How often do you clean you compitition pistol's barrel?
- Thread starter The ROC
- Start date
Before every big match, the entire gun gets a thorough cleaning
Before every club match, the top end gets taken apart and cleaned, and the barrel gets a thorough cleaning.
During the match (if it's a multi day match), the top end gets wiped down and the barrel gets at least a bore snake and oiled.
Before every club match, the top end gets taken apart and cleaned, and the barrel gets a thorough cleaning.
During the match (if it's a multi day match), the top end gets wiped down and the barrel gets at least a bore snake and oiled.
As HB mentioned - before matches.
I used to clean after every shooting, then went as far as to 4500rds without any cleaning but light oiling on rails and outside barrel where it contacts bushing (Shadow has a bushing inside slide) and lugs.
It'll mostly depend on if you shoot lead and your powder choice too.
I usually clean after every 500rds or so, now. Sometimes it means after one session, sometimes it's after two.
I used to clean after every shooting, then went as far as to 4500rds without any cleaning but light oiling on rails and outside barrel where it contacts bushing (Shadow has a bushing inside slide) and lugs.
It'll mostly depend on if you shoot lead and your powder choice too.
I usually clean after every 500rds or so, now. Sometimes it means after one session, sometimes it's after two.
- Location
- Halifax - NS
Exact same process here.
Derek at Millenium Custom told me to never clean his gun barrels - all Schuemann.
Before he told me this I cleaned the barrel at 500 ish rounds with Hoppes 9 and then some 762 Solvent - this got out very little blue stuff (copper). I did it again at about 1200ish rounds and had no blue at all. Never cleaned the barrel again.
I take my gun down once a year and give it a once over in the winter sometime. I take the top off and clean the rails and such before a big match say Nationals or Provincials maybe. I will however take my finger and wipe the feed ramp clear with my finger and add little oil here there at say every level 2 match without taking the slide off. This is with a Standard division gun so no potential leading issues that seem to come with a compensated gun (only comp? - not sure I'm an Open noob).
I will say you compare what I do to what HB does and its drastically different. I will also state what HB scores (he's the National Champ) to what I score is drastically different as well.
Before he told me this I cleaned the barrel at 500 ish rounds with Hoppes 9 and then some 762 Solvent - this got out very little blue stuff (copper). I did it again at about 1200ish rounds and had no blue at all. Never cleaned the barrel again.
I take my gun down once a year and give it a once over in the winter sometime. I take the top off and clean the rails and such before a big match say Nationals or Provincials maybe. I will however take my finger and wipe the feed ramp clear with my finger and add little oil here there at say every level 2 match without taking the slide off. This is with a Standard division gun so no potential leading issues that seem to come with a compensated gun (only comp? - not sure I'm an Open noob).
I will say you compare what I do to what HB does and its drastically different. I will also state what HB scores (he's the National Champ) to what I score is drastically different as well.
Don't get cleaning the barrel confused with cleaning and lubricating the gun.
My barrels are Shueman titanium nitride coated so they probably almost never need cleaning but the slides and outsides of the barrels need cleaning and especially lubrication often with a top quality racing lube, say evey 500 rounds and of course before every match.
Many many gun malfunctions are simply people who don't lube the slide, rails and barrel outside with good luge or use some thin crap that burns off after a few rounds.
The whole gun including all trigger components and extractors need to be inspected and adjusted and lubed and shot a few rounds to be sure all is OK before every major match.
Mags ( siliconed before the match) need to be cleaned after every stage.
Ammo has to be spotless clean and better than factory new and case gauge checked before any match.
I can easily go a year or 2 without a malfunction.
My barrels are Shueman titanium nitride coated so they probably almost never need cleaning but the slides and outsides of the barrels need cleaning and especially lubrication often with a top quality racing lube, say evey 500 rounds and of course before every match.
Many many gun malfunctions are simply people who don't lube the slide, rails and barrel outside with good luge or use some thin crap that burns off after a few rounds.
The whole gun including all trigger components and extractors need to be inspected and adjusted and lubed and shot a few rounds to be sure all is OK before every major match.
Mags ( siliconed before the match) need to be cleaned after every stage.
Ammo has to be spotless clean and better than factory new and case gauge checked before any match.
I can easily go a year or 2 without a malfunction.
If you do not maintain the firearm it will be more prone to stopages. Glock and everything else included. And the stoppages add time. For me it is worth a few minutes of cleaning and lubing to avoid adding a few seconds on the clock.
I shoot revolver with mostly lead boolits. During the match I brush out the cylinders and run a brush down the barrel and on the outside of the crane and around the forcing cone. After the match the barrel, along with the rest of the gun gets a thorough cleaning. Until I get my alloy soft enough to obuterate the lead cast boolits I have to watch for leading just into the rifling.
Shooting revolvers can be dirty business.
For pistols I clean after every range session and during the match like Sean does.
Take Care
Bob
Shooting revolvers can be dirty business.
For pistols I clean after every range session and during the match like Sean does.
Take Care
Bob
Basically the same - cant remember the last time i cleaned / scrubbed the bore ... but oil the slide and barrel religiously before. during and after a match...will also run a boresnake through after 100 or 200 rounds to keep the ramp clean.
Don't forget that the cleaning procedures noted above are also an opportunity to check for wear or breakage.
I'll do a minor strip and clean between minor matches and practice sessions. A major strip and clean before anything major or just if I feel it needs it.
During a major multi-day match I'll make sure the chamber, feed ramp, breach face and extractor are all clean and the gun is well oiled. I don't do much in the way of cleaning the bore; just break up the gunk in the chamber with a nylon bore brush and run a single patch through the bore to remove any loosened material.
I'll do a minor strip and clean between minor matches and practice sessions. A major strip and clean before anything major or just if I feel it needs it.
During a major multi-day match I'll make sure the chamber, feed ramp, breach face and extractor are all clean and the gun is well oiled. I don't do much in the way of cleaning the bore; just break up the gunk in the chamber with a nylon bore brush and run a single patch through the bore to remove any loosened material.
