Is there a faster way to clean a bore
- Thread starter headbangerJD
- Start date
jersey_emt
New member
AK103K said:
I find that the Bore Snake does a great job when used frequently -- every time you shoot it, whether it is 1 round or 500, right when you get home. Sure, if you have severe lead and/or copper fouling, you're going to need to break out the cleaning rod, brushes, and patches and really go at it. But if you are very strict about cleaning your guns as soon as you get home from the range, every time, combined with a more thorough cleaning every 500 rounds or so, a Bore Snake can help keep your bore spotless.
I used to use a bore snake as my primary tool. After much research, and my own testing, I've relagated them for occasional use.
My current barrel cleaning method:
- run copper bore brush through 6-10 times.
- run bore mop soaked in Hopps #9 through 3-4 times.
- let sit while cleaning rest of firearm.
- When ready to assemble, take 4 or 5 patches and put several drops of Hopps #9 on them, and run patches through bore. Finish with clean patches.
Using the above process, I usually need no more than 5 or 6 patches before they come out clean.
My current barrel cleaning method:
- run copper bore brush through 6-10 times.
- run bore mop soaked in Hopps #9 through 3-4 times.
- let sit while cleaning rest of firearm.
- When ready to assemble, take 4 or 5 patches and put several drops of Hopps #9 on them, and run patches through bore. Finish with clean patches.
Using the above process, I usually need no more than 5 or 6 patches before they come out clean.
5 or 6 patches!? That barely gets the loose crud out at the beginning. 
I clean every time I shoot, I know some dont. On average, I shoot 3-500 rounds of pistol a week, and probably about 1-500 rounds of rifle each month.
They all get cleaned right after getting home from the range, and they all get basically the same treatment. Certain precision rifles get a little more detail.
2 or 3 loose (on a slotted tip), wet patches to get the crud out, followed by a dry one just pushed through with the same tip. Beyond this, all patches are run though on a tight fitting jag. You need the jags if you want to get the patch to contact the barrel and get the crap out.
Then, alternating bronze and tornado type brushes with a dry patch in between, for roughly the same number of stokes as rounds fired split between the two.
Allow things to soak while attending to everything else, which all gets cleaned with wet patches of Hoppes, followed by a dry patch, then wet patches of Gun Scrubber until clean, the Eezox on everything.
After that, dry patches until the bore is dry, then clean the brushes with Gun Scrubber, and do the bore again a couple of stokes with each wet with Gun Scrubber, followed by a wet patch of the same.
The Gun Scrubber gets all the crud out of the brushes, when you run a wet brush with Gun Scrubber through, what comes out next, is whats left over, not something youre just putting back. I rarely get a dry patch after the brushing with Gun Scrubber to come out clean.
Depending on how dirty they are after the Gun Scrubber, I may start over, with the brush and solvent thing again, and do it all again. Doenst happen very often, but it does happen.
Once I do start to get fairly clean patches, I dry the bore and them run a couple of wet patches of Eezox down the bore and over the whole barrel. Wipe everything down dry, apply a very thin, light coat of TW25b to the barrel and rails and put it all back together.
5-6 patches? I usually go through one of the Southern Bloomer 1000 patch bags a month, and sometimes part of another.
If you really think your gun is clean, after your done and convinced it is, run a wet patch of Hoppes through the bore and let it sit for a couple of hours to overnight, then run a dry patch down the bore. I think you'll be surprised, if you already didnt know what was coming.
Precision rifles require more attention and care, and usually take more time.
For some reason, my Glocks (as well as the HK P7's I've owned) "polygonal" barrels are harder to clean than my other, traditional rifled barrels. The patches just keep coming out black long after the other guns are clean. I always thought it would have been the opposite.
As I said earlier, we all seem to have a different idea as to what clean is, and how to achieve it. And again, I've yet to find any real shortcuts. I've tried most all the "wonder" cleaners at some point, and at this point, use Hoppes, Shooters Choice, and Sweets (and occasionally some old GI bore cleaner because of ammo) for the bores, Hoppes, Gun Scrubber, and Eezox for everything.
I clean every time I shoot, I know some dont. On average, I shoot 3-500 rounds of pistol a week, and probably about 1-500 rounds of rifle each month.
They all get cleaned right after getting home from the range, and they all get basically the same treatment. Certain precision rifles get a little more detail.
2 or 3 loose (on a slotted tip), wet patches to get the crud out, followed by a dry one just pushed through with the same tip. Beyond this, all patches are run though on a tight fitting jag. You need the jags if you want to get the patch to contact the barrel and get the crap out.
Then, alternating bronze and tornado type brushes with a dry patch in between, for roughly the same number of stokes as rounds fired split between the two.
Allow things to soak while attending to everything else, which all gets cleaned with wet patches of Hoppes, followed by a dry patch, then wet patches of Gun Scrubber until clean, the Eezox on everything.
After that, dry patches until the bore is dry, then clean the brushes with Gun Scrubber, and do the bore again a couple of stokes with each wet with Gun Scrubber, followed by a wet patch of the same.
The Gun Scrubber gets all the crud out of the brushes, when you run a wet brush with Gun Scrubber through, what comes out next, is whats left over, not something youre just putting back. I rarely get a dry patch after the brushing with Gun Scrubber to come out clean.
Depending on how dirty they are after the Gun Scrubber, I may start over, with the brush and solvent thing again, and do it all again. Doenst happen very often, but it does happen.
Once I do start to get fairly clean patches, I dry the bore and them run a couple of wet patches of Eezox down the bore and over the whole barrel. Wipe everything down dry, apply a very thin, light coat of TW25b to the barrel and rails and put it all back together.
5-6 patches? I usually go through one of the Southern Bloomer 1000 patch bags a month, and sometimes part of another.
If you really think your gun is clean, after your done and convinced it is, run a wet patch of Hoppes through the bore and let it sit for a couple of hours to overnight, then run a dry patch down the bore. I think you'll be surprised, if you already didnt know what was coming.
Precision rifles require more attention and care, and usually take more time.
For some reason, my Glocks (as well as the HK P7's I've owned) "polygonal" barrels are harder to clean than my other, traditional rifled barrels. The patches just keep coming out black long after the other guns are clean. I always thought it would have been the opposite.
As I said earlier, we all seem to have a different idea as to what clean is, and how to achieve it. And again, I've yet to find any real shortcuts. I've tried most all the "wonder" cleaners at some point, and at this point, use Hoppes, Shooters Choice, and Sweets (and occasionally some old GI bore cleaner because of ammo) for the bores, Hoppes, Gun Scrubber, and Eezox for everything.
headbangerJD
New member
Sounds like I need to use the copper brush a little more before I start sending patches through. I also need to invest in some jags because that will definitely help cut down on some patches since it keeps the patches contacting the bore all the way around.
I don't mind cleaning (most of the time) but I find myself spending the majority of the time sending patches through the bore.
By the way, thanks everyone, I hope this thread has helped more people than just me.
I don't mind cleaning (most of the time) but I find myself spending the majority of the time sending patches through the bore.
By the way, thanks everyone, I hope this thread has helped more people than just me.
What I do for my rifles...
1) Run a dry patch through barrel, (direction of bullet travel always,) to get the oil out. I run a dry cloth in the chamber to get the oil out.
2) Shoot the weapon.
3) 4 strokes of the brass brush and alcohol. Run a dry patch through.
4) Run 4 strokes of a nylon brush with Butch's Bore Shine, (or similar.) Wait 5 minutes, run a dry patch through.
5) 4 strokes with brass brush and alcohol, then dry patch. (Make sure bore shine is not in the barrel, chamber or anywhere else for that matter.)
6) 4 strokes with the brass brush and oil, dry patch looking for carbon.
7) Repeat 6 until no more carbon, (usually twice before clean.)
8) Oil barrel and chamber liberally; wipe-down all metal parts with oily rag.
1) Run a dry patch through barrel, (direction of bullet travel always,) to get the oil out. I run a dry cloth in the chamber to get the oil out.
2) Shoot the weapon.
3) 4 strokes of the brass brush and alcohol. Run a dry patch through.
4) Run 4 strokes of a nylon brush with Butch's Bore Shine, (or similar.) Wait 5 minutes, run a dry patch through.
5) 4 strokes with brass brush and alcohol, then dry patch. (Make sure bore shine is not in the barrel, chamber or anywhere else for that matter.)
6) 4 strokes with the brass brush and oil, dry patch looking for carbon.
7) Repeat 6 until no more carbon, (usually twice before clean.)
8) Oil barrel and chamber liberally; wipe-down all metal parts with oily rag.
To Clean the barrell Quicker
Lots of people with more experience than mine posted --- but maybe not as many as lazy as I am.
I've found the quickest cleaning is to clean at the range when I've fired my last round.
At the range I shoot at -- I can usually field strip a pistol and push a damp patch (Hoppee #9) down the barrel and do a wipe down of the slide while waiting for a ceass fire to go down range and pull my target.
Soaking time for the first patch anywhere from 2 - 5 minues while I pack my scope and collectbrass.
Pour some cheap running alchohol over the brush since its gotten pretty dark.
And one more time:
Brass Brush third time: one push thru for every two or three rounds fired.
Follow up with two wet patches (usally clean -- if not see note below).
Note.
If I've fired 100 rounds or less - that's it.
If I've fire more -- then i repeat the whole process 24 hours later.
Hmmmm. Listing all those steps makes me think I'm not quite as lazy as I thought.
Lots of people with more experience than mine posted --- but maybe not as many as lazy as I am.
I've found the quickest cleaning is to clean at the range when I've fired my last round.
At the range I shoot at -- I can usually field strip a pistol and push a damp patch (Hoppee #9) down the barrel and do a wipe down of the slide while waiting for a ceass fire to go down range and pull my target.
Soaking time for the first patch anywhere from 2 - 5 minues while I pack my scope and collectbrass.
I use a brush and scrub a half dozen times and then use two wet patchs (the first is usually filthy)
and let it sit for 30 seconds or so.
Brass Brush second time: one push thru for every two or three rounds fired.
Follow up with two wet patches (again the first is normally very dirty).
and let it sit for 30 seconds or so.
Brass Brush second time: one push thru for every two or three rounds fired.
Follow up with two wet patches (again the first is normally very dirty).
Pour some cheap running alchohol over the brush since its gotten pretty dark.
And one more time:
Brass Brush third time: one push thru for every two or three rounds fired.
Follow up with two wet patches (usally clean -- if not see note below).
Note.
If I've fired 100 rounds or less - that's it.
If I've fire more -- then i repeat the whole process 24 hours later.
Hmmmm. Listing all those steps makes me think I'm not quite as lazy as I thought.
I'm with Sigshr. I take a small rubber plug of the correct size, your hardware store will have them. Plug the breech end and fill the bore with your favorite solvent and let sit overnight. Dump the solvent and clean the normal way with brushes/ patches. Will really loosen up fouling and reduce scrubbing time.
TylerD45ACP
New member
Defintley use the copper brush. I use it with a fair amount of hoppe's no.9 on my 1911 and you would be suprised. It goes frome dirty to spotless with minimal effort. I then run patches after letting it sit. It usually takes no more than 10 patches.
Wildalaska
Moderator
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m&p45acp10+1
New member
I can clean my .41 mag RBH in less than 10 minutes. Step one spray some M-Pro 7 on a clean patch run through the bore at least twice. Do the same in all of the cylinder bores. Sray a bit on a brush run through barrel, then cylider. Reapeat with a wet patch, then a dry one. Repeat with oil. I do this as soon as I stop shooting, cuts cleaning time greatly. I also almost exclusively shoot home cast lead. If I run Acurate, or Trail Boss powder it is more like 5 minutes.
I like the foaming copper solvents. Breakfree makes a nice one.
Fill the barrel up with the foam, wait 5-10min, run a patch or two through, and you will likely have a spotlessly clean barrel. Repeat if fouling is extra bonus heavy.
The only downside is that it's not good for some guns with gas ports in the barrel if you can't easily take the gas system apart for cleaning. The foam can get up in there.
Fill the barrel up with the foam, wait 5-10min, run a patch or two through, and you will likely have a spotlessly clean barrel. Repeat if fouling is extra bonus heavy.
The only downside is that it's not good for some guns with gas ports in the barrel if you can't easily take the gas system apart for cleaning. The foam can get up in there.
If you want to know how the pros at the Army Marksmanship Unit do it, go to the CMP's website: ODCMP.com and check out their procedure. More barrels are ruined by improper cleaning, (read: scrubbing in and out with a jointed rod, allowing the rod to touch the muzzle crown), than by any other method. Rodfac
Sounds like a good routine.
An 'ol benchrest shooter and rifle builder told me he used the alcochol to remove the solvent before switching to a different type. He didn't like them mixed in his bore.
For pistols, I'm pretty sohpistcated in case someone wants to write it down.
I swab out the chambers with paper towels soaked in a little Hoppes then use a copper brush if I still see residue. Then wipe dry.Of course, the bore gets soaked first and residue is softening up while I'm cleaning the rest of the gun.