by reddog » 29 Nov 2013, 9:07 am
little bit of carbon is good because it actually protects your gun and also makes it more Accurate.
Really don't know where some people get their info from .
Carbon is slightly less hard than diamonds , if you leave carbon deposits in your barrel and and
fire away just like sand papering your barrel. There is so many differing opinons on cleaning it is
hard for new shooters to know who to listen to , having said that there is a pretty standardised
way to clean a barrel that has been around for a long time
How To Clean A Barrel
CLEANING PROCEDURES & BARREL FOULING - FOR MOST BOLT ACTION RIFLES
GENERAL CAUSES OF BARREL FOULING
Powder & primer fouling (carbon fouling)
Bullets (copper or lead)
Temperature, humidity and high pressure loads increase the fouling
Some types of powders and bullets foul worse than others
Barrel wear or interior surface finish of the barrel has an impact
Placeholder Image
SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT
Quality cleaning rods
Jags and brushes
Solvents and pastes
Quality bore guide
Action chamber tool
Cleaning rack or cradle to support the rifle
Quality cloth patches
Placeholder Image
CLEANING AGENTS
Bore Solvents:
Chemical cleaning involves carbon solvents, copper solvents and lead solvents
Bore Pastes:
Mechanical cleaning action uses mild abrasive pastes to rub the fouling away
CLEANING PROCEDURE
As always, MAKE SURE YOUR RIFLE IS UNLOADED.
Cover scope lenses and rear of stock. The use of a bore guide is recommended to stop solvents leaking into the action and trigger area.
NB. Remove the bore guide when using bore pastes though.
Immediately after shooting apply a patch to the jag on the cleaning rod and wet with gun oil. Make this first patch not too tight by trimming or using a smaller patch for this purpose.
Push it straight through the bore. By using an oil for this first patch it’s lubricity will make the job easier otherwise the first patch is often tight and grippy.
Repeat this 2 more times but use solvent applied to the patches. (eg Pro-Shot Copper solvent).
Now remove the jag and fit a good quality bronze brush to the cleaning rod. Wet with the same solvent and pass the rod back and forwards, fully out and fully back, down barrel 5 times (10 passes).
This is to agitate the powder fouling. Now change the brush on the rod back to the jag and
using clean dry patches push 3 or 4 patches out until they come out clean or at least the black colour has lessoned.
Now it’s time to attack any copper fouling. This is first done by soaking the bore with Bore Solvent to let the chemical action work on any copper fouling still inside. This will also work on any powder fouling which happens to be left.
So, apply bore solvent to a loose, wet patch or to a nylon brush and anoint the bore.
Leave in the bore for 10 minutes to soak.
Then push a clean patch through the bore and observe the colour after it comes out the muzzle. If it shows blue/green colour it is evidence of copper. Repeat the process as required.
If the colour is OK you are nearly ready to shoot again. Just dry patch it out and dry out the chamber. A cotton mop is recommended for this purpose. a 410 shotgun mop is ideal. Fit it to a special rod or even to the cleaning rod itself. If the gun is to be stored then apply a good quality oil. We recommend Ballistol oil. It is really good.
Review if more thorough cleaning is needed eg the use of Sweets which is a specialist Copper solvent or JB bore paste which is excellent for removing both powder and copper fouling.
*Sweets – use a loose patch or nylon brush and wet. Pass through bore 2 or 3 times and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Patch out with standard size patch till no colour shows. Blue/green indicates copper.
*JB or Iosso pastes – use a tight fitting patch smeared all over with a coating of the paste. Remove bore guide first. Push tight patch into barrel working backwards and forward on the throat area. The first 6” to 8” till smooth then work further down the barrel to muzzle end using a backwards and forwards action till barrel is smooth. Finally push out. Wash out residue with wet or dry patches pushing straight through (approx 4 or 5patches). Can be followed with JB Bore Brite for a finer polish. Clean the chamber as usual and wipe the muzzle.
NB.
MOST IMPORTANT. Do not leave any solvent or oil in the chamber as, when a cartridge is fired the cases will not grip the chamber walls and this will increase bolt back thrust significantly. Clean up the action area.
Clean bronze brushes in white spirits or kerosene before packing away.
Make sure your brushes are a tight fit in barrel. If not, they may need replacing.
Be sure jags and brushes are not bent when attached to cleaning rods as this may cause uneven wear in barrel.
Clean bolt lugs and apply new lube often to thrust surfaces.
IDENTIFYING UNUSUAL SIGNS OF BARREL FOULING
Accuracy goes off. Rifle not grouping.
Pressure signs (in primers or tight bolt)
Cleaning becomes difficult.
Roughness in bore (often powder fouling)
Copper fouling can be seen when looking through the muzzle end in bright sunlight or with a bore scope. Usually evident in front of throat area.
Worn barrels will foul more easily. Clean more frequently and be more aggressive in cleaning regime.
LIST OF SOME SOLVENTS BORE PASTES (powder & copper)
Pro Shot Copper Solvent JB Bore paste (original)
Pro Shot One Step JB Bore Brite
Ballistol oil Iosso Bore Paste
Kroil " Rem Clean (not recommended)
Penetrene powder/copper
Hoppes "
Butches’ Bore Shine "
Shooters Choice "
Sweets copper
Barnes CR-10 "
Tetra Gun copper solvent "
Top Engine Cleaner carbon
Shooters Choice lead remover
Always leave barrel soaking in light gun oil (Ballistol etc) when not shooting or when stored at home for example.
Now I realise we are not all benchrest shooters and do not have to be quite as fussy as them but they know how to
look after barrels
) that there always seems to be a little something scattered through the barrel?
