686+ cleaning help

[MoltoMario]

I find that nothing works as good as Froglube's cleaner to clean my wheel guns. It cleans my 686+ and my 625JM perfectly. They both look brand new after each range trip . The Froglube cleans the cyclinder, forcing cone, and rest of the gun with little effort. I used to use Hoppes 9 to clean them, but the Froglube does a much better job IMO and its much easier. Froglube isnt cheap, but it really works well.

[rogervzv]

This works for me every time:

Coat (drench) the front cylinder with Hoppes #9 borecleaner.
Scrub for 30 seconds or so with a brass wire brush.
Rub with a cloth.
Repeat this cycle several times.

Your cylinder will be "gunstore clean" in under 5 minutes.
This also works for the forcing cone. For the space above the forcing cone a pipecleaner works fantastic.

[sandmanx408]

Thanks guys I'll try some of the above methods when I get home, if its all cosmetic I won't trip to much I never plan on selling this gun, its one of the main guns that got me into firearms mainly I was concerned that build up would happen and cause damage to my piece

Thanks again as I said I finally got to take it to the range and it was (excuse the language) ****ING AWESOME!!!

Now I just have to get better at shooting

[P5Ret]

I use Leadaway cloth and Flitz Polish to remove the carbon...

^ That right there was how I avoided having to do 100's of push-up's in the academy 30 some old years ago after inspection.

[hbogart]

Birchwood Casey Lead Remover & Polishing Cloth works great - as mentioned above. I got one at Reed's maybe a year ago.

[glockman19]

+1 for the Lead a way cloth...works on mine

Get a Lead Away cloth, costs about $5.00. Will totally take care of your problem. DO NOT use it on any blued guns as it will remove the bluing. Another good cleaning tip is use a .38/.357 brush in your barrel, but use a .40 brush in your cylinder chambers. Grant Cunningham has a great book out on Revolvers that will help with your double action shooting and all things revolver. Check it out.

First, the stains on the cylinder face will do no harm if you just clean & scrub with Hoppes and a NYLON brush.

When I want that "shiny new" look I remove the cylinder & use a Leadaway cloth & Mother's mag & aluminum polish. Use a hollow ground screwdriver that fits PERFECTLY. Buggered screw slots suck.

Oh yeah... you can damage parts removing the extractor rod if you do it wrong. Info is online. The rod is a left hand thread.

I use Leadaway cloth and Flitz Polish to remove the carbon...

I'm with Kurac, don't worry about it. If you have to clean it, lead away cloth and Flitz just like Samsigsauer mentioned. When you're ready to sell it, (which will probably never happen after you shoot it because they are sweet) that's when you give it the deep clean. HTH c good

[trigger945]

I have had success with Frog Lube and lead cloth as well. Well worth a try.

Good luck!

[Nick Adams]

Another cal gunner sold me his new gemini customs sp101 with the bead blast finish recently. Any concerns with using any of these methods such as the lead away cloth or eraser on that finish? Marc Morganti (the smith at gemini) mentioned never to use anything more abrasive than a nylon brush and cautioned that the cylinder face will never get spotless.

I have a Gemini GP100 and use the lead away cloth and haven't noticed any ill effects. BTW I love the gun. How do you feel about Mr. Morganti's work?

[Mungo]

I have a Gemini GP100 and use the lead away cloth and haven't noticed any ill effects. BTW I love the gun. How do you feel about Mr. Morganti's work?

By reputation and the few minutes I was able to "behold its greatness" I am/was blown away by his work. I didn't want to keep the seller waiting at the FFL while I did more than a quick examination, so I am patiently waiting for some special alone time with it next week when it gets out of jail. Particularly interested in the effect of the side porting.

Is your technique on the gp100 just to use the cloth on the face or do you ram it down the cylinders? I have heard good things about a Lewis Lead Remover tool as well.

[ChuckDizzle]

I'm with Kurac, don't worry about it. If you have to clean it, lead away cloth and Flitz just like Samsigsauer mentioned. When you're ready to sell it, (which will probably never happen after you shoot it because they are sweet) that's when you give it the deep clean. HTH c good

I'm in this camp. It poses no danger to the firearm, and because there is no way around it in a revolver that is actually shot I don't even notice it anymore.

It would be like wanting those little rubber hairs on a new set of tires to stay on forever. No functional need, and not really possible.

['ol shooter]

Medium grade Bronze wool wrapped around your bore brush works really well for leading and crud removal from the bore and cylinder.. The Lewis tool is great on the forcing cone.

[Nick Adams]

By reputation and the few minutes I was able to "behold its greatness" I am/was blown away by his work. I didn't want to keep the seller waiting at the FFL while I did more than a quick examination, so I am patiently waiting for some special alone time with it next week when it gets out of jail. Particularly interested in the effect of the side porting.

Is your technique on the gp100 just to use the cloth on the face or do you ram it down the cylinders? I have heard good things about a Lewis Lead Remover tool as well.

Just the face. And I just wipe it down, I don't scrub. Don't know a thing about the Lewis tool.

[JoshuaS]

Leadaway cloth here too. Froglube works better than Hoppes 9, and pro-shot CLP, and Remoil, but it doesn't get the cylinder face clean without tons of scrubbing.

If you are a cheapie like me, you can make your own lead clean cloth. Take 500 grains of the finest aluminum oxide powder you can find, 450 gr. kerosene,, 4 gr lemon oil, 5 gr ammonia chloride. Soak a good cotton rag, let dry and there you have it.

Though the leadclean cloth from Pro-shot I use smells like they have carnuba in it, and it probably uses aluminum oleate.

Also, a solution of 50% H2O2 and white vinegar will remove any actual lead. Just don't let it sit longer the a couple of minutes.

[stonefly-2]

i have a #686 also and see the same thing.
the thing is the soot is simple carbon... nothing will desolve it, you have to remove it mechanically.

the eraser trick is what i do but i don't do deep clean every time.

if yours is like mine you are in for a pleasant surprise when you shoot the magnums.

[amlew]

Bore Tech C4 Carbon Remover Solution works almost as well as a Lead Away
Cloth. It's also great on removing carbon fouling from barrels without the need
of excessive brushing