birchwood Casey Lead Remover Cloth to get rid of them.
500 Magnum Nut
Member
On a blue revolver, you don't brush the rings, because it will damage the gun, plus it don't show.
On a stainless / nickle gun brush easy, because you can damage the gun in time. The rings don't hurt a thing.
1. You will change the cylinder air gap, if you polish too much. This will cause bullet velocity loss and spitting.
2. The cylinder won't be square and this will affect your accuracy.
On a stainless / nickle gun brush easy, because you can damage the gun in time. The rings don't hurt a thing.
1. You will change the cylinder air gap, if you polish too much. This will cause bullet velocity loss and spitting.
2. The cylinder won't be square and this will affect your accuracy.
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Why the rings around the openings? Shouldn't the front of the cylinder be clean and shiny? Not my gun but one I'm considering buying.
It looks exactly as it supposed to look for a fired revolver. Once fired, you will never get all of the rings off using normal and proper cleaning methods. Don't worry about it. It is normal.
Don't wast time trying to completely remove the rings. It is not necessary.
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This will ruin the revolver as it leaves microscopic bits of steel from the steel wool embedded in the revolver, and those microscopic bits will rust, leaving your revolver a nice brownish red color.
Send your revolver to the factory to check barrel cylinder gap, and ask them to re-pacify the finish (pacification is the process S&W uses to remove microscopic carbon steel bits from the revolver that have been left there by the various tools used during the building of the revolver).
I have seen revolvers new from the factory turn reddish brown in no time because they got out the door without pacification. Rare, but you see quite a bit of odd stuff if you are around long enough. The last time this happened was with a 3 inch Model 65 ordered in brand new for a customer, so it has only happened a couple of times since 1981 or so, but it does happen and it proves the point that regular steel from wool or tools will cause the weapon to turn reddish brown.
Never use steel wool in any grade, unless you are prepared to send it back after your work and have it pacified again. Certainly, you would be obligated to disclose the need to do this to any buyer.
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