How thoroughly do you clean your auto's barrel?

[w_houle]

Of all the places that I've had to clean up: The barrel has always been the least of my concern.

 

[Publius1688]

I clean my autos every time I shoot them, thoroughly, as I was taught.
actually, I clean the barrel as if my life depended on it---because it may!

 

[Confederate]

How thoroughly do I clean my barrel? It depends on the cleaning cycles I select on my dishwasher. Most people overclean their barrels. Some tips for cleaning them: 1) use stainless steel brushes; 2) never clean a barrel with CLP; 3) if using brass brushes, use one size over the caliber barrel you're cleaning; 4) if shooting lead bullets, shoot six rounds of hot jacketed bullets before quitting; and 5) carry a brush and solvent with you to the range and run a wet brush through the barrel several times before putting the gun away.

Undercleaning is always better than overcleaning unless you're using corrosive components like powder or primers. I had one friend who could never go out to eat after shooting because he had a blued black powder revolver. He had to go home and clean his gun in hot, soapy water or it would corrode. I told him to buy a stainless stainless steel gun and shave the stupid mustache. It was the 20th Century.

And Jeff Cooper cautioned against cleaning a .22LR barrel more than a few times a year. I can't do that, alas, any more than I can go to sleep without brushing my teeth, but that was his advice.

 

[psyopspec]

It seems that most start with solvent, and then brush. I wire brush first, ~ 5 times figuring it's easier to remove dry crud than wet sludge. After that:

You can't know how easy it can be to clean a pistol until you use "Gunzilla."

Couple squirts of Gunzilla, let sit while cleaning other parts of the pistol. Bore snake it a couple times, then a patch to check how clean it is. If still dirty, repeat (very rarely have I had to repeat with Gunzilla). I go for a light gray when cleaning weapons; functionally clean vs. inspection clean. I leave the handgun bores dry on the inside when done.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Until it is "germ free"...

 

[smallbore]

After every trip to the range.

 

[LUPUS]

After every trip to the range.

+ 1, it does not matter how many rounds fired...

 

[stork]

Here's one to try for any leading, I've used it for nearly 10 years with excellent results.
Take your bore brush and wrap it with several strands of 'ALL COPPER' Chore Boy pot scrubber. Then make 4-10 passes through your bore. When the strands get packed into the bristles, just add a few more wraps. This takes lead out better than my Lewis Lead remover with a lot less effort on my part.

FWIW
Stork

 

[metalman8600]

I seriously don't understand some people's obsessions with overcleaning. Over cleaning is more harmful than helpful. It's not like your gun isnt going to work if there is a few particles of powder on a part. I don't run an engine cleaner (like Seafoam) through my car after every trip. Hell, I don't even wash my cloths after I wear them once.
Why use a stainless steel brush rather than a brass brush? Brass is softer than stainless steel. And last time I checked, gunpowder is not harder than steel, nor is it welded to anything.

Its a gun, not a hospital ER.