Removing the cylinder/crane every time you clean a revolver

[JLM]

I remove the cylinder every time. No problems that I've encountered.

 

[Old cop]

Clint Eastwood once said; "A man's got to know his limitations." I'm past 70, know my limitations and leave the cylinder where the factory put it.

 

[nachogrande]

EVERYTIME NO

I generally clean after every use,(if only a boresnake with a few drops of solvent) but every use is at least 100 rounds of cast. Removing the cylinder is so easy and makes brushing the cylinder face easier as well SO it's not a biggie for me to do it. TEHO. I look at gun cleaning like doing dishes, EVENTUALLY you will have to do it & the longer you wait, the harder it is. Cleaned at the range while still warm is a snap & leaves any mess/smell there.

 

[WheelGunMagic]

I've found cleaning a 22 revolver to be a whole different ball game than cleaning a larger bore revolver. 22 ammo is much dirtier than other calibers, the tolerances on the 22's chambers are much tighter than larger calibers & 22s are fun & cheap to shoot, so they tend to be shot more. All these factors combine to make the 617 a headache to clean.

Since I use my 617 as a training tool for my 686+s, I shoot & clean it every week. If its not cleaned after every range session, the chambers quickly get so fouled that I can not insert a live round & the spent casings are difficult to eject. I've tried all the cleaning tips found on this forum & elsewhere, short of reaming the chambers. I don't remove the cylinder to clean weekly, but do remove it every six months or so. The only thing I found that makes cleaning slightly less of a hassle is shooting cleaner, more expensive ammo such as CCI.

 

[Dennis]

Snowman hit it on the head. Just support the cylinder with your fingers if you feel the assembly can't take a bit of gentle back and forth.
For the face of te cylinder, soak with solvent with a q-tip. Let it sit awhile. Brush with a GI brush. Wipe clean. Supported with off hand, of course.
Ah well...
Everybody has their preferred method.
Enjoy the process!!

 

[dr. mordo]

I don't remove the cylinder for every cleaning, but I have no compunctions about pulling the cylinder, popping the sideplate, and pulling every part out if I see the need.

These guns are simply not that complicated, and all my revolvers, both brand new and 60+ years old, have benefited from a thorough cleaning and very light lubing.

 

[StakeOut]

I think if you have just bought a new in the box firearm or a previously owned one a smart thing to do would be to thoroughly inspect and clean it.This entails grip removal and side plate removal.

In the case of previously owned guns you may be in for a big shock as to what you find has been done to a gun on the inside that looks great on the outside.Maybe you won't be able to to take it apart if the old owner used red loctite or JB Weld on the screws.If you're lucky you will only find after market reduced power mainspring and a clipped rebound spring but you may also encounter a sear that's had too much removed.

 

[eb07]

I remove the stocks that's about it. The only time I would remove the cylinder and crane is if I cleaned and lubed and it was still gritty or resistant when I turned it.

I only shoot reloads and use dirty unique that gets in everything and still have not had a problem where I needed to remove the cylinder and crane.

Canned air and a soft bristled toothbrush are your friends.

 

[Drm50]

I never remove a side plate if I don't have to. Last time I had to
do that was when I slipped and fell in creek while packing a 34.
Got it home and took out cylinder and was spraying it full of
C36,till it ran out. Couldn't let it rest, took off side plate and
removed every part, cleaned & oiled and reassembled. I don't
know if it was necessary but I slept better.

 

[chief38]

I always remove the Cylinder when I clean it. It's a 20 second job and makes cleaning a lot easier and doesn't put undo stress on the Yoke. It's also a little easier to clean the inside of the Frame. I see absolutely no downside to removing it with a proper Hollow Ground Screwdriver and at the same time the Yoke can be properly cleaned and lubricated which can not be done when left on the gun.

 

[OLDSTER]

Disassembly

When I first acquire a S&W revolver ( nearly all used), I do a detailed disassembly, inspection, cleaning, any necessary repair, possible trgger tuning, and lube. After that initial cleaning, I never disassemble it again ( unless for repair ), and that includes removing the cylinder. I've never had any issue in over 50 years and many thousand of rounds shot. IMO, non-essential disassembly of a fine lock work is like having a mechanic disassemble your car engine every time you change the oil; just results in premature wear and tear .

 

[primersp]

I always remove the Cylinder when I clean it. It's a 20 second job and makes cleaning a lot easier and doesn't put undo stress on the Yoke. It's also a little easier to clean the inside of the Frame. I see absolutely no downside to removing it with a proper Hollow Ground Screwdriver and at the same time the Yoke can be properly cleaned and lubricated which can not be done when left on the gun.

All it's Say,same to me

 

[Kifaru]

It depends on the usage. If kept in the safe all the time and only taken out on a perfect sunny day to run half a box of premium ammo through it, then I don't see a reason to remove the cylinder/yoke assembly more often than once a decade. But if you carry it every day in humid or dusty environments, especially in an ankle holster or IWB (Some appendix rigs can get a little, uh, "swampy" on a hot, muggy day), then I would pull the cylinder on more frequent schedule. Here's a link to a very good blog post on the topic: Guns vs. The Environment | Active Response Training

As an aside, check all of your screws for tightness before the gun heads to the range or the holster. I usually check over and clean all new guns, but the one time I was too impatient and just took a brand-new 625 fresh out of the box to shoot it, the darned cylinder/yoke fell on the ground when I went to reload because the crane screw had backed out. Of course, I was standing on a big, flat piece of coarse sandstone when it happened

 

[Andy Lowry]

I remove it, but not every time-- maybe every fifth shooting session or so. On my stainless revolvers, I polish the front of the cylinder every so often, and taking it out makes it easier. Also, taking the cylinder off the yoke allows for a clean/lube of the axis tube, which seems to always need it.

 

[The Norseman]

Removing Cylinder/Crane

Only when needed.

Just very carefully clean when Cylinder and Crane
are attached.

 

[damascusdave]

I recently found an old article by Skeeter Skelton about the K22. Early in the article he talked about a friend who never cleaned his. After many years it developed a bulge in the barrel and he simply gave it away and bought another one.
Just a little something to think about.

 

[glenwolde]

I've been shooting S&W revolvers for 40 years and always remove the cylinder. As long as you have a proper fitting screwdriver it does no harm.

I also like to chuck it up in a padded vise, both the cylinder out of the frame and the barrel of the cylinderless frame. This keeps my hands cleaner and helps prevent solvent from draining where I don't want it to go, like down into the lockwork.

To clean the chambers on .38/.357s I use a long .375 cailber brass rifle brush. The vise makes it a whole lot easier.

 

[Revolver Man]

I just bought a new 617 and it is now my favorite one to shoot. I treat it just like my other S&W revolvers. I remove the cylinder and separate it from the cylinder crane/yoke. I place the cylinder muzzle end up. Then with a small stainless steel brush and some solvent, I scrub the muzzle end clean. It removes all the carbon build up and staining. Been cleaning my stainless revolvers this way for years. Never had any problems with any of it. I use q-tips to get down into the inside of the crane/yoke and scrub the breech side with the same stainless steel brush, and a bore snake through the chambers a few times. Put a drop of gun oil on it before reassembling. I plan to keep cleaning my 617 this way each time.

Just be careful and set your screw, yoke and cylinder onto something that will hold them, or keep them from rolling and falling, like a clean shop rag. And take your time.

Good luck

 

[glenwolde]

I just bought a new 617 and it is now my favorite one to shoot. I treat it just like my other S&W revolvers. I remove the cylinder and separate it from the cylinder crane/yoke. I place the cylinder muzzle end up. Then with a small stainless steel brush and some solvent, I scrub the muzzle end clean. It removes all the carbon build up and staining. Been cleaning my stainless revolvers this way for years. Never had any problems with any of it. I use q-tips to get down into the inside of the crane/yoke and scrub the breech side with the same stainless steel brush, and a bore snake through the chambers a few times. Put a drop of gun oil on it before reassembling. I plan to keep cleaning my 617 this way each time.

Just be careful and set your screw, yoke and cylinder onto something that will hold them, or keep them from rolling and falling, like a clean shop rag. And take your time.

Good luck

I use one of those small stainless magnetic parts bowls to hold those parts.

I don't know why, but I've always put a drop of that black silicone gun grease on the yoke to lube the cylinder. Not saying that's necessary just "the way I've always done it".

I generally clean out the yoke tube with a .22 rod and patch as I usually clean the .22's first and have the stuff out.

But it matters not, as long as it's clean.

 

[riverrambler]

I've been removing my cylinder to clean every time I shoot my 586. Been doing it since '84. Just easier for me. Screws only strip if you over tighten them. As stated, use the correct size hollow ground driver. None of the screws have to be really tight. If you damage the screw then you've damaged the threads in the hole also. I screw it down till it stops and then a tad more. You mentioned that the replacement screw is only a couple bucks, but it'll cost 8 bucks to ship it to you.