.38 carbon ring in .357 chambers

[Quiet Burp]

Is there any real problem with .38 carbon rings in .357 chambers if you never want to put a .357 shell in?

 

Can the carbon rings just be left and forgotten about?

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

https://www.slixprings.com/proddetail.php?prod=SliXprings-Scraper

[Eyesa Horg]

+1 for Slixscraper

[Sedalia Dave]

Shoot a few rounds of real BP or APP will easily remove the carbon ring.

[Clueless Bob]

Usually, what I do is bell a 357 case and load/tap it in.  That will get most of the carbon out,  then clean/scrub as needed. 

 

Sorry, as to your actual question, the answer is No.   

[Snake-eye, SASS#45097]

It won’t do any damage but the longer it’s left in the harder it will be to remove. I use a 38 brass cleaning brush with a drill with some solvent and run it through the cylinders at low speed and the cylinders are like new.

[ironrider]

Get a Lewis Lead Remover and be done with it in about 2 minutes.

[Fort Reno Kid]

Howdy Pards 

 

Similar situation can occur with shooting 44 Special in 44 Magnum revolvers.

 

Years ago a shooting buddy, after years of extensive use of 44 Specials in a Ruger Super Blackhawk, tried to chamber a 44 Mag round. Wouldn’t go. He tried all or most of the cleaning methods mentioned above. Didn’t work. He wound up taking it to his gunsmith. The gunsmith had to use a 44 Mag chamber reamer to remove the years of lead/powder/copper buildup.

 

In my two 44 Mags I use Special brass most often. After a shooting session, the cleaning methods outlined above have been 100% effective in preventing chamber buildup.

 

In my 45’s I primarily use 45 Colt brass (there’s a reason many refer to it as 45 Long Colt) but over the years have acquired some 45 Schofield and 45 Cowboy brass. If I’ve used rounds loaded with the latter, the same cleaning methods have prevented any chamber buildup issues.

 

Adios

 

Fort Reno Kid 

[Quiet Burp]

10 hours ago, Clueless Bob said:

Usually, what I do is bell a 357 case and load/tap it in.  That will get most of the carbon out,  then clean/scrub as needed. 

 

Sorry, as to your actual question, the answer is No.   

 

Thank you kindly.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

I bought a .357 mag chamber reamer (a little pricey divided by lots of .357 pistols is still pricey), ream any that have shot .38 since the last time, often an annual event.

 

Imis

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

12 hours ago, Clueless Bob said:

Usually, what I do is bell a 357 case and load/tap it in.  That will get most of the carbon out,  then clean/scrub as needed....

 

That's what I do.  Takes a bit of trial/error to get the case belled the max it can be and still enter the chamber.  Also, it works even better if you sharpen the case mouth edges with a chamfer tool (Lee, $4.  Works on all calibers so I also use it in 44 Spcl after shooting 44 Russian) :

 

 

[Three Foot Johnson]

I bought a couple .44 spl New Vaqueros off here about three years back that had been shot with nothing but .44 Russians, and not cleaned very well. After scrubbing one chamber with a bronze brush and solvent for thirty minutes or more, I finally chucked the brush in a drill and it still took another good half hour to get the crud out.

[Eyesa Horg]

Again Slix scraper, a second or 2 per chamber and done. Works in rifle and pistol and can be used at the range with no disassembly.

[wyliefoxEsquire]

I wet tumble with pins our stainless steel cylinders, ONE AT A TIME.  Often with nickel brass.

The pins do a GREAT job on inside the brass and the cylinders