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cleaning cylinder face
Re: cleaning cylinder face
I use a cloth called Lead Away. I think there are others. But, I have been using KleenBore
(https://www.walmart.com/ip/KLEEN-BORE-L ... H/37933503) since the early 90s.
(https://www.walmart.com/ip/KLEEN-BORE-L ... H/37933503) since the early 90s.
Actions speak louder than words (Matthew 7:16-20).
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John E Davies
- Cattle Driver
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:48 pm
- Location: Spokane WA

Re: cleaning cylinder face
Yes on lead removal cloth - I have used this forever.
https://www.amazon.com/Birchwood-Casey ... B07VCGWP93
I have never tried it on blued steel, I am pretty sure it would take off the finish, but it is stellar on stainless. This is why I won’t buy a revolver in any material but stainless. Fold it and use the corner or edge until that spot is really black, then refold it and shift the cloth and continue. Use a small flat screwdriver to wedge it into corners like machined cuts in the frame. You don’t have to cut it into squares unless you want to use a piece as a bore patch to clean the forcing cone.
I just cleaned my SP 101 .327 Fed last week and the gun looks great. The cloth OTH looks really disgusting…. You should probably wear a rubber glove on that hand.
John Davies
Spokane WA
https://www.amazon.com/Birchwood-Casey ... B07VCGWP93
I have never tried it on blued steel, I am pretty sure it would take off the finish, but it is stellar on stainless. This is why I won’t buy a revolver in any material but stainless. Fold it and use the corner or edge until that spot is really black, then refold it and shift the cloth and continue. Use a small flat screwdriver to wedge it into corners like machined cuts in the frame. You don’t have to cut it into squares unless you want to use a piece as a bore patch to clean the forcing cone.
I just cleaned my SP 101 .327 Fed last week and the gun looks great. The cloth OTH looks really disgusting…. You should probably wear a rubber glove on that hand.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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John E Davies
- Cattle Driver
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:48 pm
- Location: Spokane WA

Re: cleaning cylinder face
I use a stainless steel tooth brush on the face of my stainless revolver cylinders. I use a solvent like Shooters Choice and after letting the solvent do a good soak I gently run the brush across the cylinder. I can do two chambers at a time and I’m careful to not get too aggressive. I may have to go around the entire cylinder 3-4 times to remove all the powder blast. Works great. Stainless revolvers only of course.
Re: cleaning cylinder face
I also use lead cloth. Another thing I do is soak the cylinder in Hoppes #9 in a pint jar. Cover the cylinder with hoppes. I also save that jar as I use it over and over. It makes cleaning the cylinders easy and the black on the front will come of the next time with a toothbrush or one like it.
Don't let the old man in
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BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
H001T .22LR
H001T .22LR MONUMENT VALLEY
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BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
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John E Davies
- Cattle Driver
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2016 10:48 pm
- Location: Spokane WA

Re: cleaning cylinder face
That is cool, and fine for a single action, where you just pull the pin, but problematic on a DA, and I would not want to “dangle” a DA cylinder in the jar with the frame assembly perched in top of the jar, that could be nasty mess if tipped went over. Could you just wrap blue paper shop towels around the cylinder and soak them “in situ”? I guess you could strip the DA gun, but many owners don’t want to go that far for a cleaning. Like me. If I were going for a super deep clean I would use my sonic cleaner.BigAl52 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 02, 2021 10:06 amAnother thing I do is soak the cylinder in Hoppes #9 in a pint jar. Cover the cylinder with hoppes. I also save that jar as I use it over and over. It makes cleaning the cylinders easy and the black on the front will come of the next time with a toothbrush or one like it.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Re: cleaning cylinder face
JohnJohn E Davies wrote: ↑Fri Jul 02, 2021 11:00 amThat is cool, and fine for a single action, where you just pull the pin, but problematic on a DA, and I would not want to “dangle” a DA cylinder in the jar with the frame assembly perched in top of the jar, that could be nasty mess if tipped went over. Could you just wrap blue paper shop towels around the cylinder and soak them “in situ”? I guess you could strip the DA gun, but many owners don’t want to go that far for a cleaning. Like me. If I were going for a super deep clean I would use my sonic cleaner.BigAl52 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 02, 2021 10:06 amAnother thing I do is soak the cylinder in Hoppes #9 in a pint jar. Cover the cylinder with hoppes. I also save that jar as I use it over and over. It makes cleaning the cylinders easy and the black on the front will come of the next time with a toothbrush or one like it.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Most of my DA were S&W. The cylinder is easy to remove and take the crane out of the cylinder. Ruger is a different story. I bypassed it with a Ruger and just used the lead cloth more on those.
Don't let the old man in
H001T .22LR
H001T .22LR MONUMENT VALLEY
H003T PUMP .22LR
BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
H001T .22LR
H001T .22LR MONUMENT VALLEY
H003T PUMP .22LR
BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
- Shakey Jake
- Drover
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Re: cleaning cylinder face
I use a product designed to clean brass after buffing to remove residual buffing compound. It's called DEOX-007. Label claims it's a degreaser, deoxidizer, and brightener. Seems to do a bang up job of cleaning cylinders without having to resort to steel wool, scotch brite, or other abrasive materials. Removes powder as well. I rinse with plenty of water and then use a generous amount of CLP. I use it on double actions by dipping a toothbrush in the diluted mixture and scrub. Doesn't take much. I dampen a hand towel and wipe generously before applying protective oil. I just decided to try it one day to see how it would work on gun parts. I figured if it would work on instrument keys and sax bodies it might just be okay for pistols.
https://timesavers.com/i-9994118-polych ... allon.html
Jake
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Jake
- BrokenolMarine
- Ranch Foreman
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- Location: South Central Oklahoma in the mountains

Re: cleaning cylinder face
Don't forget to clean both under and behind the extractor star. Lead / powder buildup there can cause the rounds to drag against the frame during cylinder rotation, or in extreme cases prevent the cylinder from closing properly and locking up.
Most shooters would take a while to see this, but high volume competition shooters would brush behind that extractor during down time. On big match days I might shoot 300 rounds from each of my competition revolvers. Don't want to loose a match because the cylinder won't lock due to fouling.
Most shooters would take a while to see this, but high volume competition shooters would brush behind that extractor during down time. On big match days I might shoot 300 rounds from each of my competition revolvers. Don't want to loose a match because the cylinder won't lock due to fouling.
You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
I don't look back at the things I can't do anymore with regret, I just look forward to the things I still can.
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
I don't look back at the things I can't do anymore with regret, I just look forward to the things I still can.
Re: cleaning cylinder face
Why clean it? It’ll just come back next time you shoot the gun. It hurts nothing. The same thing is on your blued guns. You just can’t see it. If the gun isn’t a show piece, just leave it alone.