When do you clean your rifle barrel.

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

I use Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner. It is a very quick, simple, and highly effective cleaning method. I believe it is probably also the method which goes easiest on the bore.

It's so easy, it begs the question, why not clean?

But I have a better reason to clean than that. Oxygen, bore fouling, and atmospheric moisture are not kind to bore surfaces, and can enjoin to produce galvanic corrosion, or what a lot of folks call pitting.

Over short periods, such activity is probably negligible, but over weeks, maybe not so negligible.

So the real question becomes one of how long a fouled bore is left unused and unattended.

If I know I'm going to be shooting again within a couple of weeks, I may forego the cleaning. If I'm not quite so sure, I'll probably at least oil the bore. If I'm anticipating a long layup, I'll clean and oil.

I'll swab out most of the oil just before firing again.

Greg

 

[JGilesEastTx]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

Sounds like meat

 

[Furtaker_.223]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

Now when you are cleaning, Are you doing a full clean, powder solvent, then copper solvent and getting all the copper out. Or just a quick clean?


Sometimes I will just run some powder solvent patches through till I dont get any dirt on the patch.

So, how thourough of a clean is clean?

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

Me? I just brush it a couple times with Hoppes #9, then throw some wet patches through, then a few dry.

I am not trying to rub the steel out. When you vigorously clean, and keep getting black on the patch......that's barrel steel.

I am going to get some Iosso paste. I have heard good things about it. I just like the smell of Hoppes too much though. It's what my dad used when I was a kid.

 

[neeley205]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Me? I just brush it a couple times with Hoppes #9, then throw some wet patches through, then a few dry.

I just like the smell of Hoppes too much though. It's what my dad used when I was a kid. </div></div>

i agree with your method, and the latter statement. its funny how comfortable things like that never quite leave you.

 

[rero360]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

Unless HateCA cleaned my bore after installing the RAD brake on my gun I haven't cleaned the bore in any way, shape or form in I'd say about 2 years, putting at least 500 rounds down range in that time period. When I took it out to the range last had some vertical stringing, but I contribute that to me not paying attention to my breathing, horizontal, it was still shooting lights out.

I do plan to clean it before I leave for OCS, BOLC and my next deployment as they will be pretty much back to back.

In that two year period its been in the snowy winters of NY deer hunting, to the high desert in the height of summer.

 

[chris19210]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

What bore guides do yall like when you get around to scrubbing your tube?

 

[RobertB]

Re: When do you clean your rifle barrel.

My tactical rifle, hardly ever. Used to ofton but found that it usually shoots the same no matter what. My muzzle loader- after every shot

 

[JGilesEastTx]

back to the top

 

[LuckShotM76]

Our old drill sgt. made us do it every evening before lights out, theory is you could get killed in the barracks and you would not want your rifle to malfunction for the next guy defending himself... Mind you we had to clean Ak's on a daily basis yet the single worst point of failure were the mags and the bad ammo....
Same for AK based precision rifles daily scrubs, now i clean my bolt actions or one shot hunting gear after a night in the woods - my guns and revolvers get lube and a quick cloth wipedown every now and then. Usually go round 50 rounds before i clean the M76 or the SVDS...

 

[Hook Creek]

I use Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner. It is a very quick, simple, and highly effective cleaning method. I believe it is probably also the method which goes easiest on the bore.
Greg

I use the same stuff and it does work great. If I have to ill use other products along with a nylon brush, and a coated rod so I'm not putting anything into my bore that can harm it. I usually end up cleaning at 400+ rounds on my factory remington .308 barrels when they are new

 

[sib1948]

I have used BoreTech Eliminator (first highly moisened patch with barrel angled down and then let rifle sit like that for about 5 minutes, then 5 or 6 dry patches until come out white) after every 2-300 rounds on all my bolt action rifles, followed by one patch with 3-4 drops of Kroil. I then mop the chamber with a 20 guage shot gun mop for 260, 308 and 338 calibers. Have to shoot a few rounds and accuracy comes back. On new barrels , I clean after ever 3-5 shots for the first 20-30 rounds to "season" the barrel for easier cleaning. Never use any type of brush ( nylon or otherwise). Match barrels are usually clean after 5-7 patches and only takes 10-15 minutes. I do clean and grease my bolt lugs every couple of range trips and add 1-2 drops of Kroil on both head and extractor. No signs of barrel degradation or lost accuracy after several thousand rounds. A good bore guide and solid coated steel rod is essential!

 

[JGilesEastTx]

What bore guides do yall like when you get around to scrubbing your tube?

Lucas guides chris8675309

 

[Captain Kirk]

Every 300-400 rounds or so for my rifles. I have actually never seen the accuracy fall off on any of my custom tubes, even at the 400-500 round point, but I'm not shooting for bughole groups so maybe it just isnt noticable if the rifle is still shooting well under MOA. I have found that a custom barrel is no harder to clean after 200 rounds than it is after 400-500, factory tubes are a little different. If you ask this same question to a benchrest shooter you will get a different answer than you will from a forum of tactical shooters, for many of us the rifle simply just needs to shoot when you need it to and hold MOA or better (better is better).

 

[thrusty]

I use Bore Tech Eliminator after about 100-200 rounds. I'm going to try substituting Bore Tech C4 in place of Eliminator and then try removing copper after 500 rounds or so and see if accuracy remains consistent.

I'll always do a full cleaning before an extended storage - followed by a lightly-coated patch of Kroil down the tube.

 

[Bill Larson]

"to clean your rifle's bore before the accuracy wanes is akin to wiping your ass before you shit"
-NOBODY (paraphrased)

Only problem with that is:What happens during a competition when accuracy "wanes"....????

 

[thrusty]

Only problem with that is:What happens during a competition when accuracy "wanes"....????

You shit in your pants and don't worry about the wiping part. I did enjoy the original quote though... lol


I hated making my bed when I was younger....always said "why make it when I'm just going to get in it every night and mess up the covers?" My sister explained to me that's like not wiping your ass because you're just going to shit the next day too. Maybe the same applies to gun cleaning?

 

[WebWalker]

Me? I just brush it a couple times ..... I am not trying to rub the steel out. When you vigorously clean, and keep getting black on the patch......that's barrel steel.

Oh Oh!! Black from a clean barrel! That's what I use to judge cleanliness. I've sent Hoppes an email to clarify.

 

[Name Enough]

I break down my rifles and pistols every time I come back from the field or the range. Its like the first sergeant was still looking over my shoulder. I don't like malfunctions or surprises. That being said I only lightly clean the barrel and only do a thoroughly clean the barrel when I can't get the results I am used to. This varies from rifle to rifle. I clean out the copper on rare occasions and notice that it takes a little shooting before it gets back to where it was.
As far as fouling shots I think 5 rounds does it for me off a clean barrel. Does anyone differ with their experience???

 

[xdeano]

Each barrel is going to vary.
I use to have a factory 22-250 that I shot moly bullets through a moly lubed bore, i'd shoot it on prairie dog towns and out calling coyotes. I'd put 500 rounds through it before i'd have to clean because my groups were starting to open up a bit, i'm not talking a huge amount but i could tell. I'd clean the snot out of it and it, remoly the bore when i was done and it would take a good 100 rounds before it would settle down. After it settled down it would shoot in the .3's pretty easily.

I've been using good bartlein barrels the last several years and they're quality! I can shoot them, then shoot some more and it only takes a few swipes down the bore and it's clean. I find that i clean it less and less but i still clean it because it's a work/hunting rifle that sees cool early mornings and hot afternoons. I'm also shooting suppressed so i find that the bore becomes dirty faster. Suppressors also tend to induce condensation, and condensation induces rust and pitting. So i like to keep things clean.

So each barrel will differ.

xdeano

 

[long range newbie]

I have like rifle OCD, I shoot it, come home think about leaving it filled with carbon (only 60-80rnds max) so I just go and clean it till I get clean patches then run dry patches till its clean, then one oil. I occasionally use an oil soaked mop to clean the chamber. I also tear down the bolt too much just to make sure it's all clean. I even clean the raceways then oil them up little by little till its nice and greased up.

 

[Captain Kirk]

"to clean your rifle's bore before the accuracy wanes is akin to wiping your ass before you shit"
-NOBODY (paraphrased)

Actually, its like wiping while your shitting, between turds....

 

[AZ.noob]

I have OCD, so i tend to clean my rifle before I go to sleep.

Sometimes I wake up at night and cant recall if i cleaned the rifle before I shut my eyes, so i will often clean it at 3am.

The other day on the way to work I was waiting at the lights and suddenly it dawned on me that I couldnt remember cleaning the rifle before I left the house, so I turned around and went back home to clean.

Im cleaning the rifle as I write this.

I cant remember if I cleaned her last night....

*rips hair out*

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a loose nut behind the wheel LOL

 

[DropinLead]

My SPR, after 1000-1200 rounds and even then only out of guilt. More rounds through it the better it shoots. Once clean it takes a lot of rounds to get back to really good and predictable.

 

[RTK]

If I had a finicky factory barrel that liked being dirty I would probably clean it much less, but since the rifles I shoot most have quality after market barrels I clean fairly frequently (which isn't much more than a few patches) especially if they are going to sit for any period of time. The barrel manufacturer I used recently recommends keeping it clean to improve the longevity of the barrel.
Besides, whether I shoot a cold clean or cold fouled barrel they all fall within the group and always less than a 1/2moa divergence which is important for the first shot when hunting.
So yeah I probably clean too often, but it doesn't hurt with the barrels I have and they all shoot well when clean vs dirty as opposed to some of the other rougher barrels.
I have also found the faster you push them the faster they seem to copper foul.

 

[ScottVA]

Every 25-30 rounds to prevent the possibilty of accuracy loss during a match. I'm not as worried about the carbon as much as I am about the copper which can layer over the carbon. Then, cleaning becomes much harder to accomplish.

 

[samnev]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BOLTRIPPER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i clean mine when they need it..... </div></div>


For my AIAW 308, I believe the round count is somewhere 400 rounds already since its last cleaning. Still shots sub MOA. I find that my gas gun needs more cleaning than the bolt gun to keep things tight.

Same here with my 308 AIAW and the gassers.