cleaning equipment

[hoss-noogy]

This is something that is not talked about often but what do you use to clean your firearms with. Cleaning rods,pull through cleaners,lead and copper removers,that kind of stuff

[oldhickory]

Well Hoss I won't go into everything but one trick I figured out about 30yrs ago is to take the next smaller size bore brush and use it for a patch jag. Works fine as frogs hair! I use a .270 brush for .30 cals, a .17 for .22s etc. Just hold the patch at the end of the guide or bore and push the rod and brush through.

One other thing I've become fond of here lately is Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. Only thing I don't like about it is the cost, I use it sparingly when cleaning out copper to shoot cast in a gun.

[dragonrider]

When I clean bores, which is not often because if it ain't broke I don't fix it, I scrub the bore maybe half a dozen strokes using hoppes, then run tight patches untill dry then use a Foul out II, a couple more patches to dry it out, and oiled patch and done.

[AZ-Stew]

I use uncoated one piece stainless steel cleaning rods. Grit and cleaning products such as JB bore paste won't embed in the rod, turning it into a file.

I also use brass jags (slotted tips are worthless) and 100 percent cotton patches, preferably from Southern Bloomer. These are made from cloth scraps that came from the underwear manufacturing industry. Very absorbent and soft.

I've been working my way through a bunch of cleaning solvents and have finally arrived at Montana X-Treme Copper Killer. This stuff takes out EVERYTHING. Beware of the ammonia fumes. It only takes a couple of saturated patches through the bore, each followed by 15-30 minutes wait while the solvent works, to clean a barrel. When the patches begin to look clean, the barrel is. If necessary, I polish the bore with JB Bore Paste. I work the JB into a patch, then pass it through the barrel 5 times from breech to muzzle, unscrew the jag and withdraw the cleaning rod, replace the jag and repeat. After 5 passes I replace the patch with another treated with JB and do another 5 passes. This is followed by a couple of patches soaked in solvent to remove the JB, then a dry patch or two, followed by one patch coated with Montana X-Treme Bore Conditioner (a light oil for preservation).

If shooting cast, once the copper is out of a barrel, reasonable loads won't lead the bore. All that remains is to clean out the powder fouling. Any good solvent will do the job.

Regards,

Stew

[Buckshot]

..............I'm pretty basic. Hoppes generally and Sweets 7.62 is used, if for some reason I've shot jacketed ammo. I use brass jags for patches, and slotted nylon tips for patches to apply the Sweets. Bronze brushes are from Midway. For cleaning rods I use the coated Dewy rods. For patches I go to the fabric store and buy diaper flannel, which has a nap on both sides. I get the gals at the store to cut it into 1 yard lengths.

I stack 5 thicknesses and use my leather cutting scissors to cut out patches. Last time they actually had it on sale (this was several years ago) and I bought 15 yards :-). I cut it all up while I was at work, and still have 4 plastic grocery bags full. The only guns I thoroughly clean are ones I don't expect to be shooting for some time. Otherwise I run a oiled mop through the barrel, and wipe the ouside down with a silicone impregnated cloth, which I also make for myself. I use the diaper flannel again. Cut into a 1' square, spray it with silicone lube and fold them up and put them into sandwich size ziploc bags.

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

[lurch]

Copper fouling gets a treatment of patch out with accelerator or Barnes CR10. The CR10 is a relatively strong (10%) ammonia solvent and will get your attention if you get a nose full. I probably won't buy another bottle as the patch out works every bit as well. It can be left in the bore without worry and doesn't singe your nostrils, unlike the strong ammonia solutions - on both counts. Wipe out (aerosol, same basic stuff as patch out) works very well too but I think the patch out is a good bit more economical. Thorough cleaning intervals are dictated when accuracy goes South and varies from gun to gun.

I use the Tipton nickel plated jags for wiping out solvents after working and a plastic slotted tip for applying the solvents in the first place. Patches are light colored cotton scraps from around the house. I'm running low on the light colored stuff and will likely go visit the fabric shop and get some flannel there. My cleaning rods are all uncoated single piece from Dewey.

When I work on lead fouling, a Kroil soak and then a tight patch on a jag does the trick every time.

General cleaning after a session will see Ed's red with lanolin added wiped on with a patch. That stuff is about the best at keeping rust away that I have found so far, though it is a bit unpleasant smelling. It's also great for getting plastic wad fouling out of a shotgun.

[Crash_Corrigan]

If that old barrel will not clean up then try a propane torch on it. Put the weapon into a alum pie tin muzzle down and apply some heat to it.

You would not believe the condidion of the barrell on my 98/22 when I got it. I took the whole thing apart and stuck the barrell into a pie tin and applied the propane torch from the beginning of the barrel near the receiver and just ran the flame up and down about 6 inches at a time until it started to smoke.

You would not believe the black cruddy soup that cooked out of it. When it cooled down I ran some Ed's Red through it and after about 10 soaked patches and waiting overnight the darned thing shone like new.

I never shot j word boolits thru it again and it did just fine. Had a very sharply defined grooves and lands and turned out to be a great shooter.

[dromia]

Parker Hale and Dewey rods, jags and brushes.

For cleaning I use Ed's Red for primer and powder fouling, household ammonia for copper fouling and Kroil in the event of any leading.

When using ammonia I use epoxy/plastic jags and nylon or bristle brushes.

For deep cleaning of really fouled barrels I use Wipe Out foam and liquid with the accelerator. Wipe lifts of leading too.

[joeb33050]

I use smaller brushes to hold patches. Paper towel patches, I cut a stack of 10 paper towels in half, then cut each half into 4 stacks of patches. 10 paper towels = 80 long patches. Marvel Mystery Oil to clean, Oderless Paint Thinner in a metal bowl, sucked up and pumped out with a patch or brush when the moly gets too thick.
I only shoot cast, so for jacketed, ????
joe b.

[dale2242]

Tipton carbon fiber rods , Tipton coated jags, bronze brushes, Hoppes, and Shooters Choice solvent. Cotton patches. Sweet 7.62 for copper. I enjoy cleaning . Hope you do too.....dale

[Hip's Ax]

Hoppe's no 9 for lead
Shooters Choice for jacketed

Sweets for copper removal

Iosso once a year for my lead barrels
JB once in a while for rode hard barrels (my service rifles)

Dewey coated rods, brass jags, bronze cored brushes
Bore guides for everything! Very few of my rifles I can't figure out how to use a bore guide and those are all off the wall rimfires (IE Winchester 69A, Stevens 416).

Pro Shot patches

Butch's oil for the bore
Rem Oil for the outside wipe down

Water and ammonia for after corrosive

[LAH]

Don't clean much for lead but now and then like to plug the barrel, pour full of solvent and allow to sit over night. Drain the next day and wipe clean with a few patches.

[testhop]

for lead i use the LOUIS LEAD REMOVER .
thay make it in 32 cal now so i got one sanded it down to 30 cal and it works.
louis makes the 32 for pistols but some times you have to make do .
this idea may work on other rifles also

[gnoahhh]

Parker-Hale coated rods, flannel from the fabric store, Sweet's 7.62 for copper fouling and Hoppes or Ed's Red for powder fouling. Bronze brushes for stubborn fouling (lead or copper)- always using a bore guide. Thoroughly dry with clean patches, oil lightly with Breakfree. Slather it up with RIG for long term storage, with a note on the gun to remind me of the excess grease in the bore.

[Freischütz]

I use a steel rod, jag type tips, nylon brushes, and a tooth brush for most cleaning. Patches come from old flannel sheets.

Ed's Red is my favorite solvent. For copper fouling I like extra strength ammonia from Ace Hardware. Leading either gets a Lewis Lead Remover or 50/50 vinegar/hydrogen peroxide.

After cleaning I'll use RemOil or Ballistol for oiling. If the gun won't be used for awhile I use RIG.

[Bigscot]

I use Shoot Out for jacketed, Butch's on some guns and Ed's red for lead, shotguns and muzzle loaders. I used to used to use Sweet's and JB bore until I found Shoot out. The other foams have not worked as well for me.

I use the Shoot Out on a fouled bore. It seems the fouling holds the foam to the bore for better cleaning. It takes a lot less effort and patches.

Bigscot