How to Clean a Stainless-Steel .357 With Oil

Make sure you have enough time and the proper materials to clean a .357 Magnum pistol.

Cleaning a stainless-steel .357 with oil is usually done after a bout of target shooting or when the weapon has become dusty after sitting for a period of time. This cleaning method should only be used when there's adequate time and the proper materials available to do the job thoroughly. The process of cleaning a gun with oil is basically the same as cleaning the weapon with solvent. A stainless-steel pistol is less prone to corrosion and rust than a blue-steel weapon.

Things You'll Need

• Clean rag
• .357 bore brush
• Gun oil
• Pistol-cleaning rod
• Brass brush
• .357 cleaning patches
• .357 cylinder brush
• Soft, absorbent cloth

Instructions

1. Remove all ammunition from the work area.

2. Open the gun's cylinder by pushing on the cylinder release and swinging the cylinder out from the gun. Verify that each chamber in the cylinder is empty.

3. Wrap a cloth around the hammer, extending through the cylinder opening, back around to the hammer and tie it. The cloth protects the firing pin at the rear of the cylinder opening when the bore brush is run through the barrel.

4. Screw the correct-size bore brush for a .357 Magnum pistol on the end of a pistol-cleaning rod, available at gun stores, and dip the bore brush into the gun oil. Grasp the pistol by the barrel with one hand; with the other hand, push the bore brush completely through the barrel until it exits out the other end. Make certain the brush exits the barrel on both the up and down stroke; repeat this process 10 times.

5. Pour a small amount of gun oil on a brass brush, available from gun stores; this brush looks like a standard toothbrush but has brass bristles and is made for cleaning guns. Vigorously brush the end of the barrel opening where the bullet exits, since pitting or corrosion in this area can cause accuracy problems.

6. Attach a .357 Magnum cleaning patch to the cleaning rod, dip the patch into the gun oil, and repeat the process of running it through the barrel 10 times in the same manner as the bore brush. Continue by attaching fresh, dry patches to the cleaning rod until the cleaning patch exits the barrel clean, with no visible oil or gunpowder residue.

7. Dip a .357 Magnum cylinder brush, available at gun stores, into the gun oil. Attach the cylinder brush to the cleaning rod, hold the cylinder open and push the bore brush completely through and out of each chamber 10 times.

8. Use the brass brush dipped in gun oil to scrub the outside and each end of the cylinder. Clean the ejector rod in the center of the cylinder by pushing it in to clean the rear of the rod and allowing it to move back out to clean the front of the rod.

9. Scrub the inside of the cylinder opening, paying special attention to the firing pin at the rear of the opening by using the brass brush treated with gun oil.

10. Wipe the gun thoroughly with a soft, absorbent cloth to remove excess gun oil and residue. Run dry cleaning patches through the barrel and the cylinders until the patches emerge completely dry. Oil in the barrel or chambers can affect the gun's performance and attract dirt and debris.

Tips & Warnings

• Invest in a bore light (available at gun stores), which illuminates the inside of the bore when it's inserted into one end. The barrel can be inspected for cleanliness if you look into the other end.

• Don't leave oil in the bore of the gun. Oil is pushed out of the barrel when the bullet exits and builds up on the inside of the barrel, resulting in the metal actually bulging over time and requiring the purchase of a new barrel.

References

• Attrition.org: Cleaning the Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum