When to clean ?
- Thread starter powdergun
- Start date
Depends on a bunch of things. If it's a semi-auto you'll probably start having cycling issues before you start having accuracy issues. Go through a brick and your accuracy could still be fine, but it could start jamming etc from getting all gummed up. If your ammo's pretty dirty-burning your crown may get caked with gunk so quickly that it starts affecting your POI after 100-200 rounds, if not sooner, and you'll want to clean that crap off. I recently redid my crown, and it doesn't seem to get dirty enough to matter during a shooting session for me anymore. Before the crown job, though, I'd be cleaning my crown off after about 100-150 rounds or else it would soon start drifting around quite a bit in POI. Now I just give it a quick clean whenever I get home from the range, and a more thorough job every couple of weeks. Well, I'm out at the range 3-5 times a week, and I shoot maybe 300 or so rounds a visit, so, your volume of shooting may differ from mine. Also depends what kind of shooting you're doing, and how accurate "accurate" is for those shooting needs. Personally, I'd rather get the primer gunk out of there after a shooting session rather than just leave it in there over multiple sessions, just to try to prolong the life of my barrel. Some people never clean, and it still shoots accurate enough for them with whatever kind of shooting they're doing, so, like you already said, there's a lot of variation. 
cz452shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Sparwood, BC
Depends on the gun. I got guns that will go for some 200 rounds, others that will only go for about 75. Generally though, after about 150 rounds with my plinkers and about 50-75 with my benchrest guns.
Hi-Standard
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Newfoundland
I clean all my guns after every single range session. If I just shoot a few rounds for sighting in, I may just give the bore a quick swab. But for any more then a few rounds, she's stripped and cleaned. Especially semi's. All .22 LR semi's that I know of are direct blowback design. Therefore, a lot of the powder residue gets blown into the mag well and trigger group, and it feels just like sand. I've seen people shoot brick upon brick through there semi's without cleaning, and then wonder why they either won't cycle, or worse yet go full auto. There is so much crud in the trigger group, that the sear sticks down. Quick way to empty a 10 rounder!
. There is so much crud in the trigger group, that the sear sticks down. Quick way to empty a 10 rounder!
22 rimfire bores do not need the frequent cleaning that Centerfires require. In addition, most rimfire barrels are quite soft, thus one must exercise care when cleaning them that damage is not done to the bore in the process. Semi-Autos need regular attention to the actions for the reasons already stated, but other than that, it is not unusual for a rimfire bore to still shoot very well indeed after 4-5 hundred (or more) rounds. If you use a cleaning rod (I don't) be very, very careful, particlarly at the muzzle. You can turn a fine shooting arm into a junker in a jiffy. Regards, Eagleye.
_Shorty said:
My contention is; If you have a super accurate rig, why would you even chance screwing up the crown?. Additionally, I have seen an instance where an inch had to be removed from the muzzle to clean up the damage. Eagleye.
Grouse Man said:
+2, great stuff. I dip approx 2"or 3" of bore snake in it and to 3 passes (straight pull) from breach to muzzle, and she is right as rain.
Also I know mostly use copper wash when I can, and I avoid that dirty Remi stuff.
OH MAN, I was at the range the other day trying out a bunch of different ammo, and I couldn't believe how dirty the Remington stuff was! Tons of blowback over the casings, and the bore and crown were just filthy after only 50 rounds. It looked like I had shot 500 rounds of American Eagle through it. Now I no longer think the American Eagle is all that dirty, hehe.
Calum said:
_Shorty said:
Not really. That previously mentioned day was spent first at the gopher patch where a good 600 rounds were ran through.
As the day got later the guys and I went to the range to have more fun. I put another 400 or so through it then, the groups were still tight.
The only thing I kept an eye on was the crown. Too much powder build up and it starts to open up the spread. A quick wipe and it's back to normal.
RancheroMan
CGN Regular
- Location
- Sherwood Park, AB
I ran about 1500 rounds though the Marlin 795 last year in a few good gopher shoots before my first cycling problem.
As for accuracy, they gophers kept dieing.....
As for accuracy, they gophers kept dieing.....
