innocent question re revolver cleaning

[William Jesse Magnum]

How many times do i have to fieldstrip my revolver to clean the internal parts provided that i get the chance to visit the range twice in a month?

any insights would be great! thanks!

[NCHornet]

Are you talking about removing the cylinder? If so NEVER!! I have owned the same wheel guns for 20+ years and have never "fieldstripped" a revolver, not that such a term is even correct. The owners manual also doesn't recommend this. I see no reason for any stripping of the firearm. If you want to remove the grip and clean out any collected lint, that's fine, but there is no need to take the gun apart. I hope this helps.

[joshua]

What brand and model is the revolver? Also is it kept in a fairly clean environment? A quality revolver shouldn't need a continuous field stripping when shot twice a month as long as you are not using the dirtiest buring powder. josh

[William Jesse Magnum]

NCHornet - Thanks for the info. appreciate it. il keep that in mind.

Joshua - mine is a 627-5 and i keep it inside the metal case provided. Thanks for the input.

[William Jesse Magnum]

just thought that during application of CLP breakfree on the finishing touches of my cleaning procedure, then maybe some of the lubricant may eventually seep inside along with some minute powder/lead residue and just maybe affect the performance of my smith in the long run.

thanks for all the input.

[VUPDblue]

I have a model 36 that is 30+ years old that I inherited from a detective friend. It never felt quite right when I shot it so I took the side plate off and discovered it was absolutely filthy and caked with crud on the inside. I cleaned it out and it ran smooth. Cop guns are notoriously dirty and this one was no exception, but I would tell you that with regular maintenance yours shouldn't need to be taken apart. Now, if you carry it every day in a variety of holsters and leave it out to collect lint and dust then slip it in your pocket, you will probably need to take the side plate off in 15 years and clean it out... YMMV

[BikerRN]

Unless you are a Gunsmith you shouldn't be removing the Sideplate or Cylinder.

I say this for the general masses and not those that really know what they are doing. In reality you may have to have the internals "cleaned" in 10-20 years.

Biker

[BillCA]

Generally speaking you don't need to "field strip" revolvers to clean them.

If you are concerned about oils gumming up on the inside (something that usually takes 3-7 years to do) it's just as easy to lay the gun on it's right side in 3" of Hoppe's solvent and let it sit for 30 minutes. After that, use a light oil spray (Rem oil, WD-40) sprayed into the action to flush loosened crud. Set the gun muzzle up to drain/dry. Lightly re-lube after completing your cleaning.

At a training range, we used to lower guns (sans grips) into a tank of Hoppe's by hooks through the topstrap and let them sit overnight. A quick scrubbing the next morning and compressed air to blow out the solvent preceded a light lubrication (3-in-1 oil actually).

[Mike Irwin]

You should NEVER EVER consider doing anything at all to your revolver!

NOTHING!

Don't even shoot it until you have an advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering!

Opening the cylinder can cause MASSIVE parts failures!

Pulling on the trigger.... OH GOD DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT EVER DOING THAT!!!!

Revolvers are so delicate that simply breathing on them will cause them to degrade into a pile of rust in about 0.0000000000000000000000000000002 seconds!

Just put it away, and never touch it again.


OK, now that we have all of the pants-wetting bull**** out of the way that normally surrounds these threads on cleaning and maintaing a revolver...

You don't say what type of revolver you have. That's the important first step.

The important SECOND step is to remember that revolvers are mechanical devices, and if you don't pay attention to what you're doing and if you don't use the right tools you CAN damage your gun.

Does that mean that you WILL damage your gun?

No.

That's what books like NRA's exploded views manuals are for -- to tell you how to PROPERLY disassemble your firearms for cleaning and maintenance.

I learned to work on my Smith & Wesson revolvers by doing just that -- consulting a book, making sure I had the right tools (mainly properly fitting screw drivers) and TAKING MY TIME.

In nearly 20 years of working not only on my S&W revolvers but dozens of S&W revolvers owned by friends I've yet to damage one by disassembling it for cleaning and repair -- that includes taking off the cylinder AND removing the sideplate.

The beautiful thing about S&W and most other revolvers is that the internals are far better "sealed" against contamination than are the internals of semi-automatics, so you won't need to remove the sideplate nearly as often.

That's also one of the main reasons why I also suggest lubricating revolver actions with grease instead of oil. Grease stays where it's put. Oil flows away.

[NCHornet]

As I said before Do what the S&W manual says, and not what anybody in a gun says!!!!

[Jim Keenan]

I've said it before, but more revolvers have been ruined by owners attempting to clean them than ever were harmed by shooting.

I have a watch on my wrist that I have had for something like 30 years, and I have never taken it apart for the fun of it, which is probably why it still works and keeps time.

I have a car with 160k on the clock and I have never torn down the engine or transmission just to see what it looks like inside.

Many military guns are made for some degree of field stripping for cleaning. Most civilian guns are NOT. Shoot them and clean them per the maker's directions, without taking them all apart.

Jim

[stiffnecked]

Geez, for 30 years I been taking the side plate off, pulling the cylinder out and putting it all back together. Everytime I pull the trigger they go boom and bullets fly out the end.

Thanks for setting us straight I'll stop doing this stuff immediately.

[Mike Irwin]

"I've said it before, but more revolvers have been ruined by owners attempting to clean them than ever were harmed by shooting."

Proof, please?

Speculation does NOT equal proof.

I've seen MANY revolvers that have been badly damaged by people who think that they are gunsmiths and who attempt to do work that is far beyond them.

Interestingly enough, I've also seen MANY semi-automatics that have been badly damaged by the exact same type of person.

But, oddly enough, it's rare to ever see anyone offer up the same kind of bladder and sphincter releasing premonitions of MORTAL DOOM that often accompany even the vaguest hint that someone wants to attempt to clean his own revolver.

Removing the cylinder?

If you can unscrew a screw from a door hinge, you can safely remove and replace the cylinder on quite a few different types of revolvers that are now available.

A revolver is NOT a watch.

A revolver is NOT a car.

Both a watch and car are far more complex than any revolver except perhaps a Colt Lightning/Thunderer.

I'm not saying it's so easy a caveman can do it.

But if someone can adequately master the intracacies of shooting a handgun safely, then it's far more likely than not that that individual can handle the task of field stripping and cleaning his revolver.

"Many military guns are made for some degree of field stripping for cleaning. Most civilian guns are NOT."

You mean revolvers like, say, the Smith & Wesson MILITARY and Police revolver?

I never thought I'd see such an odd, and completely BS, statement out of you, Jim. There's not a goddamned gun on the planet that's a sealed system.

ALL firearms are designed so that they can be disassembled to some degree or another for routine cleaning and maintenance.

But, on the other hand, I guess the National Rifle Association has a nearly 60-year history of talking out the other sides of their buttocks with the many exploded views that have been published over the years.

Then again, maybe NRA has a little more faith in the average gunowner.

[Mike Irwin]

Your image link doesn't work.

Better call a caveman to give you a hand.

[VUPDblue]

I think Mike hit it on the head in post #15. If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. If you do feel comfortable, jump right in, it can be a very rewarding and educational experience. Even if you do monkey it all up, take it to a 'smith. They aren't still in business by sheer dumb luck...

[William Jesse Magnum]

alright then..caveman or no caveman.. some say do, some say dont.

i appreciate all your insights & your honest intentions to help me off my crave for knowledge in this inquiry.

lastly, i happen to have a S&W model51 .22magnum revolver which was handed to me by my dad 5 years ago. it came from the 70's era and when my interest in revolvers took part last '03, (forgive me) but since i was an ultimate newbie, i tried to open up the entire thing to see the mechanism, tinkering with parts here&there (thank god my curiosity didnt kill me). It happend 3-5 times if my memory serves correctly. Still shoots well with no malfunctions. But silly me, it wont happen again.

VUPDblue - your story is very interesting. thanks for the post.

Mike Irwin (You don't say what type of revolver you have. That's the important first step.)

i think i did say mine is a S&W627-5 PC. thanks for the input.

[HammerBite]

Every time I buy a new revolver, whether new or used, the first thing I do with it is pop the sideplate off and inspect the interior. If I find crud I disassemble the lockwork and clean it. After I've decided that things are reasonably clean I dab some lube where appropriate and close it back up, probably never to be opened again. That way I know what I started with.

I have found a couple of used guns to be incredibly dirty inside, and one new gun to have burrs on the frame which needed to be stoned down. Most of my revolvers have been in very good shape, requiring no dissasembly. So far I haven't discovered a Bubba-job done by a previous owner. In that case I would probably seek professional help.

Once I'm satisfied that the insides are in good shape I'm happy to apply the manufacturers "drip some oil alongside the hammer and trigger" technique once in a great while, using a non-gumming oil.

[Mike Irwin]

William,

You did say you had a 627. I missed that in your second post. My bad.

[RsqVet]

My god, the willingness to try something, the inventivness and intellagence to figure things out, the ability to adapt and overcome, the good sense to knnwo when you are in over your head....

All of these things are what made this country great and lack of them is likely what will spell our doom.

So I say give it a try IF you are up for it, if you don't want to it's sure not the end of the world, and BTW heck I know a self taught clockmaker or two as well as a few guys who work on watches.. no they do not take apart spring detent chronometers or patek phillip chrnographs but they do a good job and don't mess things up and there are even stores of self taught people who worked on the most exotic and priceless of timekeepers.

So in my opinion, and for the good of the country, give it a shot if you are game.

[Mike Irwin]

"there are even stores of self taught people who worked on the most exotic and priceless of timekeepers."

Rupert Gould rescued several of the most important timepieces in history -- the Harrison Naval Chronometers.

Totally self taught, and he returned them to functional condition after they had been allowed to deteoriate badly over the previous 100 years.

[TexasCop]

I have been working around guns for 30+ years, at an indoor range, and in a gunshop that my best friend's dad owned.

I take a revolver all the way apart only when I buy a used one to give it a thorough cleaning and inspect all the parts. After that, I only do normal cleaning unless the gun starts to bind up from messy reloads.

If you are shooting factory ammo, you shoulnd't ever have to worry about detail stripping your revolver. Just follow the cleaning advice already posted.

[RsqVet]

Mike --- that is exactly who I had in mind, his book is sitting on the shelf oposite my computer. Also have run across a few others as well, but many were somewhat well trained already in another field such as surgery or engineering and of course did not have somehting like Harrison's masterpieces to work on. Of course one was a close personal friend who did fix among other things the rather famous orrary at Princeton.

[44 AMP]

Neither one is for the totally ignorant. Field stripping revolvers usually stops at removing the grips and cylinder. Detail stripping the action of revolvers is seldom needed, and does nothing good when it is not needed.

Whether revolver or auto, the thing most likely to wear/damage the gun is taking it apart and putting it back together when you don't need to. Especially if not done properly. Depending on the specific conditions of use and storage, you may only need to detail strip once a year, or once a decade, or even never.

Many guns intended for military use are designed with repeated takedown in mind. Some are not. If done correctly, no harm is done, but if it ain't broke, why fix it?

[Narcoleptic Warrior]

I own a S&W Model 67 revolver. How do I remove the slide plate?

[BikerRN]

Quite a few Revolvers that I've seen have had the Sideplate "improperly" removed. This is easy to tell by running your finger along the Sideplate. If done properly there will be no little "ridge or lip".

Remove screws
Tap/Beat on stocks to loosen Sideplate (Beat if Rubber stocks) with screw driver handle
Sometimes it's easier to remove stocks first and tap the butt of the Revolver
No twisting, prying
Before "beating/tapping" turn the Revolver over so that the Sideplate falls in to your hand when tapping on the stocks

Biker