Clean your barrel or leave it dirty?

[langouroux 14]

Hello everyone,

 

Just a quick poll to see who cleans their centre fire rifle etc, been a long debate within my shooting friends!

 

Cheers

 

Happy hunting

Edited April 14, 2011 by langouroux

[GRAM71 29]

it depends on the conditions, range work means a very dirty barrel after a session, foxing and stalking i might only let off a couple, and if it's a dry night then it just doesn't need it and it'll only get a clean every other outing.

[danebrewer10 6]

clean it every time, never miss a cleaning, even if it's the day after. only don't clean it or use a bore snake if you want to be buying rifles all the time

[matt_hooks 188]

I know a local gunsmith and RFD who swears by boresnakes. He reckons they're worth hundreds to him in re-barrelings, rechamberings and crownings, removals of broken bore snakes and new rifles each year!

 

Clean after every trip, it can't do any harm, and first shot accuracy is better from a clean barrel, or at least a known condition.

[SEAN3513 7]

clean clean clean..........no excuse not to (imo)

 

when you get back....the first thing to sort are the dogs ( if you have them) then the guns, regardless of calibre and bore,before you give any comfort to yourself.

 

cheers

 

sean

[trooperman 73]

fully agree even if i only fire 1 round when i get home leave to stand so it comes back to room temp then i clean it dont forget powder residue has moisture in it and as we all know dampness causes rust...so i clean mine every time i use it and that does not mater whether it is R/F or C/F and yes bore snakes are good but so is any good cleaning kit but a bore snake does not put a clean patch through your gun does it.the one thing i never do though and that is put the gun away with the mod back on it mods get hot and can hold moisture and that moisture can and does run back into the barrel and can accumilate around the threaded end of the barrel and if never cleaned as par the course that mod can rust its self to the thread renering the thing stuck fast.

 

 

paul

[JohnGalway 1,043]

and if it's a dry night then it just doesn't need it and it'll only get a clean every other outing.

 

The burnt powder residue left after firing a shot/shots attracts moisture Combined, they form an acidic gunk.

 

That said, I'm in with the "occasional" crew to be honest.

[andyf 144]

Hello everyone,

 

Just a quick poll to see who cleans their centre fire rifle etc, been a long debate within my shooting friends!

 

Cheers

 

Happy hunting

I have 2 Centrefires, a 22.250 and a .270, I don't routinely clean the barrels of either, the 22.250 gets a 'push-through'

after 30>40 rounds, or if I get an unexpected miss or poor shot. The .270 doesn't get that much put through it, and is superbly

accurate, so 'if it isn't broke, dont fix it' is my plan for that one?

I do dry and wipe down my rifles after every use, but not clean the bores.

BUT when I clean my rifle barrels I do it with care and attention, the 'boresnake' or any 'pull through' should be put on a bonfire,

you scrub the crown with cord and 'screw' it, really dont use one, at least not in a rifle, (for shotguns they are fine).

It doesn't matter that the military use them, they are not always right?

I use bore guides, which if you dont know what they are are replace the bolt with a tube, and guide the cleaning rods into the bore

from the breech end. Use only good bore cleaning products, I use Remington bore cleaner, Hoppes No9 or Outers 'Foaming Bore Cleaner'

all of which I've found to be excellent, (but for Rimfire I only use the Remington, as it's just lead no Copper in them).

Get decent rods and brushes/jags, and you will 'die' when you see how much they cost, Midway UK are the best in my opinion, as they

have everything and have it in stock.

AndyF

[Deker 3,453]

CLEAN!

 

I am heartened by the clean response, my rifles work and keep working because I look after them.

[foxdropper 17,092]

I used to subscribe to the clean ,clean ,clean theory but as someone who does there fair share of shooting on live quarry ,ive found that the .243 opperates better with no cleaning at all and if its not broke dont fix it sounds good to me .I think its either all out clean every time or leave well alone to be honest .

[Deker 3,453]

I used to subscribe to the clean ,clean ,clean theory but as someone who does there fair share of shooting on live quarry ,ive found that the .243 opperates better with no cleaning at all and if its not broke dont fix it sounds good to me .I think its either all out clean every time or leave well alone to be honest .

 

 

In truth I agree....Clean clean clean or simply don't!

 

If you half heartedly clean now and again, you will simply raise fouling and probably make things worse than when you started, so either CLEAN it or don't...... I'm still of the clean brigade, even though it is a pain, just my early target upbringing!

 

Be Careful with the crud in the mod whatever!

[JohnGalway 1,043]

The good thing about not cleaning is it gives a good excuse to rebarrel the rifle sooner

[martin 332]

I usually clean mine when I can't see through it!

 

 

 

 

only joking fellas,I will clean when it starts to drift,and then it is a thorough clean,and I had a fall the other night(yes another....lol)and I had an invite yesterday so checked zero,to be sure,and after what must be 150 shots this is 5 shots at 100yds......

 

I have never cleaned my rimfire in 20 yrs,and it shoots great.

 

Martin

Edited April 29, 2011 by martin

[Deker 3,453]

After cleaning your centre fire do you then zero it in again? if so you then need to clean it again and then zero it and so on if so you are still shooting with a dirty barrel.

 

 

There is actually an element of truth in that, simple fact is its diminishing returns.

 

Unless you are on the range then "MOST" people will only use a handful of shots through the centrefire in the field.

 

All my centrefires have a P8 fitted, and each (firing) trip out, everything gets cleaned. History and experience has shown me (to my surprise in the early days) that REGULAR THOROUGH cleaning of rifle and mod does NOT shift the zero. Zero IS checked rugularly just the same.

 

Remember, damage to barrel, mod and action can also be caused whilst a dirty gun is being stored.

 

This cleaning malarky has many views, I clean, it's a pain, but it works for me, others don't and apparently it works for them, such is life!

[activeviii 8]

liquid and patch cleaning after around 500 shots then a put a few fouling rounds down as it does drift off. i do bore snake every now and then but this does not affect the zero so after a range day or once a month i will put it though.