Rifle barrel Cleaning

[ChesterP]

Carbon and fouling left in cannot be a good thing, period because the rifling will corrode in the presence of any moisture or condensation. Carbon left to build up forms a hard scale which can cover copper fouling if no cleaning is done. I once bought a rifle which had probably never had the barrel cleaned and bore scoping it revealed extensive pitting once it was cleaned.

After every outing I run some KG carbon remover through (this also removes some copper judging by the colour of the patches) and it gets left in for 20 minutes before patching out. Every 70 to 80 rounds or when accuracy starts to drop off, I de-copper using Wipeout Tactical Advantage although I don't like leaving that in too long. M-Pro 7 seems to condition the barrel better though.

If being stored for any length of time, I run an oil patch down the barrel and dry patch before first use but also run a meths soaked mop around the chamber as any residual oil residue prevents effective obturation which I learned to my cost some years back!

People can please themselves what they do but no-one can ever convince me that not cleaning a barrel is a good thing. Basic 101 training in the infantry used to be minimum to pull through a brush, patch, then run an oil patch through. Most older shooters I know who've had their rifles almost as long as I've been alive keep their rifles well maintained and that includes looking after the barrels.

 

[HandB]

After shooting when the rifle is still warm I run a couple of dry patches down the barrel to remove the worst of the loose fouling. Then one patch with oil. When I get home I wipe out the chamber with a chamber cleaning wooden rod and a tissue. Then run a dry patch through the bore and then a bronze brush wrapped in Napier rifle clean. Repeat until comes out more or less clean. Then one patch with oil for storage. Before the next shoot I wipe out the barrel and chamber with a patch soaked in methylated spirits.

 

[Odders]

I know of a rifle which, at the time I shot it, had over 14,000 rounds through it without cleaning. It still held to 2½ MOA, which was it's design spec (FAL).
I've run 500+ rounds through an L1A1 in a day, with no noticeable fall in accuracy or any reliability issues.
My bolt actions receive minimal cleaning, as I fall into the camp which believes excessive cleaning can do as much, or more damage than any putative minimum.

Note that running a lightly oiled patch through the bore doesn't count as cleaning in my book.

 

[JeffreyL]

This is worth a look.
bryn

Gun Cleaning Product Tests

That is interesting, in essence if you have cleaned a toilet and top up your own car engine you are good to go. Particularly liked the bit about 5W20 moter oil being packaged in 2fl oz bottles and sold for $7

 

[Steff]

That is interesting, in essence if you have cleaned a toilet and top up your own car engine you are good to go. Particularly liked the bit about 5W20 moter oil being packaged in 2fl oz bottles and sold for $7

Which is why use washing up liquid thinned with water on a bronze brush for carbon cleaning.

 

[Jelen]

Forest foam for me, it one of the easiest to use products I have found, you just leave it in the bore for a few hours.

Me too, but according to our local gun shop I'm the only one that buys it! I use it after every session but periodically I give the barrel a go with Boretech and a stiff nylon brush.

 

[army-medic]

Another vote for bore tech!

I also found Butch’s bore shine to be very good too.

 

[ChesterP]

I know of a rifle which, at the time I shot it, had over 14,000 rounds through it without cleaning. It still held to 2½ MOA, which was it's design spec (FAL).
I've run 500+ rounds through an L1A1 in a day, with no noticeable fall in accuracy or any reliability issues.
My bolt actions receive minimal cleaning, as I fall into the camp which believes excessive cleaning can do as much, or more damage than any putative minimum.

Note that running a lightly oiled patch through the bore doesn't count as cleaning in my book.

The L1A1 was my personal weapon and saying "it held it's accuracy" of 2.5moa is no real boast if we're honest. It was 2.5moa on a good day and usually more like 4moa with standard ammo and open sights. I've shot better with a Mk4 SMLE. Cleaning it was meant to include pulling through a bronze brush to dislodge carbon and fouling before multiple passes with an oiled rag and then dry patching.

 

[Nocrimp]

For what it's worth....
I use two dry patches to remove loosest fouling
Then one patch soaked in meths followed by two or three dry patches which remove all the black /sooty combustion residues
Then spray Bore Foam and leave for 20 mins to remove any copper fouling. Time to drink a cuppa or enjoy a beer....
Then multiple dry patches until they come out clean... job done

 

[User00025]

After having been put on a charge for getting pull through and 4 X 2 stuck in a Lee Enfield. I well remember doubling round the camp with my rifle above my head, hence I very rarely clean my rifles. Bore snake em every 20 or so shots.