Lever action cleanning ????

[Willyp]

How do you run a brush down your barrel? How do you keep it from hitting the bolt as it comes loose from the rifling and into the chamber? The brush i can sort of control but a jag and patch will just get away from me at the end of a push thru!!!!!!!
I decided to figure or try to,a way to keep this from hitting my bolt.
I'm calling it a bumper guard!
If a couple of guys would like to try it out,let me know. I will send a couple of them out,for free,just to see if it is worth playing with?

[minmax]

You can easily remove the bolt. Or like I did start running one of the pull type through, it really doesn't matter which brand you use they seem to all work good.

[georgerkahn]

A long-time lever-lover, I "hear" your frustration. IF your lever is a Marlin, it is quite easy to remove the lever -- one screw -- and then take out the bolt -- just be careful not to lose the ejector. With Winnies, Henrys, and most others is is much more of a challenge -- e.g., too much effort, imho, to remove the bolt for the bore-cleaning task.

Hence, I got the Otis cleaning system, where your brush and/or patches are at the end of a coated wire cable, and you can most safely and easily clean your barrel! As a matter of fact, I think the Otis type cleaners really reduce chances of damage done in cleaning to muzzle -- often occurring with over-energetic rod uses who don't use muzzle guides -- as a bonus.

You didn't specify, but if, again, yours is a Marlin, Google your model and see how easy it is to remove bolt. And/or if yours is another brand, check out the Otis site, where they present quite good bore-cleaning instructions for levers. (Note that there are several cleaners which are clones of the Otis -- I'm sure any will function every bit as well -- I give no product endorsement, per se, to the Otis Corp -- it just happens to be the brand I own and use.)
BEST!
george

[44man]

Remove the bolt and clean from the rear. If you clean from the muzzle use a muzzle protector. Tapered brass plug that keeps the rod from rubbing the barrel. Use a one piece steel rod, toss the aluminum jointed rods.
Use care if the bolt is in and slow down near the chamber. Tap it through so it does not bang the firing pin hole. Put a rod stop on so it stops short.

[44man]

I even use a plug I made to fit the chamber with "O" rings so I don't rub the bore with the rod.

[ndnchf]

Use a boresnake. Feed it in from the breech and pull it out from the muzzle. It works great and pulls any debris out the muzzle, nothing gets dumped into the action. No hard rod to damage the bore either. They have a built-in bore brush and come in a variety of bore sizes. I love them from leverguns.

[jrap]

For modest cleaning I just oil with ballistol and run a bore snake through but if it's really fouled I'll just take the bolt out. On a marlin it's just one bolt that has to be removed

[N4AUD]

I'll give another plug for the Otis cleaning system. I use it on my Garand as well.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I make plastic inserts that fit into the action that sit back up against the bolt. Any of those firm plastic lotion bottles all have a flat smooth area. Think of a piece of paper we all use to reflect light into the chamber. Cut a piece of that plastic to fit down in there to beyourbumber guard.
And always use a muzzle guide.
Mike in Peru

[Willyp]

Yep,i have Marlins.

[Anschutz]

Even better than one piece steel is something like the Dewey coated rods. Have used mine to clean my Anschutz 22 every week or so over several years shooting competitively. Way I see it is my barrel is steel so why would I use steel. YMMV

[upr45]

If it's a Marlin, do as George stated -- pull the bolt by removing lever pivot screw & clean from chamber to muzzle. If it's a 336 or 1895 Marlin can cut a piece of 3/8" pvc pipe to make a bore guide so the cleaning juices don't drip into the action. I use "Wipe-out" foaming bore cleaner so I rarely use brushes. Patch it out after an hour, then apply & patch it out next morning & use Ballistol to neutralize. For the foaming stuff I get a 6-8" piece of clear "tygone" (rubber) 1/4" id , 3/8" od & stuff tube into chamber until it's tight & give a sec or 2 spray. Foam will run out of muzzle. Clean up any that comes in chamber, wipe off any that gets on stock, plastic parts, or bluing. It's very painless cleaning & removes all fouling.

[kjorgy]

I always use Dewey cleaning rods on my Marlins. I always clean from the muzzle end unless it is a take down model
then I clean from the breech. I don't think I will damage my muzzles using a coated cleaning like dewey's. I could be wrong. I would like to hear some opinions on this. I never use an aluminum rod.

[dragon813gt]

If it's a Marlin remove the bolt. Just make sure you don't lose the ejector. It takes less than thirty seconds to remove everything so you can clean from the chamber.

[Nicholas]

Absolutely! Clean from the breech with bolt removed or with a pull thru system. I have a M-N military bolt rifle that apparently was cleaned from the muzzle with the steel cleaning rod to the point that a bullet of the proper caliber drops down the bbl and inch or so. It an extreme example, but it likely lost accuracy early in its cleaning career. Though the M-N bolt is easy to remove, it might have been that the defender wanted it in the gun while cleaning in case there was an immediate need for the gun. Or he or she (this is the Soviet Union remember) might just have been lazy.

[Geezer in NH]

Absolutely! Clean from the breech with bolt removed or with a pull thru system. I have a M-N military bolt rifle that apparently was cleaned from the muzzle with the steel cleaning rod to the point that a bullet of the proper caliber drops down the bbl and inch or so. It an extreme example, but it likely lost accuracy early in its cleaning career. Though the M-N bolt is easy to remove, it might have been that the defender wanted it in the gun while cleaning in case there was an immediate need for the gun. Or he or she (this is the Soviet Union remember) might just have been lazy.That's why they counter bored the muzzle in factory re-furb.

[OverMax]

Ledger mark your cleaning rod before hand. Something Tip I pick up owning a traditional black powder rifle or two..

[CrossXstix]

You can chamber an empty case with the spent primer still in it to protect the firing pin hole, close the bolt and clean away