I tend to believe the military's conclusion about cleaning and lubricating...... Compared to a poster whose sharp remarks are based more on opinion then hard research.
Okay - that's just rich...
Son, I shoot benchrest. Fairly seriously. If something doesn't cut copper, it doesn't go in the box. In fact, I don't think I've EVER seen a bottle of that tacticool breakfree stuff at a benchrest match - because it's not really that good of a cleaner.
The Army isn't concerned about accuracy. The Army is concerned about functionality and slingling large quantities of lead in the general direction of Achmed...
What causes accuracy to deteriorate is the copper plating that builds up over time. From shot #1. If your solvent doesn't remove copper, it doesn't work. The highly vaunted chrome-plated barrel doesn't improve accuracy - it just keeps stuff from sticking. As much. For a while. Ever look at the throat area of one of your rifles with a bore scope? It can be downright scary.
(guys who shoot cast lead - well, there are other solvents that work nicely - just so it gets the lead out... And I love Ed's Red for shotgunning.)
The ritual:
I start the day by flushing the trigger group from above with a bit of lighter fluid (per instructions from a guy named Arnold...).
Put rifle in cleaning stand. Insert bore guide. Run three patches VERY soaked with Butch's Bore Shine. Then give it 10 strokes with a bronze brush, squirting BBS in occasionally. Let it set while I load (10-15 minutes). Then three more patches soaked with BBS, 2-3 dry patches, pull the bore guide, swab out the chamber with a .45 swab, walk to the line, lube the bolt lugs, cocking area and the back of the receiver with a good high-pressure grease, and try to put all five in a little hole.
After an agg, I'll usually give it a fast Sweet's treatment. And after the day, usually a little JB or USP.
