Barrel cleaning

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yeah_na_missed

Really feeling for AlphaDelta. Probably whole new levels of lost...

Interested to know if anyone here has actually ruined a barrel from over or under cleaning?

---

It's an interesting question and I don't know if there is a definite answer.
Personally, I do clean my barrels which varies from mostly a basic clean and patching the bore with oil after every use to occasional deeper, more thorough cleaning and copper defouling once or twice a year. Overall I am only shooting about one thousand rounds per year over about six rifles. I am satisfied this system is about right for me and helps retain accuracy ( at least in my mind ).
What confounds me though is, for example, a mate with on old, barely maintained .270W ( can't remember the make ) that's never bore cleaned but has unreal and unfailing accuracy ( he is a good shot anyway ) that makes me wonder, generally, how useful bore cleaning really is. My mate probably shoots less than 50 rounds annually.
But on another level of shooting I was told some years ago by a hunting guide who, in a team of guys, culled goats for DOC for several years, mainly using .223 cal ( I think, IIRC ). It was his view observation / view that rifles shot well up to around 4 - 5 thousand rounds anyway but if cleaned ( frequency ? ) were good for another 2 - 3 thousand rounds before becoming shot out.

What I've found with latest rifle I'm playing with (s/h) is got it home gave it a deep scrub out and the thing wouldn't shoot for shit. Try a hand load no good clean it and try another load. In the end thought fuk this and stopped cleaning it the loads are tightening up the more I shoot it without cleaning it. The target will tell you if you need to clean or not. To me yea your barrel may last longer but a long lasting inaccurate barrel is useless to me mind you it would last forever as if its inaccurate ill stop using it......

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blip

What I've found with latest rifle I'm playing with (s/h) is got it home gave it a deep scrub out and the thing wouldn't shoot for shit. Try a hand load no good clean it and try another load. In the end thought fuk this and stopped cleaning it the loads are tightening up the more I shoot it without cleaning it. The target will tell you if you need to clean or not. To me yea your barrel may last longer but a long lasting inaccurate barrel is useless to me mind you it would last forever as if its inaccurate ill stop using it......

---

Deep clean ,shoot till grouping, bore snake, keep shooting till doesn't group wit bore snake between outings as its the residue that attracts moisture and rust.
I spray a bit of rem lube on my bore snake for a tad of safe protection.
This is from owning nearly every product
On the market and 45 yrs in cleaning my fire arms.
My 2C

Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk

I use inox or atf

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alphaDelta

Hi, I’m asking for what peoples processes are for cleaning their barrels.
Iv been told a lot of different things and getting a bit lost.
I have Bore Tech Cu+ copper and Eliminator.
After barrel break in should I not be using a brush? just patches? what Chem?

Thanks
Hardy & Truflight barrels. used for 500yrd plus culling on goats and targets.

---

A major ingredient in good wet cleaners is kerosine. Can save yourself lotsa money and grief by using it but dry cleaned with a rag afterwards.

An old rifle collector taught me to use a funnel with a tube, place in the chamber and pour a jug of boiling water through before starting a clean. You can’t touch the barrel as too hot but makes cleaning really effective.

Start on carbon with nylon brush, when wipes are clean I move to boretech Cu cleaner with copper brush. Then wipes until clean.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stag

An old rifle collector taught me to use a funnel with a tube, place in the chamber and pour a jug of boiling water through before starting a clean. You can’t touch the barrel as too hot but makes cleaning really effective.

Start on carbon with nylon brush, when wipes are clean I move to boretech Cu cleaner with copper brush. Then wipes until clean.

---

thats a follow over from .303 brits and corrosive salts ammunition.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stag

An old rifle collector taught me to use a funnel with a tube, place in the chamber and pour a jug of boiling water through before starting a clean. You can’t touch the barrel as too hot but makes cleaning really effective.

Start on carbon with nylon brush, when wipes are clean I move to boretech Cu cleaner with copper brush. Then wipes until clean.

---

Some cleaver bugger made this for me to boil out my 303 barrels. A few old cases, cut and solded then to create the right angle, a old silicone funnel and hose clamp. Really handy, collapsible when no needed and the boiling water does not go everywhere when poured down it.
Attachment 244124

I used to only use boresnakes with a bit of oil/lube because of the little I shoot but after I found rust forming in one of my barrels from some crud I missed I now give all guns a proper clean with rods, brushes, jags, cleaners and oils.

When i want to monitor and maintain a minimal amount of carbon I just use patches and C4. Kroil to soak. But when you gotta get that carbon out I use a nylon brush with cloth wrap and a light coat of JB Borepaste. That accelerates the process but I keep checking with my borescope and I stop once it's down to what I estimate to be only 10% fouled.