Okay, here's another dumb question. After every trip to the range I clean my guns pretty thoroughly. I'm a bit obsessive, actually. But whenever I clean my guns there is just a little hint of gunk up against the lands in the barrel. I can't seem to get it 100%, absolutely, gleaming, spotless. Does anyone know what this is?
Barrel cleanliness
- Thread starter odugrad
- Start date
I`m the same, I like the bore shinny. What you see could be lead or copper. I shoot lead only, and once in a while I see a very light and small smear, on the side of the lands, I wet a patch (really wet) with KROIL let it sit in the barrel a couple of hours and it will brush out with a couple of passes. Might work for you.
Bore Snake Viper; Hoppes #9, CLP....
For good cleaning inside the pistol barrel, Id buy a Hoppes BoreSnake Viper & run that thru the barrel 2/3 times. A small bit of Hoppes #9 bore solvent or another good brand like Butch's or 7.62 can clean the inside.
I got a new Viper bore-snake with my new M&P Compact .45acp pistol.
FYI: Hoppes has a "new" synthetic version of the highly rated Hoppes #9 bore solvent too. I guess after 104 years they thought it was time for a new product.
CF
For good cleaning inside the pistol barrel, Id buy a Hoppes BoreSnake Viper & run that thru the barrel 2/3 times. A small bit of Hoppes #9 bore solvent or another good brand like Butch's or 7.62 can clean the inside.
I got a new Viper bore-snake with my new M&P Compact .45acp pistol.
FYI: Hoppes has a "new" synthetic version of the highly rated Hoppes #9 bore solvent too. I guess after 104 years they thought it was time for a new product.
CF
That depends mainly on your own personal standards.
I'm in the "other" camp and only clean guns when I think they need it. Not every time they are fired. But when I do clean them the last patch through the bore comes out the same pink color it went in. (Ed's Red bore cleaner)
If I get the barrel on my AR 15 completely, thoroughly clean, it takes 5 or 6 fouling shots to get the accuracy back to where it was.
I have considered using a bore snake but my thinking is that the solvent if its Hoppe's #9 or Sweet's or whatever isn't in the barrel long enough to do anything. Maybe I am wrong in this line of thinking ?
I have considered using a bore snake but my thinking is that the solvent if its Hoppe's #9 or Sweet's or whatever isn't in the barrel long enough to do anything. Maybe I am wrong in this line of thinking ?
I like to keep all my guns clean, but am constantly reminding myself of something. We are all victims of 'Old time" standards. We all learn that guns must be kept clean, because our elders where taught that by their elders. It wasn't really that long ago in history where if you DIDN'T keep you gun spotless they'd be covered in rust and pitting! You can still find corrosive military ammo being created over seas, but most if not all of our commercial ammo here in the states is MUCH less aggressive on steel that it was years before. So, I'm constantly struggling internally, trying to remind myself that guns juts don't have to be kept spotless. If I go out and pop a few shots out of my pistols, they'll likely get nothing done other than a rub down with a clean cloth. 25 rounds or more I'll break them down and clean them but not as thoroughly as if I'd fired 50 or more rounds. I do have a Ruger 10/22 that I bought 20 years ago or more, I've fired thousands of rounds through it and I've NEVER cleaned it...not even once. I have a Winchester pump shotgun that I clean every few years and it gets regular use around the farm. It has rust on the outside from bringing it in soaking wet from rain and just leaning it in a corner but I would never leave a drop of water on any of my fine pistol, rifles, or shotguns.
So, my guns that are kept spotless and clean don't work any better than the few I have that have never been cleaned. The clean ones just smell nicer. I would say, keep them as clean as you like but don't beat yourself up over it. You can put it it away for a while and then clean it and it'll be no worse because of the wait. I do pay attention to lube, so do keep them lubricated and free of grit. Most of all just have fun with them!
So, my guns that are kept spotless and clean don't work any better than the few I have that have never been cleaned. The clean ones just smell nicer. I would say, keep them as clean as you like but don't beat yourself up over it. You can put it it away for a while and then clean it and it'll be no worse because of the wait. I do pay attention to lube, so do keep them lubricated and free of grit. Most of all just have fun with them!
Kreyzhorse
New member
Yes. It clean mine every time I shoot them but I'm not obsessive about it. Clean and oil them but don't sweat it.
I clean my range guns after shooting - Centerfires: just a wipe-down every part I can reach without disassembly. At approx 200 rounds, I run an old bore brush wrapped with a patch 3-4 times --- first with wet (oil, kroil, or cleaning solvent) patch, then run some dry patches. Disassembly + clean every 500-600 rounds.
==
With .22LRs, similar cleaning but instead of bore brush, I tie 3 patches to a Weed Eater nylon string.
==
With .22LRs, similar cleaning but instead of bore brush, I tie 3 patches to a Weed Eater nylon string.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
You'll do more damage try to clean your guns that you'll ever do leaving them dirt, assuming you're using modern, non-corrosive ammo. Almost everyone is and you'd know if you weren't.
The outside of my guns get a wipe down when ever I shoot them. The barrels get cleaned when I notice an accuracy change, which isn't very often.
The outside of my guns get a wipe down when ever I shoot them. The barrels get cleaned when I notice an accuracy change, which isn't very often.
Carry pistol and predator gun get external oil wipe downs to prevent rust I should have added.
I don't even worry that much about black stuff. Just get the excess off.
Every gun runs with black stuff in it after the first shot. Same with copper fouling. Yes the need some cleaning, but not more than a couple minutes work.
Military enforces excess cleaning, otherwise it wouldn't get done at all. Sometimes those weapons end up stored for extended time periods.
I don't even worry that much about black stuff. Just get the excess off.
Every gun runs with black stuff in it after the first shot. Same with copper fouling. Yes the need some cleaning, but not more than a couple minutes work.
Military enforces excess cleaning, otherwise it wouldn't get done at all. Sometimes those weapons end up stored for extended time periods.
My take on it is that the SD guns get cleaned before going to the range.
Then you get to make sure that they work.
If its lead or copper then there are products that will remove that and if you keep them clean you won't have to do again. Copper indicates with a bright green on the cleaning patch. Have not had to clean lead out in a long time so not familiar with that stuff.
Lead is tough one, home made bullets that are not both hard enough and right other characteristics will do that. Better to stick with hard cast and the velocity as low as you can get and achieve reliable function.
Then you get to make sure that they work.
If its lead or copper then there are products that will remove that and if you keep them clean you won't have to do again. Copper indicates with a bright green on the cleaning patch. Have not had to clean lead out in a long time so not familiar with that stuff.
Lead is tough one, home made bullets that are not both hard enough and right other characteristics will do that. Better to stick with hard cast and the velocity as low as you can get and achieve reliable function.
Jayhawkhuntclub
New member
The only thing I worry about cleaning out of my barrels is lead from cast bullets. If there is no lead build up, there is usually no reason to clean the bore. If accuracy starts to drop off, then it'll get a good cleaning. But I have guns that have sat years, if not decades between cleanings. When I do clean one of them, the bore looks just fine. I think far more modern guns have been jacked up by aggressive cleaning than have been so by not cleaing them. Obviously, an external wipe down after a range session, or even handling, is a necessity as finger prints promote rust. But the bore is a different story. All of this assumes, you're using modern smokeless powder. I guess I should point out that I'm only talking about the bores. Slides, bolts, magazines etc. still need a good cleaning when fouling builds up.
Its hard to get some of those grooves in the barrels really clean ...especially if its copper fouling.../ Barnes CR-10 and others are good copper solvents...but you have to let the solvent sit and work for a few minutes..
I try not to be ridiculous about it ....but I like them clean / and they get cleaned after every range trip. I'm not in the camp that says - cleaning them is worse than shooting them dirty...in fact, I think any grit in there is a bad thing...but a tiny bit of copper in the grooves isn't grit either...
I try not to be ridiculous about it ....but I like them clean / and they get cleaned after every range trip. I'm not in the camp that says - cleaning them is worse than shooting them dirty...in fact, I think any grit in there is a bad thing...but a tiny bit of copper in the grooves isn't grit either...
rebs posting touched on a truism though he was talking about his AR-15.
"Dirty" barrels deliver a consistency that spotless ones don't. Just ask the old-time .45 NRA shooters who are probably in this day and age few and far between.
Since so much emphasis nowadays is put on "combat" and "tactical" it probably doesn't much matter that you start with a super clean barrel.
So,next time you want to see just how tight a group you can get, first sweeten the barrel with several shots. Now, with long range rifle shooting it doesn't hurt to let the barrel cool between shots to get those MOA groups.
Of course, with old-time or super cheap foreign ammo with corrosive primers, all bets are off.
"Dirty" barrels deliver a consistency that spotless ones don't. Just ask the old-time .45 NRA shooters who are probably in this day and age few and far between.
Since so much emphasis nowadays is put on "combat" and "tactical" it probably doesn't much matter that you start with a super clean barrel.
So,next time you want to see just how tight a group you can get, first sweeten the barrel with several shots. Now, with long range rifle shooting it doesn't hurt to let the barrel cool between shots to get those MOA groups.
Of course, with old-time or super cheap foreign ammo with corrosive primers, all bets are off.