S&W 686 - Gun Runs Dirty

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petriw

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My S7W 686 6" barrel gets really dirty after about 100 rounds 158 SWC lead 3.2 grains 231. is my gun getting tired or what? Very accurate even when slightly dirty. Approximate round count unknown but believed to be 5000+

Love the trigger.

Wade
 
In my experience WIN 231 is not the cleanest burning powder out there. My hands are dirty after shooting a steel match. Not as bad as Wolf reloads tho.

I use it, since it does everything from 44mag to 9mm.

M
 
It has been a long time since I've done any reloading, but I recall that 231 powder leaves a lot of residue. It could also be that your bullets and bullet lube leave some residue as well. Give your revolver a cursory cleanup every range session and it shouldn't be a problem...as you note, your gun is still accurate even when it's dirty.
 
Yep, new or totally bagged out, no gun will run clean or even minimally dirty with 231 loads.

The good news is that the fouling from all the powders out there is very soft which is why it doesn't matter if the bore looks like a madcap pepper grinder session or if it's sparkling clean. Each shot clears the way and leaves its own new trail of debris. The ONLY difference from a squeaky clean bore and one which is fouled is two or three rounds. By then it's a "steady state of debris".
 
Doesn't seem to matter what powder I use - or even what kind of bullets- my shiny guns are always a lot less shiny after a few rounds. It is just the nature of the beast :)

They all leak a lot of gas at the cylinder gap and now you are seeing the results. Different powders and different bullets may vary the rate of residue build up but...... a dirty gun is the inevitable result if you fire enough rounds.

John
 
All revolvers will get that black soot on the cylinder, I've experimented with different powders, and I found 231 to be dirty and smokey powder.
I now use WST, it's much cleaner than 231.
 
For lead bullets in the 686 you might want to look at Clays. Of all the powders mentioned here it has been my experience Clays burns the cleanest, even cleaner than WST in 38spl cases using 158gr lead boolits. Some of the residue you see is from the burning lube, something you live with when shooting lead. Lead boolits have some advantages over plated or jacketed bullets but clean is not one of them.

John summed it up best. Shoot lots....clean lots.

Take Care

Bob
 
Yeah I use Clays - with the cast boolits you make for me and with the Berrys I use for match bullets. Same result. Gun gets dirty......quicker with the lead than the plated but dirty.......but it's a good dirty :)


John
 
just keep shooting it till you can't identify it anymore, then sell it to some one as a rare custom carbon gun.....should be sold for enough for you to buy a new clean one and an other case of ammo.

or just clean it now and then, whichever.....mine get cleaned when they get to dirty to handle without my hands turning black. I love stainless revolvers :)
 
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