Survival Guns: How To Clean And Maintain Your Revolver

Ask a prepper which of his items is closer to his heart, and he would talk about his gun, for sure. This is why is very important that you know how to clean and maintain your guns. Without this specialized knowledge your revolvers and semi-auto pistols will become nothing more than rusted and frozen up pieces of broken metal.

Considering the number of people owning handguns in our prepper community, and their different knowledge and skills, there are things to be said and steps to be learned to keep your firearms at the ready. We’ll take this journey together here, on Survivopedia, and start with how to clean and maintain a S&W 649 revolver ( .357 Magnum Stainless Steel Bodyguard).

Step 1 – Always visually check to make sure the revolver cylinder is empty and there is no loaded ammunition in the cleaning area.

Step 2 – Lay out all the needed cleaning supplies in the cleaning area along with the revolver with the cylinder open.

Step 3 – Attach a wire cleaning brush to the cleaning rod with the proper bore diameter. Apply cleaning solvent to the brush.

Insert the cleaning rod with the brush on it at the muzzle and push it down the barrel until the brush exits the barrel. Then pull the brush back out of the barrel.

Do this 8-10 times or until the barrel is clean.

Step 4 – Remove the cleaning brush from the cleaning rod and replace it with the cleaning patch tip on the cleaning rod. Put a clean lubricated patch through the patch tip. Insert the cleaning rod down the barrel from the muzzle end.

When it exits the barrel, remove the dirty patch and replace with a clean one. Then pull the cleaning rod out of the barrel and remove the dirty patch.

Repeat this 5-8 times or until the barrel is clean.

Step 5 – Put the bore brush back on the cleaning rod to clean the cylinder. Apply cleaning solvent to the brush. Put the brush in a cylinder from the back and push it through. Then pull the brush out of the cylinder.

Do this 5-8 times or until the cylinder is clean. Repeat this for all of the cylinders.

Step 6 – Remove the bore brush from the cleaning rod and replace it with the patch tip. Run a clean patch 5-8 times through each cylinder from the back of the cylinder to the front.

Next run a lubricated patch through the cylinders to keep them lubricated.

Step 7 – Use small metal picks to clean the lock works of the revolver to remove dirt, grime, or powder residue.

Step 8 – Use a small metal pick to remove dirt, grime, or powder residue from the extractor of the cylinder and other cylinder parts. Lubricate these cylinder parts lightly with a good quality firearms lubricant.

Step 9 – Lubricate the lock works with a good quality firearms lubricate.

Step 10 – Wipe down the outside of the revolver with a good quality firearms lubricant.

Important: Do not disassemble the revolver beyond this point! Only a certified gunsmith should do this for repairs or a super cleaning when it is necessary.

The shooter must remember that a dirty and a not well maintained handgun is a dangerous weapon to the shooter. With neglect and poor cleaning and maintenance a handgun will begin to rust and the internal parts will weaken or possibly break.

The firearm’s dependability will fall and the handguns will eventually fail when you need them the most.

If you found this article useful, stay close for the next step of our guide about cleaning and maintaining your guns.