Judge Lewis Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I shot my second match today, ten stages. I noticed after stage 5 that my SASS NVs were getting hard to load. I had a brush which I used to clean the cylinders which helped some. One pard told me to get a tornado brush to clean the cylinders. How do you all clean you ss guns and what do you use? Thanks for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Lewis Posted June 16, 2013 Author Share Posted June 16, 2013 Sorry should be on wire. Allie, please move. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Buffalo Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Tornado brush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Just a regular cleaning approach with my SS vaqueros. Bore solvent and a brass bristle brush and a nylon "toothbrush" gun brush. You may have a REALLY tight barrel to cylinder gap if you could only shoot two matches. Check that you don't have cases or primers dragging on the recoil shield, and place a feeler gauge between cylinder and barrel. If closer than 0.002" in some spots, you have a very tight cylinder that is usually fixed by having a good smith very slightly take some metal off the barrel face. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I only clean my SS New Vaqueros every few months shooting at least two matches a month, and have gone 6 months or more. All smokeless powder is not created equally, some is dirtier than others, but even so, I wouldn't expect difficult loading after two matches unless there was something else going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 What's Cleaning? It's Smokeless isn't it? What was hard to load? Putting the cartridges in the chambers, or spinning the cylinder? If spinning the cylinder, you probably have a really narrow barre/cylinder gap. Some Rugers come through with gaps on the order of only .001 or .002. That is really tight. If you are having problems getting the ammo into the chambers, a tornado brush will help. Also, if you are shooting really light loads you will get more fouling in the chambers which can make them dirtier. By the way, the holes in the cylinder are called chambers. The round thing with the holes in it is the cylinder. Holes in your engine block are called cylinders, but holes in a revolver cylinder are chambers. Unless it is a S&W, they call them Charge Holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaky Molasses, SASS 20549 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Whenever there is too much dust on my Vaqueros, I wipe them down with a dirty t-shirt or a dirty sock. They are Rugers, that is all they should need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dang It Dan 13202 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 If you have STAINLESS steel Vaq's, you can take one part white Vinegar and one part Hydrogen Peroxide and pour it into a cup. Drop the cylinder into it and wait for five minutes. Then take a standard bore brush and clean it with Hoppe's No. 9. DON'T DO THIS ON BLUED GUNS. The Vinegar and Peroxide will attack the lead deposits. Makes it much easier to de-lead the cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 If you have STAINLESS steel Vaq's, you can take one part white Vinegar and one part Hydrogen Peroxide and pour it into a cup. Drop the cylinder into it and wait for five minutes. Then take a standard bore brush and clean it with Hoppe's No. 9. DON'T DO THIS ON BLUED GUNS. The Vinegar and Peroxide will attack the lead deposits. Makes it much easier to de-lead the cylinder. I'll have to try this, does it loosen up the carbon deposits also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Canyon Kid #43974 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Still not clear, is the issue getting the brass into the cylinder or something else? If the issue is getting the rounds into the cylinder loading the gun, the cylinder is either dirty or the cylinder holes are undersized or the bullets are not properly sized. To clean the stainless cylinders in my Rugers, I chuck up a brass brush in a drill and spin it with Hoppes for a few seconds. I shoot 38 brass in 357s and I quit worrying about the small ring of crud at the end of the barrel end of the cylinder as it does not effect loading unless you decide to shoot a much longer OAL bullet. In that case a real cleaning is in order. My wife occasionally has an issue getting a round in her 32s, and every time it is a bit of crud stuck in one cylinder hole. I just remove the cylinder for her at the loading table and blow out the small piece of crud. Usually it comes out stuck onto the brass when I push the loaded round out with the base pin from the lead end. I happens to me when I shoot 32s also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Judge, a possible cause is the cases have not been full length sized. If the are store bought loaded rounds, may want to consider a different brand. Another option is to have the cylinders enlarged 0.005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas B. Wolfson, SASS #11104 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Judge, a possible cause is the cases have not been full length sized. If the are store bought loaded rounds, may want to consider a different brand. Another option is to have the cylinders enlarged 0.005 Do believe that would be the chambers enlarged. Chas B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adirondack Jack, SASS #53440 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Low pressure target loads are fairly dirty. A tornado brush chucked in a low speed cordless drill, then dipped in Hoppes or similar, and given a few seconds of work inside each chamber, making sure to run it in and out some, as well as spinning, followed by a dry swabbing, will get the powder residue, lead, and bullet lube out. AS DJ suggests, if the gap between the face of the cylinder and the back end of the barrel is scant, (less than the thickness of one sheet of ordinary printer paper), consult a smith about getting it opened up (ya wanna make sure it stays straight, square to the cylinder in the process) a little bit by slightly relieving the back end of the barrel. Around .005-.008" is OK for SASS use. Tighter, on the order of .003-.005" is kinda nice for high pressure hunting rounds, as it limits flame thrower effect out the gap. For our purposes a little more slop is OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Chas - thanks for the backup. Brain is slower than the fingers tonight ... cylinder chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 If you have STAINLESS steel Vaq's, you can take one part white Vinegar and one part Hydrogen Peroxide and pour it into a cup. Drop the cylinder into it and wait for five minutes. Then take a standard bore brush and clean it with Hoppe's No. 9. DON'T DO THIS ON BLUED GUNS. The Vinegar and Peroxide will attack the lead deposits. Makes it much easier to de-lead the cylinder. Cool, never heard of that before but will give it a try! And a bonus is they come out smelling like dyed easter eggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Lewis Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thank you all for the sage advice. I will order the tornado brush asap and try all the cleaning procedures until the problem is resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Canyon Kid #43974 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Check your ammo in a case checker, about $10 or so from Dillon. We check 100% of trhe ammo we reload to make certain every single round is perfect in dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rance - SASS # 54090 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I use a chamber brush for my chambers in the cylinders ... What's a Tornado Brush? Never heard of one before.. and where do ya get one.. Rance Thinkin' I'm still learnin' stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Here ya go Rance..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Howdy Judge Lewis, There is a cleaning kit called a Lewis Lead Remover. I have one for 38/357/9mm and the attachments for .45. A few passes with the lead remover will clear out months of buildup. This often happens in .357s shot with .38sp. Another option is to go to walmart or one of the dollar stores and buy the cheeeepest white toothpaste they have. Use a rod and bristle brush with a patch around the brush. Then dab a little of the toothpaste on the patch and clean the chambers. Rinse the cylinder and run a light oiled patch and it should be clean. When Ive done this fired shells just about fall out of the gun without using the ejector rod. I never noticed that holes in a cylinder are called chambers but holes in an engine block are called cylinders. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slate mike sass#29204 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 JL - I'd put a drill in a vise with soft jaws and chuck up a 45 cal bore brush. Then put the drill on continuous slow speed, put some solvent in the chambers and have at it. Cheap and easy. And you do not have the lead build up that can occur when shooting 38's in 357 chambers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rance - SASS # 54090 Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Here ya go Rance..... Thanks Kraz.. or uhhhh... Krazy Kajun... Are they primarily for the barrel bore or for the chambers? Rance Thinkin' "Wonderin' minds would like ta know" Still askin' questions til I understand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I looked at Walmart today, while they have some hoppes stuff, no tornado brushes. Online they said they had featherlites in stock at the store I went to, yeah right. Ammo shelves were bare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graywolf Tate Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Low pressure, low velocity loads = increased crud in our revolvers and long guns. I was taught as a child to clean my guns every time after I shoot them, makes them last longer and I am much more familiar with them. I find it peaceful to clean and pet and love on them. Since I reload I have a max case checker and run each and every round through it. Takes a bit of time but I have confidence in my reloads. Take a can of CLP, soak every chamber in the cylinder as well as the barrel and let it sit while I enjoy a cup of coffee the next morning after a match. If the build-up is tough I chuck a nylon brush in a cordless drill and at a SLOW rpm clean each chamber until it is spotless. I hand brush out the barrel until it is spotless as well. Relube with Rem-oil or a good lightweight synthetic motor oil, a quart costs about the same as a little bitty bottle of gun oil. Clean guns = less trouble and I need all that I can get !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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