Proper barrel cleaning methods.

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Zerodefect

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What seems to work best for everyone on:
-Stainless match barrels on precision rifles.
-Chrome lined barrels on carbines

How often do you use bore solvents? Brushes?

Punch though in one direction only? Or back and forth?
Snakes?
 
Precision rifle cleaning:

1. Bore Guide is a must.
2. Decent coated 1 Piece Rod
3. I swab with KG 1 to remove carbon. Two wet.. two dry until they come out clean.
4. Two wet KG-12 patches.. leave in the barrel for 2-24 hours. Wet KG patch and then mop dry.

At the range, a couple of KG1 patches every 20 or so shots.

I do use a nylon brush with KG2 every 3-5 range trips or about 150 - 200 rounds. Also I change my brush every two to three cleanings.

My routine with the chrome lined Vz 58 barrel is simillar. But a lot more rounds go down range between cleanings.

Normal barrels.. same as above. My .22 lr's get cleaned every brick or so or when the chambers start gumming. Havent cleaned my Cz 452 in over a year.

The KG solvents are by far the best on the market.
 
definitely use a bore guide and deweys style rod

i clean my new bolt gun every 60-100 rounds or so

Assuming it is not copper fouling...
I run a bronze brush soaked with a mixture of shooter's choice and kroil through from breech to muzzle and back, rinsing and reoiling each time, usually 3 times.
Then I wipe off the rod, and switch from brush to a jag. I soak a patch (felt preferably) in same mix and run from breach to muzzle, and remove the patch. Then I run several more patches through until they start coming out clean.
I remove the bore guide and use a pistol cleaning rod with a shotgun mop on the end. i wrap a patch around the mop and run it into the chamber several times until it's clean.
finally, i take a patch (several usually) and clean the muzzle until it's reasonably clean.

if i'm not going to shoot the rifle for a while (which uhh... has been never so far, but just theoretically...) i'd run a final clean patch through the bore with a very light coat of oil

-------------

i don't remember cleaning any of my chrome lined AR barrels this year :)
 
Most people way-overthink this.

I give the bore three or four strokes dry with bronze brush to loosen the fouling.

(optional) Blow the loose stuff out with canned air.

Aerosol Break-Free from the chamber end, until the foam backs up into the chamber.

(optional) Blow the Break-Free out with canned air.

Let drain from the muzzle.

Swab-out the chamber with paper towel wrapped around chamber brush.

Three dry patches to swab out the bore.

You're done.
 
I think the recommendations above are pretty good. The one thing I'd change is I would not use a Deweys rod. I had one and it's now in the trash. I hated that thing. It lasted about 2 uses before the coating started flaking off, and it just wasn't a very good rod. I upgraded to a Tipton and imo there is no comparison. Once you use a Tipton you won't go back.
 
Stuff just doesn't stick to hardchrome very well.

After shooting corrosive 7.62x39 in the AK I use a plastic bristle brush to get a good amount of soapy water in the bore using a pull thru.

I then use a the same pull thru to drag a tight patch thru the bore to dry it after the soapy water has sat while I clean the rest of the gun. After that I follow up with another pass with the brush, this time with a good amount of gun oil on it.

That's usually enough to get the crud off the hardchome on the AK. I used a similar technique with the AR with a hardchromed bore, I just left off the soapy water step.

Every few months I hit the bore with Breakfree Bore Cleaning Foam, which get the copper out.

BSW
 
First, let me qualify my answers by saying that even with my precision Lilja SS match barrel, I don't shoot match or benchrest. The rifle it is on has a stock trigger and a 3.5x fixed scope.

I shoot five round groups at 100yds when I want to test it for accuracy and typically I'm looking for MOA or right under that with good ammo.

What seems to work best for everyone on:
-Stainless match barrels on precision rifles.
Click to expand...

I don't brush it at all. Every 1,000 rounds or so (or whenever I get time), I use Wipeout Foaming Bore Cleaner and a Dewey Rod with a jag on it. For patches, I use 12ga bore patches cut into quarters. After I finish cleaning, I'll usually follow up with a wet patch of SLIP 2000 and then a dry patch to remove the excess.

-Chrome lined barrels on carbines
Click to expand...

Boresnake with SLIP2000 whenever it crosses my mind to do so, otherwise I don''t really mess with them much unless I am just bored.

Both of these methods suit my needs for shooting, they may not suit yours if you need more demanding accuracy than I do.
 
The decision to use a brush or not, rests largely on whether you are getting accumulation of visible fouling in the bore. I can see the fouling (carbon) in front of the chamber. A few strokes of a stiff brush breaks that stuff up in the same time it would take 100 wet patches to do the same.

If you aren't able to see the fouling, there isn't much reason to put a brush in the bore.

The higher quality the barrel, and especially NEWER high-quality barrels really only need the chamber cleaned, and then a few patches.
 
Been using Dewey coated rods for years and never had any coating come off yet
Click to expand...
Hmm, maybe I just got one of their lemons. Mine lasted about 2 uses. I've heard of others having the same issue, but I don't know how common it is as I've not asked many people about it. Anyone else having this problem? Now you have me wondering if I just got a lemon.
 
I've got three of them and never a problem. Never even considered that it could come off. Though I'm sure Tipton rods are fine too.
 
Are you sure you just didnt have a uncoated, black painted Dewey rod? I have seen the paint flake off of them
 
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