How many rounds have you gone without cleaning?

[buffybuster]

I'm just wondering. I've put 1879 rounds through my factory barrel (FN-PBRXP). During that time, except for cleaning it when it was brand new, I've only cleaned it one time at 793rds (BoreFoam and two patches). Since then I've put another 1000rds waiting for the accuracy to noticeably degrade.

This is NOT a 1/2MOA rifle and it's never been. It's consistently a 3/4-1MOA rifle and I've been waiting to see if it starts to open up and it hasn't yet.

Just wanted your own observations on your rifles.

Maybe I'm just really LAZY.

 

[NikolaiS]

Re: How many rounds have you gone without cleaning?

I started off cleaning after every outing, thinking that's what you HAD to do. After doing some reading here, I found this was probably a bad idea. So I've been going "experimental" and not cleaning, other than an exterior wipe down. I can't say this is a defining number, but 260 rounds later and no cleaning, everything's fine.
Nik

 

[lvmike]

Re: How many rounds have you gone without cleaning

Has varied for me, but the factory LW barrel on me AE goes from shooting slightly under half inch to shooting around 3/4-1" at around 400-450 rounds. I primarily shoot 155 scenars so I suspect it has alot to do with a long bearing surface as I know guys shooting other bullets that can go a bit longer. Also, every tube is different... Some just go longer because they do.

My cleaning routine:
every trip: clean bolt face, bolt lugs, raceway, crown, and exterior wipe down.
Every two trips (150rnd avg): pull a bore snake with clp on it through once and peeform normal maint.

 

[buffybuster]

Re: How many rounds have you gone without cleaning

With this particular rifle, the factory throat is so long that I don't think it matters much how fouled it is. It's always shot decent but not spectacular. I'm certain that a better chamber/barrel will show more sensitivity to being clean or heavily fouled. I just keep chipping as much of the carbon off the brake as I can and shoot it.

 

[81STFACP]

Re: How many rounds have you gone without cleaning?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: buffybuster</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm just wondering. I've put 1879 rounds through my factory barrel (FN-PBRXP). During that time, except for cleaning it when it was brand new, I've only cleaned it one time at 793rds (BoreFoam and two patches). Since then I've put another 1000rds waiting for the accuracy to noticeably degrade.

This is NOT a 1/2MOA rifle and it's never been. It's consistently a 3/4-1MOA rifle and I've been waiting to see if it starts to open up and it hasn't yet.

Just wanted your own observations on your rifles.

Maybe I'm just really LAZY. </div></div>

One of our High Master shooters, who shot for the service many years ago, got himself a new Krieger for his service rifle AR, cleaned it before he proceeded to shoot it in matches, no break in, just zeroed it and shot. We shoot 88 rounds in matches every weekend, plus practicing after work during the week. Needless to say it is easy to pile on rounds through the barrel. He shot the rifle till it did not go bang. This is after 3700 rounds.

He thorougly cleaned the BCG, chamber, and barrel, then off to the matches he went again. During our State Service Rifle championship during the 200 SF event, the rifle did not go bang again. This time he only went through 3500 rounds. Cleaned the BCG, and not the barrel just to get back in the match. The interesting part, he won the 600 yard slow fire, the event that will challenge the precision and accuracy of the system. There were 90+ shooters in the match and a pile of HM shooters, so it was not a walk in the park

He finally changed the barrel after over 8K