[Euclidean]

...you too can send Hoppe's to a poor neglected gun.

Seriously I've been treating this 629 with Break Free and other cleaning products and it's coming along, but my God this gun is/was filthy where it really counts.

I've left it where the Break Free can work its magic as I sleep, but egads man whoever had this thing before me did not take care of it. It wasn't used very much and I doubt it was ever cleaned. I honestly think they took it straight out of the box and fired it 1000 times and never once cleaned it.

In short, this was not a loved gun.

Fear not little guy for you are now a resident of Euclidean's home for Wayward Revolvers, where you shall receive every cleaning product known to man.

And possibly a trip to a gunsmith for a complete dissassembly and cleaning at some point after a while.

The last time I bought a used revolver it was in similar shape. Took me some time to clean it all out. See if these were cheaper guns I could understand why they'd be dirty; because their owners didn't like them. I could understand a police trade in being filthy.

But this is just sick. This little guy doesn't have any stress cracks, and his lockwork sounds like a watch when you cock him, and he's pretty stiff in full lockup. He's been a good boy.

What worries me somewhat is that whoever had these guns before me, apparently kept them in this filthy condition. I understand not passing the white glove test, but as a civilian with 24 hour access to commercial cleaning products, you have no excuse to have a ridiculously dirty gun laying around, especially if it's designated for personal defense.

Love your carry gun. Clean it well and often. It's really very simple.

Of course this message is probably wasted on you guys. But I can't believe people can't do something so basic.

 

[The Tourist]

Do you know a handloader? I can send you some linotype 429421 cast .429 bullets so the guy can make some lower pressure loads in full size .44 Rem brass.

It sounds like your barrel is filthy enough. Shoot good stuff.

 

[rfurtkamp]

Love your carry gun. Clean it well and often. It's really very simple.

I'll be honest - I'm about of the opposite mind. I clean it as little as possible. I'd put more wear on it that way than anything else. I do about once a month these days, and that's just touch-ups here and there.

The Sig gets a complete tear-down about once a year, but that's about it. The S&W I cleaned recently for the first time since buying it.

I'm more afraid of breaking something than I am about having a carry gun that's a little dirty or not presentable in polite company - and I'd rather know it'll go boom every time and that I didn't do something wrong.

 

[CLASS3NH]

hi there Euc
If you have a NAPA , AutoZone, VIP, or some other auto part place close to you, buy some parts cleaner (maybe a gallon or half gal) place the gun in a plastic wash tub and let it soak for a while. (take your rear sights off as well in order to not take the bluing off (just being safe) OR try some Kerosene and a tooth brush. I DO know how you feel. Some people don't love their guns as much as we do, and never take care of them. Such a shame for people to do this. BUT, the bright dise of it is, you've got a BOOMER there, and I know you're giving it a good home

 

[Bud White]

Reminds me need to clean my springer looking a little grungy ... I typically am good about cleaning my guns last time out i shot my springer which i have been carrying a lot lately so i wiped it down and loaded it at range and back in holster it went ...

Why tear down a gun with only 100-150 round though it that i know is working fine?

if you read the manual or and self defense stuff they tell ya to reassy it and shoot a mag though to check for function .. Since ihavent been able to get to the range lately ill leave it alone till then... hum my glock and xd need cleaning to and my Hk but ive carried all of the depending on mood past month

 

[ExSoldier]

Dirty Gun

I'll be honest - I'm about of the opposite mind. I clean it as little as possible. I'd put more wear on it that way than anything else. I do about once a month these days, and that's just touch-ups here and there.

The Sig gets a complete tear-down about once a year, but that's about it. The S&W I cleaned recently for the first time since buying it.

I dunno, there is only ONE gun that I'd trust to be 100% reliable 100% of the time even when manifestly filthy and that's a Glock. Glocks actually LIKE to shoot dirty and dry.

I'm more afraid of breaking something than I am about having a carry gun that's a little dirty or not presentable in polite company - and I'd rather know it'll go boom every time and that I didn't do something wrong.

I guess it's the army thang. Everytime we stopped moving we had to be either eating, planning (for us officers) or cleaning our weapon.

I always like having a gun to which I would trust my life superbly clean for that potential encounter. Kind of like the old "motherly" warning about wearing clean underwear in case you have an auto accident and have to go to the hospital. If they have to cut your underwear off your mangled body having "skid marks" therein just adds to the embarassment.

My Sig, for example AND my Government Model 1911, both can get gummy after awhile. They may run, even so. But I'll find the incidence of stovepipes rises because the slide is too gummed up to move all the way to the rear and complete the extraction. At this point, adding some grease or oil may or may not help. More than likely it will help for the short term, just long enough till you can field strip and clean some.

When it comes to guns: Cleanliness IS next to Godliness!

 

[Deke45]

hi there Euc
If you have a NAPA , AutoZone, VIP, or some other auto part place close to you, buy some parts cleaner (maybe a gallon or half gal) place the gun in a plastic wash tub and let it soak for a while. (take your rear sights off as well in order to not take the bluing off (just being safe) OR try some Kerosene and a tooth brush. I DO know how you feel.

Since I'm a little anal about keeping my pistols clean, I detail strip them often. Something that I've found to work well and cheap is full strength Simple Green in a spray bottle, available at Lowes, Home Depot, and probably a dozen other places. Does great for cutting through grease and is gentle to the finish. Clean it up, top it off with some Break Free and you're ready to rock & roll!

 

[Geezer]

Cleaning is half the fun

ExSoldier762 and I have the same approach toward cleaning. Do it often, and completely. Any weapon that goes to the range returns to the cleaning table immediately. Once football season starts, I retire to the gun room, and clean while watching the games. Even never-fired weapons get a cleaning. My wife thinks it's some kind of sexual thing. (It might be) .I just love the smell of Hoppes and powder. I sure can relate to the dirty 629. I once acquired a 686 that had been oiled with Penzoil, fired and never cleaned. The cylinder would barely turn from all the gum built up. Took half the season to get it back to acceptable condition.

 

[CLASS3NH]

Hmmmmmmmmm..I wonder if Slick 50 works well with Penziol.. :biggrin: Deke? I never knew that stuff you mentioned would work.I'm going need to try that :biggrin:
I could also tell you what the Soviets mentioned in their manuals for "emergency cleaning technique" for use in the AK47 types.. . but I think all of you can guess what that is without going into detail .....As for me... I'll stick with the normal cleaning agents. LOL :biggrin:

 

[GoodSamaritan]

Kind of like the old "motherly" warning about wearing clean underwear in case you have an auto accident and have to go to the hospital. If they have to cut your underwear off your mangled body having "skid marks" therein just adds to the embarassment.

What always struck me a funny about that, is ifthe accident is that bad, your underwear is going to get soiled. As a comedian I once heard said, first you say it then you do it.

 

[P95Carry]

''Middle of road'' cleaner here. NOT every time - but neither is it left ad infinitum. If say I start with my SIG clean - and put two mag's thru - it will stay that way - lightly soiled but proven and ready.

I do not think over cleaning does any good at all ... it can be deleterious - I have seen it done. Mostly tho with relative newbies who haven't heard of quality screwdrivers! Mind you - the folks who like to do it a lot, will I daresay have enough experience and skill to make the job fastidious - at least then small parts and screws do not suffer.

I cannot see the value in excessive bore scrubbing in particular ... again tho there is a compromize - and I reckon it varies gun by gun. My SRH in 454 does sho copper fouling and needs dealt with so as to avoid excessive build-up. Likewise if I shoot a lot of lead - cyl throats, forcing cones etc need de-leaded.

In the end - I'd almost say there is one regime needed per gun - dependent on ammo used, conditions of use etc etc. But for me - never every time out just by default. Maybe my early day's enthusiasm for cleaning has dissipated a bit too - an hour's less cleaning can be an hour's more reloading :smile:

I respect the mechanism of a gun - and abuse is not in my vocabulary, so a 629 such as Euc describes - would not happen..

 

[George Hill]

http://www.madogre.com/Interviews/OgresCLP.htm

 

[Euclidean]

Wow I had no idea this topic would generate so much discussion. After all cleaning is dull and boring and practical, like all the other aspects of gun ownership the media ignores.

I do appreciate all the suggestions for industrial strength cleaning mixes :wink: and may have to try some of them. The Simple Green idea is brilliant if you dropped your gun in the mud.

As for the 629, well after 3 hours you can pass a patch through the bore and it will come out white. You can tell what color the hammer and trigger actually are. It is acceptable.

 

[Monty]

From John Farnum
http://www.defense-training.com/quips/15Apr05.html

15Apr05

On the advice of several friends, I've made it a habit of running a Bore Snake through all my guns prior to leaving a range after a live-fire sessio n. With autoloading pistols, the correct way to use the Bore Snake is to threa d it through the magazine well first and then through the chamber and ultimat ely out the muzzle. When it is pulled through, it will thus scrub the feed ramp, as well as the chamber and bore. Threading it through the ejection p ort, as illustrated in the printed instructions, is an inferior method.

Running a Bore Snake through the barrel is, of course, no adequate substitute for thorough cleaning, but it does get the bore and chamber scrub bed free of the residue deposited there during firing.

Later that same day, if there is a shooting incident, and I am not involved , I can easily prove my weapon was not fired, as examination of it will clearly show that the bore has been cleaned since the weapon was last fired . Conversely, with the afternoon's residue still deposited in the bar rel, proving that I did no shooting will be more difficult.

Accordingly, make it a habit to always leave the range with a clean bore an d chamber. With a Bore Snake, the necessary cleaning can be accomplished is a few seconds. It is time well spent!

/John

Sounds like good advice.

Monty

 

[CLASS3NH]

Now Euc <smilin here>
All of us just want you to have the newest, brightest, shinyest toys on the block!! We all want you to be happy with your toys. Remember now.. "busy hands are happy hands" LOL <just kidding you here> and I'm going to duck from that back-hander you're dealing out to me from the other side of the screen :biggrin:

 

[ExSoldier]

The cleaning advice is good, but if you read the rest of that column, it has a site suggestion and some defensive combat tips based on what we on this site believe is a HOAX video. It wasn't too long ago, but we decided that the video cited by Farnham is staged. Having said that if HE can't see it then IMHO his tactical advice is somewhat suspect. But I certainly WILL take his cleaning advice! LOL

 

[Geezer]

I like bore snakes, especially when in the field on hunting trips. I do have reserve feelings about the use of them at home. I assume you love your weapon, like we all do---Have you ever had a colonoscopy??? Do you REALLY want to do that to the one thing that may safe your life ??Paybacks are hell. LOL.

 

[CLASS3NH]

"Snakes.... why did it have to be snakes" <Indiana Jones voice>

 

[Bumper]

Hmmmmmmmmm..I wonder if Slick 50 works well with Penziol.. :biggrin: Deke? I never knew that stuff you mentioned would work.I'm going need to try that :biggrin:

Seriously, after getting all of the grunge off my barrel (stainless) I take it in the kitchen under hot running water and scrub it with Dawn dishwashing liquid. It turns out extremly clean. Before I reassemble I oil it and run a patch with with Mobil 1 synthetic oil. It's great on guns, and won't break down and gum up.

 

[rfurtkamp]

My Sig, for example AND my Government Model 1911, both can get gummy after awhile. They may run, even so. But I'll find the incidence of stovepipes rises because the slide is too gummed up to move all the way to the rear and complete the extraction.

I've run my Sig 226s thousands of rounds between cleanings on occasion. Usually it's only a few hundred, but I have yet to experience a stovepipe or jam or any other problem. It's one of the reasons I trust the darned things.

It's just not something I honestly worry about - it's like my FALs. If they don't run dirty, I should have picked something else.

I'll clean if there's a need or it's been a few months or whatnot in most instances - but I'm not worried about it if life interferes.