Rifle Maintenance

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 13 May 2020, 7:14 pm

In my haste I didnt ask all the questions at the store and just got what was recommended...

Is this a one size fits all bore lube/cleaner or should I also consider additional products? Is this also used for external protection (no wood on my stock).
Attachments
20200513_172354_resize_18.jpg
20200513_172354_resize_18.jpg (325.85 KiB) Viewed 7902 times
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by JimTom » 13 May 2020, 7:29 pm

Mate there are a thousand different ideas, and a thousand different products on the market for cleaning centerfire rifles.
If you do a search there will be a few that pop up.
My regime is as follows. I use G96, wd40 or similar and run a few patches through the barrel just to get rid of and loose stuff like dust, a bit of powder fouling etc.
I then use hoppes #9 to remove carbon etc.
after that I run bore tech cu++ to remove copper fouling.
I then run a patch with CLP or G96 up the barrel for storage. I wipe down the bolt and externals of the rifle with G96.
No doubt some will disagree with what I do however it works for me and I achieve excellent accuracy from my rifles. There is more than one way to skin a cat mate. Have a quick search on this forum, plenty of different ideas.
User avatar
JimTom
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2130
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by GQshayne » 13 May 2020, 7:43 pm

I would not put the oil on your stock. I doubt it would do much except make it slippery. As JimTom has said above, there is a 101 methods for gun care. So have a read on this forum for existing threads on the subject. There is much to read!

However, I will add something for you to think about from my own personal experience. I am a hunter, not a target shooter, and most of my hunting has been done in western Qld. Plenty of dirt, and of course plenty of dust. I quickly learned that a nicely oiled firearm soon had dust in the oil that tried to grind your rifle to bits. Nasty. So back in the 80's I used to clean the oil away when in the field and leave it dry. Much better than oil filled with dust in your action. Nowadays, I reckon one of the dry Teflon lubes works a treat in the field. Remington make one in an aerosol can that I have. Works well on my lever action, and does not attract dust.
GQshayne
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 839
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 13 May 2020, 7:53 pm

Thanks guys - yeah I have read the forums and they talk about rem oil. Just didnt know if this was the same stuff.

I'm starting with range shooting so it's low/no dust. Will have a look at some of the other products mentioned and make a regime...
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by marksman » 13 May 2020, 10:13 pm

l use rem oil for neck turning, l got it for xmas a few years back, it's not really for cleaning and is not really different to sewing machine oil IMHO

to look after the exterior metalwork of your firearm l would recommend something like coacholine, a leather softener
no idea where to get it, l got mine from a saddle repair shop over 30 years ago and still have a third of a can left
dubbin may work IMO

firearms need something that will coat the metal similar to wax for a cars paint ect... and they wont rust
l do use kiwi boot polish "neutral" under the action, put it on and buff it off and l can leave a firearm for many years without a worry

be careful of sprays as the spray can go under your bedding causing an accuracy fall off especially with alum bedding blocks,
it can also be the cause of wood rot, better to spray on a rag and wipe over

its how l do it :drinks:

ps. be careful of smells
Last edited by marksman on 14 May 2020, 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Grandadbushy » 13 May 2020, 11:35 pm

Yeah I do the same as marksman by using a rag to apply anything to a rifle even from a pressure pack, I to use dry lube like CQshayne if the rifle parts are left oily in most cases the dust and grit will collect on and in tight spots, by using dry lube I find it protects moving parts and dust and grit can in most instances be blown of ( hope nobody takes that the wrong way) leaving the rifle rather clean and grit doesn't seem to collect on moving parts
Grandadbushy
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 392
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by TassieTiger » 14 May 2020, 8:37 am

Aliqua - are you also asking re bore run in / bore cleaning after shooting ? Because that’s another question all together...and again will result in many opinions / products. I assume you have a cleaning rod, brushes, jag, etc.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
TassieTiger
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3704
Tasmania

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Oldbloke » 14 May 2020, 9:56 am

marksman wrote:l use rem oil for neck turning, l got it for xmas a few years back, it's not really for cleaning and is not really different to sewing machine oil IMHO

to look after the exterior metalwork of your firearm l would recommend something like coacholine, a leather softener
no idea where to get it, l got mine from a saddle repair shop over 30 years ago and still have a third of a can left
dubbin may work IMO

firearms need something that will coat the metal similar to wax for a cars paint ect... and they wont rust
l do use kiwi boot polish "neutral" under the action, put it on and buff it off and l can leave a firearm for many years without a worry

be careful of sprays as the spray can go under your bedding causing an accuracy fall off especially with alum bedding blocks,
it can also be the cause of wood rot, better to spray on a rag and wipe over

its how l do it :drinks:



Yeh I think most oils for guns are simply that, just oil nothing special.

I currently use a lanotech sprayed on a rag and applied to metal. It tends to leave a thick film. But I find the idea of using boot polish interesting. I think I have some of that kiwi boot polish in neutral.
The greatest invention in the history of man is beer.
https://youtu.be/2v3QrUvYj-Y
Member. SFFP, Shooters Union.
SSAA, the powerful gun lobby. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hunt safe.
User avatar
Oldbloke
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 11192
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 14 May 2020, 4:43 pm

TassieTiger wrote:Aliqua - are you also asking re bore run in / bore cleaning after shooting ? Because that’s another question all together...and again will result in many opinions / products. I assume you have a cleaning rod, brushes, jag, etc.


Hey TT,

I've got the rod, got the jags and brushes and the role to cut my fabric etc... the thing was all he gave me to clean my gun was a small bottle of rem oil. Didnt think that was enough for removing copper and carbon etc.

I guess it was an open question-- what chemicals do I need to clean my bore pre-first shoot, after every shoot and for external use before storing (as I'll only be able to shoot about 1 time per fortnight/month).

I just dont understand how anything could be a solvent and a lubricant... and if it was would you leave that on your gun ling term with solvent in it? I wouldn't.

So confusing... and like everyone has said, so many varying opinions. Hard to get a start point haha!
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by marksman » 14 May 2020, 5:21 pm

you can get cleaner's that clean, lubricates and protects, "CLP"
l was shown one that l used for a year on one rifle that gummed up that badly l was having trouble with it cycling
it took a few good goes to get the sh!t out and will not use it again

anyway if you are looking to keep your bore clean a lot of what you will be shown at the gun shop will be what they want you to buy and what they stock
l personally use patchout wipe out and accelerator as well as bore tech eliminator
there are one or two that l have seen on this forum that l would like to test that Mchugh has put up but l cant think of the names

l'm sure you will get a few different suggestions to try
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 17 May 2020, 8:47 pm

My 2c.

One sodden patch of an ammonia based cleaner like Sweets 762. Leave it for 15 mins, brush with a nylon brush to break up the copper. Patch it out. Blue streaks indicate copper - very normal for a new barrel and a good sign you’re breaking down the copper.

Follow up multiple times with something milder like hoppes #9 until the patches are coming out clean. Patch it out, then just a couple of drops of rem oil on a patch to preserve.

Clean the carbon out of your chamber with a chamber brush. Sparingly lube your mechanics with something like innox.

Keep all this jazz away from your timber - as others have said, rags on the outside.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by CAVEMAN » 17 May 2020, 8:58 pm

My personal view is a bit rough but i see my firearms as tools. I use G96 CLP for everything bar the timber. with a brass brush a jag and a toothbrush. Gets the job done. I've cleaned some filthy firearms that have consumed copious amounts of rounds, and with those and bit of break clean doesn't go astray. Does wonders on that really stubborn carbon.
"Well if it ain't an 8 inch, i'm not paying"

Some guy on the internet circa 2020
User avatar
CAVEMAN
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 248
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Ziege » 18 May 2020, 9:04 am

Love the pedantic cleaning regimes, my old man has a model 70 and a CMC Mountaineer he has had since the 70s, never once used fancy solvents, never once used anything other than maybe some crc or wd40 or ballistol, wipes down the outside blued steel with whatever oil he has on a rag. Guns still have their blued finish, shoot as straight as any other, and the stocks finishes are in good nick despite a few NICs and scratches from the last 40+ years
Ziege
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 964
Western Australia

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by RoginaJack » 18 May 2020, 9:24 am

OK. My 2c' worth, first off I'd get a gun vice, heaps easier to hold firearm for cleaning and tinkering with.
Oil on barre, exterior, l etc, I just use a light machine oil, heaps cheaper than "gun" oil but wipe it off before using in field or range..
Sweets 303, 762 has served me well for many, many years.
Have fun.
Boom, Boom! Tikka, Tikka, Boom! Shoot first, video later.
User avatar
RoginaJack
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1410
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 18 May 2020, 11:00 am

Ziege wrote:Love the pedantic cleaning regimes, my old man has a model 70 and a CMC Mountaineer he has had since the 70s, never once used fancy solvents, never once used anything other than maybe some crc or wd40 or ballistol, wipes down the outside blued steel with whatever oil he has on a rag. Guns still have their blued finish, shoot as straight as any other, and the stocks finishes are in good nick despite a few NICs and scratches from the last 40+ years

perfectly fine for a hunting rifle, but an accuracy window following a pedantic clean is fact, for which I can personally attest. I particularly find this to be the case with modern lasers, like my 204 comp gun.

nevertheless I 100% agree with you that a CLP with something like g96 in a bush-bound sporter is more than adequate. Heck that's all I use in my cheap roo-whacker carbine. And if you pull the trigger at the right moment, It'll always plug em in the head.

Horsers for courses - if you're not measuring tiny groups no need to go crazy. :drinks:
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Ziege » 18 May 2020, 11:27 am

Well, both his rifles shoot in a way that would make a target shooter envious, his eyesight is ****** and he can take out a 1" chain link from 220m still with the mountaineer, had a few F class shooters here one day and they couldn't believe their eyes, all their firmly held beliefs thrown out in one cold bore shot
Ziege
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 964
Western Australia

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by TassieTiger » 18 May 2020, 12:27 pm

Ziege - have you ever closely examined the barrels of your old mans rifles? I’d be interested re copper build up. I fired about 40 shots in my tikka on weekend and was very surprised to see (after carbon removed) some very bright and shiny strips of copper in the muzzle - it’s never done this previously and - accuracy did fall away from what it has achieved in the past, so how does he get away with it ?
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
TassieTiger
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3704
Tasmania

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 18 May 2020, 1:05 pm

Ziege wrote:Well, both his rifles shoot in a way that would make a target shooter envious, his eyesight is ****** and he can take out a 1" chain link from 220m still with the mountaineer, had a few F class shooters here one day and they couldn't believe their eyes, all their firmly held beliefs thrown out in one cold bore shot


sounds like two things 1) an exceptionally homogenous barrel (every barrel is different, some foul more than others, let the ammonia do the talking) 2) a very well broken in barrel, where any tooling has long since been polished out

That said, most will foul more fresh out of the factory.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 18 May 2020, 2:35 pm

So many termonologies to learn. I want to obviously get small grouping for target. But also just undertake hood cleaning practice.

So where do most of you get a "decent" bore scope from? I think all I need to find is something for copper - my local didnt have any.

I've opted for hoppes 9 carbon, and going to use the rem oil for lube/protect. And after a shoot look down the bore for the copper. They're hornady super performance 308 165gr sst bullets so I assume it's going to leave a bit to clean out...

Time will tell
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 18 May 2020, 3:04 pm

Nothin wrong with hoppes 9 - I used that alone for cleaning for years, it’s just a helluva lot more work and patching to get the copper out. An ammonia based cleaner seems to do the same in about a tenth of the time.

Another important tool i might add is a good bore guide; one that also stop chems from leaking back into the action. Oh and obviously, a good quality, one piece rod. And be gentle with her, slow and steady wins the race, and be sure to have her slightly tilted forward so any chem runs out of the muzzle.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Oldbloke » 18 May 2020, 3:24 pm

in2anity wrote:Nothin wrong with hoppes 9 - I used that alone for cleaning for years, it’s just a helluva lot more work and patching to get the copper out. An ammonia based cleaner seems to do the same in about a tenth of the time.

Another important tool i might add is a good bore guide; one that also stop chems from leaking back into the action. Oh and obviously, a good quality, one piece rod. And be gentle with her, slow and steady wins the race, and be sure to have her slightly tilted forward so any chem runs out of the muzzle.


Good info there. I've found sweets is pretty good at both carbon and copper if you want just 1 solvent
The greatest invention in the history of man is beer.
https://youtu.be/2v3QrUvYj-Y
Member. SFFP, Shooters Union.
SSAA, the powerful gun lobby. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Hunt safe.
User avatar
Oldbloke
Field Marshal
Field Marshal
 
Posts: 11192
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 18 May 2020, 3:48 pm

I want to look at sweets in the future. The guy at the shop just said it's quite aggressive and should only be used once you 'know what you're doing'.. I agreed with him but will keep it in the memory for a future purchase.

TBH we were not that strict on cleaning our firearms in the job when we didnt own them. They would get sent to the armory regularly..

Now that i own an expensive tool and want to look after it - i dont want to overdo it or underdo it :)

Only thing that has annoyed me so far about my rifle is the cheek rest.. I have to drop it everytime I want to run the rod through and then put it back up (I really have to stop being so pucky/lazy) hahah!!!!
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 18 May 2020, 4:09 pm

Aliqua wrote:Only thing that has annoyed me so far about my rifle is the cheek rest.. I have to drop it everytime I want to run the rod through and then put it back up (I really have to stop being so pucky/lazy) hahah!!!!


Get a smaller scope, and mount it lower, then your weld will be lower! :D
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 18 May 2020, 4:25 pm

in2anity wrote:
Aliqua wrote:Only thing that has annoyed me so far about my rifle is the cheek rest.. I have to drop it everytime I want to run the rod through and then put it back up (I really have to stop being so pucky/lazy) hahah!!!!


Get a smaller scope, and mount it lower, then your weld will be lower! :D


Maybe I just have really high cheek bones :roll:

Who wants to buy a brand new, never used (outside) NF NXS 8-32x56 so I can clean my bore easier? :lol:
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by in2anity » 18 May 2020, 4:28 pm

Aliqua wrote:Who wants to buy a brand new, never used (outside) NF NXS 8-32x56 so I can clean my bore easier? :lol:


I'll give you 100 bucks - will that cover it?
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
User avatar
in2anity
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
 
Posts: 3048
New South Wales

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Aliqua » 18 May 2020, 6:15 pm

To look at it haha

Serious note -- thanks everyone for your invaluable input ! Much appreciated
Aliqua
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 215
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by marksman » 18 May 2020, 7:17 pm

Aliqua wrote:
So where do most of you get a "decent" bore scope from?


l have only just got one myself before the CCP virus lockdown, it is interesting and takes away the guessing
https://www.teslong.com/Rifle-Borescope ... bore-scope

Image
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
User avatar
marksman
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3660
Victoria

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Peter988 » 18 May 2020, 8:23 pm

Ziege wrote:Love the pedantic cleaning regimes, my old man has a model 70 and a CMC Mountaineer he has had since the 70s, never once used fancy solvents, never once used anything other than maybe some crc or wd40 or ballistol, wipes down the outside blued steel with whatever oil he has on a rag. Guns still have their blued finish, shoot as straight as any other, and the stocks finishes are in good nick despite a few NICs and scratches from the last 40+ years


Sorta my story. Used the old 222 for 40 years with just a patch of oil through the barrel after every trip. It started to lose accuracy a year or so back. Bloke in the gun shop asked when I last put a solvent through. When I said never he nearly fell off his stool. He sold me some Sweets - which fixed the problem. Point being it took over 40 years before it was required lol.
Peter988
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 193
Queensland

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by TassieTiger » 18 May 2020, 8:42 pm

Copper builds up in rifling and gets deeper and deeper until there is no rifling - so I don’t understand how accuracy cannot fall off much much sooner unless accuracy is 3 inches.
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
Steyr Pro Varmint .223 - VX 3
CZ455 .22 & Norinco .22 (vtex 4-12, bush 3-9)
ATA 686 U/O 12g & Baikal S/S 12g.
Adler a110 reddot
Sauer 30-06 - VX 3
Howa 300 win mag. SHV 5-20/56
Marlin SBL 45/70
TassieTiger
Colonel
Colonel
 
Posts: 3704
Tasmania

Re: Rifle Maintenance

Post by Ziege » 18 May 2020, 9:46 pm

No word of a lie, his guns only get cleaned if I do it. And in my youth as a 12yo doing it every now and then he was more worried about rust on the outside (we lived coastal) than he was about the bore, I used to just oil it with the patches he had from since forever, and before that who knows how long ago it was done, wouldn't be a stretch for me to believe he would go 500+ shots before anything that resembles a cleaning. In both his high powered rifles.

I haven't yet seen where my 223 has lost any accuracy due to that kind of fouling either, 200 shots over one weekend and still sub moa... So yeah dunno really
Ziege
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
 
Posts: 964
Western Australia

Next

Back to top
 
Return to Gunsmithing