Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Carbon in revolver cylinder

I recently bought a used Smith & Wesson revolver and in the process of going over it I'm trying to remove a build up of carbon in the cylinder. (yes I have a bore scope) Boy, I'm at wits end on this one. Tried carbon remover and let it soak, Lewis lead remover, by twisting it in the effected area, all the known brands CR10, Shooters Choice, Butch's Bore Shine, Montana, etc, etc. Don't want to just start scraping around in there and take a chance on messing up the bore. You guys have any suggestions? Thanks. BCM

I use a light wrap of 4 ought steel wool around an old 38cal brush, hose it with g96 or wd-40. Spin it in and out with a rechargeable drill. The lube will keep it from removing any metal but chamber fouling will come out. Mb

They make a stainless steel brush that is sized for revolver cylinders...

chamber cleaning brush

I almost ruined a 357 decades ago by shooting a wad of 38 Special in it. Back then, I wasn't especially worried about "deep cleaning", just cursory. It had started to 'fire check/etch" the cylinder wall just in front of the 38 special case mouth. I used the steel wool and WD40 drill motor method too.

I have used the Brownell's chamber cleaning brushes for extreme build like when .38 Specials are fired in a .357 chamber. I've also used Frontier Big 45 metal cleaning pad, several strands wrapped around a bronze brush.

Mother's (or equivalent) on a RamRodz or mop.

3M Ultra Fine (black) pad. Cut ~half inch strip. Works well on cylinder face if desired.

Or, 0000 steel wool with oil (less preferred).

A scotch brite pad around an old cleaning brush chucked up in a cordless drill, soaked in cleaning solution will clean it right up. Polish up chambers nicely too.

Thanks fellows. You have given me some ideas and hope. BCM

You probably know this already, but it might be a good idea to make any '"38 Special equivalent" loads in .357 cases, just add about a .5 to 1.0 of the same powder to get nearly the same results. It might even shoot better, since it won't have to jump as far to hit the rifling in the barrel.

I wish every person who had a S&W revolver before i bought it would have done this! It's not just carbon always, sometimes it's erosion. I checked with S&W on an early model 29 which I owned, they did not have any older style cylinders for sale, so I sold it. I wanted a recessed cylinder that was good for 44 Magnum loads. It was destined to be a 44 Special shooter from then on unless someone wanted to install a later model cylinder.

I use Brownell "Double Tuff" bronze brushes for bores and cylinders. More expensive than regular brushes but they work better at removing lead, carbon fouling, etc.

Some of the other ideas have some merit, these stainless steel brush's are a good way to fhuqk up a perfectly good gun. I use bore tech carbon remover and a nylon brush

Well I'm here to tell you all that the chambers in the cylinder are now lead free. Soaked the chambers with penetrating oil, then wrapped a thin strip of scotch brite around a worn brass brush and carefully spun it slowly with a cordless drill. Did it for about five seconds then cleaned the chamber and checked it with the bore scope Bingo !! lead - be - gone. But I do have a problem now. I dropped one of the Oregon Trail 200 gr. RNFP cast bullets in the chambers and eight out of ten drop right on through. The other two you barely tap them and they fall through. The bullets measured .432", so now what do I do? Tell Oregon Trail the next time I order bullets to send me some sized .434"? I'm guessing when I say I could bump up the velocity and then maybe they would obturate and grab the bore, but then if I bump up the velocity I'm defeating the purpose of reduced loads for comfortable shooting. What do you guys say on this? BCM

Bullschidt...

I've got over 5000 rounds through my custom PPC gun (S&W model 10), cleaned after every 60 round match with a stainless chamber brush and the cylinder doesn't have any excessive wear or damage. I used a 6" S&W 586 in service gun matches which has roughly 2500 rounds of .38 Special shot through it, God only know how many rounds of .357 Mag have been ran through it and cleaned using the same process. Again the chambers are GTG. A friend of mine who got me started in pistol competition back in the early '80s and is a certified S&W armourer (along with Glock also) recommends the stainless brushes.

Get some .433 or gas checked rounds.

Bore brushes for 375 rifles on a drill work well.

Have you tried automotive carb & choke cleaner? If you try it make sure you do so in a well ventilated area and keep it away from the stocks and/or any plastic parts. It will leave the gun completely dry and oil-free, so make sure you oil soon after.

If I have stubborn metalic fouling. Especially lead. I use Kroil penetrating oil to assist in removal. It needs to sit on the effected area for a bit. An hour or more. Avoidance of migration into the mechanisms is paramount.

Its very powerful stuff. It actually seeps out of the bottom of the metal can. I used it today to unsieze two completely rusted clamps inside an evaporative cooler.

Im not affiliated with it in any way. I just like stuff that works.

+10 yes it does.

Does anyone use the Lewis Lead Remover anymore?

https://www.brownells.com/gun-clean...clid=16323179508327486935410070302008005