Didn't use a clean patch before shooting, any damage done?

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Didn't use a clean patch before shooting, any damage done?

Post by fuggle » 22 Apr 2014, 4:01 pm

I may have been doing something a little wrong for a while now.

With my rifles were new, I clean them out super thoroughly to get the grease that ships in it out. Mirror finish after this...

Since when when cleaning I do the usual process, and do finish do a single pump-spray of oil onto a patch and run it through the barrel for a thin coat.

When it's time to shoot the rifle comes out and off I go as is. I've done this a few dozen times or whatever now.

I read though that you should put a dry patch through before shooting a cleaned barrel, to clean out the oil protecting it.

I can't see anything wrong with the barrel, but am I likely to have caused a tiny bulge or small drop in accuracy by not having cleaned out that storage oil.

It's only ever a very thin layer from a single pass, not drooling out the muzzle or anything.

Hmmm :oops:
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Re: Didn't use a clean patch before shooting, any damage don

Post by 5Tom » 22 Apr 2014, 4:34 pm

I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you keep the maintenance after shooting when your going to store the rifle for a while between shooting sessions.

Even if your sighting in at the range before going hunting, some fouling won't hurt the barrel unless you notice it does effect your accuracy.

At most, there might be some micro measurement of a pressure spike for that initial shot, but it's something that you really need not worry about.
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Re: Didn't use a clean patch before shooting, any damage don

Post by Turkle » 22 Apr 2014, 6:38 pm

Nah, you'll be right.

I thin (micro really) later from a single wipe of a damp patch isn't enough to do what you're talking about.

When people bulge or octopus a barrel it's either from tonnes of build up (and more often some load issues) or in the case of new rifles tablespoons worth of grease in the barrel.

Not a micro thin layer of oil.
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Re: Didn't use a clean patch before shooting, any damage don

Post by mobo » 22 Apr 2014, 6:45 pm

5Tom wrote:Even if your sighting in at the range before going hunting, some fouling won't hurt the barrel


I would think that little oil would be about the same as a bit of fouling.

Gentler even probably because it will come out on the first shot.
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