Bought a used Ruger SS Blackhawk 4.62"

[Pablo]

$325. It's kinda worn and needs a good barrel and cylinder cleaning, plus the Bianchi holster is a little worse for wear. SN indicates it was made in 1977. Some days I just want to shoot 38 Special and 357 mag and leave the auto loaders at home.

Range report in couple weeks. Private party so I could just walk away with it.

[Pablo]

First of all the action and the cylinder are pretty clean, not up to my cleanliness standards, but acceptable. Serial numbers match. It's a bit odd - barrel neglected, action fairly clean. I just spent an 1.5 hours cleaning the barrel and cylinder, I'll focus on the barrel, because the cylinder just came along for the ride. I removed the grips which have a nice dark patina and a ton of gun oil soaked into them. I gently cleaned the loose dirt and sweaty hand grime with Murphy's oil soap and warm water. They are clean with rich patina still there. I will oil them up just a bit with some wood oil.

Last night I left it wetted/soaking in Ballistol. The barrel was so filthy, I went straight to the wet bronze brush. I went at it for a bit - wow lots of junk came out, including small copper bits and flakes. The Ballistol was foaming a bit. Then I swabbed, and blew it out with MP, swabbed dry. Barrel now roughly cleaner with all loose material gone but plenty of rust/orange colored material packed in the grooves.

Next I get out the Sweet's 7.62 Bore Cleaning Solvent and patches. Soak and repeat. Vigorous swabbing. The patches never got very much blue on them - curious this. Dry out really well, then hose down well with more MP. Repeat and dry. For sure it is cleaner - making progress, but still this reddish stuff in the grooves.

Next some 25 year old Hoppe's #9, soak and brush and soak and brush - the very last of my stash. The grooves are now more prominent, but still stained. Dry and swap with oil and blow out again with MP, repeat.

The barrel is now cleaner than when I started, but I still cannot ID the fouling. It's almost like it's surface oxidation on non-passivated stainless steel. (It could be!). It's now shootable, but I would appreciate some input. Plus I will research more.

Gun reassembled and it's that very sweet New Model Blackhawk love action. Very nice.

[BarryinIN]

Sounds nice no matter how much you have to clean it. My feeling is cleaning I can deal with; dinged crowns or scratched bores I can't.

I know everybody has an opinion on cleaning products (and if you want to see a real fight, go to some forums and ask what lube to use) so I usually keep quiet about this stuff. You sound like you have a special case here, though.

I keep hearing how wonderful Kroil is as a bore cleaner. I've heard about using it to clean guns for 20 years or more but never used it myself. At first, it was benchresters, then gradually other shooters. I keep hearing how it "gets under" stuff better than anything. The cast bullet guys are almost religious about the stuff.

[Pablo]

Soaked for two days in PB Blaster. Bronze brushed it a bunch and soaked again. Brushed and blew it out. Rinsed entire gun with Amsoil MP, because P'Blaster stinks so bad....wiped it dry....

And great news!! Barrel is very clean. Certainly no pitting, just a one or two specks left at the muzzle end, nice and shiny. WooWho!!

[Pablo]

The gun shoots nice. Grips were slippery. I do like 6" barrel better.

[BarryinIN]

I always thought the 5-1/2 barrel SAs looked the best but didn't care for it other than looks. I felt it was a compromise length and wanted a longer barrel on some guns/calibers and shorter on others.

Then after having some SAs with longer barrels (up to 12" Dakota) and some with shorter ones, I got the .44 Spl with the middle-of-the-road 5-1/2" barrel. I had wanted a 4-5/8 barrel on that gun, but the 5-1/2 was all I found at the time. Beggars can't be choosers, so I took it. Now I like that length best. Maybe compromise isn't so bad.

I want a 5-1/2" .44 Spl/44-40 USFA pretty bad.