cleaning do's and don'ts
- Thread starter upnorthshooter
- Start date
Test case ...
OK guys,
This should be an interesting experiment ...
I have a scrupulously-clean Gunnar-tuned Norinco 1911 A1 .45 and an equally-clean 2006 Remington MM (OK, maybe 50 rounds down the bore since the last major scrub) and a new Remington .223 SPS (still no scope) with 5 rounds through it. Plus a Stag AR-15 with maybe 100 rounds through it.
I resolve not to clean any of them for a year ... and shoot about 100 rounds each ... each month ... and keep records ... I used to be a Science teacher. Very anal. Should be interesting ...
I used to really enjoy my Grade 9 Physics class ... where I'd share my-money-is-an-object binoculars (my $300 7x50 Pentax) right beside their parents' pretty-damn-good $120 stuff.
Classic example of the Law of Diminishing Returns.
After that little comparo, I told them about Zeiss and Leica stuff ... about the simple pleasure of owning something that's built a whole lot better than it needs to be.
(Did the same thing with a single-blind fly-rod comparison in my Grade 7 Structures unit.)
One rod (a Scott G2) was made by a small collective of elves in a remote mountain valley in Colorado (as I told them) , and the other (a fine TFO) was made in China.
Boomer
OK guys,
This should be an interesting experiment ...
I have a scrupulously-clean Gunnar-tuned Norinco 1911 A1 .45 and an equally-clean 2006 Remington MM (OK, maybe 50 rounds down the bore since the last major scrub) and a new Remington .223 SPS (still no scope) with 5 rounds through it. Plus a Stag AR-15 with maybe 100 rounds through it.
I resolve not to clean any of them for a year ... and shoot about 100 rounds each ... each month ... and keep records ... I used to be a Science teacher. Very anal. Should be interesting ...
I used to really enjoy my Grade 9 Physics class ... where I'd share my-money-is-an-object binoculars (my $300 7x50 Pentax) right beside their parents' pretty-damn-good $120 stuff.
Classic example of the Law of Diminishing Returns.
After that little comparo, I told them about Zeiss and Leica stuff ... about the simple pleasure of owning something that's built a whole lot better than it needs to be.
(Did the same thing with a single-blind fly-rod comparison in my Grade 7 Structures unit.)
One rod (a Scott G2) was made by a small collective of elves in a remote mountain valley in Colorado (as I told them) , and the other (a fine TFO) was made in China.
Boomer
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A blue hunting type barrel is different than a custom made, lapped stainless barrel.
I don't clean my stainless match barrels very often. Maybe 3 times a year. Even at that it is because I feel guilty and not because the rifle has opened up.
When I do clean, I like to do it as quickly as possible to save wear and tear on the barrel. A gunsmith I know has a selection of barrel stubs showing how they were ruined by poor cleaning.
I put in a wet patch, a few strokes, the then leave the rifle muzzle down on a piece of paper towel in the corner over night. I let the chemicals do most of the work. The current bottle is Hoppes Benchrest cleaner. I have heard of some new agressive cleaners I will try next.
If I am returning from the range/hunt and know I am going to clean, I stuff a patch in the chamber and squirt Wipeout foam in the muzzle. This is amazing stuff. The rifle is ready to be wiped clean by the time I get home. Or it can stand in the corner overnight, too.
The muzzle down part is important. If a rifle is left muzzle up, which seems to be the more normal way to store a rifle, the oil or cleaning solvent gunge will trickle into the action and get under the action in the bedding and crud up the trigger. An American shooter gave me a can of Wipeout a few years ago. I had never heard of it before. It foams quite a bit. I squirt it in the muzzle then seal the muzzle with my thumb. In a few sconds white foam is coming out the chamber. the entire barrel is now wet. And it cleans well. Great stuff! I stick a patch in the chamber to reduce leakage. Don't want to get the bedding wet.
After the barrel is dry patched clean, it should be lightly oiled to prevent rust. I use Breakfree. Even stainless barrels should be oiled. Before shooting next time, a few strokes of a dry patch will take out the surplus oil.
If you have bad metal fouling, Sweets is quick or a conventional solvent repeated for a few over night treatments will do the trick. Is RemClean still avaialble? It is a mild abrasive that cuts through bad powder and metal fouling quickly.
I don't clean my stainless match barrels very often. Maybe 3 times a year. Even at that it is because I feel guilty and not because the rifle has opened up.
When I do clean, I like to do it as quickly as possible to save wear and tear on the barrel. A gunsmith I know has a selection of barrel stubs showing how they were ruined by poor cleaning.
I put in a wet patch, a few strokes, the then leave the rifle muzzle down on a piece of paper towel in the corner over night. I let the chemicals do most of the work. The current bottle is Hoppes Benchrest cleaner. I have heard of some new agressive cleaners I will try next.
If I am returning from the range/hunt and know I am going to clean, I stuff a patch in the chamber and squirt Wipeout foam in the muzzle. This is amazing stuff. The rifle is ready to be wiped clean by the time I get home. Or it can stand in the corner overnight, too.
The muzzle down part is important. If a rifle is left muzzle up, which seems to be the more normal way to store a rifle, the oil or cleaning solvent gunge will trickle into the action and get under the action in the bedding and crud up the trigger. An American shooter gave me a can of Wipeout a few years ago. I had never heard of it before. It foams quite a bit. I squirt it in the muzzle then seal the muzzle with my thumb. In a few sconds white foam is coming out the chamber. the entire barrel is now wet. And it cleans well. Great stuff! I stick a patch in the chamber to reduce leakage. Don't want to get the bedding wet.
After the barrel is dry patched clean, it should be lightly oiled to prevent rust. I use Breakfree. Even stainless barrels should be oiled. Before shooting next time, a few strokes of a dry patch will take out the surplus oil.
If you have bad metal fouling, Sweets is quick or a conventional solvent repeated for a few over night treatments will do the trick. Is RemClean still avaialble? It is a mild abrasive that cuts through bad powder and metal fouling quickly.
For cleaning after a day at the range, a few dry patches + an oily one that I pass a few times for corrosion protection seems to do fine.
After about 700 rds or so (when my groups start opening up), I'll use some Gunslick foam in addition to the above; that's it.
I always work from breech to muzzle.
After about 700 rds or so (when my groups start opening up), I'll use some Gunslick foam in addition to the above; that's it.
I always work from breech to muzzle.
Any alloy, or mixture, of copper and tin is called bronze. If you are using a solvent to remove copper it is eating as much as your bronze brush as you are cleaning out of the barrel.
I say just this. We are a small bunch of competition shooters.
I follow what the shooters who shoot week after week in the US do.
Why reinvent the wheel. These guys and gals eat, breath, sleep, shooting at matches. Read up on what they do.
JMO.
All I will say is that I CAN TELL the difference in the feel of my bore when I clean after each match around 10 shots or wait until after the agg.
I will continue to clean after each match.
I follow what the shooters who shoot week after week in the US do.
Why reinvent the wheel. These guys and gals eat, breath, sleep, shooting at matches. Read up on what they do.
JMO.
All I will say is that I CAN TELL the difference in the feel of my bore when I clean after each match around 10 shots or wait until after the agg.
I will continue to clean after each match.
lineofsight
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland, BC
Got this from a smithy:
Using a patch to clean, dont push out of crown, pull back through.
If had borecleaner/foam... sitting in there push patch out of crown.
Bronze brushes, never reverse direction in barrel.
If nice barrel - shoot and clean each round for 10 rounds, after that after 5 rounds, after that whatever you want.
Using a patch to clean, dont push out of crown, pull back through.
If had borecleaner/foam... sitting in there push patch out of crown.
Bronze brushes, never reverse direction in barrel.
If nice barrel - shoot and clean each round for 10 rounds, after that after 5 rounds, after that whatever you want.
I broke in a new SPS Tactical 308 on the weekend and this is what I found. I used blue box Federal ammo. I can 4-5 patches of Gun Juice through the barrel before shooting it first. I then shot one round followed by a clean wet patch of gun juice and repeated this process for 10 shots. While I was shooting and gun juicing, the patches were dirty but I'd flip the patch around and run it through again just to get all the fouling out. By the time I got to the 9th and
10th round the patches were almost clean. I then shot my groupings and tested the scope for accuracy. When I was finished, I ran a wet Gun Juice patch down the barrel before putting the gun away and the patch came out literally white. That's it that's all. The new owner of this gun will take possession of it, and after every shooting session, run a wet gun Juice patch through it and that will be it for his cleaning process. simple
10th round the patches were almost clean. I then shot my groupings and tested the scope for accuracy. When I was finished, I ran a wet Gun Juice patch down the barrel before putting the gun away and the patch came out literally white. That's it that's all. The new owner of this gun will take possession of it, and after every shooting session, run a wet gun Juice patch through it and that will be it for his cleaning process. simple
I am curious if you did a traditional break-in- shooting and cleaning- getting ALL the copper out between each shot for five, then 2 shots clean, etc.. As well as using Microlon in the barrel?
The reason I ask is because I have found absolutely no value in breaking in a factory tube- I have tried it on two seperate occasions and it always copper fouled- the only reason IMO to break-in a custom tube is to get it to clean up easier.
