How many rounds to make cylinder really dirty?

Something I do which helps:

I keep a silicone cloth in my bag and after or
sometimes even during shooting I give the gun
a wipe down of cylinder, cylinder window and
barrel.

The silicone seems to give a protective
barrier to powder residue clinging too tightly.

Oddly enough, after watching "Magnum Force"
for the umpteenth time I noticed the bad cops
at the practice range wiping down their Pythons
with what looks like a silicone cloth. This was
just a month ago that I watched yet the film is
from 1974.
 
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Something I do which helps:

I keep a silicone cloth in my bag and after or
sometimes even during shooting I give the gun
a wipe down of cylinder, cylinder window and
barrel.

The silicone seems to give a protective
barrier to powder residue clinging too tightly.

Oddly enough, after watching "Magnum Force"
for the umpteenth time I noticed the bad cops
at the practice range wiping down their Pythons
with what looks like a silicone cloth. This was
just a month ago that I watched yet the film is
from 1974.

I do the same thing with a rag wet with Balistol and it really works well.
 
My neighbor bought some .38 Special reloads at a gun show in Florida some 20 years ago. It will only one of those "smokers" to make a firearm absolutely filthy! Even he won't shoot them.
 
I agree with the other opinions on here. They function well clean and dirty. I’m far too anal about my carry guns. If I’m using them to defend my life, they are spotless. Cleaner than when they were new. But my shooters get cleaned when they really need it. It all boils down to personal preference.
 
686 Patina

Here's my PATINA. I think this is between 700-1,000 rds. I shoot a copper plated bullet over TiteGroup.

And yes, this gun has only and will only see .38spls. Some people chase accuracy and some speed. The .38, while only 1/10" shorter, gives me a better chance at clearing the cylinder during ejection. I'd reload with Short Colt brass but IDPA doesn't allow that.

IMG_7607-L.jpg
 
l like clean guns, clean women, and clean cars..

l like getten em DIRTY too;-)

If those women are wearing white socks they're OK with me.

My cars usually have some gravel by the pedals but the exteriors are spotless.

My guns look like the day they left the factory....except after a range visit.
 
I've fired up to 500 rounds through a .38 Special revolver on several occasions over an afternoon or a weekend. Load was cast lead and was charged with 4.8 grains of Unique. The revolver was gummy but still worked dependably.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. This 686 is only my second center fire revolver. My first, a Ruger LCR 38, has never gotten close to being as dirty as this one got so I was just a bit surprised.

I try to keep my guns very clean, but my Ruger 1911 and now this 686 will be spotless soon after returning from the range. I consider them "works of art"...that go BANG.
 

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I found that if I keep the rounds to 12 or under the gun cleans up super easy. I have also begun to wipe the gun down after a range session with a Hoppes cloth and that seem to help with the cleaning when I get it to my table.

Talking about revolvers here. My pistols are so easy to clean it doesn't matter how dirty they get.

...and by the way that ballistol tip sounds like a great idea. Now I know what to do with my silicone wipes once they wear out.
 
I found that if I keep the rounds to 12 or under the gun cleans up super easy. I have also begun to wipe the gun down after a range session with a Hoppes cloth and that seem to help with the cleaning when I get it to my table.

Talking about revolvers here. My pistols are so easy to clean it doesn't matter how dirty they get.

...and by the way that ballistol tip sounds like a great idea. Now I know what to do with my silicone wipes once they wear out.

Anytime I take one of my guns out of the safe for whatever reason they get a going over with a Ballistol damp rag before going back on.
 
Depends a lot on the load.

Shooting IDPA, my main concern is keeping the chambers clean. I go to the safe area every couple of stages & brush em out.
 
I found that if I keep the rounds to 12 or under the gun cleans up super easy. I have also begun to wipe the gun down after a range session with a Hoppes cloth and that seem to help with the cleaning when I get it to my table.

Talking about revolvers here. My pistols are so easy to clean it doesn't matter how dirty they get.

...and by the way that ballistol tip sounds like a great idea. Now I know what to do with my silicone wipes once they wear out.

How in the name of Oprah do you keep it to 12 rounds or less? I do hope you were being sarcastic.



And I'm just getting started....
 
Dirty Cylinders and Dirty Old Men go together like Sheekin n Rice:)

JayMoose cleans his 29-3 Silhouette and 629-6 Thimble Rig guns once a year Whether They Need Or Not


Began shooting my 686 Competitor in April. It didn't get cleaned til AFTER its first THOUSAND RDS..

It was still on target @ #1000
 
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Dirty Cylinders and Dirty Old Men go together like Sheekin n Rice:)

JayMoose cleans his 29-3 Silhouette and 629-6 Thimble Rig guns once a year Whether They Need Or Not


Began shooting my 686 Competitor in April. It didn't get cleaned til AFTER its first THOUSAND RDS..

It was still on target @ #1000

I'm pretty sure the 629-6 high rise has gone two seasons without cleaning as of now. The bore is the cleanest part of that swaged lead slug thrower. (The barrel innards definitely haven't been cleaned in a long time!) I did put a little oil in the action late this season. Last match my score was about as good as could be expected, only a couple-three points off highest score ever.

I reckon the IMR4198 has a lot to do with the lack of need to clean. Although it does leave lots of unburned powder grains behind, the same may be scrubbing the bore as they race forward. (?)

29-3 10 5/8" #2 gets quite dirty on the right side as that's up against the blast shield whilst shooting in the creedmoor position. The Standing position revolvers don't get near as much outside blackening as 29-3 #2, however it's so easily removed it shouldn't count!

IgfF2HA.jpg


WVaxNrg.jpg

Our wee 200m range.
 
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