Cleaning cylinders

[Zhillsauditor]

I recently started cleaning brass with a tumbler. Today, I took down my single-ten to clean, and it got me to wondering if I could use the tumbler to clean the cylinder of the carbon build up, without scratching the stainless steel, using crushed walnut.

Anyone ever try it?

 

[James K]

The stainless steel might not be affected, but I wouldn't bet on bluing surviving a tumbler.

Also, cleaning the bare cylinder in a tumbler might be OK, but it would be hard to get the media out of the crane and cylinder assembly.

Jim

 

[wogpotter]

I'm actually doubting how well it would work.

I have a Lyman vibratory & tried cleaning an old brass belt buckle in it. The result was less than spectacular, I guess because the buckle just sat in the bottom with the media passing over it instead of actually "tumbling" with the media. Based on that experience I'd think anything dense enough to not be "carried" by the moving media wouldn't clean well.

 

[Bob Wright]

The best way to remove carbon build up is to soak the item in carburetor cleaner. That's what the stuff is for.

Bob Wright

 

[chiefr]

Agree 100% with James. It will remove blueing and nickel.

 

[newfrontier45]

Good Lord, it takes five minutes to wipe it off and swab all ten chambers. If you're trying to clean the carbon scoring off the cylinder face, don't.

 

[kraigwy]

Good Lord, it takes five minutes to wipe it off and swab all ten chambers

^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^

It's not that much of a problem.

The cylinders is the first thing that get cleaned on my revolvers. I shoot revolvers in competition, clean cylinders allow smoother loading (with speedloaders) and smoother ejecting of cases.

It really slows you down if after you dump your rounds into the chambers and have to thumb push some all the way in so you can close the cylinder.

I may not clean anything else, but I'll clean the cylinders after every shooting session, often I clean them between stages.

It really doesn't take that long, I'm sure as heck not going to throw my gun in the tumbler.