Burn Ring removal on front of cylinder.

[kda]

I just has such a pleasant surprise that I wanted to share it with anyone that might benefit.

My S&W 637 snub nose airweight revolver had black burn marks on the front of the stainless steel cylinder, and the "forcing cone" was pretty black also.

None of the conventional cleaning aids I typically use (Hoppe's, Hoppe's Elite, CLP) worked very well at cleaning those black burn rings off. I wasn't about to take a bronze brush to those areas fearing I might scratch the outside of the cylinder or other easily seen areas. Yeah I know bronze is softer than stainless but ....

Finally while at Sportsman's Warehouse I noticed "Birchwood Casey "Lead Remover and Polishing Cloth". Claimed to Quickly remove Leading, Burn Rings and Carbon Residue. Yeah, Sure! But having no other solutions I gave it a try.

I was in for a very pleasant surprise. I cut about an inch off of the end of the 9" x 12" cloth and started gently wiping the front of the cylinder. Using small circular strokes, not pressing very hard. Short story .... it worked. It worked really really well. Took no time at all.

The revolver looks brand new and it took less than two minutes to wipe away all of the burn rings and the black crud around the forcing cone. It left the front of the cylinder well polished with no hint of scratches or abrasion. The cloth didn't feel abrasive either so I had no worry about removing material that shouldn't be removed. I don't know what Birchwood Casey uses to impregnate that cloth but for burn marks and rings, it is sheer magic. At least on stainless steel.

It isn't often that I run across a product that is far better than I expected or had hoped for. So I thought I'd mention it here.

 

[ricbak]

Now that is a good Post... Thanks.. My Ruger thanks you Too!

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[Ringo]

Very good to know. My Ruger and S&W thank you too.

 

[6shootercarry]

I use the Birchwood-Casey gun scrubber stuff. It works well for blast out cleaning.

I used a brass brush in my Dremel to get the black off. Will have to try this trick...

 

[Sights on Target]

I'll give that a shot for my S&W 642. Thanks for that tip!

 

[brickler]

You don't see any fine scratches or abrasions? May have to try that out.... Thanks for the info.

 

[1911 Headbanger]

Yes those cloths work, but I have found that they will remove blueing from the cylinder of a blued gun. As far as stainless goes, you can use a stainless steel brush and it will not harm the cylinder. Stainless vs. Stainless. I use them to scrub the area around the forcing cone and cylinder face. As far as scratching, all finishes will get scratching with time and firing, regardless of the brush used. Also try Flitz metal polish. Very low abrasive. Gunsmiths use the stainless brushes and also Flitz polish regularly. Another liquid that will help clean lead and build up is "Kroil". Available at Hardware Stores and Brownells. It's a penetrant for lossening screws, etc, but just happens to be one of the best tools to come along in the Gunsmith trade. Use Kroil on a patch for the bore and cylinder, then follow through with a small amount of Flitz or JB Bore Compound on another patch. Removes copper fouling also.

 

[Daugherty16]

The difference - chemical reaction vs. friction

I have to assume the cloth, without abrasives, is using a chemical reaction to remove the staining, sort of the way Tarn-X or Brasso work. (Altho Brasso may also have a polishing compound fine grit component to it). Actually that makes a lot of sense, and simplifies the process greatly.

Especially after a long day of shooting, the powderstains can be pretty tough. Glad to know this is out there - will have to pick one up.

Thanks for the post!

 

[JohnD13]

The lead remover cloth has been in use here for some time, but, like 1911 Headbanger said, it will definitely remove the blue from you handgun if you get too entusiastic with it. Kroil and JB bore paste will do the job, and be kinder to the finish.

 

[Ga9mm]

I love that stuff. I use it on my stainless SAA revolver, because after shooting about 40 rounds through it, there's more black than silver on it. I wrap a piece of it around a popsicle stick to get to the places my fingers won't go.

 

[matelpt]

On a stainless model. Miracle metal polish works well - just like it does on a Harley.

 

[Ringo]

The lead remover cloth has been in use here for some time, but, like 1911 Headbanger said, it will definitely remove the blue from you handgun if you get too entusiastic with it. Kroil and JB bore paste will do the job, and be kinder to the finish.

+1 for the JB bore past, best product I've ever used.

 

[adam9er]

The lead remover cloth has been in use here for some time, but, like 1911 Headbanger said, it will definitely remove the blue from you handgun if you get too entusiastic with it. Kroil and JB bore paste will do the job, and be kinder to the finish.

+1 to kroil, i keep a 5gal bucket of it around as a backup