Frontpage
08-26-2008, 08:22 AM
Introduction
A clean gun is a happy gun, and revolvers deserve happiness as much as semi-automatic pistols. However, where semi-autos can be broken down into their constitutent components and given a hearty scrubbing, revolvers present a problem that prevents this approach: They're all one piece. Anyone who has ever spent a fun evening looking under furniture for a recoil spring (or, God forbid, a firing pin) can appreciate revolvers' unitary natures, but it makes cleaning one a significantly different process than one uses for a semi-auto.
I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to revolvers, but after several hundred wheelgun cleaning sessions, I've learned a couple tricks, techniques, and observations that might prove useful.
To start off, the process of cleaning a revolver is divided into two broad steps: cleaning all the sub-assemblies, and relubricating. The sub-assemblies in question are the bore, chambers, cylinder, and frame; these can be cleaned in any order or all at once. The interconnected nature of revolvers requires that all cleaning is complete before relubricating, though--otherwise the oil can get contaminated with solvent.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_setup.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/setup.jpg)
Helpful Tip: Don't get the beer and solvent mixed up.
All you need for cleaning a revolver is a plentiful supply of patches, a brush for scrubbing, some lubricating oil, a bore brush (and possibly a chamber brush; see below), a cleaning rod, and either a jag (not shown) or a patch puller. The boresnake and beer are both optional, although if you include a beer in your gun cleaning, please refrain from completing the Trifecta of Tragedy by adding ammo.
Bore
Cleaning fouling out of the barrel is a ubiquitous chore for all firearms. Revolvers only add a few twists worth mentioning. The largest factor, being forced to clean from the muzzle, isn't even unique to revolvers. There are two options for dealing with this requirement: being careful or using a boresnake.
Being careful is fairly self-explanatory, because nobody wants to damage his revolver's accuracy by way of a beat-up crown. Using a brass rod will aid in maintaining a non-mangled muzzle, but caution and attention are the main requirements. This is the method I use for revolvers larger than a .22.
Another option that's especially useful for small-bore revolvers such as the K22 being cleaned in this article is a boresnake. This cleaning implement embeds a brush in a springy woven cord that cleans and wipes as it's pulled from the forcing cone forward.
In either case, start by wetting a patch with solvent and drawing it through the barrel.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_solvent_patch2.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/solvent_patch2.jpg)
Much tidier than just spraying it down the bore.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_patch_muzzle.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/patch_muzzle.jpg)
A good indication the barrel needs cleaning.
Let the solvent work for a few minutes, then follow with either a brush or boresnake. If a brush is used, clean the loosened fouling out with a dry patch on a jag or patch puller; a boresnake will have already taken care of this.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_boresnake.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/boresnake.jpg)
Pulling through.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_jag.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_jag.jpg)
Dry patch on a jag: The pokier alternative to the boresnake.
The bore-cleaning process should be repeated until the dry patch reveals only trace amounts of dirt.
Chambers
When it comes to cleaning, revolvers have one major drawback compared to semi-autos: their chambers. It's not just the number of chambers or the fact that they're not attached to the barrel and therefore don't get cleaned as part of bore cleaning; The big headache comes from revolver chambers' tendency to accumulate carbon rings directly ahead of the case mouth. It's inevitable with .22s because the heeled .22LR bullet uses a cylinderical chamber that's much longer than the case. Carbon rings are most infamous in .357 and .44 Magnum revolvers when shooting .38 or .44 Special rounds, respectively. Even when shooting the cartridge for which a revolver is designed, carbon can accumulate at the front of the chamber.
No matter what the source of the carbon rings, solvent will help get them out. Here, solvent is applied using a patch; spraying it into the chambers on samller-bore revolvers can get messy.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_solvent_patch_cylinder.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/solvent_patch_cylinder.jpg)
Solvent being applied to a chamber.
The solvent will loosen the carbon, but, like the barrel, a brush is required to remove it. With the exception of .22LR, chambers are wider than the barrel, so the caliber-appropriate bore brush will be of limited efficacy in removing the carbon rings. A much more useful technique is to use the next-largest size bore brush (i.e. a .40 brush for a .357 revolver or a .50 brush for a .44) to clean the chambers. Slowly screwing the oversized brush into the chamber will scrape out the carbon rings.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_scrubbing_chamber.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/scrubbing_chamber.jpg)
Removing carbon rings with an oversized brush.
Follow the brush with a dry patch to clean out the gunk.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_cylinder.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_cylinder.jpg)
A jag is best for this operation due to its ability to dislodge fouling.
Repeat the entire process as necessary. It's worth noting that the difference between "good enough" and "perfect" is enough work that even a gun-cleaning perfectionist (hi!) will call it a day once the rings have been reduced enough to prevent cartridges from sticking. It just seems like a lot of wasted effort to put an extra fifteen minutes of work into something that will be undone the instant a round is fired.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_clean_chambers.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/clean_chambers.jpg)
Good enough.
Cylinder and Forcing Cone
Speaking of areas where compromising one's rigorous cleaning standards yields a significantly shorter cleaning session, a revolver's cylinder face is another area that requires some cleaning. The gap between cylinder and forcing cone forces burning gases, carbon, and sometimes vaporized lead over the cylinder and forcing cone face, leaving baked-on detritus in its wake. If left without cleaning long enough, gunk will cause the cylinder to bind during rotation; the double-action pull will become heavy and/or inconsistent, and ultimately the cylinder will refuse to rotate.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_face_dirty.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_face_dirty.jpg)
Making a nasty face.
The exact value of "long enough" varies based on the width of the gap between cylinder and forcing cone. In the case of the K22 used for this article, the gap is so tight that the cylinder will start binding after as few as 75 rounds. (Dirty .22 ammo probably doesn't help any.) Fortunately, fixing the issue is simple enough: Just spray and scrub.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_solvent.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_solvent.jpg)
Applying a smidgen of solvent.
Don't neglect the forcing cone face; it gets just as much fouling as the cylinder and plays an equal role in any binding.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_scrubbing_forcing_cone.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/scrubbing_forcing_cone.jpg)
I would recommend not using anything harsher than a nylon brush on a blued cylinder, as even a bronze or brass brush will lighten the bluing over time. Bronze brushes work great for cleaning stainless cylinders, as do lead wipe cloths. Lead wipe cloths are definitely a no-no for blued firearms, though, as they have an irritating tendency to remove bluing.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_face_clean.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_face_clean.jpg)
Believe it or not, that's clean.
The final results are not that dramatic, because this is another area of revolver cleaning where one reaches the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly. Removing the last vestiges of carbon is aesthetically pleasing, but does little for functioning.
Frame
The only area of the frame requiring extensive cleaning is found around the forcing cone. Unsightly carbon deposits don't necessarily hurt anything, but cleaning after each shooting session prevents the need to chip them away with a brass pick later.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_forcing_cone_gunk.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/forcing_cone_gunk.jpg)
The detritus of laziness.
There's no rocket science to the technique: Wet with solvent and scrub.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_frame_solvent.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/frame_solvent.jpg)
Wetting...
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_frame_brush.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/frame_brush.jpg)
...and scrubbing.
Not shown is a quick swipe with the solvent-moistened towel at the corresponding area in the rear of the frame. Sometimes a bit of powder residue will pop up here if the cases fail to completely obturate.
Cleanup
Technically, this entire article has been about cleaning up the revolver. However, the process of doing so has probably left trace amounts of solvent distributed about your wheelgun. After all the carbon has been removed, give the gun a once-over with a dry patch or rag to ensure that nothing remains to interfere with the upcoming lubrication.
Areas that are easy to miss include the area under the ejecter star...
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cleaning_ejecter_star.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cleaning_ejecter_star.jpg)
...and the ejecter rod both front and rear. Also be sure to wipe up the crevices where the crane joins the frame. Double-check the chambers; they're open on both ends, so wily substances can sneak in from either direction.
Now that the revolver has been wiped down, it's ready to have stuff put back on it.
Lubrication
Unlike semi-autos, revolvers don't live or die by their lubrication, but they still need a bit of oil. Like their autoloading counterparts, though, revolvers require a very light coat of oil in the bore and chambers. This is easy enough to do by passing an oily patch through the bore and each chamber:
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_patch.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_patch.jpg)
Applying oil to the patch.
The oil on the patch doesn't need to be refreshed because most of it must be removed. Even a quick pass with the patch will leave more oil in the bore and chambers than is safe to shoot with. An oily bore can build up hydraulic pressure as oil stacks up in front of a fired bullet, resulting in anything from a pressure right in the barrel to an overpressure explosion. Oil in the chambers can have similar results and then some: There's also the danger of increasing the impact of the case against the rear of the frame (also known as bolt thrust) by preventing the brass case from sticking to the chamber walls as it expands. Too much bolt thrust will stretch the frame and knock the revolver out of time in short order.
So, in the interests of retaining the ability to count to ten on your fingers, pass a dry patch down the bore and an additional dry patch through each chamber. Standing oil will be removed, leaving a microscopic film sufficient to prevent rust.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_cylinder_slot.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_cylinder_slot.jpg)
A slotted patch puller works fine for removing excess oil.
The degree to which revolvers' mechanisms requires oiling is debated: Some people insist on oiling with every cleaning, while others try to keep the internals dry in the interests of not providing a medium to catch and hold fouling. I subscribe to the former camp; if you don't, you can safely skip the rest of this sections. You won't be missing much because it's pretty short: Just put a drop of oil on each of the crane joint, ejecter rod, and cylinder stop.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_crane.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_crane.jpg)
Crane joint.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_ejecter_star.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_ejecter_star.jpg)
Ejecter rod.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_cylinder_stop.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_cylinder_stop.jpg)
Cylinder stop.
Put a drop of oil into the cylinder hand window, then pull the hammer back (if applicable) and put one last drop into the mechanism.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_hand_window.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_hand_window.jpg)
Hand window.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_hammer.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_hammer.jpg)
Hammer base.
Cycle all oiled parts several times and then wipe off any excess oil.
Note: If the revolver being cleaned is to be carried for self defense, make sure no oil ends up around the firing pin. The danger of contaminating primers with oil and consequently causing failures to fire is somewhat overstated, but better safe than sorry.
Wipe Down
Finally, to prevent surface rust, wipe down the exterior of the revolver with either a silicone cloth or a lightly oiled rag (the patches used to oil the bore or cylinders work well).
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_wipedown.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/wipedown.jpg)
Wiped out.
Completion
The fruits of our labors:
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cleanup.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cleanup.jpg)
The mess has been moved from revolver to table.
That's right: After cleaning your revolver, the cleanup itself requires cleaning up afterwards. Perhaps another beer is in order.
A clean gun is a happy gun, and revolvers deserve happiness as much as semi-automatic pistols. However, where semi-autos can be broken down into their constitutent components and given a hearty scrubbing, revolvers present a problem that prevents this approach: They're all one piece. Anyone who has ever spent a fun evening looking under furniture for a recoil spring (or, God forbid, a firing pin) can appreciate revolvers' unitary natures, but it makes cleaning one a significantly different process than one uses for a semi-auto.
I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to revolvers, but after several hundred wheelgun cleaning sessions, I've learned a couple tricks, techniques, and observations that might prove useful.
To start off, the process of cleaning a revolver is divided into two broad steps: cleaning all the sub-assemblies, and relubricating. The sub-assemblies in question are the bore, chambers, cylinder, and frame; these can be cleaned in any order or all at once. The interconnected nature of revolvers requires that all cleaning is complete before relubricating, though--otherwise the oil can get contaminated with solvent.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_setup.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/setup.jpg)
Helpful Tip: Don't get the beer and solvent mixed up.
All you need for cleaning a revolver is a plentiful supply of patches, a brush for scrubbing, some lubricating oil, a bore brush (and possibly a chamber brush; see below), a cleaning rod, and either a jag (not shown) or a patch puller. The boresnake and beer are both optional, although if you include a beer in your gun cleaning, please refrain from completing the Trifecta of Tragedy by adding ammo.
Bore
Cleaning fouling out of the barrel is a ubiquitous chore for all firearms. Revolvers only add a few twists worth mentioning. The largest factor, being forced to clean from the muzzle, isn't even unique to revolvers. There are two options for dealing with this requirement: being careful or using a boresnake.
Being careful is fairly self-explanatory, because nobody wants to damage his revolver's accuracy by way of a beat-up crown. Using a brass rod will aid in maintaining a non-mangled muzzle, but caution and attention are the main requirements. This is the method I use for revolvers larger than a .22.
Another option that's especially useful for small-bore revolvers such as the K22 being cleaned in this article is a boresnake. This cleaning implement embeds a brush in a springy woven cord that cleans and wipes as it's pulled from the forcing cone forward.
In either case, start by wetting a patch with solvent and drawing it through the barrel.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_solvent_patch2.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/solvent_patch2.jpg)
Much tidier than just spraying it down the bore.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_patch_muzzle.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/patch_muzzle.jpg)
A good indication the barrel needs cleaning.
Let the solvent work for a few minutes, then follow with either a brush or boresnake. If a brush is used, clean the loosened fouling out with a dry patch on a jag or patch puller; a boresnake will have already taken care of this.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_boresnake.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/boresnake.jpg)
Pulling through.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_jag.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_jag.jpg)
Dry patch on a jag: The pokier alternative to the boresnake.
The bore-cleaning process should be repeated until the dry patch reveals only trace amounts of dirt.
Chambers
When it comes to cleaning, revolvers have one major drawback compared to semi-autos: their chambers. It's not just the number of chambers or the fact that they're not attached to the barrel and therefore don't get cleaned as part of bore cleaning; The big headache comes from revolver chambers' tendency to accumulate carbon rings directly ahead of the case mouth. It's inevitable with .22s because the heeled .22LR bullet uses a cylinderical chamber that's much longer than the case. Carbon rings are most infamous in .357 and .44 Magnum revolvers when shooting .38 or .44 Special rounds, respectively. Even when shooting the cartridge for which a revolver is designed, carbon can accumulate at the front of the chamber.
No matter what the source of the carbon rings, solvent will help get them out. Here, solvent is applied using a patch; spraying it into the chambers on samller-bore revolvers can get messy.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_solvent_patch_cylinder.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/solvent_patch_cylinder.jpg)
Solvent being applied to a chamber.
The solvent will loosen the carbon, but, like the barrel, a brush is required to remove it. With the exception of .22LR, chambers are wider than the barrel, so the caliber-appropriate bore brush will be of limited efficacy in removing the carbon rings. A much more useful technique is to use the next-largest size bore brush (i.e. a .40 brush for a .357 revolver or a .50 brush for a .44) to clean the chambers. Slowly screwing the oversized brush into the chamber will scrape out the carbon rings.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_scrubbing_chamber.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/scrubbing_chamber.jpg)
Removing carbon rings with an oversized brush.
Follow the brush with a dry patch to clean out the gunk.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_cylinder.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_cylinder.jpg)
A jag is best for this operation due to its ability to dislodge fouling.
Repeat the entire process as necessary. It's worth noting that the difference between "good enough" and "perfect" is enough work that even a gun-cleaning perfectionist (hi!) will call it a day once the rings have been reduced enough to prevent cartridges from sticking. It just seems like a lot of wasted effort to put an extra fifteen minutes of work into something that will be undone the instant a round is fired.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_clean_chambers.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/clean_chambers.jpg)
Good enough.
Cylinder and Forcing Cone
Speaking of areas where compromising one's rigorous cleaning standards yields a significantly shorter cleaning session, a revolver's cylinder face is another area that requires some cleaning. The gap between cylinder and forcing cone forces burning gases, carbon, and sometimes vaporized lead over the cylinder and forcing cone face, leaving baked-on detritus in its wake. If left without cleaning long enough, gunk will cause the cylinder to bind during rotation; the double-action pull will become heavy and/or inconsistent, and ultimately the cylinder will refuse to rotate.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_face_dirty.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_face_dirty.jpg)
Making a nasty face.
The exact value of "long enough" varies based on the width of the gap between cylinder and forcing cone. In the case of the K22 used for this article, the gap is so tight that the cylinder will start binding after as few as 75 rounds. (Dirty .22 ammo probably doesn't help any.) Fortunately, fixing the issue is simple enough: Just spray and scrub.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_solvent.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_solvent.jpg)
Applying a smidgen of solvent.
Don't neglect the forcing cone face; it gets just as much fouling as the cylinder and plays an equal role in any binding.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_scrubbing_forcing_cone.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/scrubbing_forcing_cone.jpg)
I would recommend not using anything harsher than a nylon brush on a blued cylinder, as even a bronze or brass brush will lighten the bluing over time. Bronze brushes work great for cleaning stainless cylinders, as do lead wipe cloths. Lead wipe cloths are definitely a no-no for blued firearms, though, as they have an irritating tendency to remove bluing.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cylinder_face_clean.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cylinder_face_clean.jpg)
Believe it or not, that's clean.
The final results are not that dramatic, because this is another area of revolver cleaning where one reaches the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly. Removing the last vestiges of carbon is aesthetically pleasing, but does little for functioning.
Frame
The only area of the frame requiring extensive cleaning is found around the forcing cone. Unsightly carbon deposits don't necessarily hurt anything, but cleaning after each shooting session prevents the need to chip them away with a brass pick later.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_forcing_cone_gunk.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/forcing_cone_gunk.jpg)
The detritus of laziness.
There's no rocket science to the technique: Wet with solvent and scrub.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_frame_solvent.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/frame_solvent.jpg)
Wetting...
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_frame_brush.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/frame_brush.jpg)
...and scrubbing.
Not shown is a quick swipe with the solvent-moistened towel at the corresponding area in the rear of the frame. Sometimes a bit of powder residue will pop up here if the cases fail to completely obturate.
Cleanup
Technically, this entire article has been about cleaning up the revolver. However, the process of doing so has probably left trace amounts of solvent distributed about your wheelgun. After all the carbon has been removed, give the gun a once-over with a dry patch or rag to ensure that nothing remains to interfere with the upcoming lubrication.
Areas that are easy to miss include the area under the ejecter star...
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cleaning_ejecter_star.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cleaning_ejecter_star.jpg)
...and the ejecter rod both front and rear. Also be sure to wipe up the crevices where the crane joins the frame. Double-check the chambers; they're open on both ends, so wily substances can sneak in from either direction.
Now that the revolver has been wiped down, it's ready to have stuff put back on it.
Lubrication
Unlike semi-autos, revolvers don't live or die by their lubrication, but they still need a bit of oil. Like their autoloading counterparts, though, revolvers require a very light coat of oil in the bore and chambers. This is easy enough to do by passing an oily patch through the bore and each chamber:
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_patch.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_patch.jpg)
Applying oil to the patch.
The oil on the patch doesn't need to be refreshed because most of it must be removed. Even a quick pass with the patch will leave more oil in the bore and chambers than is safe to shoot with. An oily bore can build up hydraulic pressure as oil stacks up in front of a fired bullet, resulting in anything from a pressure right in the barrel to an overpressure explosion. Oil in the chambers can have similar results and then some: There's also the danger of increasing the impact of the case against the rear of the frame (also known as bolt thrust) by preventing the brass case from sticking to the chamber walls as it expands. Too much bolt thrust will stretch the frame and knock the revolver out of time in short order.
So, in the interests of retaining the ability to count to ten on your fingers, pass a dry patch down the bore and an additional dry patch through each chamber. Standing oil will be removed, leaving a microscopic film sufficient to prevent rust.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_dry_patch_cylinder_slot.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/dry_patch_cylinder_slot.jpg)
A slotted patch puller works fine for removing excess oil.
The degree to which revolvers' mechanisms requires oiling is debated: Some people insist on oiling with every cleaning, while others try to keep the internals dry in the interests of not providing a medium to catch and hold fouling. I subscribe to the former camp; if you don't, you can safely skip the rest of this sections. You won't be missing much because it's pretty short: Just put a drop of oil on each of the crane joint, ejecter rod, and cylinder stop.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_crane.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_crane.jpg)
Crane joint.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_ejecter_star.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_ejecter_star.jpg)
Ejecter rod.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_cylinder_stop.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_cylinder_stop.jpg)
Cylinder stop.
Put a drop of oil into the cylinder hand window, then pull the hammer back (if applicable) and put one last drop into the mechanism.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_hand_window.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_hand_window.jpg)
Hand window.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_oiling_hammer.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/oiling_hammer.jpg)
Hammer base.
Cycle all oiled parts several times and then wipe off any excess oil.
Note: If the revolver being cleaned is to be carried for self defense, make sure no oil ends up around the firing pin. The danger of contaminating primers with oil and consequently causing failures to fire is somewhat overstated, but better safe than sorry.
Wipe Down
Finally, to prevent surface rust, wipe down the exterior of the revolver with either a silicone cloth or a lightly oiled rag (the patches used to oil the bore or cylinders work well).
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_wipedown.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/wipedown.jpg)
Wiped out.
Completion
The fruits of our labors:
http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/tn_cleanup.jpg (http://230grain.com/images/articles/revolvercleaning/cleanup.jpg)
The mess has been moved from revolver to table.
That's right: After cleaning your revolver, the cleanup itself requires cleaning up afterwards. Perhaps another beer is in order.