Cleaning Your Barrel?

[metweezer]

Tried to do a poll but the option wasn't there (it has happened before). :violin:What do you use to clean your barrel of powder, copper and lead? Do you use a boresnake, a brass or aluminum jag or maybe a wire brush with your favorite cleaner/lubricant? [smilie=6:

[btroj]

For copper I have come to like TM solution. I use a couple of wet patches followed by a dry one. A few cycles of that is followed by a couple wet brushes short stroked down the barrel. I fewer the brush at both ends of the barrel. The barrel is then left horizontal overnite. I then wet patch out the barrel and dry. If copper remains I will repeat this cycle.
The TM solution is thick enough to stay in the bore pretty well and does a good job on both copper and carbon.
Once a barrel is clean I keep the barrel free of copper by sticking to lead only. Cleaning for lead loads is more about getting the lube out of the barrel than anything. About any so,vent will work for that. I don't find carbon to be an issue. I only clean when the action, I mostly shoot lever actions, get gunned up enough to need a good cleaning. This may be 200 to 500 rounds.

[geargnasher]

Copper fouling: Only an issue with new-to-me, "previously enjoyed" guns. Usually that means "previously neglected", so a heavy de-copper is in order before attempting to shoot cast boolits. Nothing, absolutely nothing, beats the Outers Foul Out system. Expensive, but WELL worth it. If the fouling isn't too bad, Sweet's, shooter's choice, Hoppes Benchrest #9, and many other ammonia-based removers work fine if you have the patience.

Lead fouling: Bronze wool wrapped around a bronze brush works great. So does the Lewis Lead Remover, but bronze wool or patches cut from a 100% pure copper Chore Boy or O'Cedar scouring pad on a bronze brush is tough to beat. Use a little of your favorite powder solvent along with it if you like.

Powder/ fouling: I use Ed's Red because it's cheap, works as well as anything else, and I can taylor it to my needs by altering the recipe. It's cheap enough that I have a vat of it for action cleaning, and a jar with a tight lid for soaking revolver cylinders. For heavy fouling I use a Nylon or even bronze brush, but most of the time that isn't necessary, just a wet patch followed by two dry patches and maybe, if mothballing, a patch damp with oil after that. I always dry-patch before shooting again, and if I have "stipped" the bore and gotten it REALLY clean, like an initial cleaning/de-coppering, I usually wipe a thin film of castor bean oil or Bullplate sprue plate lube down the bore before firing to give it half a chance to not lead on the first try.

Gear

[Sonnypie]

I like to use bronze brushes, flannel patches, and lately I've been trying out Kroil, but usually use Hoppe's #9.
I was taught to clean until my patch came out clean.
Right, wrong, or otherwise I have firearms I still shoot that are generations old.
One place I've been says more barrels are damaged by cleaning, than not cleaning.
I sure cannot understand that idea.
Oh, and I always oil the bore for storage. Then swab it when getting ready to go shootin.

[VA Shooter]

Choreboy gets the lead out real good

[buyobuyo]

For powder/carbon fowling, I use MPro7 gun cleaner. MPro7 copper remover works alright, but I never seem to be able to get all out, especially near the muzzle in rifles. I've started using a foaming cleaner called Wipe-Out that works great and gets everything out in 1-2 applications, unless the barrel is really heavily fouled.

I use coated Dewey rods, brass jags, and bronze brushes for all the calibers that I shoot. I don't generally have leading issues, but if I do get a little my normal cleaning methods take care of it.

[HDS]

I got a Lewis lead remover and some JB borepaste for my 629 and 1911.