Dedicated revolver cleaning vise

Intheshop

Banned
Anyone use one or know of any?

Don't shoot my revolvers near enough so they need a good cleaning before going back in safe.Just being lazy...if I had a vise,with appropriate jaw material (delrin) that was convenient.....life would be perfect,haha.I can do the machining/fabrication/welding.Looking for ideas and inspiration.

6" Smith #14 with Ideal 358432 is a joy on all accounts.Too nice of a rig to,"put up wet"...so to speak.BW
 

Ian

Notorious member
Piece of an old bottom-grain welding cape and a 4" Craftsman bench vise works fine fore me. Hold it by the barrel, on an angle muzzle down, automotive oil drain pan on the floor under it. Throw a shop rag around the frame opening to catch the brush spatter.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Ian,that's a start but...

We make traditional bow vises from heck.They pivot,rotate,and in general are indispensable.They use fuel hose over a pr of studs on one side and leather covered hdwd block on the moving jaw side.

So,given a few hrs of shop time a Ferrari class revolver vise seems within reach.Figured on barrel profiled,delrin "insert" blocks,which are model specific,which just slide in.Weld clamping the base to bench solves rotation in one plane.Right angle up off base...go a cpl inches and then an adjustable for "tilt" joint solves that angle.So two axis.

I googlefoo'd a bit but kept coming up with Tipton style rifle cradles.Gonna hit up Utube next.Just isn't much dope on revolver....anything really?
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
There is a much easier, quicker solution. Clean the revolver? Why? About 15 years or so ago I cleaned my match revolver bore and I still haven't gotten over the guilt that caused. Took at least 50 rounds after just to begin bringing the sight settings back. Took another 50 rounds to get back where it should be before I screwed it up. Now that is the bore, the cylinder is a different critter and gets removed and completely cleaned inside & out after every time the revolver is fired. The reason for the cylinder cleaning is that after 100 rounds or so lube starts to build up and when the revolver cools that lube gets stiff enough to cause sticky chambering. As for the bore, the revolver was shooting excellently, great 200 meter shooting and the bore is exactly where it liked to be. I am a big believer in if it ain't broke DO NOT FIX IT. Clean the bore (a supposed fix but I don't know for what) and you have changed everything about how the revolver shoots. Will take consider shooting to un-fix it. What the bore needs is to keep an eye on it to make sure YOUR loads are not leading YOUR revolver and if it isn't just plain don't fix it.
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Put it on the bench, wet brush the chambers. Patch them out. A quick wipe down with a wet patch on grungy areas, wipe off, done.
Hell, I don't clean mine at all for hundreds of rounds over multiple sessions.

Yep, I'm lazy. Gun doesn't seem to care.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I use the leather padded vice on my rifle cleaning platform. It has an all-thread screw with to two plastic rods for guidance. Open the cylinder and clamp over the lower frame. Works for me.
vice.JPG

Sorry, iPhone only will let me post it sideways.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Put it on the bench, wet brush the chambers. Patch them out. A quick wipe down with a wet patch on grungy areas, wipe off, done.
Hell, I don't clean mine at all for hundreds of rounds over multiple sessions.

Yep, I'm lazy. Gun doesn't seem to care.

Not a matter of being lazy and the revolver does care. The bore prefers to get to where it's shooting it's best and then left alone, very happy revolver bore. I do the cylinder as I mentioned and I clean up the frame & barrel (exterior). Very important to properly lube the cylinder after every cleaning.
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Intheshop

Banned
Like posted,it's about cleaning before putting them away.Don't want to clean or wipe off your guns?Fine,to me it's proper procedure.

I've laid them on carpet,bench pads,leather,vinyl store pads,etc,etc over the last 40+ years.All of which are subject to grit and what have you in a working shop.A dedicated,clamp on,two axis vise just seems natural.

I found a cpl on Utube,and they're pretty slick.One is a Bald Eagle brand,the other is a takeoff of that whole swiveling ball socket thing.But,as par for the course,they're both about semi autos,no revolvers.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Don't want to clean or wipe off your guns?Fine,to me it's proper procedure.

If that reply was directed at me I suggest you go back and re-read both of my posts in this thread. If you do you will notice that I said no such thing, not in either post. Of course I clean the exterior and if you read my posts carefully you might even notice I remove and thoroughly clean and properly lube the cylinder after EVERY time it's been fired.
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I remove the cylinder of single actions for cleaning and lube the cylinder before reassembly. A double action is a bit of a different animal.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Well color me stupid Rick cause I read your first post several times and,"if it ain't broke don't fix it" indicates a don't clean it tone?

Further supported by your story about your match barrel's requirements.Which is all helpful input hence my "fine".Different needs have different approaches.I'm tired of looking for a clean spot to "clean" and possibly actually work on revolvers.And it hit me yesterday,with a line of bow vises, that a revolver example is not only easy to build but should accomplish the same thing.....protecting the investment.Which considering the bow work(customers),and how that's similar to not messing up a nice blued finish.Meaning;investments aren't always money.So,build a fixture,a vise of sorts.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I cobbled one together out of a old Hoppe's metal revolver rest. Also works for holding a revolver upright for mounting a scope. Will post some pic's later. Going out to see if I can perforate Bambi. this AM. Bow season opened Saturday but it's been to hot, even in the mornings. This morning, it's 62 degrees, tomorrow 52.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Well color me stupid Rick cause I read your first post several times and,"if it ain't broke don't fix it" indicates a don't clean it tone?

I have explained in detail what I do and why I do it. If that ain't good enough for you please feel free to color yourself anyway you wish.

This thread is not going to be turned into a pissin match, any further posts on this subject will be deleted.
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Intheshop

Banned
With Ian's 4" vise fresh in my pea brain,I went to the shop to gather materials.

Google a Shop Fox H2633,angle vise.A version of this is on our Tig bench,was using it yesterday so it's front and center.This creates the 3rd axis(thanks Ian).....the best part however is it eliminates a base plate on revolver fixture.So now the vert is just a pce of 3/8x2",no base.It also lessons,or mitigates any added work to accomplish 2nd axis(tilt).Because the 2" wide vert simply gets clamped at whatever tilt angle you need.

Now it's just a threaded barrel tightening part....that ostensibly any vise can hold,axis counting aside.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Winelover......PLEASE shoot as many Deer as you care to!Wifey tore the Fr end off her hot rod Subaru cpl days ago....Deer hunting.200# buck must of had serious grievance issues? with her drivers side headlight.

So what's the right,less than 20-25$,assuming Red? wine to go with a perfectly grilled Deer steak?
 

Cherokee

Medina, Ohio
I use a craftsmen bench vice, leather cover for the jaws, camp the barrel with the butt up. Clean the barrel, then remove the cyl and scrub, patch until junk is gone. Get residue off the rest of the revolver. I try to do this ever 5-600 rounds. Barrel is never leaded but cyl is junked up. Maybe next time I'll leave the barrel alone and see what happens. Basically use the same process for semi-autos except no cyl to clean.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Here's what I use. Hoppe's revolver rest, adapted for cleaning and or scope mounting.

P9280127.JPG

Drilled and tapped the 4 holes for the thumb screws and fashioned the aluminum angle brackets. Glued 1/8" sheet rubber to the brackets.

P9280126.JPG


P9280125.JPG

Can clamp to bench or place sand bags or ingots, on the board, for more stability.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Sat out this AM from 6:30 till 9:30.......saw a glimpse one deer at 7:25 but couldn't see the head. Didn't respond to grunt. We have a 3 point rule in Arkansas. Legal buck has to have a minimum of three points on one side.

Any California Cabernet Sauvignon, in that price range should fare well. Personally, I usually don't spend that much on one bottle. We consume a bottle of wine daily, usually red. Try to keep it under $10, otherwise, I'd be broke.
 

Tom

Well-Known Member
Winelover, that's pretty similar to my homemade revolver cleaning vise. Mine is maple, with a felt lined v cut in the front upright for the barrel. On the rear, I mortised one solid upright into the base and the other upright was loose with two holes in it for carriage bolts to tighten it on the grip frame. I used washers and wing nuts to tighten it.