Gunsmithing What exactly am I trying to clean from my barrel?

[mudholestomper]

Lots of y’all have shared so much great info in my rookie barrel cleaning thread and it got me thinking.

I know the obvious answer is we clean to remove carbon from burning powder and then, if we feel that there is copper buildup, we remove that.

There’s so much debate over how clean is enough, but what is happening in a dirty barrel that affects accuracy?

There’s so much heat and friction happening in a microsecond, and if the jacket is engaging the rifling, it’s exiting the barrel at the same speed and spin as it always does.

Right? What is happening to a bullet in a barrel that’s had 350 rounds through it versus a perfectly clean barrel?

Does some fouling help? Is a barrel that has a single round through it “dirty” and therefore (theoretically) less accurate than a perfectly clean barrel?

 

[Old Man with Gun]

This will probably get very theoretical, but some call outs on my opinions.

A clean and oiled barrel is different shooting conditions than a fouled (dirty) one. If you care about first shot hits, a dirty cold bore shot is probably closer to how the rifle will continue to shoot.

Powders are no longer corrosive, a lot of cleaning "must do this/that" that gets repeated goes back to rust prevention and is no longer based on reality.

Most rifles can be shot for thousands of rounds without ill effect. Chasing extreme precision probably drops that number.

I clean and oil after every range trip because I have a lot of guns and it may be years before I shoot any particular gun again.

You need to clean actions to keep them reliable.

I only carry clean guns for self defense. It is tangible proof it has not been fired.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Lots of y’all have shared so much great info in my rookie barrel cleaning thread and it got me thinking.

I know the obvious answer is we clean to remove carbon from burning powder and then, if we feel that there is copper buildup, we remove that.

Cleaning a rifle bore isn't about feel(s).
If it has copper, it has copper.
You either clean it out to a level you're comfortable with, or you don't.
Same with the carbon stuff.

I fucking hate cleaning barrels. I am always happier with their performance if I do clean them.
They do tend to shoot much better (more consistent) when they've been cleaned.

 

[mudholestomper]

Cleaning a rifle bore isn't about feel(s).
If it has copper, it has copper.
You either clean it out to a level you're comfortable with, or you don't.
Same with the carbon stuff.

I fucking hate cleaning barrels. I am always happier with their performance if I do clean them.
They do tend to shoot much better (more consistent) when they've been cleaned.

I should have clarified: if we feel that there’s enough of a buildup of copper to affect accuracy or function, we clean it out.

If we’re at the range and accuracy starts to degrade, do we really know which of the materials that can foul a barrel is causing the degradation?

If we take a look and see lots of carbon but very little copper, we may assume that the carbon is the problem and focus on that.

 

[Gil P.]

It depends on the game you play. For PRS, you're better off starting the day with a fouled barrel vs a clean one that progressively fouls throughout the day.

I'm going to start using lock eeze in my barrels after cleaning to see if the first cold bore shot is consistent with successive shots out of a fouled barrel. This is something speedy does.

 

[TonyAngel]

It kind of depends. If you shoot for the utmost in accuracy, you'll get some seriously opposing opinions on the subject. If you just want to keep up with thing, whenever you feel like it or you have accuracy issues.

I shoot mostly ARs with chromelined barrels and they see thousands of rounds between cleanings. The only time they get cleaned is when I do my checks for worn parts.

I use boretech eliminator. It does a pretty good job on everything you'd want to remove.

 

[mudholestomper]

It kind of depends. If you shoot for the utmost in accuracy, you'll get some seriously opposing opinions on the subject. If you just want to keep up with thing, whenever you feel like it or you have accuracy issues.

I shoot mostly ARs with chromelined barrels and they see thousands of rounds between cleanings. The only time they get cleaned is when I do my checks for worn parts.

I use boretech eliminator. It does a pretty good job on everything you'd want to remove.

Shoot it a bunch, clean it (with a boresnake) when it needs lube, was my approach for years.

I was also younger and running and gunning for the fun of it. I also always ran “good enough” barrels and ammo.

I’m now in the stage where I want to shoot groups with everything I own and I look down my nose at bulk ammo.

This stage is costing me a lot of money, so I I want to eliminate as many variables as possible so I can focus on my skills.

I’ll probably never take this stage anywhere close to some of the other folks on this site, but I’m certainly going to enjoy it while the itch is there and I’m physically able.

 

[rustyinbend]

I use boretech eliminator. It does a pretty good job on everything you'd want to remove.

What he said. I am always very happy with Eliminator. When my patch comes out clean, I then run a wet CLP patch through for lubrication and rust protection. When I pull it out to shoot, I run one dry patch through the barrel, and head for the range.