Cleaning routine

Lexthepilot

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
22
Location
Whitecourt, Alberta
Hey guys, just curious what kind of different cleaning procedures different people use. I know some say clean the barrel until your patches come out clean and then others say just brush once each cleaning to avoid barrel damage. Just curious what works for you?
 
You will get a ton of opinions on this one.
My routine is to clean it after thirty or so rounds and not scrub the crap out of it. My 300 win mag shoots better with a few fouling shots so I tend to not clean it very often to maintain the accuracy.
It works for me, I am sure you will have other opinions.
 
I know how you feel. I'm torn between squeeky clean, and clean enough, myself.

Maybe we will get one of the metalurgist guys and/or machinist on here to clear up the cleaning debate.

I picked up an M1 Garand recently, and the barrel is junk, due to inaddequate improper cleaning. Now a barrel is gonna cost me. I think a lot of it came from dirty surplus ammo.

I know primers and powders are nearly inert to metals as far as reacting. They do build up. Most problems come from the copper buildup in the bore, it's also one of the hardest to get out. Have to be care full with the amonia based solvents, to not get them on your brass. It will make brass brittle. I think that is most of the reason they work on copper fouling.
 
Also do you brush from chamber side only or brush both ways like some? And what is the general consensus on the need for a boreguide. Thanks guys I appreciate any help I can get. There are a lot of myths in this hobby I'm just trying to route out the ones that can damage my barrel. Lol
 
I brush both ways and use a chamber guide if possible and scrub both ways.
I don't like my barrels squicky clean but if it is an AR or M1A or some other semi auto you really need to keep it clean. The carbon and copper build up will reduce reliability and accuracy in most cases.
Every couple of hundred rounds I clean the barrel really well to make sure I am not getting a build up.
I would clean a factory barrel better and more frequently than a custom. I have two Hart barrels and they clean up really easy but my TC encore is usually a chore.
 
I clean after I'm done shooting (20-40 rounds). Boreguide, couple of Shooters Choice patches pushed through. Copper brush both ways several times, wetting it at the muzzle and the guide end until the brush has removed anything that doesn't feel right. A couple of more wet patches. Then a very tight dry patch that gets pushed just to the muzzle and pulled back. Any felt restrictions, especially when nearing the throat and the barrel either gets brushed again or a dampened patch of SC and JB bore paste gets worked in the area. When the tight patch feels good. A wet and a dry follow. Then a patch with 50BMG is worked down through, left set a minute or two. Usually shows some blue. Continue to work more patches with the BMG until blue is very faint or gone. A couple of dry patches and then I run another drenched patch of Shooters choice in the barrel and let it in the barrel for the ride home. An hour or two later a patch out the SC, if it shows some green, I soak it again. Next patch is usually just wet with no color. A couple of dry patches followed with a coating of BreakFree CLP, and a clean patch stuffed in the chamber and the muzzle and I'm done. If I'm going to be shooting again right away, the CLP is limited to about a dime sized dot in the middle of the patch, followed by a dry patch.

When I take them out to use, I remove the chamber patch, put the bore guide in and push a dry patch through. Wrap a brush with a patch sprayed with Gun Scrubber and spin it in the chamber. Insert my homemade action cleaning tool. (aluminum arrow shaft with opposing slots cut in it to hold the gun scrubber soaked dental gauze things) And clean the lug recess and back through the bolts path. Squirt some bolt grease on the lugs and bolt and ready to go. First shot is usually 2-3 feet low at 1k. Then good to go. About every 200 rounds I put the muzzlebrake in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Hunting season I leave em dirty for the season following a traditional 3 shot zero check.
 
Like someone said, this topic is good for lots of different opinions........ here is my two cents worth. Some will certainly disagree, but it works for me. Also keep in mind, I keep my barrels clean, I do get a little more aggressive when a buddy brings me a rifle that is 20 years old and never been cleaned......

First of all, I almost never use a wire brush and NEVER in a custom lapped barrel.

Second, always start the patch (or brush) at the breech end and use a boreguide. Go one direction only and NEVER reverse either patch or brush while in the barrel, and never pull a patch back through the barrel in reverse after it has been pushed through from the breech.

Step 1, Insert boreguide
Step 2, Run patches with automotive brake cleaner through until they start to come out clean. Usually takes 3 to 4. (removes powder fouling and carbon)
Step 3, Run patches with 50 BMG copper solvent through until they come out with no blue.
Step 3, (alternate) Fill bore with foaming bore cleaner, allow to sit for 30 min, repeat, then push through 2 clean patches. Push 1 patch with 50 BMG check for blue, if blue, repeat.
Step 4, Push through 2 patches heavily wetted with Kroil.
Step 5, Push through 1 dry patch
Step 6, Remove boreguide, swab chamber with a clean 12 ga shotgun swab.
Step 7, Lube bolt lugs

Done......

I typically clean after a maximum of 20 rounds.

Some factory barrels may require more aggressive cleaning, but most will not if copper or carbon is not allowed to build up in the first place. A factory barrel with a fairly rough finish may need to be cleaned after as little as 10 rounds to avoid too much copper build up. As a general rule a good custom barrel will not build up copper quickly and will not require as aggressive a cleaning process.
 
I started using Yamaha ring free to remove the carbon last yr. I read that some benchrest guys had been using the mercury carbon cleaner. (this is run in 2strokes to help reduce emissions/carbon build up) I picked the ring free because I have a case on hand for our boat.
I dunk a patch run it in the bore let it soak acouple mins run a brush a few times(bronze in the hunting guns and nylon in my varmint/target guns) I shoot mollied bullets and the first dry patch is usually black I run another continue this until the first dry patch is clean
I then run a hoppes #9 patch for storage. I will dry patch before leaving for the next shooting session/hunt.
Comes back in with one or 2 fowlers for all my guns.
During my break in I have used the necco or tubb firelapping kits with only the 2 finest grits. All but one are factory barrels right now and all don't copper much if at all since I started doing this.
I have the good guns borescoped every now and again by my dealer/smith and this works very well for me so far.
I wish I knew about this when I shot alot because it is quick and the most effective method I have used
If I have green/blue showing I use either wipe out or the Outers bore foam. Most of the time the ringfree/brushing removes it so I don't use the foam very much at all.
I ruined 2 barrels one with a bore paste and another with a copper solvent. so I have tried alot of different things to prevent that from happening again
 
I started using Yamaha ring free to remove the carbon last yr. I read that some benchrest guys had been using the mercury carbon cleaner. (this is run in 2strokes to help reduce emissions/carbon build up) I picked the ring free because I have a case on hand for our boat.
I dunk a patch run it in the bore let it soak acouple mins run a brush a few times(bronze in the hunting guns and nylon in my varmint/target guns) I shoot mollied bullets and the first dry patch is usually black I run another continue this until the first dry patch is clean
I then run a hoppes #9 patch for storage. I will dry patch before leaving for the next shooting session/hunt.
Comes back in with one or 2 fowlers for all my guns.
During my break in I have used the necco or tubb firelapping kits with only the 2 finest grits. All but one are factory barrels right now and all don't copper much if at all since I started doing this.
I have the good guns borescoped every now and again by my dealer/smith and this works very well for me so far.
I wish I knew about this when I shot alot because it is quick and the most effective method I have used
If I have green/blue showing I use either wipe out or the Outers bore foam. Most of the time the ringfree/brushing removes it so I don't use the foam very much at all.
I ruined 2 barrels one with a bore paste and another with a copper solvent. so I have tried alot of different things to prevent that from happening again


How did you ruin the barrel? Just leave it in too long?
 
How did you ruin the barrel? Just leave it in too long?
The sweets I left in for a week because I forgot after a family emergency that happened while I was doing my maintenance. That was a 6mm ppc that had less than 250 rds through it. The JB incident was because I didn't have a grasp of what was happening. That was a Harry Pope barreled 222 that my grandfather had given me. The rifle went from a solid .1 rifle to a solid 3/4" rifle in 6 months. I was 19 and had just started working in a gun shop. Some of the good shooters that frequented that shop had told me that I should try it because it was so much quicker better blah-blah-blah. That fortunately was the only rifle I had tried it in. When my grandfather passed I was given the 3 other 222's he had all with the same Harry Pope barrels. They were good but not like the first one I screwed up.
It wasn't the product but the way I applied it/removed it. I was using a multi piece aluminum rod that would bend/ touch the bore. Then instead of removing it with solvent I would just dry patch it not too diligently I might add.
Like they say education cost you time and money. No matter how or where you get it from.
 
Thanks for the info, i use sweets, and didn't want to mess something up. I just have a factory remington sendero barrel on it, so as long as i get everything out after i clean it i should be okay. Always looking for a better way to do things though. I guess everyone here is or they probably wouldn't be here
 
I realize this is an older post but some people including myself search older posts for answers.

I never really understood why you would use a bore guide on the chamber end but not on the muzzle crown end. A jag and rod will drag and strike the muzzle crown area hundreds if not thousands of times cleaning during the life of a barrel. I created a simple bore guide for the muzzle crown end and it works really well. We have numerous sizes. There are some good videos on the site too which demonstrate the issue and how the Crown Cradle works. Hope this helps and maybe is seen as a solution or least as extra insurance/precaution for the precision marksman.

Home / Crown Cradle - Baby Your Precision Rifle Barrel Crown
 

Attachments

  • FullSizeRender copy.jpg
    FullSizeRender copy.jpg
    5.2 KB · Views: 13
Warning! This thread is more than 9 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top