De-greasing/cleaning a new rifle

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

brl150

Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
55
Location
Southwest, FL
Okay guys. I just bought my first NEW bolt action rifle (been about 10 years since I bought a new rifle too). It has a good coating of grease or something over all the metal. What should I use to clean that off? Also, I'm sure that there is a coating of something in the barrel too. Thinking back to my chemistry classes...petroleum based oil/grease introduced to high heat (a fired round) = high carbon residue/deposits. Using a petroleum based cleaner wouldn't suffice either. What is there available that is non-petroleum based that I should swab out the barrel before shooting for the first time?

Thank you!!
 
There's no need to look for non-petroleum based lubes and solvents. Carbon fouling comes from the smokeless powder, not from oil burning in the bore. If you're worried about it, you can swab the bore with a volatile solvent when you're done, then a dry patch.

Use what ever solvent you have plenty of; the only danger is to yourself, the stock finish, the scope, and any non-metallic parts. Don't forget to clean inside the firing pin channel; put a little grease on the cocking cam, bolt lugs, and sear when your done. If it's blued, wipe it down with Eezox, Break-free CLP, or CorrosionX to prevent rust.

Here, they mention that some target shooters like to leave LOCK-EASE in the bore after cleaning: http://www.6mmbr.com/borecleaning.html
 
Cleaning grease/oil

Go to a good gun shop and check the non-petroleum based cleaners that are on the market. I dont recall any of the names as I have used a few of them in the past and find them somewhat innefective. These are also usually sold as enviromentally friendly. I am surprised that you have a new rifle that according to you seems that greasy. Is it a military surplus? I believe that Birchwood Casey offers an aerosol cleaner along these lines. Keep life simple and wear gloves to "protect your hands" and use a good traditional cleaner. Discard the spent patches and wiping cloths in a plastic bag. Do all this if you must. If it were a biohazard I would say take it to a hospital or an emergency clinic and they will dispose of it. My apologies if I sound sarcastic but it seems most of these cleaners dont work well. I think you should just follow the directions for safe and normal use. Midway has good products if you must buy.
 
I'm pretty sure I tried some of the same stuff blackwalnut did; over-priced and didn't work that well, think it was water-based. I forgot to ask, what rifle did you get? If it's a military surplus gun covered in cosmoline, you're going to need a lot of solvent.

Don't forget that all your cleaning products don't all have to come from a gun store; you can use what ever you have in the garage. I melted a couple pairs of scope covers with gun-store degreaser, so don't assume it's safer. WD-40 is a very good solvent. Don't use it for lubrication though; it's not much of a lube and will gum up if your gun gets put aside for a few years. Mineral spirits would be another good, inexpensive choice for the initial de-greasing. You could try denatured alcohol if you really don't like petroleum products.
 
Thanks for the advice.

It's a Winchester M70. It's not completely gooey with grease. It has a light coating of something that seems to be hardened, not soft like one would think grease would be.

The manual says to use a light gun oil to wipe down the outer surface and inside the barrel to remove the factory rust protectant.

However, I recently read on the Howa website that when breaking in a new barrel, keep the petroleum products to a minimum or use Windex after a petroleum product before shooting and after each shot for the first 20 shots. That way the barrel is completely clean (and free of carbon) before bullet contact each shot.
 
Trust me on this:
Spray some Shooters-choice Quick-scrub III down the bore while holding the muzzle over a waste-basket lined with newspaper to catch all the fluid & gunk as it runs out. This degreaser will leave the bore bone-dry!
I then run a dry patch thru to get any gunk that might be still in the bore.
This is what I've used for years on new guns from the factory. I won't use anything else.
Check it out for yourself, here:

http://www.shooters-choice.com/quick_scrub.html
 
I like to use automotive carburetor cleaner, it will cut through about any type petroleum based grease. It softens the hardest cosmoline type deposits, allowing them to be washed out, It also evaporates quickly.

I would detail strip the entire rifle including the bolt, the trigger need not be though, you can use the little wand with the aerosol can to direct the spray into small the crevices of the trigger and sear parts.

Using the wand will also cut down on the vapors that you breathe, but make sure to use with proper ventilation. Make sure not to get any of the carb cleaner on any finished wood it will strip the finish, and can harm some plastics.

Once the rifle is clean then give it a good scrub with hot soapy water, then a hot rinse, having the water very hot will make the metal parts dry very quickly. Then re lubricate your moving parts with your favorite lube, run a dry patch down the bore and she's ready for the first break in rounds.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top