Cleaning 101 starting with new rifle

[hawg]

This is the stupid question area, right? I feel really stupid asking about this.

A little history - I grew up in the northeast in a household that despised guns. I never touched a firearm until I was 18 and due to state restrictions that was a shotgun. I moved to Texas about 18 years ago and began getting into handguns. I bought a few, shoot them fairly often and probably clean them wrong. The problem is nobody ever taught me the proper way, I just made a lot of assumptions and cleaned the crap out of them. I always felt weird running a brush through the bore. It even sounds bad when you do it.

Now, I want to get into long range precision shooting. New to rifles, I bought a brand new Sig Sauer SSG 3000 and want to take care of it properly so, I'm asking for help from all you experts.

I'd like to know which solvents are safe to use. I have heard/read that some solvents will damage the bore. Is Hoppes safe? Butches Bore shine? I would rather not damage the bore on the first cleaning. I have searched for videos of precision rifle cleaning and I found a few, but they instruct you to use an abrasive compound like JB's. That doesn't sit right with me.

What does it mean when told to clean the rifle before shooting for the first time? Does that mean running a brush down the virgin barrel? Sheesh, I hate running a metal brush down a barrel.

Jags - I never used one. They look evil as well. I just picture the patch sliding off and the jag digging a nice hole in the rifling.

Do you clean anything more than the bore? Does the action need to be cleaned? I did this on revolvers and they were always fun to put back together.

What needs to be lubed, and what kind of lube to use?

I'd be interested in how you all clean your guns, especially brand new ones.

 

[Slow-n-easy]

Think about starting with some online training. Lowlight has a video rifle cleaning introduction video on youtube.

 

[DirtMerchant]

There are all sorts of ideas and opinions about this subject,...

The brass or bronze brushes and jags are actually softer than the steel they make your barrel out of so as-long as you don't go freakin' nuts it shouldn't harm the bore.
Hoppes is a copper solvent, no it won't harm the bore, smells freakin' cool, but most women folk can't stand it.
Running a patch with CLP through a virgin bore is not a bad idea, no telling what might still be in there from the manufacturin' process.

What harms bores in the cleaning process?
Cleaning rods,.. get yourself a bore guide.
People going freakin' nuts cleanin' em.

Do you clean anything more than the bore? - Yes, chamber and receiver should be cleaned
Does the action need to be cleaned? - Yes,
What needs to be lubed, and what kind of lube to use? - Any of the mating surfaces of the action should be lubed lightly, I use CLP

I'll usually do a more thorough cleaning if the gun is not going to be shot for some time (month or more), if I've been out shooting in the rain, shot the crap outa the AR and it's not cycling very well,...

 

[bax]

If there are 10 million shooters, there are 12 million "I will defend this method to the death!" ways to clean guns.

I agree, look at LowLight's video.

You are doing a survey so I will kick in with my technique. It is mine and I use it. Others will hate it. I don't mind. Whatever you pick, don't get defensive if other people don't like it. If you tell them they will disagree. It doesn't matter. In five years you will disagree with yourself. Never mind.

I break in my barrel - Obermeyer, Kreiger, Bartlein, Hart, Shilen, Lilja - all are barrel makers. There are several others. Go to their web sites and look at their break in procedures. I think it matters, most others disagree. Good barrels break in quicker. I have had barrels that never broke in.

Cleaning

Frequency:

I used to shoot benchrest. A match consists of 5 targets each at 100 and 200 yards for the light gun and 5 targets each at 100 and 200 for the heavy gun -- 20 targets. Each target has 10-15 holes in it. I would clean after each target, most BR shooters do that. Now I shoot mostly long range. During the weekend I shoot every weekend - 50 to 100 rounds per gun per weekend - I clean the guns every three to four weeks. Roughly every 200 to 300 rounds.

Technique:

I use a Sinclair cleaning rest. You should use a purpose built cleaning cradle even if you make it yourself. The barrel muzzle should be lower than the breech so the solvent does not drip back into the receiver and bedding. During the process, do not let any solvents get into the trigger.

Remove the bolt and the magazine and lay them on the bench. There is no excuse for an accidental discharge in your house.

I use a Sinclair rod guide, two Bore Tech one piece 44-inch coated rods, Sinclair 1 3/8 cotton patches, Ed's Red home made bore cleaner, Wipe-Out, Wipe-Out Accelerator, and JB. I have two rods, one with a nylon brush and one with a jag. For the first step, I use a homemade solvent called Ed's Red. I soak the nylon brush then make 10 slow and careful strokes. Keep the rod centered in the bore, the rod should never touch the barrel. The bore should be soaked. Using the jag rod, push two dry patches. Using the jag rod, push one soaked patch of Wipe-Out Accelerator, push one patch of Wipe-Out. Wait 10 to 15 minutes, push a dry patch. Repeat 3 to 5 times. Lightly lube a patch with Wilson's ultima lube, push that. The bore is done. Using a 9-inch brass loop pistol rod, screw on an AR10 chamber brush. Insert, twist a few times, withdraw. Screw on a 12-gauge bore mop, insert that into the chamber, twist a couple times, withdraw. Work the mop through the receiver rails. Using a nylon toothbrush, scrub the bolt fact and around the lugs. Wash down the bolt with Ed's Red. Dry the bolt, lightly lube the lugs and the cocking surface with Wilson Ultima lube. Do not over-lube, it attracts dirt and that accelerates wear and dirt may cause a malfunction. Insert the magazine and the bolt and put it in the rack.

If the bore seems cruddy after the Wipe-Out, I put a light-to-moderate amount of JB on a patch, give it two or three careful strokes then wash the bore with five patches of Ed's Red then dry. I may do a couple more cycles of Wipe-Out. The last time I cleaned my 308, I did exactly this. When I went to the range, I looked out the window, checked the flags, dialed in a 500-yard setting and fired a shot. It was 1-inch to the right of the aim point. I think that this barrel (a Kreiger) is properly broken in.

I can disassemble the bolt and remove the barrel if I think it is necessary. I will disassemble the bolt 3-4 times a year and clean inside with a bronze bore brush. I completely disassemble the shroud, spring, ejector, etc. I pull off the brake once or twice a year, check it with a nylon bristle brush and reassemble with anti-galling compound. When I reinstall the barrel, I use anti-galling compound.

I almost always pull the barrel in the fall, visually check everything including the chamber, redo my throat measurements, then put some extra lube in the barrel for the winter. I do this with my hunting rifle after deer season.

Do not use the 3-piece or 4-piece screw together rods, they will wreck you barrel. Always use a coated rod, it prevents bore wear from the rod. Always use a rod guide, get the best one that you can afford. Brushes and solvent remove powder fouling. Wipe-Out and the like remove copper. The brush is not scraping the crud out of the barrel, you should not push hard or use a hard brush. Do not EVER use a stainless brush. I no longer use Sweets, too much ammonia. The theory is: firing rounds creates micro cracks in the throat area, the ammonia gets into the cracks, the heat/pressure of firing decomposes the ammonia and nitrogen-hardens the throat and causes rapid throat wear. I don't know if it is true but it seems reasonable so I don't use it. I use Wipe-Out because Tony Boyer uses it. Pick the solvent you like.

I think the last time I wrote this down, it was different There you go.

 

[hawg]

Thanks to everyone for the input! Bought a Dewey's bore guide and one piece rod. The rod came with a .30 cal jag. The patches seem tiny compared to the jag

 

[Lowlight]

Here is cleaning your precision rifle from the Online Training

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[djskit]

Thanks to everyone for the input! Bought a Dewey's bore guide and one piece rod. The rod came with a .30 cal jag. The patches seem tiny compared to the jag

Be sure you are using the right jag size and the right patch size. Patches come in different sizes. A bore guide is critical. Listen to Lowlight.

 

[CNC_Apps_Guy]

Thanks much Lowlight!

 

[hawg]

Lowlight, can't thank you enough. No matter how much people tell you, a picture really does paint a thousand words. Well done. Are those lessons going to be available at the new site?

 

[mveto]

Great video, thanks for posting that up Lowlight

 

[stoneforrest]

Bore Guide is a really good idea. You can hardly damage the barrel itself with cleaning. Easier to damage are the chamber or the muzzle crown if you have the wrong tools, so watch out here and get good stuff.

The barrel sustains on average 50k PSI and 3000 F IIRC on the inside with each shot.

You usually don't clean that hard.

 

[Blwxxzy]

Been looking for this. Thanks guys

 

[pineoak]

Possum Hollow bore guides with the solvent hole are good. Let the chemicals do the cleaning, no brush is needed for regular shooting.

 

[2c1fr]

Thanks for the video and the thread guys

 

[Crowe284]

Always learn something new. Excellent video.

 

[Lateral Line]

Thank you for the video, Lowlight.

 

[pineoak]

I clean around the 300-350 round mark. At close to 500 my groups open up.

I run Dewey rods with Possum Hollow bore guides (get the solvent port). I NEVER use anything other than a jag personally. I used to use nylon/white bore brushes (non metal), but stopped years ago.

Patch-Out sitting in the bore for 30 minutes and usually within 10 clean patches it's "good enough" for me. I never clean to perfection. Sometimes will run MPro7 as a lighter cleaner a few patches if I want a light cleaning, but don't want to overdo it (ie. you have a match and your gun is overdue for cleaning but you can't foul the bore before the match).

Not perfect, but easy and sustainable.