Cleaning barrels

[joeb33050]

I've got questions about cleaning rifle barrels. Not about cleaning
out leading. Not for jacketed bullets, only lead.
I'd like your opinions and stories for the cleaning section of the
book.

1. Do you clean DURING a match or range session?
2. How often, or when, do you clean the barrel?
3. Do you clean until brushing produces no more black stuff, until
you get a clean patch?

I once had a SS rifle barrel corrode or something after shooting
lead Darr lube IMR4227 Rem 2 1/2. I didn't clean the barrel after
shooting, later something lumpy grew in the barrel. During cleaning
black stuff came out as usual but more of it and some grainy stuff.
After cleaning the damage to the bore could be just barely seen.
This didn't hurt the accuracy.
Since then, for the last 25? years or so, I clean all guns at the
range after firing, and again at home.
Some shooters clean often, others clean at ?yearly? intervals.
Some clean during a match, others don't.
I can get a clean patch out of any gun barrel to date, but it often
takes hours and dozens to hundreds of patches-and there's no
leading.

I've been working on a M70 Target rifle barrel. brush 10 strokes
with various bore cleaners or oil, the patch has a lot of black.
Maybe 100 patches and maybe 30 10 stroke brushings so far, the
patches are as black as when I started. The second tight patch is
clean. There's no copper visible at the muzzle end.
I'm thinking that I'm doing more harm than good.

joe b.

[Char-Gar]

Joe... You will find lots of folks here who don't clean cast bullet barrels at all. If you have a good load and lube, the barrels are good to go for several thousand rounds before accuracy starts to suffer.

I tend to clean my rifles after each range session. I use a bore guide and Ed's Red solvent. I don't use a brush of any kind. I push solvent soaked patched through the bore until they come out clean and then two dry patches.

It will take 3 to 6 wet patched and 2 dry to clean my barrels.

Next time out, it will take 2 or 3 rounds to season the barrel before it starts to do it's best.

[1Shirt]

With cast, Charger and I are pretty much on the same page. Only big difference is that I use Butches as a solvent. If I get any leading streaks which is rare, I will then use a non brass brush for 10-15 strokes followed by my standard cleaning proceedure. I usually do this at the range, and particularly during the summer and hot weather. I also pay a lot of attention during the summer in wiping down my rifles at the range so that I don't end up with those rusty finger prints where blue used to be. Not so critical in cool/cold weather-at least in my experiance. I also wipe them down when I put them away when I get home.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[GP100man]

Joe if lead IS present in ether handgun/rifle Iwet the bore completlt with EDS RED give it some soak time, then take copper scrub pad(cchoreboy) &wrap old brush make a few passes & patch dry.No more lead or carbon done deal. Ihave a rule on my hill you shoot it you clean it

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I usually will shoot at least 100 rounds in both rifle & pistol before I clean.
My daliy range session is NORMALLY 50 pistol & 50 rifle rounds in the summer.
Sometimes I only clean 1 x a wk. (300 rounds) but utah is hot & dry. No problems forover 30 yrs. shooting. Some of the origanal guns are still w/ me & doing fine.

[Beau Cassidy]

At the range, I patch and use a bore brush with whatever solvent I happen to have on hand. If a copper solvent is needed then it is usually Sweet's while the barrel is cooling. Range time is usually tring new stuff so I go about 10 rounds between cleaning. At home I usually soak with that foaming bore stuff- I have CRS right now but you all have seen what I am talking about. Now we are talking about cleaning a barrel! For lead I like Remclean as it has a mild abrasive to it. Using it with a bronze brush on the front of cylinders makes them look like new.

I use a copper brush (10 or so strokes) only when clening carbon out of the barrel after passing 2 wet patches thru. After that I pass 1 dry patch then maybe 2 or 3 damp patches followed by another dry.

Now, with that said, for my S&W airweight .38, it is hoppes or break free only because I have heard of some solvents eating away at the coating on those guns.

Beau

[RayinNH]

My cleaning sounds more like Joe's. I never clean until I get a white patch with my rifles. I usually give up after about 25 or so patches. At that point they are light gray. However if I send a bore brush down the barrel the black starts again. Handgun cleaning I can get white patches quite easily, around 5-6 patches. In the rifles I burn a lot of WC860 and WC872. I suspect that is part of it. Like burning bituminous coal...Ray

[Bass Ackward]

1. Do you clean DURING a match or range session?
2. How often, or when, do you clean the barrel?
3. Do you clean until brushing produces no more black stuff, until
you get a clean patch?


Joe,

So much of cleaning should depend on the shooter and the conditions. I have loads that foul and those that don't really. I have bullets that leave lube behind for the next shot and those that don't. And sometimes those flip based on ambient temperature or shooting rates. So which ones do you trust to leave some lubricant? And all petroleum products attract moisture anyway. So that is one issue.

My interests vary so much that I might shoot a gun today and not touch it for 5 or 6 years. So if I don't pull maintenance on it when I put it away, just when am I going to remember and go back to it? How many guys can say that they are good about that? And how long would I go before I say, it might be too long, and pull it out and clean it? And I refuse to keep cleaning logs. Too much paper work as it is.

Then I forget how long something has been since it was shot and I go out with a specific testing adjenda only to find I waited too long and my lube hardened and skewed the test results. Or I get in the .... delay habit and forget I shot jacketed only to come back to cast. Ruined my range time and wasted gas and components. Don't take too many times of that before it converts ya.

Nope, too many guns to keep track of and I don't trust my memory. When I shoot, I pull maintenance. I have stuff now that makes this a 15 to 30 minute job max. It may not be Spic n Span, but it will neutralize the primer salts and protect against moisture. And I use wax instead of oil as the protectant not to attract moisture. Wax is good for the wood and finish which needs love and attention too.

I just can't trust myself, and with my luck, if problems were ever going to occur, it would happen to me. Man just has to know his limitations.

[mike in co]

one of things that can be added to most cleaning programs.

a specific step for carbon removal

i use gm top engine cleaner//////TEC.......
its available in aprox pint tin for about 7-8 bucks.....

getting rid of the carbon build up will allow you to concentrate on lead or copper removal in your next step.....

[Slowpoke]

Joe,

So much of cleaning should depend on the shooter and the conditions. I have loads that foul and those that don't really. I have bullets that leave lube behind for the next shot and those that don't. And sometimes those flip based on ambient temperature or shooting rates. So which ones do you trust to leave some lubricant? And all petroleum products attract moisture anyway. So that is one issue.

My interests vary so much that I might shoot a gun today and not touch it for 5 or 6 years. So if I don't pull maintenance on it when I put it away, just when am I going to remember and go back to it? How many guys can say that they are good about that? And how long would I go before I say, it might be too long, and pull it out and clean it? And I refuse to keep cleaning logs. Too much paper work as it is.

Then I forget how long something has been since it was shot and I go out with a specific testing adjenda only to find I waited too long and my lube hardened and skewed the test results. Or I get in the .... delay habit and forget I shot jacketed only to come back to cast. Ruined my range time and wasted gas and components. Don't take too many times of that before it converts ya.

Nope, too many guns to keep track of and I don't trust my memory. When I shoot, I pull maintenance. I have stuff now that makes this a 15 to 30 minute job max. It may not be Spic n Span, but it will neutralize the primer salts and protect against moisture. And I use wax instead of oil as the protectant not to attract moisture. Wax is good for the wood and finish which needs love and attention too.

I just can't trust myself, and with my luck, if problems were ever going to occur, it would happen to me. Man just has to know his limitations.

I am with for the same reasons on the cleaning.

What wax do you use?

Good luck

[Blackwater]

BAck when I was shooting a lot of PPC courses, some of the matches provided, and MANDATED that all contestants shoot, some cheap ammo put together in Atlanta that apparently used cowchips for lube. It leaded barrels unmercifully! Just AWFUL! I'd use a Lewis Lead Remover whenever and as soon as possible during those shoots. You HAD to to keep the rifling visible. Other than that, I never clean until the end of the day. Just my way, though, and ain't nothin' cast in stone when it comes to shooting. Nothing much except for constantly trying to put them all in one hole, at least.

[Bass Ackward]

I am with for the same reasons on the cleaning.

What wax do you use?

Good luck


Flitz Gun Polish is currently on the bench. It has Bees and Carnuba waxes in it. I have run bare metal tests on several car polishes too out in the elements. They all work fairly well. I really like things like Favor furniture polish too for external use on both metal and wood. It can be used over paint too if you are a fiber kind of guy. One guy pointed out that that isn't much wax but more silicon. OK. It lasts for years in my climate.