Barrel cleaning, how often?

[Murphy]

Howdy folks,

Over time, I have heard 2 different schools of thought on cast boolits and rifles concerning cleaning.

To clean or not to clean is the question.

How often between shots?

Never?

Why?

Edited after powderburnerrs below post (Good points).
Good questions Powderburnerr,

I guess it would be of much more help if I included that information as well.

Here goes:

I'm starting with the barrel clean as I can humanly get it, short of using the Outter's Foul Out system.

A boolit hardness of approximately 14 to 15 Brinell Hardness.

The boolit , Lyman #31141.

Lube, Felix's world famous lube.

Velocity? 1800 FPS or slightly higher.

Lauching platform? Winchester 1894', 20 inch barrel.

Barrel condition, 'Good'...but not 'as new'.



Talk to me guys...:)


Murphy

[powderburnerr]

how often between shots ....hummmmmmmmmmmmmm is this a trick question ?

if you were going to clean between shots you would only have to clean once ... the second time the gun would still be clean ..


on the other hand if you were to clean between groups ... once would be enough here as well

as to how many times during the day ....that would depend on
1 how many times you shot
2 how many groups you shot
3how hot the rounds were
4 how good the lube was
5 what calibre you shoot
and last

how smooth is the bore..

these are all arbritrary figures based on the rectal temp of sled dogs in alaska in January

usually when the accuracy starts to fail.......Dean

[Bigjohn]

Well done powderburnerr; it seems to me that you have put in some quality research on this subject. [smilie=1:

However, I normally swab with a dry patch between groups and with a nitro solvent; as opposed to copper solvent; at the end of the day. Then when clean a light coat of rust inhibiting LUCAS product.

Murphy, IMO between groups or as needed especially if leading is a problem.

P.S. pburnerr: Just what is the rectal temp of a Sledge dog in Alaska during winter????? :kidding:

John

[powderburnerr]

it all depends on the length of the finger.......................Dean

[454PB]

First,I'll answer by saying that my guns get cleaned every trip to the range.

Now for my rant....

I see guys at the range that have huge piles of misc. crap to clean their rifles, tie up the benches on both sides of the one the rifle is on, and spend 30 minutes cleaning for every 5 minutes of shooting.

Typically these are the same guys that come over and stand behind you while you are shooting, then strike up a conversation the minute you remove your muffs. Of course they then have to "educate" you for the next 20 minutes while your ears are exposed and by the time they are done you're so punchy from muzzle blast you just want to go home.

It's my theory that these guys have no other social life, and a rifle range is the perfect environment to catch somebody sitting down that can't get away easily.

OK.....now I feel better[smilie=1:

[drinks]

I usually clean after each range session, but I have learned I most definately do not want to clean either my .45-70 or .445 SM before I go hunting, as the
first shot can be as much as 4" different from the next few.

[powderburnerr]

murphy ,
if you are not pushing them you could go all day but if the groups open up while shooting a known load it is most likely time to clean .. However, if I change loads or bulletss or lubes I clean before the next goround just so I know that the new components are fresh and not contaminated .. your gun will tell you when it wants to be cleaned .......Dean

[Bass Ackward]

To clean or not to clean is the question.

How often between shots? Never? Why? Murphy



Murphy,

Some things I believe make sense to ask for the experience of others. And after I have read the discussions of this topic every time, this .... may not be one of them. Climate, lube choice, heating system in your home, barrel steels, cleaning methods, temperature outside during use and many other things affect this personal decision.

For cleaning during use, I ask Professor gun. But cleaning during use is different from cleaning for storage. But I don't have trouble getting accuracy back to where the bore needs to be for accuracy either because that's how I work up loads. Two or three shots and I'm back. And my cleaners amount to no more than 4 patches to bare bore. 15 minutes tops and CSI could not tell if the gun have been fired. So cleaning for me isn't time consuming, and thus no hastle. Others are different.

A lot of things factor in to what should be "your" decision of cleaning that YOU have to answer. And I can pretty much guarantee that "your" decision won't be rational or logical to someone else.

[Buckshot]

..............I clean: 1) If accuracy deteriorates 2) If I suspect or see leading (experimental loading) 3) If the firearm is being put away for an indefinate period. Otherwise I run an oiled mop up and down the bore a couple times, wipe the exterior with a silicone impregnated rag.

So the short answer is, they usually DON'T get cleaned in the usual sense.

..............Buckshot

[David R]

The usual answer. It depends.

I have a 1911 A1 that I could never clean the barrel. The action gets full of gunk and accuracy goes south. My enfield shoots BETTER if I don't clean it. My 308 using a full case of WC860 is good for about 100 rounds, then groups open up. 44 Mag, no need to clean unless I don't like the apearence of the gun. My K38 smith? Clean it every time its shot to retain the accuracy. I think the gun will tell you when it needs it.

David

[OLD RSM]

Hi
I brush every time I shoot my handguns and rifles with lead.
Cheers

[DOUBLEJK]

I guess I'm just lazy....
I almost never clean a gun's bore that is strictly a cast boolit launcher...
I have shot literaly 1000's of rounds down some handguns without ever sending any thing else thru that tube...
My cast boolit rifles would be the same way but I always seem to try nother load...sometimes too fast with resultant leading....but that or an unussual symptom like pokin' em in the water or dirt is the only time I clean the barrels...:cry:
They are all wiped off with a siliconed impregnented cloth every time I handle em...
The rifles are stored in a siliconed gun sock...never had one rust yet in one a these nifty jobs....:Fire:

[Bigjohn]

Murphy;

Since my first post on this subject many other have chimed in with their methods of cleaning with cast boolits.
I would have to agree with just about everyone of the replies but with the one 'rider'; your firearm will in some way or another tell you when it wants cleaning. The best indication will be when accuracy goes south for no apparent reason during a shoot.

As I said with my previous post; I use a dry clean patch between groups or details with a more detailed cleaning at the end of each day with extra attention paid if the rifle is to be put away for a period of time.

In my revolver I can fire several hundred rounds in a day at a big match using cast boolits with no more than a dry patch after each course. I have not had any leading problems during these events. Plus a wipe over with a dry cloth to remove powder residue from the outside.

I may experience; each and every firearm appear to have invidual persona's when it comes to likes and dislikes for ammunition and cleaning. Just see what yours perfers.

John