barrel cleaning?

[Gh0st]

My 10/22 and Marlin underlever used to get cleaned once a year, just before Phoenix... but not the barrels, just the actions to try to make sure they didn't jam..

Yup marlin never gets cleaned either....

.17hmr gets a bore snake but that’s it

[Cambs-lass]

I clean mine after every use, I might be a bit OTT but I can't help it. I'm the same with my shotgun, dismantled and cleaned after every use. I use the Napier patches to clean the rifle, the ones you cut to size.

[breacher]

I clean mine after every use, I might be a bit OTT but I can't help it. I'm the same with my shotgun, dismantled and cleaned after every use. I use the Napier patches to clean the rifle, the ones you cut to size.

Not ott. It makes sense. It cannot hurt to have your rifle too clean. All you lose is a few mins of your time.

[Pete]

Plumose, are you really a sea anemone?

Pete

[Plumose]

Not really, just liked the photo after I took it, and it is a name that is unlikely to be used.

[pluginal]

Good job you hadn't seen dead men's fingers Plumose From that comment I take it you scuba dive? I also did for 20 odd years until I had to give up with a back injury.

[Cambs-lass]

Not ott. It makes sense. It cannot hurt to have your rifle too clean. All you lose is a few mins of your time.

Thanks I actually enjoy doing it. To me my rifle and shotgun are things I've invested a fair bit of money in so they are worth looking after.

[Maggot]

Not ott. It makes sense. It cannot hurt to have your rifle too clean. All you lose is a few mins of your time.

Thanks I actually enjoy doing it. To me my rifle and shotgun are things I've invested a fair bit of money in so they are worth looking after.

As B says, its an investment, look after it. The problem with barrels is people either dont understand how/why the wear, or clean them in such a way as to make things worse (usually by damaging the crown).

Copper and carbon can do some odd stuff. Copper can almost act like a plasma driving at the point of firing being driven deep into any tiny fissure and groove...and as we know....copper begets copper, and copper likes water. Minimizing copper build up is one reason to shoot a barrel in properly as if carefully shot in, the small tool marks that pick copper up are smoothed out.

So we have this water attractant in our barrels, and then we don't oil them leaving them. When I was in the county team we cleaned, then cleaned again a few days later after the rifle had sweated.

Its up to you. We burn barrels out (meaning they have lost match accuracy) at about 5-6000 rds. This has less to do with wear to the bore than pure heat erosion of the throat and leade due to rapid strings with little cooling, but, even this sort of wear can be mitigated to a point with the occasional use of a bore polish such as KG2....but dont over do it.

Bore snakes, pull throughs etc. They were designed to be used by troops in the field where a rod and guide was not generally practical and match accuracy was fairly academic. Incorrect use has been the cause of damage to crowns for years, so if you can, use a decent guide and coated rod...if of course you clean at all...

With decent Lothar Walthar re-barelling comng in at £5-600 I will clean and oil thanks.