How clean is clean?

[luckey]

Hi guys, I know technically guns can take some/lots abuse and still functioning, and don't really want to sound like a clean freak.
However, each time, even after I clean the bore with solvent, dry patch through multiple times until it looks clean. When applying the light oil, the patch is black again. what's going on? and exactly how clean is considered clean?

[Travis Bickle]

Don't worry about it.
There's people who spend more time worrying about how many nano grams of carbon are left in their barrel than they actually do shooting and enjoying their rifles.
If you run a brush a couple times, then a couple patches, then one patch with oil to keep it CLP'ed then that's it!
Basically what is happening though is that the oil slowly sweats out the carbon from the steel over time. So it will be spotless for a couple minutes when you check but slowly the oil will pull more carbon out of the metal (which is what it's designed to do.)
You're never going to get it to come perfectly clean and there is absolutely no point in getting it there even if you could. Don't stress too much about keeping your rifles fresh off the assembly line clean. It's a futile waste of energy.
Hope that helps Sir!

[luckey]

Thank you Sir. That puts my mind at ease over the new year.

Don't worry about it.
There's people who spend more time worrying about how many nano grams of carbon are left in their barrel than they actually do shooting and enjoying their rifles.
If you run a brush a couple times, then a couple patches, then one patch with oil to keep it CLP'ed then that's it!
Basically what is happening though is that the oil slowly sweats out the carbon from the steel over time. So it will be spotless for a couple minutes when you check but slowly the oil will pull more carbon out of the metal (which is what it's designed to do.)
You're never going to get it to come perfectly clean and there is absolutely no point in getting it there even if you could. Don't stress too much about keeping your rifles fresh off the assembly line clean. It's a futile waste of energy.
Hope that helps Sir!

[ShawnC6]

Don't worry about it.
There's people who spend more time worrying about how many nano grams of carbon are left in their barrel than they actually do shooting and enjoying their rifles.
If you run a brush a couple times, then a couple patches, then one patch with oil to keep it CLP'ed then that's it!
Basically what is happening though is that the oil slowly sweats out the carbon from the steel over time. So it will be spotless for a couple minutes when you check but slowly the oil will pull more carbon out of the metal (which is what it's designed to do.)
You're never going to get it to come perfectly clean and there is absolutely no point in getting it there even if you could. Don't stress too much about keeping your rifles fresh off the assembly line clean. It's a futile waste of energy.
Hope that helps Sir!

You were on a roll until you said the carbon comes out of the steel which is just completely untrue.

But Ya I clean my stuff decent, but don't worry about white glove clean.

[6MT]

Hi guys, I know technically guns can take some/lots abuse and still functioning, and don't really want to sound like a clean freak.
However, each time, even after I clean the bore with solvent, dry patch through multiple times until it looks clean. When applying the light oil, the patch is black again. what's going on? and exactly how clean is considered clean?

imho...you're doing just fine.

[jermyzy]

I never know how much CLP to leave on as "lube" after cleaning? Should there be a visible film? Or apply and lightly wipe?

[skoal]

If you can see it and your not storing it for long periods of time, its probably too much