Does a patch EVER really come out clean ?

[Patrick L]

I shoot CBs exclusively in my 03A3 Springfield. I shoot NRA Highpower with it. I get no leading and great accuracy. Duh !

But I also never get a patch to come out of the bore clean. There's always black on it. I use Ed's Red (homemade.) I shoot about 600 - 700 rounds in a season, and I usually claean once at about the midpoint and then a detail clean and strip at the end (which is now.) I've used bronze, stainless steel, and nylon brushes, and I ALWAYS still have black on the patches. The bore looks clean and brite, just not the patches.

Am I being a nitpicker ?

[Bass Ackward]

I shoot CBs exclusively in my 03A3 Springfield. I shoot NRA Highpower with it. I get no leading and great accuracy. Duh !

But I also never get a patch to come out of the bore clean. There's always black on it. I use Ed's Red (homemade.) I shoot about 600 - 700 rounds in a season, and I usually claean once at about the midpoint and then a detail clean and strip at the end (which is now.) I've used bronze, stainless steel, and nylon brushes, and I ALWAYS still have black on the patches. The bore looks clean and brite, just not the patches.

Am I being a nitpicker ?

Pat,

Yes. Unless you are alternating between the two bullet materials. Then you have to be sure you are clean.

But if you use the brushes continuously, they will always leave a residue themselves. Is this what you are seeing? I only use brushes at the start to break up the surface crust for the chemical to work or a quick check at the range for leading as the brush will drag if it is in there. After that cleaning is strictly a chemical or a polish event.

[Patrick L]

No, the 03s are fed lead exclusively. Of course, I have no idea of knowing what they ate in the decades before I acquired them, but I gave them a good Sweet's 7.62 cleaning when I got them.

I too usually only use brushes to initially "break up" the residue. I just can't seem to get a patch to come out as white as it went in.

[David R]

I started cleaning every couple of weeks. After a while it would come out clean. A good scrubbing with JB bore cleaner helps too. I guarentee this patch will never come out clean

The more I clean it, the easier it cleans.

If it shoots well, then you should be OK anyhow.

David

[Patrick L]

Yeah, I'm goin to leave it at that. I let it soak for an hour with Hoppes copper solvent (a bit milder than Sweet's, you can soak with it) and ran a patch; there was absolutely no trace of blue. But I knew that would happen.

So, I ran a patch of rust preventative thru the bore (that patch had some black on it too) and I'll put her away till the Spring.

[rebliss]

We used to 'Game the System' when cleaning our M-16s after a range session.

We'd use Break-Free CLP, and were convinced that that stuff would drag out carbon that had been in the bore for years. You'd clean for an hour with the CLP, and the CATM instructor would run a clean patch thru, and it would come out dirty. Back to cleaning with the CLP.

Eventually, we figured out that just using the CLP at the beginning to knock down 'our' carbon, then continuous clean patches until the instructor checked and let us go back to the rack.

What's the point? Nothing, I guess. Just felt like being conversational.

[Char-Gar]

I clean my cast bullet rifles after every shooting session. I never shoot more than 40 - 60 rounds through any rifle at one t ime. I put some Ed's Red on a nylon brush and give the barrel about ten strokes. I follow by patches wetted with Ed's Red. I just push them through the barrel once and then use a new one. It take 5 to 10 patches for them to come out without any black. Really doesn't take long.

The issue of whether or not to clean barrels used with cast bullets is one I have not come to closure on. I have cleaned my rifles after every use for 55 years and can't seem to break the habit. It takes about 3 to 5 rounds for the barrel to settle down again and start to shoot to it's potential. I guess that is "seasoning" the barrel.

[felix]

I typically clean the gun whenever the accuracy falls off enough to warrent the effort. What is important is the eradication of the lube ring that tends to form right where the cartridge case ends. This ring will obviously grow quite rapidly if all cases are trimmed to the same length. Just wiping out this ring immediately after a shoot is fine for the most part. Waiting as long as 30 minutes will allow time for the lube to set up oxygen wise, and the lube will become hard enough to change ignition characteristics at best, and could possibly not allow the boolit to obturate properly. Whatever, that's the area where attention should be paid. The rest of the barrel does not have to be stroked that often, unless obvious filth is present. ... felix

[44man]

I was the only one in the barracks that never got gigged for a dirty rifle. The sarge always said he had never seen a cleaner rifle. I scrubbed it inside and out with Lava soap! Then to keep off dust, I never oiled it until it was time to shoot it. I won the company trophy with it too.
I use Ed's Red or Hoppes now and finish with M Pro 7, seems to get the black out.

[MGySgt]

With my Sharps 45/90 I drag a Hoppes bore snake through twice after each shooting session, 5, 10, or 40 rounds - doesn't matter. If I let the barrel cool before I pull it through it doesn't do as good of a job.

Bore looks clean - about every 150 - 200 rounds I clean it real good with WD40 to remove the built up lub and powder residue from the bore (no leading).

I just got back from Colorado with it and gave it a good sloid cleaning with Montana Extreme. After about 30minutes no more black or any other color on my patch.

Drew

[waksupi]

Drew, did you use the Sharps on your elk?

[MGySgt]

waksupi - Sure did. Everyone in camp was impressed with it when I took out of the gun sock. But I think they thought I was nuts to use it for Elk. Especially when they asked about balistics.

430 grain GC OFP at 80% - 1475 FPS, 6 inches high at 100, 3 inchs low at 175 and another 6 inchs low at 200 (9 inches low total at 200). I used about 1000 gas checks since March, so I think I know the rifle!

Well opening morning about 10:30 there were 7 in the meadow above me, 2 cows, 2 spikes, 1 3X3 and 2 other bulls and I closed the distance to 165. I couldn't tell if any of the bulls were legal (4X something) and I had an either sex tag, so I took a cow. One shot bottom of the lungs and top of the heart. She only went about 30 yards before falling over, about 500 pounds worth.

I think the non believers are now believers!

She is going to be good eating this year!

Drew

[rvpilot76]

waksupi - Sure did. Everyone in camp was impressed with it when I took out of the gun sock. But I think they thought I was nuts to use it for Elk. Especially when they asked about balistics.

430 grain GC OFP at 80% - 1475 FPS, 6 inches high at 100, 3 inchs low at 175 and another 6 inchs low at 200 (9 inches low total at 200). I used about 1000 gas checks since March, so I think I know the rifle!

Well opening morning about 10:30 there were 7 in the meadow above me, 2 cows, 2 spikes, 1 3X3 and 2 other bulls and I closed the distance to 165. I couldn't tell if any of the bulls were legal (4X something) and I had an either sex tag, so I took a cow. One shot bottom of the lungs and top of the heart. She only went about 30 yards before falling over, about 500 pounds worth.

I think the non believers are now believers!

She is going to be good eating this year!

Drew

Congrats! I didn't even get out this year. Oh, well. There's always spring bear!

Kevin

[waksupi]

Drew, it is a pleasure to show modern nimrods, that the rifles used to pop bunches of buffler, still do the job just fine. Good choice on the cow, too. Much better eating. I never have figured out a good way to eat horns.

[Ed Barrett]

Drew, it is a pleasure to show modern nimrods, that the rifles used to pop bunches of buffler, still do the job just fine. Good choice on the cow, too. Much better eating. I never have figured out a good way to eat horns.

They are a great source of fiber. Try finely chopped as a garnish on your salad. <G>

[HickoryCreek]

I have never thought of cleaning a gun twice a year that I shoot. I always clean mine after I shoot it, unless I know I will go out the next day. I just use plain ole hoppes 9. I get clean patches sometimes it takes a while though. Perhaps you could think about cleaning more often, but to each his own.

[MGySgt]

HickoryCreek,

I you are refering to my post, I clean it a lot more often then twice a week. I pull a bore snake through TWICE when ever I shoot it. After 150 - 200 rounds I clean it with WD40.

Only after being in Colorado do a do a detailed strip and clean it with a bore solvent.

I have found shooting cast that they shoot better if they have been seasoned. Bore cleaner takes this seasoning out by cleaning down to bare metal.

WD40 does take some of it out but not like a bore cleaner. The bore snake takes out MOST of the carbon fouling and most of the excess lub and accuracy stays at MOA if I do my part.

After a detailed cleaning it may take 20 rounds to get that seasoning back and the groups at MOA or sub MOA.

I do the same with my 44mag handguns, and have been doing it for years.

Works for me and I can spend more time casting, loading and shooting.

Drew

[PatMarlin]

I got tired of trying to get a couple of stubborn copper fouled rifles down to bare metal, so I finally bought an Outers Foul Out III electonic bore cleaner, and it has got em clean for sure. No lead. No blue showin' up on a Sweets patch. No more scrubbin'.

It was on sale, and I think it's well worth the investment.

[HickoryCreek]

HickoryCreek,

I you are refering to my post, I clean it a lot more often then twice a week. I pull a bore snake through TWICE when ever I shoot it. After 150 - 200 rounds I clean it with WD40.

Only after being in Colorado do a do a detailed strip and clean it with a bore solvent.

I have found shooting cast that they shoot better if they have been seasoned. Bore cleaner takes this seasoning out by cleaning down to bare metal.

WD40 does take some of it out but not like a bore cleaner. The bore snake takes out MOST of the carbon fouling and most of the excess lub and accuracy stays at MOA if I do my part.

After a detailed cleaning it may take 20 rounds to get that seasoning back and the groups at MOA or sub MOA.

I do the same with my 44mag handguns, and have been doing it for years.

Works for me and I can spend more time casting, loading and shooting.

Drew

Wasn't referring to your post. Just to the original that said he cleans his in the middle of his shooting season and at the end. It doesn't take me that long to clean a gun, so I'm not worried about losing time casting, loading, or shooting. Wasn't trying to call anybody out. Just saying if you want a clean patch, you probably better try it more than twice a year. But, again whatever works for you is best.

[mag_01]

Interesting about using Lava soap to clean a bore I use to do one of my competion rifles with lava soap and then a little wd40 that bore was allways clean---before a shoot I would fire at least 3 rounds to dirrty her up--I now clean with solvents and mess my hands up -- maybe I should go back to Lava---no point just my 2 cents.