Jack D

....is showing signs of what looks like (but isn't) holster wear. I really like the way it shoots and handles as well as carries in my Remora IWB clipless holster and I have no desire to send it back to Ruger (again) for a refinish. It's less than 7 weeks old, four of which it was in Rugers customer service hands.

I'm considering removing the finish on the cylinder. It is stainless, so should be OK bare. I don't know what the finish is or what might take it off. Has anyone done this to the LCR stainless cylinder? What did you use and what was the end result?

I have a dremel and a couple of die grinders, so I'm thinking I can polish the cylinder after I get the finish off.

Thoughts????

bearcatter

Ruger doesn't really say what it is, they just give it a name. I think if you do remove it, use something very gentle that won't be removing any metal.

My two LCRs haven't seen much use yet, but being all rust resistant, some worn finish won't bother me. The LCRs aren't exactly pretty guns to start with, and their intended use definitely puts them more into the "tool" category than many other guns.

Jack D

I tend to agree with you. They aren't really wear so I don't know what is causing it. They are spots, about 1/8" diameter at the bullet end of the cylinder chambers. Seven chambers have these roundish bare spots and the last one is just a spec. It is cosmetic only.

I sent Ruger an email asking about the finish and the best way to remove it. I'm betting they will just tell me to send it in. Something I'm not willing to do at this point.

To polish, I'm thinking a buffing wheel in the Dremel with a compound of some sort. Maybe valve grinding compound, or a course buffing compound. Some trial and error may be necessary. I would do just the exterior surface and stay away from the ends......if I do anything at all.

A note: I've read that the cylinder and barrel are stainless steel. The stainless that I'm familiar with is non-magnetic or in some cases only slightly magnetic. I tested the barrel and cylinder of my LCR and they are strongly attracted by a magnet. HMMMMmmm???

bearcatter

The LCR-357 has a stainless cylinder and frame, and I've imagined what it would look like with Ruger's usual brushed finish and maybe a gray grip frame. That may be something TALO could think about as one of their Exclusives.

Jack D

That would be a sweet looking LCR.

Jack D

Photo of cylinder showing areas of finish in question. How does your LCR finish compare?

sharpblade

I took the cylinder out of one of my lcr's and used crocus cloth to take the factory finish off. It looked great. The only problem is, the lcr had a defect and I had to send it off to ruger and they destroyed it and sent me a new one. I had two different grits of crocus and don't remember where I got it. I did have a picture saved.

Jack D

It does look nice. I'm in contact with Ruger CS (email) to see what they say. There is also some damage showing on the crane right at the cylinder (circled) and I don't know what caused this. They may want it back when they see this damage. If not, I may just polish the cylinder like you did.

Jack D

UPDATE:

I sent the LCR back to Ruger and they replaced the cylinder and crane. After ~400 rounds of Blaser ammo, it looked just like the old cylinder did. Puzzled, I scraped a spot with my fingernail and discovered that the finish was not coming off afterall. It was covered with sprayed lead.

Attached is a photo of the new cylinder after ~400 rounds and after a vigorous cleaning. A lot of lead still showing. I don't know how to get it off without damaging the finish.

Suggestions to remove the lead without damaging the finish?

Will copper clad bullets prevent this lead spray?

Attached Images

newcyl2.jpg (81.5 KB, 29 views)

KJS

Earlier this year I bought a S&W 617 and it sprayed a whole lot of lead, much like what you have pictured. I returned it to S&W and they cut the forcing cone, which significantly reduced the amount of lead sprayed, though it still sprays some lead. I'd love to hear from other .22 revolver owners on if this is simply the nature of .22 revolvers in general.

I use a bronze brush (looks like a toothbrush) that gets off much, though certainly not all of the lead. This works on a S&W 617 that's stainless. I have no idea how one would remove lead from an LCR where you have the issue of having to protect a delicate finish. Lead is pretty stubborn. Seems those with a blued gun would face the same problem of not damaging the finish.

On my 617 the spray still occurs with copper plated. Since getting it back from S&W I haven't tired my Blazer LRN ammo for comparison to see if that's any worse.

Jack D

One of my possible solutions is to remove the finish and polish the cylinder and crane. They are stainless, according to Ruger CS. Then I could use a stainless or brass "toothbrush".

KJS

What about the aluminum frame? Your pic shows lead splashed on that too -- above the cylinder gap on the top strap, where I get lead spray as well. Your pic shows some lead splashed on the frame below the forcing cone & I bet we'd see even more lead spray covering the frame in front of the cylinder if you showed it from another angle.

I wonder what that finish on the stainless is even there for. Since the LCR was designed for concealed carry is this coating designed to make the stainless steel even more rust resistant when sitting next to sweaty skin all day long? Probably not an issue since I assume most don't carry the .22 version.

Seems like cleaning the aluminum frame would still be a huge issue given that you got this much of a lead mess on it from just 400 rounds.

There's still some stubborn lead I can't get off my 617 with a brass brush, though I'd rather not risk using a stainless steel brush. With a brass brush I'm able to get off everything that matters from a standpoint of function. Lead that gets stuck directly between my forcing cone & top strap is out of reach, though it doesn't impact function so I figure it doesn't matter. Before I had S&W cut the forcing cone & I started using a brass "toothbrush" it would get so bad that the cylinder would bind up such that trigger pull or hammer cocking was impossible.

An experienced revolver enthusiast at LGS suggested using a dental pick to clean lead out of that area between forcing cone & top strap. I haven't tried that yet as it doesn't seem to impact function, though I found such picks are available on Amazon should I ever want to.

Jack D

Yes. There is some lead spray on the underside of the top strap, but that's not very visible with the cylinder closed and I can lightly scrape off the excess. I'm mostly concerned about the outer surfaces of the cylinder and the area of the crane just under the forcing cone (with cylinder closed) that could interfere with operatiion. These are stainless and a polish like my SP101, .357 would not be bad at all. A two tone revolver. And, yes, it is my main carry piece.

KJS

Interesting. I'd been wondering how many buy the .22 LCR as a carry weapon. I know many would mock the .22, but none of the mockers would care to be shot with 8 rounds of .22. Also, when you draw a gun I suspect bad guys only see "it's a gun!" and don't bother to look at the size of the holes. I can certainly see a reason for it: tiny guns in "serious" calibers are hell to shoot. A .22 LCR is something you can afford to practice with as much as you want in the caliber you're actually going to use in SD.

Seems like it's marketed as a "trainer" for the .38 & .357 LCRs, though it strikes me that its training ability is somewhat limited. No .22 can train you to withstand with hard kick of a .38 or .357 in a tiny revolver.

Early this year I rented a .357 LCR and got my a** kicked by even powder puff .38 wadcutter target loads. My accuracy was horrific. Wondering how I could be so bad, I took out my own GP100 6" and hit the same target just fine. I can fire .357s just fine from nearly 3 pounds of steel, yet even the mildest .38s are too much for me from a snubie. Seems I'm quite a wimp. So a couple years "training" on a .357 didn't prepare me, so I'm wondering how a .22 LCR prepares anyone for the "real thing" of a .38/.357 LCR.

Jack D

I carried a S&W "Chiefs Special", .38 spl and it really hurt when I fired it. Conseguently, I rarely fired it. The LCR 22 is lighter and more comfortable to carry and a blast to shoot. Ammo cost is not a factor, so I shoot ~500 rounds/month in my home range (shop) and I can put all 8 rounds in a 6" circle in 3-5 seconds. I do miss occasionally, but not by much. IMO 2-3 well aimed .22's are better than one .38. You have 2-3 times the opportunity to hit a vital. The more well aimed shots you can get off, the better your chances of hitting the vitals and several smaller holes more than equal one larger hole (IMO). Practice makes perfect (if perfect is possible). The more you practice, the more likely you are to be able to hit your intended target with multiple hits.

Anyway, that's my view and the reason I carry a .22LR.

I knew (he's gone now) a man that was robbed at gun point. He said the hole in the end of that gun was big enough to crawl into. I suspect all guns pointed at you would be similar.