How often do you clean your barrel?

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

How often do you clean the ol' ballistic tube?

What dictates when and how often other than leading?

[felix]

Only when accuracy goes south, or when suspected the gun will upon the next time out. ... felix

[Dale53]

I don't have leading problems (not "popping off" - just the truth) so I seldom clean. I mostly just wipe off the outside and continue. I, almost exclusively, use cast bullets. Sized properly, with good lube, and proper hardness for the purpose, leading does not occur.

Now, my 1911's get "gunked up" and need a good cleaning about every three hundred rounds (sometimes sooner) but revolvers? Seldom...

Dale53

[BruceB]

Autoloaders, either rifles or handguns, tend to get gunked-up more than the others. They get cleaned when functioning gets sluggish....but NOT THE BARRELS, usually.

Bores only get cleaned around here when I want to switch from jacketed to cast bullets, or when some experiment goes wrong and the bore gets some leading. Apart from that, many of my rifles have gone hundreds upon hundreds of rounds, and many months, between cleaning. I suspect my .416 #1 hasn't been cleaned in three or four years....and it HAS been fired quite a bit.

Climate may well have something to with this, since we live in the high desert and humidity is really not much of a factor in firearm storage.

My rule: if it's shooting normally and everything looks good, don't mess with the bore conditioning.

I must hasten to add that my defensive guns are ALWAYS cleaned religiously the day they're fired, INCLUDING chambers and bores.

[NVcurmudgeon]

BruceB has saved me a lot of typing by describing my cleaning routine almost completely. In addition, all pistols and revolvers are cleaned and oiled thoroughly after each use because of the way they become covered with boolit lube and powder residue inside and out. Moving parts of rifles get the full treatment every use, but almost never the bore.

[Jim]

Every time I shoot.

[VTDW]

Since I shoot mostly year round I only clean thoroughly if I purchase a leaded rifle. Other than that I clean the copper out IF I shoot many condom bullets and just watch the accuracy like Felix said. I do keep the outside metal and the furniture clean though. The only exception is my muzzle loader when it gets a build up of plastic from sabots and of course I clean after shooting it.

Dave

[jonk]

I clean .22s rarely. I generally will clean the actions of both semi autos and revolvers every time, but the barrels rarely.

Centerfire- if shooting jacketed, about every 3rd time out (assuming no corrosive primers). I.e. about every 100 rounds. For cast, it depends on the barrel. For really smooth barrels that don't really lead if I do my bit, when the mood strikes. Sometimes once a year, sometimes every shoot. Just, do I feel like it? If it has a frosted barrel (but not pitted) then after every shoot as a light amount of frosting I can usually scrub the lead out ok- but can't put it off time after time.

[MT Gianni]

Bruce B method works in my climate. Rifles are cleaned when changing from Jacked to cast and vice-versa or when accuracy shows a need. Bores are checked with a bore light and a patch run through it after most range trips to check conditions. If the patch shows powder fouling a second view with the bore light confirms it's clear. I live in a dry enough climate that humidity bothers me when I leave the Rockies. Gianni.

[22cf45]

I have the same experience with my cast bullet rifles as Dale53 and follow the same procedure. I hardly ever clean a .22 RF barrel and never run a cleaning rod into them. I do clearn their chambers however.

I only clean my 1911's just prior to a match and they may have had as many as 1000 rounds through them between cleanings. I use Breakfree liberaly to keep the gunk soft and moving around. When it dries out, it can cause problems. When I do clean them, I go all the way. Break them all the way down, except I never, never take the barrel out of the slide, and soak them.
Phil

[buck1]

With the great help from this fourm, I dont clean as much as I used to.
I clean very,very well on a new to me gun. A jacketed bullet shooter get cleaned well every time I shoot it. .22s and cast shooters get a patch of Eds Red ABOUT every 3rd time I take it out. or 100ish rounds .Its more of a inspection than a through cleaning. I just cant help it, The thought of being mean to a good bore is awfull.
Revolvers with cast do get the cylinders cleaned often but the bbls just get the quick check with Eds Red patch. If I find lead or a jerky patch , I clean it very well. Always finishing up with a wet Eds patch and ONLY ONE dry one.
Be kind to a lube conditioned bore and it will be kind to you and your boolits.

[JudgeBAC]

While on the subject of cleaning, what is the consensus on best way to clean the face of the revolver cylinder and around the forcing cone. My revolvers seem to attract gunk between the forcing cone and the frame and it is awkward and difficult to clean. Cleaning the cylinder face is a pain also. If I am hijacking this thread, I apologize and will start a new one if necessary.

[Cherokee]

Clean when accuracy deminishes or going to store the gun for a period of time. My SASS guns get cleaned at the end of the season to be ready for the next year, same for other guns I shoot frequently. Now rifles with J bullets get cleaned more often cause they seem to need it.

[Lloyd Smale]

ill go with cherokee other then the fact that if one of my handguns fouls with lead so bad its lossing accuracy i look at why it fouled. Ive got 6 guns that havent been cleaned for years that are not leaded. If a gun is leading theres a problem with either the gun or load and really should never foul to the point that accuracy deteriorates. Most minor leading can be taken care of with a couple gas checked bullets being shot through the gun. If its worse then that theres a problem that needs addressing.
Clean when accuracy deminishes or going to store the gun for a period of time. My SASS guns get cleaned at the end of the season to be ready for the next year, same for other guns I shoot frequently. Now rifles with J bullets get cleaned more often cause they seem to need it.

[Dale53]

When I made my post I was talking about handguns.

Serious .22 rifles (small bore competition and bench rest rifles) require a bit different treatment.

.22's go through a cycle of bore conditioning before they will perform at their best. After I chemically clean the rifle with Ed's Red, off the bench, I carefully shoot groups until it starts grouping to potential (by previous test). Then I shoot groups until the rifle starts opening the groups. Then I clean and start over again. In between sessions, I may run a clean, dry patch through the barrel, then shoot a couple of foulers and THEN go for record. Each different rifle and ammo lot seems to have its own cycle. For best performance, for match use, you must determine that particular rifle and ammo cycle and follow it. Otherwise, you will be giving points away.

Two friends and I spent an entire summer on the range (three times a week) using many different kinds of .22's from light sporters, single shots, and match rifles. We were able to reproduce our findings and now believe that we KNOW what works.

A common cycle is after the rifle is "bore conditioned" it will shoot VERY well for 300-1000 shots with just a dry patch before beginning a new session. Then it goes sour, and you start the cycle over again.

The great .22 bench rest rifle builder, Bill Calfee, has documented this same phenomenon over the past couple of years in Precision Shooting. My friends and I did this work about 10-12 years ago.

Dale53

[38 Super Auto]

I clean my auto barrels about every 500 rounds. I clean the barrel with a nylon brush and follow with several patches. What I remove is mostly fouling. I am typically loading very clean powders. I shoot mostly cast with some jacketed.

One day, I was able to recover some FMJs that I had shot after numerous commercial cast boolits. What I noticed was some traces of lead where the FMJ had engaged the grooves. I don't see this phenomenon with the cast bullets that I produce.

When I inspect my bores, they are near pristine, except for my AMT .45 which had a less than perfect barrel when I bought it. NO, I am not proud of this rig :)

[Taylor]

Every time I shoot and before I leave the range.

[Bret4207]

Almost never unless leaded or it gets wet or I see garbage in the barrel or it starts shooting wild. They do get lubed and wiped down.

[jack19512]

When shooting cast I clean after each shoot. Only because I am just learning about casting and lead bullets and don't know enough yet to be able at this point to do better. :castmine:

[Buckshot]

...............I don't unless:

1) There is an accuracy problem
2) In a new gun, just to see
3) If I know the piece will be put up for awile

Otherwise they get an oiled bore mop sent up and back through the barrel, all metal surfaces wiped with a silicone impregnated rag and then it's put away.

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

[Sundogg1911]

I still remember my first trip to the range as a kid. We were in the indoor pistol range, and I was so excited to be shooting a .45 for the first time. (Up until then I hadn't even fired a .22)
There was an old timer that came over to talk to us, and I still remember His advise to me.
He said "Son.....don't ever let the sun set on a dirty gun" to this day I always leave at least enough time after a day at the range to clean each one. (at least swabbing the barrell) I'm sure I could make a few trips to the range between cleanings,....but I don't

[joeb33050]

I was not going to post on this topic because it has come up so often, but changed my mind. Cleaning of rifles is done from never to every time the gun is shot, and frequently every few = 25 or so shots. I've interviewed excellent smallbore shooters on the topic, varies the same. This with them Walther etc. ray gun things.
I clean cast bullet guns every time I shoot them, at the range, and frequently again at home. Here's why.
~25 years ago I had a 32/40 Schuetzen rifle that I fired only with IMR4227, Rem 2 1/2 and a tapered BS Pope-looking bullet, Darr lubed.
I didn't clean it and in a week the barrel, at one place in the bore, festered up. I got most or all of the corrosion out of the barrel, it was reddish black, didn't look like rust but ? After getting it clean the ~1" place was visible in the barrel if you knew where and looked hard; and the accuracy was not hurt one iota. It wasn't rain or water or Pepsi, nothing odd got in there.
So; it may never happen to you, and I hope it doesn't, but all that's needed is one experience like that to turn you into a confirmed cleaner.
joe b.

[ssn vet]

I've always been one of those neurotic types who follows the mantra "if you love your rifle, you will clean it well after every range session" :roll:

that and I like to handle my weapons, even if I'm just cleaning them.

but as I've had opportunity to shoot more.... :Fire: ... this has become an onerous standard to keep up with. :(

Sooooo....

If you guys are telling me that it's "better" for my barrel to not clean it after each shooting when throwing lead......you'll be setting me free from my own worse enemy. :drinks:

[felix]

No, no, no. It is always best to keep your barrel clean for best accuracy sake. But, how paranoid are you? Every 5 shots won't be too much, assuming you don't destroy the gun cleaning it. Just keep everything centered while cleaning, and make sure the crown does not get scraped backwards at any time. Keep in mind this statement is only for guns that deserve this kind of treatment. Most, if not all, don't. Only BR guns used in competition only deserve such obnoxious behavior. ... felix

P.S. If you only have weapons in your house, they only need to be cleaned enough to shoot through a wall, hitting a target as large as a 4 foot by 2 foot rectangle at 20 feet on the other side of the wall. A gun like that needs almost zero care. ... felix

[Hip's Ax]

Every time I fire the rifle it gets cleaned. .22 or centerfire thay all get cleaned every time.

[Crash_Corrigan]

Ah the pesky gook that builds up north of the barrel under the top strap. Nasty stuff after I clean up the gun good with Ed's Red I take a Dental Pick and work it into the nasties.

It gets the job done well. After the big stuff is removed I take a patch soaked in solvent and fold it over and stretch it between left and righ thumbs and index fingers and saw it back and forth atop the barrel and under the top strap.

This usually get most of it out. Another soaking and again wipe it out.

As far as regular cleaning of weapons. I agree with Buckshot. The only exception is my 1911 and Browning HP. They seem to benefit from a removal of all the gunk build up inside the chamber and around the working parts of the weapons.

I seldom clean the barrells just the working parts of the semi's and lube them sparingly. I have fired over 1,000 rounds in my 1911 DURING ONE SHOOTING SESSION, but I did add some oil every couple of hundred rounds to keep everything moving well. If I shoot over 300 rounds in my 1911 without lubing it again it will slow down and I start to get failures to function ect. It is the nature of the beast.

I had a Savage model23 .22 that I used almost every day for 10 years and I doubt that I cleaned the barrel more than 3 times. The chamber and bolt assembly however were cleaned about every week. Again to keep it functioning properly.

[dromia]

...............I don't unless:

1) There is an accuracy problem
2) In a new gun, just to see
3) If I know the piece will be put up for awile

Otherwise they get an oiled bore mop sent up and back through the barrel, all metal surfaces wiped with a silicone impregnated rag and then it's put away.

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

Moi ausi!

Only I don't use the silicone rag I use 50/50 ATF and parafin.

If it isn't broken don't try and fix it.

[stubshaft]

I shoot lead boolits only in my big bores and like Buckshot and Dromia don't normally clean unless accuracy goes south. When I do, I use kroil down the bore followed by a couple of patches. I find that I have to condition the bore after cleaning before the barrel will "shoot in" again (usually 10 shots or so). If I'm going to store the gun I use mule snot down the tube and wipe the outside with light machine oil or 5W synthetic oil.

[blaster]

Almost every time.