How in the world? Cleaning?

[KiaTia]

Ok guys I am new to revolvers and I need to know how in the world do you clean the area on the frame just above where the cylinder meets the barrel. I am trying to clean a 617 and I practically need a mini jack hammer to get the stuff off it almost looks like someone welded crud on there.

HELP

 

[k22fan]

Being very careful not to scratch my 617 I use a straight edge razor blade. Some owners use a dental pick. I'm open to better ideas that don't risk scratching the stainless so I'll keep an eye on your thread but I'm not new to K22s and I'm not hopefull.

Back when Hoppies #9 contained benzene you could pour a quart of it into a tupperware container and soak a blued revolver in for a week. It would come out clean as a whistle but active K22s get shot more frequently than that and modern Hoppies #9 is close to worthless for loosening lead deposits.

 

[Smith357]

I will soak that area with bore solvent and let it sit for a while. I then take a thin gun rag (usually an old T shirt) pull the rag tight slip it up in the crevice and run it back and forth, then do it again and again on a clean spot until the rag comes out clean.

 

[mossyoakpenn]

I usually use a wooden toothpick to get the majority of it off and then soak the rest of the crud with some CLP or something a little harsher for about 10 minutes. That should get almost all of it. If not, a few more minutes with some CLP and your done. Good luck.

 

[PhilOhio]

The better question is, why do you feel you need to remove all this accumulation, unless you never plan to shoot the gun again?

Life is short. Cleaning, and recleaning, and recleaning, and then once again cleaning that area is futile. The accumulation is normal, especially with .22s. I have a 617, and lots of others. I keep them clean, but do not remove every trace of lead and carbon from that specific area every time I shoot each one.

When there is a significant accumulation, and when I have nothing more important to do, I carefully chip it off with the appropriate size screwdriver from an inexpensive Chinese set of six, available everywhere. There is a size to get into every spot in that area. Chip a little, swab with Hoppe's #9, chip some more, swab some more. But only if you have lots of time to waste, or only when there is a big buildup...after hundreds of rounds.

But I must admit that cleaning this stuff out of the compensator on my early Model 41 is a major pain.

If you put a few microscopic scratches under the top strap, who cares? the Correct Police are unlikely to catch you, and if you slip and make a more visible scratch, cold blue will fix it...until it is again covered by more lead and carbon.

These are wonderful guns, but they were made to be fired, rather than excessively fussed over. And I especially like the stainless guns because you can clean this area quite thoroughly without fear of scratching some bluing. I really enjoy my 617.

 

[socal s&w]

When I clean that area, I use a dental pick that looks like a small curved spade on one end and an arrowhead on the other. It's slim enough to fit into the reccesses, yet strong enough to do some real cleaning without bending. I have found these at swap-meets for about $2 each and they are worth $10 for the excellent job that they do.

I also use dental floss, the wide-flat kind to get into the nitty-gritty parts that are inaccessible otherwise.

 

[k22fan]

The better question is, why do you feel you need to remove all this accumulation, unless you never plan to shoot the gun again?

Life is short. Cleaning, and recleaning, and recleaning, and then once again cleaning that area is futile. The accumulation is normal, especially with .22s. I have a 617, and lots of others. I keep them clean, but do not remove every trace of lead and carbon from that specific area every time I shoot each one.

When there is a significant accumulation, and when I have nothing more important to do, I carefully chip it off with the appropriate size screwdriver from an inexpensive Chinese set of six, available everywhere. There is a size to get into every spot in that area. Chip a little, swab with Hoppe's #9, chip some more, swab some more. But only if you have lots of time to waste, or only when there is a big buildup...after hundreds of rounds. [...]

My guess is we all could have written something like that. Through the indoor bullseye season I put several hundred rounds a week through a K22 and that K22 doesn't get a thorough cleaning every week, but it occasionally does. Additionally, when a different K22 is rotated into regular use the one that is put away for a while gets a thorough scrub-a-dub-dub so the original poster's question is of interest to me.

 

[KiaTia]

You guys have some good ideas I agree it will just come back but it would be nice to have a plan to remove it. I have a SS 617 and what I would really like to do is grab the dremel tool and grind it away but I know better. I have one of those dental picks and will give that a try. I was hoping someone made a tool specific for this job. Do other revolvers do this same thing or is this problem just on the 22s?

Thanks

 

[dickttx]

I have a 617 and have also wondered if there was an easier way. After flooding it with Hoppe's (some I bought in 1968) and letting it soak I usually scrape with a small knife (Gerber folder with an open frame handles). Got some spray Breakfree a while back and have used it once and it seems to loosen it pretty good too. I try not to be too obsessive with it.

 

[Jebus35745]

If I remember correctly in a post a long time ago, people were using old window screen made of aluminum or fiberglass. Cut it in strips to get in the area. I saved some of both types of screen but never used it. Larry

 

[Bullseye Smith]

Dental tools and a rag like 357 said.

 

[k22fan]

If I remember correctly in a post a long time ago, people were using old window screen made of aluminum or fiberglass. Cut it in strips to get in the area. I saved some of both types of screen but never used it. Larry

Although this could remove blueing it looks like it has potential for stainless revolvers. Aluminum is pretty soft so brass screen like is used in the Lewis Lead Remover kits would be better. Does anyone know were to buy fine brass screen?

A not yet mentioned method is to drag a strip cut out of a solid copper dish scrubber through. Chore Boy is the best known brand but any copper dish scrubber that won't stick to a magnet should be O.K.

 

[cptdco]

I had a couple of thin brass sheets of different thicknesses from another project and I've cut them into scrapers and long skinny triangles and use those for a number of crud-removal applications including the area above the forcing cone.

 

[Hawker Man]

Try a piece of 10 gauge copper wire, from romex house wire. Strip a piece about three or four inches, hammer one end flat and use a file to sharpen it to a chisel point. Being copper it should not scratch stainless or blued steel.

 

[irishjig]

Ultrasonic Cleaner

in S&W-Smithing Forum !

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

I use Hoppes, an old toothbrush and persistance on the area above the forcing cone on my 686. It doesnt get every last little bit, but it gets the vast majority. Very hard spot to clean for sure. If i REALLY want it spotless, I will use a brass bristled cleaning brush, which is a little bigger than a toothbrush.

Whoever asked if this happens only with .22s... This happens with all revolvers. Nature of the beast.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Doesn't anybody own a toothbrush? That's all I use on all my revolvers to clean the top strap and forcing cone area.

Brush on some Hoppes or Shooter's Choice , let it sit, scrub with toothbrush and if you want to get fancy, use some compressed air to blast out the moisture.

Good-to-go.

 

[m657]

I've used a variety of implements, from the thin stiff brush out of Brownells, to those dental picks, ultrasound, various tooth brush tools, folded over cotton handkerchief, home made dental floss, and certain thickness nylon tie-down straps. They all have advantages.

 

[Alk8944]

The better question is, why do you feel you need to remove all this accumulation, unless you never plan to shoot the gun again?

Life is short. Cleaning, and recleaning, and recleaning, and then once again cleaning that area is futile. The accumulation is normal, especially with .22s. I have a 617, and lots of others. I keep them clean, but do not remove every trace of lead and carbon from that specific area every time I shoot each one.

When there is a significant accumulation, and when I have nothing more important to do, I carefully chip it off with the appropriate size screwdriver from an inexpensive Chinese set of six, available everywhere. There is a size to get into every spot in that area. Chip a little, swab with Hoppe's #9, chip some more, swab some more. But only if you have lots of time to waste, or only when there is a big buildup...after hundreds of rounds.

But I must admit that cleaning this stuff out of the compensator on my early Model 41 is a major pain.

If you put a few microscopic scratches under the top strap, who cares? the Correct Police are unlikely to catch you, and if you slip and make a more visible scratch, cold blue will fix it...until it is again covered by more lead and carbon.

These are wonderful guns, but they were made to be fired, rather than excessively fussed over. And I especially like the stainless guns because you can clean this area quite thoroughly without fear of scratching some bluing. I really enjoy my 617.

Precisely!!!!!!

But, notice the last 10 posters don't seem to either understand this basic concept, or to have read your original post!

 

[Rodentman]

Stuff like this here:

I just use a dental pick, it chips off really easily. I get the big chunks off, no need to get it perfectly smooth. Better than flame cutting-not likely on the 617!