Gun cloths for stainless revolvers

[BenR]

Does anyone here use gun cloths to remove residue from cylinders and hard-to-reach places on their stainless revolvers?

Specifically, I'm looking at the Birchwood Casey Lead Remover & Polishing Cloth for post-scrub cleaning and the Birchwood Casey Gun & Reel Silicone Cloth as a finishing step.

Do these cloths contain microabrasives or other materials that remove metal? I'd hate to do anything to harm a bead-blast finish.

 

[OKFC05]

Do these cloths contain microabrasives

Lead remover, yes. Not for general use on finish.
Silicone cloth, no.

I don't use lead removers routinely, just brush off the residue and leave the dark stain on the front of the cylinder. It is harmless.

 

[BenR]

Lead remover, yes. Not for general use on finish.
Silicone cloth, no.

I don't use lead removers routinely, just brush off the residue and leave the dark stain on the front of the cylinder. It is harmless.

I figured the stain didn't much matter beyond aesthetics, which is a subjective matter. That being said, I have friends, as I'm sure you do, who feel the gun should look like a prized safe queen right after it has 200 or 300 rounds put through it.

Would the silicone cloth remove those stains, or is it a job for a stiff nylon or brass brush?

 

[The Shadow]

BenR ........ a pencil eraser does a good job of removing residue and fouling on the front of cylinders. It should do the trick!

Shadow

 

[jepp2]

BenR ........ a pencil eraser does a good job of removing residue and fouling on the front of cylinders. It should do the trick!

Shadow

A pencil eraser will work in removing the carbon, but pencil erasers also contain abrasives. So you might try a small test area first. My impression is that most pencil erasers are more abrasive than the lead remover cloth. YMMV

 

[HDS]

How would an ultrasonic cleaner do in getting rid of the stains?

 

[dfariswheel]

Not very good.
Even ultrasonics can't get the almost fused-on carbon off a cylinder face.
If you used a bore solvent as the cleaning solution that might help.
Much of the black rings is actually discoloration of the steel itself, and not much other than mechanical removal can get that off-out of the metal.

Another excellent method of cleaning a cylinder is to use Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter.
Simply soak the part in the solution for 15 minutes and most of the carbon will be gone.

Truth is, the lead-away cloth is about as good as anything and the mild abrasive properties would take many years of use to cause any discernible damage.
You'll usually cause more damage to the gun by constantly removing the cylinder than cleaning it off with a cloth.

 

[jsbethel]

I have cleaned my stainless revolvers with BLITZ cloth for 25 years - amazing stuff and not very well known in gun circles for some reason. It cleans cylinder rings with very little effort.

 

[BenR]

Thanks for the tips, gents.