S&W 642/442 Manual:Cleaning and Field Stripping

I recently purchased the S&W 442. The manual that comes with the gun is not specific to the field stripping/cleaning of the 642/442. It basically applies to any S&W revolver.

Does anyone have either a 642/442 manual they can e-mail me, OR give me detailed instructions on how to field strip/clean the gun.

I am fairly new to revolvers. I am assuming that I should be cleaning the chambers/barrel the way I would any other gun. I am also assuming that I should not be taking anything apart.

Thank you in advance!
Glocker

congrats on the new pistol. I've had mine for a while now and like it a lot. There's no magic to cleaning it. Brush and patches just like any other pistol. Pay attention to the area under the ejection star as that can gunk up pretty quickly. I use a well worn green scrubbing pad to clean the cylinder face. I've read about people taking the face plate off on a yearly basis to blow the pocket lint out of it but haven't done it myself. There's a thread dedicated to the j frame over at 'thehighroad.org'..642 club. Lots of good info there. Enjoy your new pistol.

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=138658

I wouldn't worry about taking a revolver apart until you've got at least a few thousand rounds through it. Clean the chambers and the bore, wipe down any visible powder fouling, and maybe coat with oil it if it's blued.

I use a bore snake to clean the cylinder on a revolver. I start the bore snake in one chamber and before I fully pull it through, I start it in the the next chamber. I can keep better track of which chambers I have cleaned, as I generally find a way to spin the cylinder if I use a cleaning rod.



Rick

Use one of the steel Tornado brushes on the cylinders to speed things up, a bronze brush on the bore, then wipe down what you can get to.

If your going to open the sideplate, you better damn well know what you're looking at. Most shooters should never go in here. If your going to do it, buy the Kuhnhausen book and keep it close by.

If your going to take any screws out, use a screwdriver that fits the slot well. The front screw which holds the cylinders and crane in place is a special screw, and isn't cheap to replace. This is the only screw you should even possibly take out without understanding the intimate workings of the action.

With this removed you can take the crane and cylinders out. The crane has two raised bearing surfaces which contact the cylinders. A drop of oil on each can make your trigger pull a little nicer.

I'd pay a certified armorer to do anything more to your gun than this.

Thanks for all the info........

Glocker