Cleaning shotgun barrels

[Ricky B]

If you shoot a few rounds of trap (50 to 100 rounds of shells), is it sufficient to use a Tico Tool to clean the barrel, or should one use solvent and a brush every time? My barrel looks pretty bright with just the Tico Tool, but maybe there's more there than I can see.

Another question. To clean the barrel with a rod and bronze brush, or even with a rod and solvent-soaked patches, it would be helpful to secure the barrel in place with a vise. Are there any specialty gun barrel vises that you would recommend?

I have a cheap vise from Sears, but I would be wary of damaging the barrel without some special covers for the jaws. If you think that such a vise is usable and have suggestions for making such covers, I would appreciate hearing about them.

--Rick

 

[sm]

Tico Tool is fine for rd count you mentioned. Do not use a solvent based oil with the tool- it will ruin it.

My main concern was the chamber. I used to run 300 to 500 rds a week easily through mine ( one ga alone). Clean chamber, wipe off prints , shoot repeat. Every other month I'd clean bbl (unless caught in the rain...cleaned sooner). No vise here, still don't.

I went to a Otis pull through system, for most of my cleaning chores, Zippo lighter fluid and Kleenbore formula 3 for solvents and lube. One pc steel rod for serious stuff, and a 'portion of " a modified single pc steel rod for a special tool--see below..

Same for gas guns, except used pipe cleaners for ports.

When cleaning chamber --easy way (especially O/U) or remove bbl form gas guns ,use a wisp of 0000 steel wool around a nylon bore brush, cln chamber ...Big Boys use a battery drill with this or the the finest Scotch Brite (tm) instead of steel wool, chambers and bore clean for insertion of tubes.

Twice a year I did a thorough detail and strip--unless weather dictated sooner.

Otis system used afield /range...hot summer/cold winter...temp changes...etc. Quick easy, handy...especially afield and a stuck wad (dang factory loads). My experience is I removed as much with this as a steel rod...I like simple. More time to reload and shoot...gonna get dirty anyway...that's what there built for.

Chambers gritty, dirty from plastic hulls and overlube were the problems I saw that caused the most problems...and O rings on 1100's breaking.

O ring on my Super X checked, carried spares, but have gone 10 K rds before changing.

HTH

 

[Dave McCracken]

I wouldn't vise it up, shotgun barrels are thin metal and easy to take out of round.

My trap gun gets the bore and chamber done every time it's shot. I use a Boresnake, standard rods and brushes, or the power tool method with drill, 4/0 steel wool.

Every thousand rounds it gets a deep clean throughout.

Hunting shotguns get the same, plus a deep clean every wet session or once yearly.

Shotguns used little like my HD 870 get a barrel job each session, plus a yearly deep clean.

HTH...

 

[W.Va.Glassman]

Get a old shotgun cleaning rod cut the handle off use it in your drill.I took a old BP ram rod glued a brass cartridge case(no rim.close fit) to it split it,now can use fine grit sandpaper or steel wool(try a pot scruber)Also took a 4x4 block of oak drilled 1 in. hole thru it clamp in vice insert barrel,makes a good holder(can make hole smaller)