Rifle cleaning

[Meece 1,957]

20 hours ago, Meece said:

Shotguns yes but rifle accuracy  can really  be affected by  cleaning. Then there is cleaning and cleaning.  Some just pull a snake through or a patch.   This might make the barrels look clean but if you use a solvent as above and a phosphor bronze  brush , the crap comes out the barrel as if it was waste oil.  Personally I use Ed' red which I  make myself.  (Look at receipe online)  make half a gallon for pennies. Use it for the next twenty years.  The terra gun stuff is good BUT all these bought cleaners are a small fortune for what they are.  Use Ed's red.  It's blooming good and cheap.

 

20 hours ago, wilbur foxhound said:

Does it go out of date

Ed's Red doesn't go old / out of date... if the bottle /container is kept closed because part of the liquid is cellulose thinner which will evaporate if left open to the air.  BUT IF IT was to dry out more thinners could be added to the oil part.  It is so good that you can wipe the outsized down.  It lasts for months if not years.  Give it a look.  Ps.  22lr barrels don't really need  ridding.  I've known blokes who shoot to a very high accuracy and haven't cleaned the bore for twenty years and more. If I  clean my Anschutz target rifle it taķes about 50 rounds to settle back down to zero. And we're talking about taking the dot out, not a group of an inch or so.

[Stavross 13,744]

1 hour ago, jok said:

Stavross. I think you answered your own question. Rounds stuck in the Browning a couple of times ??  I’ve seen barrels (admittedly shotgun) split in two which is a frightening thought to the user. Try to answer your own question. Why NOT clean a very expensive and functional piece of equipment. Why take the chance of it letting you down. Imagine looking down the barrel after spending hours in your jungle gear waiting for your target and the thing malfunctioning. You’d be sick as a pig. IMO. Jok.

I was just interested in what others do, the rounds stuck in the barrel was mainly due to faulty ammo ( split neck ) but to be fair I should really take more care of the .17hmr and will do from now on, I was always told by an old gunsmith, don’t clean the .22lr but everything else run a few patches through after use just to make sure they are dry and clean them periodically ( whatever that means ) 

I knew an old boy that had a single barrel 20 bore and he fired that when it had soil in the end of it, the end of the barrel looked like a bulb, he just sawed the end off and carried on using it I miss going out with old Jim, whenever you went out with him be it shooting or fishing on his boat you always came back with a crazy story for down the pub

[jok 3,036]

I’m not too good at expressing myself properly, but, in my humble opinion, and having been taught by, arguably the best, things need to be kept in mint condition. When you sharpen a knife and then use it, it needs sharpening again. When you use optics they may suffer a slight bump so need  .22 / 223/224/306/308/300Winmag all got the same treatment. Clean clean clean. Jok.

[socks 32,253]

7 minutes ago, jok said:

I’m not too good at expressing myself properly, but, in my humble opinion, and having been taught by, arguably the best, things need to be kept in mint condition. When you sharpen a knife and then use it, it needs sharpening again. When you use optics they may suffer a slight bump so need  .22 / 223/224/306/308/300Winmag all got the same treatment. Clean clean clean. Jok.

Look after your kit and your kit will look after you. 

[jok 3,036]

Thanks Ken. That was where I was coming from. Jok.

[jok 3,036]

Funny old world. Things beg to be said. I know this is out of context but could be relevant. Sergeant Major Dean Walton, instructor for the Red Devils, dies from plunging 3500 ft due to his chute getting tangled with his partners. One moment of weakness, preparation or whatever. Anyway, he is no longer with us. Rip. Just a thought concerning the subject. Sorry to deviate. Jok.

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I keep my rifles clean . I use a bore snake after every outing , if it’s one shot or 10 . Then after every ( approximately) 20 rounds I do a “Proper “ nylon brush and KG12 , and patch on a jag till spotless. I leave the brush for several minutes in the barrel, breach end and several minutes, muzzle end , because this is where the most fouling occurs. I don’t care if there is mud or shit on the stock or dust on the scope . It’s the barrel that needs care . I also remove the sound moderator after use . Never leave it on your rifle as corrosive particles can deposit in your barrel if you leave if on for any length of time . 
            This is the advise I received from Steve Bowers (rifle maker ) . It’s what he recommends.  Leave it dirty by all means and when it’s f@cked buy another. But ultimately to find out it’s f@cked you are going to have experienced loss of accuracy, and how will you know you have loss of accuracy? Because you start missing!