I appreciate the kerosene tip by others; but the same thing can more easily be done with an aerosol can of "Breakfree CLP" from W-Mart, about $5; two cans of compressed air, $4 ea., for cleaning computer keyboards, (no water like most air compressors).... same store.
First of all, cock and lower the hammer a few times to get a feel for how the action is. More later on as to why. I DO NOT dry-fire revolvers, no matter how many times I am told it is okay on a Smith. That choice is yours.
Remove the grips. If like most L E guns, (rubber) sling into nearest gully. NO, wait. First revolver ? probably no proper S&W grips lying around ?
Go to forum WTB section, post in LARGE letters; "I HATE RUBBER GRIPS ON MY NEW TO ME FIRST K FRAME SMITH ! CAN ANYONE HELP ME FIND THE PROPER GRIPS" ??? I expect it is a square butt, but check and see, and include that info.
You will get offers from all corners of the Smith forum to send you a set FREE. ???... WHY ? Two strong reasons. First: we like new Smith & Wesson people, and second: every S&W forum member alive likes the idea of a woman that likes guns and shooting ! (As long as it is not their cross-eyed, recently divorced, ex. Or perhaps in the case of our distaff members, "that heifer who stole my second husband").
In fact, if the gun is square butt, I will send you a set myself. (use P M)
Alright now to the gist of the matter. Cock the hammer, fill the cavity between hammer and frame with C L P; repeat. Lower the hammer, turn the revolver up-side down, fill the cavity beside the trigger with C L P. Repeat.
Cock the hammer again, upside down again, fill cavity beside cocked trigger with C L P.
By now, C L P should be running down your elbows, a little in your eyes, tonight's dinner of lasagna should have a taste and smell of bananas, uumm and the revolver internals flooded.
Get the nozzle of the C L P in the grip frame and squirt the flat hammer spring near where it stirrups onto the hammer. Give the hammer a little more too.
Lower the hammer, (can't open a S&W cylinder with hammer cocked),open cylinder, push open the extractor,with the extractor rod, hold, and fill with C L P. Work extractor in and out several times.
Cock the hammer, you will have to push the cylinder button opposite direction from when you opened the cyl.;to cock it with the cyl. opened.
Place revolver butt end down, barrel straight up , and squirt the C L P in the slotted opening where the ratchet hand protrudes from the frame. Some in the firing pin hole of the frame won't hurt either, and down in beside the cyl locking lug.
Fill each charge hole, and the barrel with C L P;..... humm; revise C L P purchase advice to TWO cans.
Now, if any area on that revolver has escaped a solid dose of C L P, give it some. Don't forget the adjustable rear sight. It may have to move also. Ok, lower hammer and cylinder back in.
Hammer will lower with no manipulations of the cylinder release button.
(Don't push the cylinder back in the frame with the hammer cocked.)
Now, think back to the original feel of cranking back that hammer and lowering it. You should feel a marvelous change in the lubricity and fluid feeling of the action.
Pull off enough wax paper to wrap around the gun several times to seal in the CLP; take that old ragged towel you meant to throw out the last time you used it and bundle your new baby, (like a new baby) and put away for a few days, (while waiting for all those free grips to arrive)
Find a place in the yard where you don;t want any grass to grow, (same with the kerosene method), unwrap your prize, ahh,...just feel that action.
Butter on ice will seem like a gravel road in comparison.
Commence to use your air cans to blow away all the C L P you can, don't worry, you won't ever blow it all away.
The caution about the grass. While the amount of visual blurry-ness, from all that you got in your eyes, will go away, maybe even before you get ready to shoot again, too much of a soaking is a little deadly on grass.
Disclaimer.... Use the air cans as straight up and down as possible and do not shake the can like most aerosols. The two actions of up-side down and shaking the can, seem somehow to make a mist of something wet ? .
Clean the charge holes and barrel in the accepted method. Install NEW grips; ready for the FUN part of all this.
Your mdl. 15 is .38 special only, and a fine target gun. I no longer reload so I would start off shooting factory 148 grain, hollow-base wad-cutters for likely the best accuracy to be found in a four inch revolver. Six incher too.
I have NO vested interest in the C L P company, (Safariland I think), and I sold my W-Mart stock years ago. And, I am serious about the grips,(if ya want em) as I have been gifted stuff a time or two by forum members......"Salt of the earth they are".......(mostly)
