[BBroadside]

I think I am experiencing the Old Revolver Blues. I have an H&R 929, a double-action swing-out .22 LR nine-shooter. It's from 1969. I love the revolver.

Trouble is, its crane is showing its age, and I don't know how to clean it without bending and possibly making it even looser. I'm really gentle when I shooting it, but I can't get the bore brush into the chambers without pushing pretty hard. I can hold onto the cylinder while I use the bore brush, but then the weight of the frame is torquing the crane. I can hold onto the frame, but then then friction of brush against chambers is torquing the crane. The same goes for bore patches, unless I cut them so small they're just tickling the insides of the chamber.

Should I be trying a different cleaning technique, or get a .204 caliber brush, or quit worrying about my crane getting loose? For a while my plan was: clean barrel, frame, and outside of cylinder but not chambers, but I realized that will make extraction stickier, necessitating punching the ejection rod harder ... same problem.
:sorry:

I am assuming there's no real economical way for a gunsmith to tighten a loose revolver, at least one that's been out of production for so long. True?

Some facts I learned about the H&R 929 today:
The HKS Speedloader designed for the Taurus 94 does indeed work for putting .22 LR into the revolver, but not for .22 Short. The speedloader doesn't mate to the cylinder at all; with .22 Short the ejector star keeps the loader so far away that the bullets don't enter the chamber at all! Not a big deal; I never buy .22 Short but I steal my buddy's.

 

[armyrat1970]

I have an old H&R 922, but it is not a swing out cylinder.
I don't see how you can weaken the crane of your's by simply running a bore brush through the cylinders to clean them. Your brush must be really large to have to apply that much pressure.
What size brush are you using??
Hummmmm?

 

[Jonnin]

you can do an awful lot of cleaning of a .22 with a fluffed up q-tip and solvent. If you need a tight brush to get something out, it should be rare.

 

[BBroadside]

I got a brand-new .22 caliber brush just for the weapon. I suppose it could have been put in the wrong package ... it's bristles are longer than my 12-gauge brush.

Naw just kidding. It does take some force to get it in; I suppose if it is for .223 bores and/or .22 Magnum chambers it will be a little oversized for 0.22" chambers.

I think I will try the Q-tip approach; hadn't thought of that. Better than raggedy strips of bore patch in any case....

 

[NY50/70]

A better fitting brush may take care of it.

If you have some stubborn crud in it use your favorite solvent/penetrating oil and let it set awhile.

For swing out revolvers I hold the cylinder between my thumb and middle finger, with the frame in my palm held with the other three fingers.
For tougher stuff lay the revolver on the bench and use your free hand to hold the cylinder.

 

[biggs1deer]

TIP. don't fire .22 shorts in it . I had an H&R 922 and the .22 shorts burned rings in the cylinder, and caused problems removing the .22 long rifle spent cases, as they expended into the burn rings in the cylinder.

 

[BBroadside]

Those ideas look excellent. I'll report back right here.