Is my barrel clean?

[Ruger 15151]

I have a general question about cleaning barrels. I have found that some just run a wet patch through their barrel, let it soak for 20-30 minutes, and then run dry patches through until the patches come out clean.

Others say to run a wet patch, then a brush 5-10 passes, let soak, then run dry patches through until they are clean.

I use the second method. However, if I make several passes with a wet patch and brush again after the dry patches are clean, the next patch is always dirty.

I clean my guns at least every other trip to the range ( 200ish rounds). I shoot either platted or FMJ bullets so I don't think my barrels aren't suffering from excessive leading.

I'm curious as to what you guys have found to be the proper method of cleaning and knowing when a barrel ( pistol or riffle ) is clean.

 

[Cokeman]

I use a boresnake with CLP every other time

 

[JTQ]

I'll share this from Schuemann Barrels

http://www.schuemann.com/Portals/0/Documentation/Webfile_Barrel_Cleaning.pdf

The punchline...

My Personal Practice has become to never clean the bore of my barrels. I do use a brass rod to scrape the deposits out of the chamber. But, I've learned to leave the bore alone and it very slowly becomes shinier and cleaner all by itself. Years ago I occasionally scrubbed the bore with a brass bore brush. But, doing so always seemed to cause the bore to revert to a dirtier look with more shooting, so I eventually stopped ever putting anything down the bore except bullets...

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I don't clean based on round count. I clean based on my perceived need. For a rifles, I generally clean when groups open up. The exceptions are my benchrest .22 rifles. They get cleaned often. Semi auto pistols get cleaned when the barrel is leaded and/or the gun malfunctions. For revolvers, I don't clean unless leaded or they get so nasty I get tired of looking at them.

 

[macgrumpy]

I doubt if any of these barrels are clean but they aren't my guns so it's not my concern.

 

[murf]

I take a 14x loupe and look down the muzzle of the barrel. it is then obvious, to me, the condition of the bore.

I use hoppes, jb bore paste, a brush, and a good cleaning rod and bore guide to clean my rifles. skip The bore guide for my pistols.

luck,

murf

 

[hemiram]

I used to spend a lot more time cleaning barrels than I do now. Now I just run a patch with CLP down and back and that's it. The chamber gets a look, and if it's got anything much, I'll use a brush on it. It's not something that happens often though.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I clean my guns every time shoot them. IMO if you run a wet patch through the barrel and it comes out dirty your barrel isn't clean. It's just what I do, not saying any one else should.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I shoot 3-5 days a week year round using multiple guns. There's not enough hours in my days to clean after shooting.

Oh, 25 years ago I believed you had to clean a gun after you fired it or something awful would happen. I got to where I didn't shoot because I didn't want to clean. I finally saw the light realized a little carbon and fouling causes no damage.

 

[Ruger 15151]

I clean my guns every time shoot them. I'M if you run a wet patch through the barrel and it comes out dirty your barrel isn't clean. It's just what I do, not saying any one else should.

I can get a clean patch. However, it seems that when I run a brush after the clean patches they are dirty again. I can do this 5 or 6 times. I know my barrel isn't that dirty. I can look down it and see there is no fouling along the riffling.

I know the obvious answer would be.. "Well... then it is still dirty!" However, Could the black on the follow up patch be black residue from the brass brush wearing on the barrel?

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I clean every time I shoot. Hoppe's #9 soaked patch. Let sit for 15 minutes while I clean other parts. Brush. 2 Clean patches. Second wet patch, followed by two clean patches. Bore snake. Then a patch soaked in Hoppe's gun oil. Let sit for 15 minutes while cleaning other parts. As many patches as needed until they come out clean. While the Hoppes solvent does a great job, I find the oil breaks a lot more gunk loose.

I'm not suggesting others do as I do. I know I'm overly meticulous, but my barrels come out looking pretty nice. And since my guns shoot straight, I see no reason to change.

 

[GBExpat]

...
I'm curious as to what you guys have found to be the proper method of cleaning and knowing when a barrel ( pistol or riffle ) is clean.

I gave up the quest for an absolutely clean patch years ago..

Except for when I have been shooting ammunition with chlorate primers, I am not terribly picky about the bores on my firearms being squeaky-clean.

In general ...

I like to run an MS-soaked path thru to pre-clean, followed 5-10 passes with an MS-soaked phosphor-bronze bore brush.

After cleaning out the resulting YUCK with one or more dry patches, I run a #9-soaked patch thru the bore/chamber and walk away for 10-15 minutes.

After drying the bore/chamber thoroughly with dry patches, I run an Eezox-dampened patch thru the bore/chamber.

 

[lpsharp88]

I put some Frog Lube on a patch and run it down the barrel with a jag. Let it sit while I clean the rest of the pistol. Once that's done, I run a brush through the barrel 5-10 times, followed by a dry patch or two. One more wet, followed by a dry. If that last dry one comes out mostly clean, I call it good.

 

[Shaq]

The second method you mentioned is the right way. Patches that come out dirty after brushing with a bronze brush indicate more fouling has been loosened by the brush. I like to clean the rest of the gun while the solvent works on the barrel - around 10 minutes.

 

[hot chili powder]

I have a general question about cleaning barrels. I have found that some just run a wet patch through their barrel, let it soak for 20-30 minutes, and then run dry patches through until the patches come out clean.

Others say to run a wet patch, then a brush 5-10 passes, let soak, then run dry patches through until they are clean.

I use the second method. However, if I make several passes with a wet patch and brush again after the dry patches are clean, the next patch is always dirty.

I clean my guns at least every other trip to the range ( 200ish rounds). I shoot either platted or FMJ bullets so I don't think my barrels aren't suffering from excessive leading.

I'm curious as to what you guys have found to be the proper method of cleaning and knowing when a barrel ( pistol or riffle ) is clean.

I clean my guns each & every time they are shot. Hoppes #9 on brush then patches, dry patches then a touch of gun oil on patch, just my way but like I was taught way back as a kid learning to shoot, just sayin'.

 

[SC Shooter]

I have a general question about cleaning barrels. I have found that some just run a wet patch through their barrel, let it soak for 20-30 minutes, and then run dry patches through until the patches come out clean.

Others say to run a wet patch, then a brush 5-10 passes, let soak, then run dry patches through until they are clean.

I use the second method. However, if I make several passes with a wet patch and brush again after the dry patches are clean, the next patch is always dirty.

I clean my guns at least every other trip to the range ( 200ish rounds). I shoot either platted or FMJ bullets so I don't think my barrels aren't suffering from excessive leading.

I'm curious as to what you guys have found to be the proper method of cleaning and knowing when a barrel ( pistol or riffle ) is clean.

I break down my weapons and clean every time I fire them. As for the barrels, I run wet patches through every time and a brush less often. The more lead I fire the more I brush.

 

[entropy]

Here's how I do it; Disassemble, soak barrel with solvent, let sit while detail cleaning the rest of the pistol. run a brush through the barrel @25 times, dry patch, wet solvent patch and assess. If almost clean (like GBExpat, I don't expect perfectly clean.) dry patch until no solvent remains, then lightly oiled patch once. If still pretty cruddy, repeat previous until almost clean, then dry patch and lightly oil,

This is with my own pistols; At the shop, it was the same but the barrel and all metal parts went in the solvent tank if really dirty, or ultrasonic if requested or warranted. Went faster that way.

 

[BrocLuno]

Depends on fouling present. I have an old 1917 Eddy that was a parade rifle and shot blanks it's whole life. I been brushing on and off with brake clean and anything else I can think of and it's still fouled. It'll get there, it's just slow going. I store it at Pops, so it's an on-again off-again task.

Well broken in rifles with serviceable barrels get a much quicker Hoppes patch, brush, patch, oil once a year

 

[PapaG]

I clean when accuracy starts to deteriorate. Wet patch soaked with kroil/bore shine. Brush, from breech, twenty or more passes. Another wet patch. Sit half hour. Couple brush strokes. Several dry patches.
Takes from three to ten rounds before the "clean" bore settles down.
Differs on each gun.
My Anschutz 141 decides each day if it needs five or twenty rounds before it will behave. Then it is good for the day.

 

[GBExpat]

Depends on fouling present. I have an old 1917 Eddy that was a parade rifle and shot blanks it's whole life. I been brushing on and off with brake clean and anything else I can think of and it's still fouled. It'll get there, it's just slow going. ...

If by "get there" you think that you are going to end up with anything better than a thoroughly frosted, dark bore ... well, good luck with that.

I have one that fits your description. It sported so much black-powder fouling from firing "salutes" and never being cleaned that the bore was midnight black and smooooth.

After a couple of days of careful work, I had it down to steel and it looked like this.

For comparison, here is one of my military-rebarreled M1917s that has seen very little use.

My CMP VFW M1917 will never produce a clean patch. Heck, just a single bore passage shreds patches a bit.

The Good News is that it shoots surprisingly well.

 

[macgrumpy]

Oh say it ain't so, we all know that fouling doesn't damage the bore and the Hoppes #9 makes a barrel pristine.

 

[BrocLuno]

Oh, I don't expect it to be any less than a dark rough sewer pipe. That's OK, it may still shoot (some). I was just not going to put a round down it until I could see most of the rifling

 

[GBExpat]

Oh, I don't expect it to be any less than a dark rough sewer pipe. That's OK, it may still shoot (some). I was just not going to put a round down it until I could see most of the rifling

<nodding> Sounds like you have a brother to mine. When I first looked down the bore my brain was asking me, "What's wrong with this picture?" ... no rifling visible. Smoooooth and BLACK.

The worst part of that bore clean-up for me was the sound that the phosphor-bronze brush made.

I finally decided to stop where I did (as you see in the photo) because I was concerned that by continuing the cleaning of that rotten surface steel it would become a smoothbore.

I figured that bullet jackets might help smooooooth that out, some.

I hope that you end-up with a shooter like I did!