Revolver Lubrication

LE-28

New member
I hose mine out about once a year with brake cleaner and blow them out with compressed air.
When it dry I give it a shot of Rem-Oil down through the cylinder stop and down in front of the hammer.

Go easy on the oil or it will leach out for two weeks and make a mess.

I don't oil the shaft the cylinder spins on because it will just make it hold dirt and will tighten up.

Some people take them apart and clean them, I don't unless I have to.
 

CajunBass

New member
About the same as above. A drop here and there. It knows where to go.

I'd no more strip a revolver down for cleaning than I would a V-8 for an oil change.
 

9x18_Walther

New member
Hmmm--depends what I'm shooting--revolvers can be pretty dynamic and blow powder residue pretty forcefully into parts.

.38, .357, .44 mostly. Colt, S&W, Ruger.

I don't own a 1858 Remington.





Yet. :D
 

stagpanther

New member
If I'm shooting a hand-load magnum with some kinds of powder (like lil gun) I keep an eye on residue deposits--but that's just me and I'm no expert. Also--I live on an island in the North Atlantic--so salinity/humidity is something I keep an eye on too.
 
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MrBorland

New member
I don't do the "hose it out" thing.

Revolvers rarely need additional internal lubing, so when they actually do, it's best to do it as part of a detailed strip and clean. I do that about once a year or every 10-15k rounds.

My standard cleaning/lubing after shooting involves simply wiping it down, cleaning the chambers and cleaning the heavy crud around the forcing cone. About every 2nd or 3rd time, I'll add a tiny drop of oil to where the cylinder rides the yoke, the yoke rides the frame, and to the ejector star rod. Any additional internal lubing is done during the detailed strip/clean.
 

Bob Wright

New member
Smith & Wesson recommends placing a drop of oil at the base of the cocked hammer, and on the exposed ejector rod. TWO DROPS OF OIL.

I do coat the exterior of my guns with my 50/50 mix of Three-In-One machine oil and automotive motor oil. I use a heavy coat on the exterior and in the cylinder window, then wipe it down nearly dry with a shop towel. this for ruwst prevention, and to soften up any powder residue I may have overlooked.

Bob Wright
 

BigJimP

New member
Just a drop or two on the ejector rod shaft and a drop on the "star" on the ejector....a drop on the inside of the crane...

I do a detail strip / about once a year. It just doesn't need much lubrication...
 

Nick_C_S

New member
If my revolver(s) had a good workout at the range (100+ rounds); which is usually; I will remove the cylinder/crane assembly for cleaning.

Before reassembly, I will lube the cylinder race (the bearing surface on the crane), the swing-out pivot point on the crane (and the corresponding surface on the frame), and the ejector rod (under the star, as well as the exposed part in front of the cylinder).

That's it.

On rare occasions, I'll pop open the side plate and do a clean up. My guns are never exposed to adverse conditions. So there's hardly any need to get inside them.

They're actually designed to run pretty dry.
 

dahermit

New member
I shoot cast lead bullets lubed with NRA 50/50 Alox exclusively. It makes my guns, revolvers especially, dirty as hell with a black, greasy sludge that gets into every nick and cranny of the gun. After extensive firing, I have found the sludge accumulated in the windows for the hand and the bolt and inside those areas inside the frame. I have no intention of going back to non-home cast bullets in my lifetime. Therefore, in my situation, periodic stripping and cleaning is mandatory to maintain function. Those who shoot factory ammo and or jacketed bullets (no greasy lube), may very well get away with spraying the innards of their guns with brake cleaner without disassembly adequate, but with traditional cast lead lubes, diligent and more extensive cleaning seems a requirement.
 

LE-28

New member
Those who shoot factory ammo and or jacketed bullets (no greasy lube), may very well get away with spraying the innards of their guns with brake cleaner without disassembly adequate, but with traditional cast lead lubes, diligent and more extensive cleaning seems a requirement.
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I have not shot factory ammo for over 40 years, I do shoot my own cast bullets with Lee liquid Alox cut with 50% mineral spirits and have yet to have to dis-mantle one of my revolvers for cleaning because of it.

I had my gunsmith take my 56 year old model 28 apart to do some work on it and after all those years of shooting lead bullets, it was still fairly clean inside.
 

dahermit

New member
I have not shot factory ammo for over 40 years, I do shoot my own cast bullets with Lee liquid Alox cut with 50% mineral spirits and have yet to have to dis-mantle one of my revolvers for cleaning because of it.

I had my gunsmith take my 56 year old model 28 apart to do some work on it and after all those years of shooting lead bullets, it was still fairly clean inside.
You must have missed the part where I mentioned NRA formula Alox 50/50 lube. It is not so much the lead bullets, it is the lube. I am sure that the guys currently making their bullets "pretty" with colorful powder lubes do not have the sludge build-up that results from the old-style grease lubes.
 
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