Cleaning a DA S&W revolver.

[Adam Helmer]

How many guys/gals pull the cylinder off a DA Smith and clean the sludge off the yoke assembly now and then?

A neighbor came by to shoot his M28 S&W the other day. I like the M28 .357 S&W because it was my first duty gun as a local cop after I graduated from college in 1970 and mine is still on establishment. That being said, Mike shot his dad's revolver and it had a lot of resistance when being cocked on single action and DA was a HARD pull! The gun is 30+ years old and has been cleaned, after a fashion, I suppose.

I took the revolver to my bench and pulled off the cylinder and yoke assembly. It was a hard pull. It looked like the barrel of the yoke assembly had been "blacktopped!" Mike said his dad (now deceased) never took the cylinder off the gun. I concur.

I have had folks tell me they "run an oil patch down the bore and chambers after firing; that constituted gun cleaning, I suppose. I cleaned the yoke and the bore and cylinder. The M28 absolutely "free wheeled" after the "tar" of 30+ years was removed.

I cannot wait until the next "Pilgrim" comes to my backyard range. So many guns and so little time.....

Adam

[GoodOlBoy]

I don't do it unless it is bad bad. If you are having only minor issues a little oil or break free allowed to run into it will allow you to spin the cylinder and watch the gunk flow out of it, then wipe it off. At the point he was at however I agree you have to pull the cylinder and give it a good honest cleaning.

GoodOlBoy

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I only have one S&W DA revolver (M29), but I pull the cylinder on ALL my revolvers (Colts, mostly), when cleaning......use a pipe cleaner to get into all the little "nooks & crannies".

Adam, I saw your other post re: firearms cleaning/maintence. I think a LOT Of folks would benefit from being shown how this is done, instead of being told. I think that in this 'computer' driven age, places like Youtube might be the place to put something like this. I was shown how to clean a shotgun by my grandfather, but my dad wasn't into hunting/firearms, so if it wasn't for him sharing his wisdom, I probably wouldn't know how to do it. With so many people in thier 20s & 30s 'discovering' firearms for the first time (either for CCW or hunting), it doesn't surprise me that they don't have a mentor to show them how it's done, esp. with the amount of antigun activity we have seen in the past few decades.
Your thoughts?

[buckhunter]

I very seldom pull the cylinder. When I feel it starting to gunk up I will pull with no hesitation.

Mr.16- I'm sure there are sites on utube. I was watching someone field strip and clean a CZ75 a while back. Yes showing a youngin is the best way to teach them. I do this with my SIL almost monthly.

[Jack]

I usually pull the cylinder when cleaning a revolver. Actually, it's easier to work on the cylinder, IMO.

[Adam Helmer]

Mr. 16 gauge,

You are correct, "show and tell" beats a written description about gun cleaning. Every year we have 25-35 women come to the local gun club for a day of Women on Target where they shoot archery, trap, handguns, rifles and muzzleloaders.

As part of the wrapup for the day, we show them how to clean the various arms. We have 5 guns on ML, so I clean one while 4 other ladies each do their own. It takes 20-30 minutes and it is a learning experience.

Adam

[Larryjk]

I am of the group that ususally pulls the cylinder to make it easier to hold the frame in a padded vise. Is there any reason not to pull the cylinder?

[Rapier]

Adam, I see dirty guns all the time and I buy them cheap cause "they don't shoot anymore."

The very first thing I learned was to clean a gun, a long time, before I was ever allowed to shoot a gun.

My guns get cleaned, top to bottom, every time they are shot and they look and function like new.
Ed