If not cleaning your rifle floates your boat fine. I don't scrub the heck out of the rifle, but for me & maybe only me, If you properly clean your rifle after shooting, I feel it's best to have a well maintained rifle. I don't mine cleaning the rifle, I think the ones that get around not cleaning, don't really like to. To just wait until accuracy drops off to clean doesn't seem to good for the barrel. Sorry guys I guess I'm just one of thoes clean freaks.
Cleaning after shooting a few rounds?
- Thread starter CC268
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bamaranger
New member
snake
I've become a big fan of the bore snake for quick clean/lube. Couple of pull throughs with a tad of juice of your choice and done.
If a rifle is out in wet and or humid much,, kept in the truck, somewhat neglected, as in our 2-1/2 month gun deer season, you will have rust almost guaranteed, especially at muzzle, without bit of attention to the bore now and then. I've seen it in too many used guns. The Snake is good for that too.
I've become a big fan of the bore snake for quick clean/lube. Couple of pull throughs with a tad of juice of your choice and done.
If a rifle is out in wet and or humid much,, kept in the truck, somewhat neglected, as in our 2-1/2 month gun deer season, you will have rust almost guaranteed, especially at muzzle, without bit of attention to the bore now and then. I've seen it in too many used guns. The Snake is good for that too.
"Clean" means different things to different people; it ranges from a "shiny, clean looking" bore to a bore with virtually all fouling removed.
Proper cleaning techniques done every 10 shots will not harm a barrel. Improper cleaning techniques done every 100 shots will ruin a barrel.
Some people can detect a reduction in accuracy with their stuff after 20 to 30 rounds; others cannot. Those that do will clean their bores often to maintain the accuracy level they want and can get.
There's more theories about bore maintenance than facts; a few of those theories are facts. The ratio of bore cleaning facts to theory is about the same as those about reloading and load development.
Proper cleaning techniques done every 10 shots will not harm a barrel. Improper cleaning techniques done every 100 shots will ruin a barrel.
Some people can detect a reduction in accuracy with their stuff after 20 to 30 rounds; others cannot. Those that do will clean their bores often to maintain the accuracy level they want and can get.
There's more theories about bore maintenance than facts; a few of those theories are facts. The ratio of bore cleaning facts to theory is about the same as those about reloading and load development.
603Country
New member
I have what you might call "active" and "inactive" rifles. The active ones only get cleaned when I see, or think I see, a reduction in accuracy. The inactive ones don't get shot much, and if they are going to sit in the safe for 6 months or a year before the next use, then I'll do a light cleaning of the barrel after I shoot it.
I was a big fan of cleaning barrels until I inherited my Dad's well used and well worn Ruger Ultralight 270. Dad, to the best of my knowledge, never in his lifetime cleaned a bore. Every couple of years I'd clean the bore on the 270, if I thought about it. When he passed, and I got the rifle, I thought it might be good to clean the bore and just see what awful condition it must be in. All those years of hunting in the rain must have done a job on the bore, or so I thought. There was still a good bit of mud caked on the outside of the rifle, and who knows how long it had been there. But the bore was fine. No pits that I could find. So I cleaned it real well, loaded up some 140 gr Sierra HPBT bullets over H4831, and proceeded to shoot little 3 shot groups again and again. The rifle is a tack driver. So now I don't worry as much about bore cleaning.
I was a big fan of cleaning barrels until I inherited my Dad's well used and well worn Ruger Ultralight 270. Dad, to the best of my knowledge, never in his lifetime cleaned a bore. Every couple of years I'd clean the bore on the 270, if I thought about it. When he passed, and I got the rifle, I thought it might be good to clean the bore and just see what awful condition it must be in. All those years of hunting in the rain must have done a job on the bore, or so I thought. There was still a good bit of mud caked on the outside of the rifle, and who knows how long it had been there. But the bore was fine. No pits that I could find. So I cleaned it real well, loaded up some 140 gr Sierra HPBT bullets over H4831, and proceeded to shoot little 3 shot groups again and again. The rifle is a tack driver. So now I don't worry as much about bore cleaning.
Brotherbadger
New member
No need to apologize. I used to be the same way. In fact, sometimes I'll clean guns that don't need it, just so I can handle it. I just had to say something about the analogy, because my brain snaps a bit when I read stuff like that. I'm just a freak when it comes silly stuff like that.
How difficult is it to run 2-3 patches wet with Kroil down the bore and one dry patch to collect the excess Kroil?
That will protect the bore and loosen whatever fouling might remain. It takes 2 minutes so what's the big deal?
Option #2 is a few drops of CLP on a BoreSnake and drag it through the bore 2-3 times.
That will protect the bore and loosen whatever fouling might remain. It takes 2 minutes so what's the big deal?
Option #2 is a few drops of CLP on a BoreSnake and drag it through the bore 2-3 times.
MurrayNevada
New member
Old USMC habits die hard. I feel uncomfortable if I don't clean them when I return from the range.
I agree that it gives you something to do.
It's just not necessary.
Cleaning won't really hurt anything either. I clean them a bit more (rub a little oil) now that I live in a wet location and don't get to use them as much.
Just better to spend that time with my family than to be cleaning rifles that don't need it...
They do get cleaned, just not often... And it's not laziness.. It's understanding of the machine and the factors involved.
It's just not necessary.
Cleaning won't really hurt anything either. I clean them a bit more (rub a little oil) now that I live in a wet location and don't get to use them as much.
Just better to spend that time with my family than to be cleaning rifles that don't need it...
They do get cleaned, just not often... And it's not laziness.. It's understanding of the machine and the factors involved.
Cleaning and lubing is not "maintenance" in a technical sense.
Performing maintenance on a machine has always involved replacing consumable parts, replacement of out of spec parts, measuring critical tolerances measuring critical torques, and many other inspections... The most important part of maintenance is keeping written records of all of this, or it never happened.
Would you ride in a plane that was thoroughly cleaned and nothing else? Does vacuuming the peanut from the seat pocket increase the airworthiness of the plane?
No
Now I have seen catastrophic equipment failures directly as a result of such thoughts, the quality of maintenance was judged mostly on cleanliness.
Now there is some cleaning that needs to be accomplished for efficient function of a firearm, just not the religious fervor some put into it.
I have some firearms malfunction due to excess dirtiness (not mine lol)
I quick examination of the parts of a firearm you can tell where it's important to clean and where it's not.
I have one gasoline pickup truck that has 350,000 every vehicle miles (150k is still new to me) on it and still functions great, but I only washed it a few times in 15 years. Also, under some conditions, you can drive 15000 + miles without changing oil with no harm done. Sometimes 3000 miles is too long... I know, some people don't.
I do things as they are required technically, not habitually.
Do I white glove clean guns at times? Yes
But not often.
Do I make sure the critical surfaces are free of abrasive material and has the proper lube every time? Yes before every use.
Do I pull them out and check them? Yes
After I shoot them, I'll check them to see if it needs cleaning.
I do pull a bore snake or even a homemade one through the bore fairly often.
Performing maintenance on a machine has always involved replacing consumable parts, replacement of out of spec parts, measuring critical tolerances measuring critical torques, and many other inspections... The most important part of maintenance is keeping written records of all of this, or it never happened.
Would you ride in a plane that was thoroughly cleaned and nothing else? Does vacuuming the peanut from the seat pocket increase the airworthiness of the plane?
No
Now I have seen catastrophic equipment failures directly as a result of such thoughts, the quality of maintenance was judged mostly on cleanliness.
Now there is some cleaning that needs to be accomplished for efficient function of a firearm, just not the religious fervor some put into it.
I have some firearms malfunction due to excess dirtiness (not mine lol)
I quick examination of the parts of a firearm you can tell where it's important to clean and where it's not.
I have one gasoline pickup truck that has 350,000 every vehicle miles (150k is still new to me) on it and still functions great, but I only washed it a few times in 15 years. Also, under some conditions, you can drive 15000 + miles without changing oil with no harm done. Sometimes 3000 miles is too long... I know, some people don't.
I do things as they are required technically, not habitually.
Do I white glove clean guns at times? Yes
But not often.
Do I make sure the critical surfaces are free of abrasive material and has the proper lube every time? Yes before every use.
Do I pull them out and check them? Yes
After I shoot them, I'll check them to see if it needs cleaning.
I do pull a bore snake or even a homemade one through the bore fairly often.
4runnerman
New member
Sun don't set on a dirty gun.