It's a cleaning frenzy...

[LL617]

When I finally got to take my new 617 to the range I had lots of fun.

Then it was time to clean the revolver. I really was looking forward to cleaning it, because when it arrived in the box it was looking a bit sad, as though it had been handled a lot by folks not wearing white gloves. Mine is a new model and it certainly took a while to clean those ten cylinders.

Part of the problem was that I lost track of which particular cylinder I was working on. I've thought of using a pipe cleaning and sticking it in the dirty cylinder to the right of the one I am cleaning. Any other suggestions?

It took a hour and a half, but my 617 looks really good now, all cleaned and polished, ready to go back to the range for some more fun.

 

[mervyn_b]

Glad you're enjoying your 617.

Personally, I remove the crane/cylinder assy. each time I need to clean the chambers on mine.

Also, I clean the firearm minus the chambers until rounds are extremely hard to either insert or extract and the bore. Bore gets cleaned if I notice any loss of accuracy or if I'm switching ammo from one type/brand to an other.

 

[LL617]

At this point, I do not know how to disassemble the crane/cylinder. Are there classes for that? I wouldn't want to take it apart and not be able to get it back together!

 

[kennyb]

Glad you're enjoying your 617.

Personally, I remove the crane/cylinder assy. each time I need to clean the chambers on mine.

Also, I don't clean the chambers until rounds are extremely hard to either insert or extract and neither the bore. Bore gets cleaned if I notice any loss of accuracy or if I'm switching ammo from one type/brand to an other.

whats the purpose with waiting to clean until you have to force the ammo in??good googly moogly...now thats a nasty gun!

 

[Steve in Vermont]

I also have a 617 and alternate it with a 63 every time I shoot. Unless you're going to put it into storage it isn't necessary to spend so much time cleaning, especially if you shoot regularly. 10 to 15 minutes should be fine. One method I've found that's handy involves those 6" wooden sticks with the Q tips on the end. I use them to run a patch through with any quality lubricant until clean, then a final patch moistened with Hornady One Shot Lube. If a live round drops in and out of the cylinder easily it's clean. As far as keeping track of which cylinder you're working on, try starting a patch into one and leave it there. Then start cleaning the next, rotating the cylinder either way. Keep count until you're back at the patch, then clean that one. You're done. Perhaps there should be a 617 Club, they are that fun to shoot I can't imagine anyone not owning one.

 

[mervyn_b]

At this point, I do not know how to disassemble the crane/cylinder. Are there classes for that? I wouldn't want to take it apart and not be able to get it back together!

Start by getting a good set of hollow-ground screwdrivers and an AGI instruction video. A search on YouTube might also do it, but the AGI is your best bet.

One word of advice : don't leave the grips on. Even though it's a stainless gun, it will rust so store it without them.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

Saw your question after I responded. Yesterday Blackpowder asked how to do this on a M36, (under S&W Smithing). The responses apply to the 617 as well. Trust me, it's so easy even I do it on a regular basis with all my revolvers. One caveat, however. Get a good screwdriver with bits made for your revolver. Brownells sells them and they are specific to S&W. Do not use just any screwdriver as it's possible you'll damage the screw, or worse.

 

[one eye joe]

I also have a 617 and alternate it with a 63 every time I shoot. Unless you're going to put it into storage it isn't necessary to spend so much time cleaning, especially if you shoot regularly. 10 to 15 minutes should be fine. One method I've found that's handy involves those 6" wooden sticks with the Q tips on the end. I use them to run a patch through with any quality lubricant until clean, then a final patch moistened with Hornady One Shot Lube. If a live round drops in and out of the cylinder easily it's clean. As far as keeping track of which cylinder you're working on, try starting a patch into one and leave it there. Then start cleaning the next, rotating the cylinder either way. Keep count until you're back at the patch, then clean that one. You're done. Perhaps there should be a 617 Club, they are that fun to shoot I can't imagine anyone not owning one.

I LOVE your idea, Steve. it would be great to have an area where the ONLY TOPIC would be the 617....

 

[nipster]

Also, I don't clean the chambers until rounds are extremely hard to either insert or extract and neither the bore. Bore gets cleaned if I notice any loss of accuracy or if I'm switching ammo from one type/brand to an other.

What?

Maybe it was the way I was taught, but I clean my firearms after I am done with them EVERY time.

Am I in the minority here?

 

[Steve in Vermont]

What?

Maybe it was the way I was taught, but I clean my firearms after I am done with them EVERY time.

Am I in the minority here?

No, you're in the majority. I hope "Gunny" doesn't see that post. I remember the reaction of my drill sergeant to even a spec of lint in the action of my rifle. I think his spirit is still with me because I can't put a gun away un cleaned.

 

[mervyn_b]

Here's mine.

 

[weum817]

100 years from now whether you cleaned your gun or not will decide if it's a collectors piece or paper weight. I would like to go back in time and tell the owners to take better care of some of my really old guns.

 

[Austerity]

What?

Maybe it was the way I was taught, but I clean my firearms after I am done with them EVERY time.

Am I in the minority here?

Nope, mine are all tools used for defense, so they need to be at 100% all the time. No need for extra variables, murphy's law and all...

 

[v-13]

I also have a 617, and just got it back from the factory due to misfires and cylinder binding. Brand new. Had to have the firing pin replaced, the strain screws replaced, frame repaired, and the internal lock repaired. Was a display model so don't know if it was dry fired or what. Took it out and shot 60 rounds through it and now works as it is suppose to. I always clean mine after every trip to the range. Can't stand a dirty gun. S&W picked up the tab on shipping and everything. Very pleased. Looking forward to many years of shooting it.

 

[v-13]

Speaking of dry firing....What is the opinion of the members on this? I have heard that some guns you can dry fire all day long, and some say not to, especially .22's....

 

[one eye joe]

I have NEVER advocated dry firing of a rimfire weapon, due to damage caused by the firing pin impacting the rim of the chamber. I accompanied a friend of mine to the shop of a local, very well respected gunsmith. My friend was there to pick up his 617, which he had trigger work done to. As the 'smith walked to the counter from his work area, he dry fired the 617 6 or 7 times. He then handed it to my friend. My friend did not dry fire it, nor did he question the 'smith. (neither did I---NOT my 617, NONE of my business.) This 617 is the latest dash version with the IL and the internal firing pin. Does this make a difference, OR was that bad practice on the part of the 'smith ? ?

 

[Macinaw]

An easy way the keep track of what camber you are cleaning is to use a bore snake. I run the bore snake through one chamber and leave the end out a little. Then start the brass front of the bore snake on the next chamber. This helps keep track of what chambers have been cleaned and which one is next up. Mac

 

[VCMike]

I have read a lot of posts saying you don't need to clean after every trip to the range. There seems to be a large amount of debris built up where the cylinder and barrel meet. I like to get that off every time. It is easier to clean when it is cleaned after each trip.

 

[mervyn_b]

Speaking of dry firing....What is the opinion of the members on this? I have heard that some guns you can dry fire all day long, and some say not to, especially .22's....

Dry-firing .22's is a no-no. Just use spent rimfire cases but make sure the f/p is gonna hit a fresh surface.

 

[mervyn_b]

I have read a lot of posts saying you don't need to clean after every trip to the range. There seems to be a large amount of debris built up where the cylinder and barrel meet. I like to get that off every time. It is easier to clean when it is cleaned after each trip.

Cleaning after every trip is a must.

 

[campfire]

Someone said it here a while back.
"Never let the sun go down on a dirty gun".
Campfire

 

[UDR2]

Also, I clean the firearm minus the chambers until rounds are extremely hard to either insert or extract and the bore. Bore gets cleaned if I notice any loss of accuracy or if I'm switching ammo from one type/brand to an other.

I was reading this while sipping some fine Scotch and my first thought was that I had somehow jumped over to the Glock forum.

OK, so maybe I was sipping a bit too much...

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Start by getting a good set of hollow-ground screwdrivers and an AGI instruction video. A search on YouTube might also do it, but the AGI is your best bet.

One word of advice : don't leave the grips on. Even though it's a stainless gun, it will rust so store it without them.

Either of the Jerry Miculek DVD's are a good resource, but "Trigger Job" will cover not only disassembly & reassembly but smoothing out a trigger on top of it.

I also have the AGI S&W DVD and while the gunsmith shown, who's name I won't mention, seems to know his stuff, I have other DVD's with him in them, he makes me flinch every time I watch the S&W Revolver DVD.

When removing the sideplate he says something like, "You hear that you need to tap the grip frame here, not so, it's as simple as this." That when he takes a screwdriver & pries the sideplate off.

 

[LL617]

I have asked folks about the cleaning every time bit, because one instructor told my daughter not to clean her SA every time unless she had used a large number of cartridges. I was told that 22s in particular should be cleaned after every use because the bore was so small.

If you had seen my 22 when I got it home, you would certainly have cleaned it. It looked like I had tried to smoke it; there was a lot of residue. I don't remember what ammo I used, but whatever it was, it was smoky.

Thanks for all the cleaning suggestions.

 

[MichiganScott]

Speaking of dry firing....What is the opinion of the members on this? I have heard that some guns you can dry fire all day long, and some say not to, especially .22's....

From S&W FAQ

Can I dry fire my S&W handgun?
Q: Can I dry fire my Smith & Wesson?

A: Yes, except for the .22 caliber pistols which includes models 22A, 22S, 422, 2206, 2214, 2213 and 41.

.22 caliber revolvers such as models 17, 43, 63, 317 and 617 also should not be dry fired.

Q: Why can't I dry fire my .22 pistol or revolver?

A: Dry firing a S&W .22 pistol or revolver will cause damage to the firing pin.

 

[nipster]

Speaking of dry firing....What is the opinion of the members on this? I have heard that some guns you can dry fire all day long, and some say not to, especially .22's....

You are not supposed to dry fire ANY rimfire firearm because the firing pin will actually come in contact with the chamber, which can damage the firing pin because there to stop it

 

[Seamore2001]

What?

Maybe it was the way I was taught, but I clean my firearms after I am done with them EVERY time.

Am I in the minority here?

No. I never go to bed with a dirty gun in the house.

Some seem to think that it's OK to leave a gun uncleaned after firing, especially a .22, but it doesn't hurt to clean a gun properly. I enjoy cleaning guns, and I know that next time I use it, it will be ready to use.

 

[one eye joe]

In the Army, stateside, we cleaned our weapons after every use. In Viet Nam, we learned to eat, sleep, and clean our weapons whenever we could. A clean weapon is your friend........

 

[rbert0005]

I use a brass bore brush with solvent and my electric drill on low speed to clean the chambers.

Works like a charm.

Bob