Thread: How often do you clean your rifle?

been talking with a few folks around this.
I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.
The bergara gets a snake through it at setup or before I start carrying it, then a clean out at the end of the season as it doesnt seem to affect it too badly.

people here would know more about it than me, is there a benefit to cleaning it completely after each use?

My 22 never gets the bore cleaned unless changing to a new ammo but is given a light coating of oil after every use.

My centrefires get cleaned inside and out after every use even if not fired.

Bore cleaning is done with a rod and only ever use a snake when out hunting and I got some shit in the barrel.

Once a year I strip all rifles, remove all the shit stuck under the barrel give a good clean and lube.

Every time I use a firearm I clean it. I guess that you can take the man out of the Army but you can’t take the Army out of the man.

After every time I use it.

I give a new rifle a good clean before first use then that's about it, unless it's been a wet trip or it's loosing accuracy.
Shooting extreme long range is a great way to learn that a clean barrel isn't always a good thing.
I have been guilty of over cleaning in the past, most will be doing more harm than good with cleaning after every use.

Sent from my SM-S906E using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by BRADS

I give a new rifle a good clean before first use then that's about it, unless it's been a wet trip or it's loosing accuracy.
Shooting extreme long range is a great way to learn that a clean barrel isn't always a good thing.
I have been guilty of over cleaning in the past, most will be doing more harm than good with cleaning after every use.

Sent from my SM-S906E using Tapatalk

So do you do anything to remove carbon or just run a oil rag and that's it.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.

Wow. My 10/22 went through probably 50,000 rounds and well over 20 years between cleans. I did need to clean the mags to keep them feeding reliably though, I must have cleaned them at least twice. I don't think I own a 22 snake, there might be one on the back of the cupboard.

Yes I'm a farmer.

Cleaning......what's this new age nonsense.....

Sent from my SM-T225 using Tapatalk

It does depend on the qualities peculiar to your specific barrel, however often cleaning each use will do more harm than good. I don't clean the bore unless it gets very wet, there's a noticeable change in accuracy (with a custom rifle + bartlein barrel this hasn't happened yet), or I periodically get bored and run a couple of patches through it for no particular reason, about every 18 months.

Centre fire. One pull through with a bore snake after a hunt or so (I keep the bore snakes washed and clean). A good thorough clean out every 6 months or so depending on use. I only ever use cloth patches or soft bristle brush. Never brass or copper brushes. Hoppes 9 or such like as a solvent for the big cleans.

For rimfire, a few pull throughs and a light coating of oil inside the barrel and external surfaces, then a clean bore snake. If it's been a warm day with no rain/moisture, I occasionally skip all cleaning.

For centrefire, the same, but bore solvent every once in a while. In reality, I fire so few shots, that doesn't happen very often!

Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.

Be a totally PIA useless .22lr for shooting rabbits around here if one has to do that at every mag reload. Mine only gets a quick oily rag onceover and a dry patch if it's been out in the rain/drizzle but otherwise...nothing.

Never a .22

bit of bore tech eliminator and oil from time to time or it gets dropped in a river

Quick wipe with an oily rag and a pass with pull through after a hunt with centre-fire, no pull through on 22. If it’s been pissing with rain get a bit more fussy when I get home. Pretty basic stuff really, and I don’t fart around cleaning suppressors either. Main two rifles get used weekly and system works for me.

centrefires get rag on spear jag through with breakfreeCLP then two passes with clean rag then last pass with clp..... I flip rag over and use both sides so beteen 6-8 passes...the copper/lead isnt removed but any crap n moisure is.... outside gets whipe down with rag that has oil or clp depending on mood,smae rag gets used over and again for 6-12months... if really wet,they will get good going over,if Ive been down the beach or out to wainono lagoon I will pull shotgun out again 3 days later and get rid of rust on anybits Ive missed first time around... the 22lr gets outside whiped down and put away.