StephaneColibri
Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2014
- Messages
- 6
So I'd recently bought my first long gun, a vz. 58 imported by Century Arms Internation as the VZ-2008. I'm about as knowledgeable about firearms as one can be without actually having much in the way of hands on, practical experience. That being said, I made a mistake.
With my handguns I take great care when running patches through the barrels. I use a brass rod, keep the rod from contacting the rifling or crown, and push the rod in one direction from the chamber to muzzle end. I'm aware of how certain practices can damage the crown or rifling. That being said, the first two times I cleaned my vz. 58 I faced a new scenario for me and did the wrong thing. First, when cleaning a field stripped vz. 58, one has to run the rod in the direction from muzzle to chamber. I know this is a general no-no, but it's how the rifle is designed, so it's okay. None of the tools I had would work with the vz. 58, so I relied on the cleaning kit which came with the rifle — of surplus Czech origin. I didn't fully recognize all components of the cleaning kit, specifically what I later identified as an oil bottle and also a bore guide. My mistake stems from my failing to recognize I had a bore guide at my disposal the first two times I cleaned the rifle.
The cleaning rod which came with the rifle, and the one I used to clean it, was steel. Because I didn't realize I had a bore guide, I had to push the rod and patch down the barrel from crown to chamber and pull it back out again. Sometimes I was aware that the sides of the steel rod were making contact with the crown and the rifling, and other times I could feel that the tip of the rod was making contact with the rifling. Aware of what I was doing, I tried to keep the pressure very light so as to minimize any damage to the crown or rifling. In the future I'll be using a bore guide, and needless to say I won't make this mistake again. However, I'd like to know your opinion on how much damage I did to the gun so far...
I've only improperly cleaned it on two occasions. I used a steel cleaning rod, no bore guide, and the steel rod's head and side was in contact with both the crown and the rifling. I tried to use light force and pressure to minimize any potential damage. Do you think any damage has been done to either the rifling or the crown? If any damage occurred, will it negatively impact the performance of the rifle? I'm hoping that any microscopic damage is negligible and will never noticeably impact the accuracy of the rifle.
I shined a light and looked at the rifling and the crown, and there were no glaring issues which stood out to me. Keep in mind though that I'm inexperienced and would likely have trouble to spot minor damage that a more seasoned eye would pick up on. I have no photos to share with y'all, and I would be back with the rifle for two more months since I'm in a different state for the time being.
Thanks for reading this, and thanks for trying to answer my questions
With my handguns I take great care when running patches through the barrels. I use a brass rod, keep the rod from contacting the rifling or crown, and push the rod in one direction from the chamber to muzzle end. I'm aware of how certain practices can damage the crown or rifling. That being said, the first two times I cleaned my vz. 58 I faced a new scenario for me and did the wrong thing. First, when cleaning a field stripped vz. 58, one has to run the rod in the direction from muzzle to chamber. I know this is a general no-no, but it's how the rifle is designed, so it's okay. None of the tools I had would work with the vz. 58, so I relied on the cleaning kit which came with the rifle — of surplus Czech origin. I didn't fully recognize all components of the cleaning kit, specifically what I later identified as an oil bottle and also a bore guide. My mistake stems from my failing to recognize I had a bore guide at my disposal the first two times I cleaned the rifle.
The cleaning rod which came with the rifle, and the one I used to clean it, was steel. Because I didn't realize I had a bore guide, I had to push the rod and patch down the barrel from crown to chamber and pull it back out again. Sometimes I was aware that the sides of the steel rod were making contact with the crown and the rifling, and other times I could feel that the tip of the rod was making contact with the rifling. Aware of what I was doing, I tried to keep the pressure very light so as to minimize any damage to the crown or rifling. In the future I'll be using a bore guide, and needless to say I won't make this mistake again. However, I'd like to know your opinion on how much damage I did to the gun so far...
I've only improperly cleaned it on two occasions. I used a steel cleaning rod, no bore guide, and the steel rod's head and side was in contact with both the crown and the rifling. I tried to use light force and pressure to minimize any potential damage. Do you think any damage has been done to either the rifling or the crown? If any damage occurred, will it negatively impact the performance of the rifle? I'm hoping that any microscopic damage is negligible and will never noticeably impact the accuracy of the rifle.
I shined a light and looked at the rifling and the crown, and there were no glaring issues which stood out to me. Keep in mind though that I'm inexperienced and would likely have trouble to spot minor damage that a more seasoned eye would pick up on. I have no photos to share with y'all, and I would be back with the rifle for two more months since I'm in a different state for the time being.
Thanks for reading this, and thanks for trying to answer my questions
I mean I know in my head it's not much to worry about, but what can I say — I get overprotective about my guns, haha. Her name's Milada, by the way ;D
