Cleaning a Super single six

[JWFilips]

Hi,
I know this will sound like a stupid question
( especially since I have been handling guns most of my life) But I recently got my first "revolver" ...never had one before. It is a 1972 three screw with both the .22lr and .22mag cylinders, It is in excellent shape & I want to keep it that way.
What is the best way to clean a .22 revolver after shooting? It there anything special to take care of? Are you guys bronze brushing? What about the cylinders...are they cleaned differently? Are you needing special solvents ( like bench rest or sweets)? & is there any different procedures after shooting the copper clad .22 mags? Just wanting to know what to look out for.
Sorry for the twenty questions.

 

[wwb]

On an old 3-screw that's a recent acquisition, a complete disassembly, cleaning, and lube is called for. After that, a lick and a promise after a shooting session is all you need.....

Pull the cylinder and brush the chambers with #9 or something similar. Then run a dry patch through each hole, followed by an oily patch.

Clean the bore with a bronze brush and your choice of solvent, dry it and oil it.

Wipe the whole thing down with a lightly oiled rag and put it away.

I re-clean the innards about every 10 years, except for my one "trail gun" that sees a lot of rain, dirt, and other assorted junk..... that one gets the innards cleaned about every 2-3 years.

 

[flatgate]

One hint. Always fully cycle the "lockwork". That is, when loading or unloading get in the habit of always pulling the hammer to "full cock" after utilizing the "half cock" feature. Always. That will prevent the cylinder latch from dragging on the cylinder and creating an unsightly ring.

Remember the age old rule: Always carry the gun with the hammer down on an empty chamber. That "quarter cock safety notch" is unreliable. A dropped gun can fire!.

Load an empty cylinder by inserting a cartridge into one chamber, rotate the cylinder to the next chamber but do not insert a cartridge. Rotate to the next chamber and insert a cartridge. Continue loading the next three chambers. Close the loading gate, carefully pull the hammer to Full Cock then carefully lower it down to the "at rest" position. The hammer should now be resting over the Empty Chamber!

Load one, skip one, load four, pull hammer to full cock then lower. The ONLY way to manipulate an Old Model Ruger!

Enjoy your fine old Single-Six!

flatgate

 

[JWFilips]

Both excellent posts....Thank You

I had a chance to shoot it at the range today...very exciting. These no doubt are quality pieces. It shot very well with three different .22lr brands & types. I can also see it is far more accurate then I can ever shoot. A plus for me on this one is it has the adjustable rear and partridge front site which is far easier for me to use ( my eyesight is not the best recently) I got a few nice groups with a more then occasional flyer....like I said this revolver thing is new to me. But all & all I enjoyed my new "Old Single Six" Just wish I had more time on the range but I had to head in to work by noon.
Flategate I really like that loading sequence: a good & simple rule. I was doing a lot of spinning to get the empty chamber to line up....now you make it easy.
Thanks Again
Jim

 

[alkpon]

JW, don't fret cleaning. Oiled cloth for exterior. Pull a Boresnake through barrel and cylinders. Spray Boresnake with a little WD-40, carb cleaner or whatever.
I'm 'ol school. For .22 Rimfire....more barrels/cylinders screwed up with brushes, tubes, solvents, etc....
Particularly for .22 Rimfire......they are more accuarate, generally, when "dirty".
Shoot the hell out of it, wipe exterior with oil rag, Boresnake every once in while.....no brushes

 

[Hondo44]

The cylinder line scribed by the bolt latch is about the most obvious sign of wear. Not just a sign of shooting but also of cycling. If you aren't already aware, there's two things that you can do to minimize further scribing:



1st, is what flatgate said about always fully cycling the hammer all the way back before down.

Secondly, inspect the surface of the bolt latch. It's very common to still see the original file marks and sharp edges from 'fitting' the bolt at the factory which work like a file against the cylinder finish. I like to very carefully and GENTLY smooth and polish the bolt surface to a mirror finish to prevent further cylinder line wear. It can be done in the gun by taping around it to protect all surrounding blued surfaces. It will not affect your cylinder timing; just don't go 'hog wild' on polishing it.

One other thing: no matter how good the holster quality, the lining and fit, you will get some blue wear if you use a holster. Not a problem, just so that you know it going in.