cleaning products/methods

makaira

makaira

New member
Hey guys, I'm new to rifle shooting, but I'm catchin' on. If you would, would ya'll mind listing some of the cleaning prod. you use ie, solvent, oil, misc. accesories like brushes. Any thing that might make my time gun-cleaning more efficient. I love my rifles and want to do the best I can for them. I don't make bunches of $ but I buy quality stuff and it needs to last. I can't tell you how valuable this site has been for me so thanks for all the good advice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Most folks over-clean thier rifles. The natural state of a rifle barrel is fouled. If the gun won't shoot well with some fouling in the bore, it's a one shot rifle.

Too, people tend to buy into the marketing rhetoric that your barrel is going to turn into something resembling an iron sewer pipe if you don't get every single last smidgeon of copper fouling out.

Many barrels are truly "cleaned to death" by well meaning, but certainly confused individuals.

Use Hoppes number 9 for routine cleaning. True, it doesn't have the nitro-benzene in it these days, but it's still plenty powerful to do the job--provided you don't suffer from OCD /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ... When copper build up begins to impede accuracy, treat the bore with Sweet's or JB bore paste to knock the high spots down on the copper. Then leave the Hoppes in the bore and it'll slowly work more fouling out--and also prevent any rust or corrosion problems.

Here's a piece I wrote about this matter a couple of years ago...

http://home.earthlink.net/~dannewberry/dannewberrysoptimalchargeweightloaddevelopment/id3.html

Dan
 
I like to use Wipe out foaming cleaner followed by Butch's bore shine and then a patch of Kroil oil. I take the Wipe Out with me and apply it when I am done shooting. By the time I get home it's done its job. A few clean patches on a jag gets 95% or more of the job done. A couple of patches with Butch's Bore shine gets anything that might have been missed by the Wipe Out. Then a Patch of Kroil oil when I'm satisfied that the bore is clean.

Blaze
 
The most important things are to use a quality bore guide and a one piece rod.

Choices of solvents are less important than the above.

Jack
 
Jack Roberts,
I've got a question regarding bore guides, that's had me wondering for a bit. Perhaps you can clear it up for me, I've got Dewey, Stoney Point and what I believe is a Parker Hale, used with Dewey rods. Used them for years and though there is no doubt better available now they were cosidered pretty good back when I got them. What I'm wondering is that since the inside diameter of all of them (And every other I've seen) is larger than the bore diameter, how much guiding they actually do. It seems to me that if I can get a patched jag through the bore guide at all, how can it be doing any centralizing to keep the rod off the throat and bore? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gifI can't be the only one who ever thought that.
What do you consider a good bore guide, and what features does it have that makes it different in this regard? I will continue using guides for the convenience if nothing else, but beyond keeping solvent out of the trigger and bedding, and stopping the patch from falling off I really don't think that mine are guiding anything. What names should I be looking for, and what features? What's good? Also what is the hot setup on rods now?
Dogleg
 
I use a. J. Dewey one piece coated rod and jags by the same. I rarely use a brush, just patches with Shooters Choice. This is a great combination. The shooters choice is not corrosive and if you let the chemicals work, you will get a clean bore. Every once in a couple years I do a really thorough cleaning and use RB-17. This is more corrosive and you do not want to let the barrel soak. This stuff is great, similar to Sweet's 16 I believe. Foaling shots will are necessary after a treatment with RB-17 or Sweet's. A lot of the bench rest guys use either RB or Sweet's the difference is they clean between each shot. I only clean when I have to.
 
Eddie Harren,
I'm sure the Sinclair makes great stuff, since their reloading equipment seems to be all top shelf, at least by reputation. You don't see much of their stuff up here but I will order their catalog. I just don't know how a guide that is the same size or bigger than the bore diameter can hold the rod in the center of the bore. If the jag and patch pushes through the guide easier than through the bore it must be bigger, and once the guide is bigger the rod will rub on the throat area before it even touches the guide.Once the guide is bigger it shouldn't matter too much how much bigger it is, since the bore is now guiding the rod through the guide. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif When the guide gets small enough that it can hold the rod off of the throat area you can't get a patch on a appropriate jag through it. A brush is different since it will squeeze down through a constriction in the guide then expand back to original diameter. I have used a 25 caliber guide in 270, 7 mm and 30 calibers this way with a brush.Hard on brushes but perhaps easier on the throat?
Dogleg
 
Dogleg,
You are right in that if the guide is not a tight fit it is not perfectly centering the rod. Obviously the guide has to be loose enough to get the patch through. Although not perfect the guide will center the rod much better than you could do by hand.

I like the delrin guides with the o-ring such as made by Sinclair. http://www.sinclairintl.com

Jack
 
About the best bore guide is from Lucas has an insert to keep the rod centered in the guide and they are made for your action and case my latest one is for a Cooper 22 Hornet. I used to order them direct from Mike but James Phillips from the Reloaders Nest(931-223-4469)will put in a big order so he get a better price and passes the savings on to his customers.
 
Roper,
That seems to be exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif Dogleg
 
I've recently been very impressed with the Foaming Bore Cleaner from Outers. A can is just $6.88 at Walmart but it cleans the copper fouling out easier and faster than all the big name brand copper cleaners I've purchased over the years. Easier than scrubbing with JB's paste, also.
BTW, I don't think a gun is ever too clean, it just hasn't been shot enough to be fouled properly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Last year the local gun shop owner gave me a Bore Snake. Since then I have purchased several for different calibers. Does a nice quick job.
 
Every man has his own methods, so don't let me criticize...

But I would say if you are scrubbing your bore hard enough to make scrapes from a cleaning rod a concern, you're probably over doing it. Naturally, the folks who sell bore guides would strongly disagree with me there, and I would expect them to.

Folks who sell solvents and patches have an understandably exaggerated idea of how much solvent and how many patches it takes to clean a barrel adequately.

Keep your cleaning rod clean, with a very light coat of oil on it. It won't pick up enough dirt to become abrasive. Run one patch heavily soaked with a decent solvent through to get the majority of the powder fouling out. Remember that as the solvent oozes from the patch, it will "carry" the rod across any portion of the throat that it might touch, similar to the way the hydrodynamic film of motor oil prevents your rings from abrading against the cylinder walls in your engine. If you scrub the rod hard against the side of the throat, you can of course break through this film momentarily--but I doubt you could do significant damage unless you deliberately set about to do such.

Then run a brush through, end to end, one time, and patch it out again. Leave some mild solvent (Hoppes 9, Kroil) in the bore to soak with the rifle's barrel level. After 24 hours (or more if you have time) run another solvent soaked patch through, chamber to muzzle (if possible) and switch the patch for a clean, dry one at the muzzle and pull it back through.

Resist every temptation to search for reddish "copper wash" in the lands. It'll be there. It's a barrel.

If heavy copper does become a problem which routine cleaining with Hoppes doesn't moderate, you have a rough bore and it will require a copper solvent. Keep in mind, though, that rough bores might scratch up your cleaning rod, but I think Sinclairs makes some bore guides which should protect your cleaning rod in these instances. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I can't see where solvent running into the action of any rifle I've ever owned has been a problem. Hoppes number 9 is very mild, and wouldn't hurt anything if it did. You'd have to glob one HUGE amount of solvent on a patch to create enough flow from the chamber to then run into the magazine well and become a problem. Hoppes number 9 isn't a bad trigger lubricant if you happen to drip some in that area. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm not saying my way is best. I'm just saying this has worked very well for me for a very long time. I've yet to have a barrel rust, and I've yet to have one degrade so much in accuracy that it required more cleaning or more equipment that mentioned above.

Dan
 
It takes very little solvent leaking into an action to ruin a bedding job. It doesn't happen real fast but over time most solvents will soften bedding material. Most of the rifles I see with softened bedding are at least one year old and usually 2-4.

Jack
 
I've been shooting guns of all types for 40 yrs. and some of that has been in competition. All of the above posts are good, there are many good methods for cleaning a gun barrel.
The main thing, imo, is to clean every time you shoot your gun and use a bore guide. Most all the solvents, etc; will do the job. You can use a rod or boresnake/patchworm, they all work.
 
I'd like to strongly second using RB-17. It is the easiest, most efficient bore cleaner I've used, and I have used about everything. Here is their web site, Shilen barrels uses it too. www.rb-17.com.
 
Dan, well said, and it is really freaking me out that I totally agree with one of your posts! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 


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