Posted: 1/17/2008 8:17:35 PM EDT
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remove the side plate on your revolvers when cleaning? I used to do it once a year but I have been doing some checking every time i shoot it. I was surprised how much carbon gets under them and into the workings of the gun. I now clean under the side plate every time I shoot and reoil everything especially if it is going to sit in the safe for a while. It takes more time to clean but getting that crap out makes me sleep better at night. 
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The only real downsides are that the fit of the side plate will degrade from being removed and replaced so often, and the screw heads will be "dinked up". Also, each time you re-torque the side plate screws they tend to screw in a slight bit farther. Eventually, this will begin to strip the threads in the frame and/or the screws. |
Same here. I do it for every new revolver be it brand new in box or a consignment gun coming off the shelf. Then periodically once ever 2-3 years. They really aren't hard to take off as long as you rap the frame correctly it will resonate free and drop easily into your hand. |
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Hmmmm, guess I need to not do this so much! I'm very careful and youcan not tell the side plate has been removed and they all still fit very tight. So what is the trick to tapping them off? I tried a few times with a rubber handle and had no luck. I usually get them started with a plastic wedge and finish with my finger slowly working it off. |
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You never want to pry the side plate at all. From everybody I've talked to and the things I've read you run the risk of eventually warping the side plate. What I remember reading and what I have done occasionally in the past is to hold the revolver with the side plate facing down (the revovler on it's side) over something soft and with the grips off strike the up on the grip frame with a wooden mallet or other hard but non-marring object (wooden hammer handle). The side plate and usually the hand will fall right off/out. You shouldn't have to hit to hard (especially since you've had the side plate off a few times before) maybe with the same force it would take to crush an ice cube. Sounds kinda wierd but it's the same principal as the remaining bullets in a revolver cylinder working their way forward out of their brass under heavy recoil. It's an inertia thing with the gun moving and the sideplate/bullets wanting to stay where they are. Hope this helps  Edit: I've shot A LOT of lead reloads with UNIQUE powder through a Smith 629, which is a dirty combination, for nearly 20 years and I've only had the side plate off 3-4 times for cleaning. It was dirty in there but I never had a malfunction. |