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joeb33050
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Cleaning rifle barrels-second half-comments?
Jul 21st, 2006 at 7:52am
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"I don't spend a lot of time cleaning my 2 Douglas 32/40 barrels. They wipe nice with a couple of patches with whatever I have on hand.  Spray of Balistol most often but sometimes just plain oil.  I never wipe them during a Hudson match as my zeros will change fouled barrel to clean.  Of course I don't have any problems with leading to overcome. I only use 1/25 with SPG at moderate velocitys about 1450 fps.   
At home after a match I brush them out then patch and solvent until it comes out clean then dry and oil lightly. I have had other rifles that did lead and needed to be a whole lot more aggressive cleaning, mostly Military rifles and cast bullets at 1600 fps plus. 
Black Powder Schuetzen is another matter and my Douglas 38/55 Barrel gets wiped after every shot. One wipe with a wet patch Half Anti freeze and half water with a little Balistol in the mix. I also look at the bore after the wet patch and will wipe it again or use a pistol rod and patch and wipe the chamber and throat one more time.  That 2nd wet patching depends on how long I waited after the shot to wipe how hot and dry it is or any number of things  If it does not look clean I stay after it until it is. 
Then I dry the barrel with a 2nd rod and dry patch.  What I am looking for is absoultly clean and dry for evey shot. I have shot it in Hudson matches that way sucessfully.  I think wiped it's just as accurate as my Smokeless loads in 32/40   
When I shot the same barrel fixed in BPCS and used a blow tube it worked OK but was not as accuatrate as Breech seating. I suspect it's a combinaton of breech seated bullets and the clean bore. Of course in BPCS you don't have time for the absolutely clean routine and have to go with what you have." 
Boats on ASSRA

"For smokeless loads I spray Kroil spray lube in the bore after a shooting session, then let it soak on the trip home. Cleaning at home is very easy once it's soaked. 
For BP I use a pump spray bottle with dish soap and water mixture, and spray the bore to soak it thoroughly. Then clean it in normal BP method when I get home. This softens the powder residue, and again makes cleaning easy.marlinguy
I have been shooting a CPA 32-40 close to five years now using smokeless powder and the bore has never seen a brush of any kind. Gail Schuttleworth advised me to just do like you would a baby's butt and wipe it till its clean! I seldom use solvent either I just run dry patches through it till its clean and four patches fliped over one time each will usually do it. I then run a patch through the bore with the lube I use and it is ready for the next outing."
Schuetzen on ASSRA

"I usually will shoot at least 100 rounds in both rifle & pistol before I clean.
My daliy range session is NORMALLY 50 pistol & 50 rifle rounds in the summer.
Sometimes I only clean 1 x a wk. (300 rounds) but utah is hot & dry. No problems for over 30 yrs. shooting. Some of the original guns are still w/ me & doing fine."
Boom Boom on Cast Boolits


 
"I'll give you some views, especially as they are non-conformist.
1. Do you clean DURING a match or range session? 
I never clean a rifle during a match or shooting session.
2. How often, or when, do you clean the barrel? 
I clean the barrel only after I have fired it with black powder, made some horrible mistake and leaded it up or when preparing to store the rifle for an extended period of time.
3. Do you clean until brushing produces no more black stuff, until you get a clean patch? 
I clean (at the times specified above) with the tight-fitting jag until the bore is clean. Patches will almost never be pristine-clean even after "cleaning" the bore thoroughly.
 
It is my firmly held believe any rifle used with a good cast bullet load, fired in a barrel of good condition will virtually never require cleaning just so long as the rifle sees generally frequent use.
I have rifles that have not been cleaned in many years and thousands of shots which provide me the very same excellent performance as they did after first acquiring their "break-in" rounds during load work-ups. And! These rifles are all successfully used in cast bullet competitions. ~ Most recently I won the Montana 1000 Yard Championship with my 50/90. The rifle has not been cleaned for at least 1000 rounds (that being the only time I fired it with black powder).
I think the cleaning compulsion on the part of shooter is entirely misplaced and perhaps a form of mind-control on the part of those who make and sell bore-cleaning products.
Good afternoon,"
Forrest Asmus on CBA







 
  
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boats
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Re: Cleaning rifle barrels-second half-comments?
Reply #1 - Jul 22nd, 2006 at 5:07pm
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I think we all got this Cleaning Fetish from the Millitary were it was a instrument of disipline in boot camp.  I can think back and still see my old M1's worn muzzle. At the range we shot other rifles the real clean ones had no firing pins The Coast Guard had some rules about what you could clean the thing with, No water ever to touch the barrel etc.  

Demerits were high for a dirty bore and I soon went to hot water and toothpaste just like I had used in my muzzleloaders.  It was a real shiner after 12 weeks of that. You can see what I thought of dumb rules.

I can recall reading one of the spy thrillers.  I think it was a Len Deighton. Anyway the bad guy that was going to shoot the good guy spent his spare time striping his rifle and cleaning it. Through the whole book I bet he took it down a dozen times. When he got to make his one shot no telling were his zeros were. Of course the good guy gut him before he had a chance to figure out the rifle would not hit anywere near where he thought it would. Who knows he may have learned to shoot in the Service.

If you have a good barrel and shoot cast bullets don't make a fetish of running rods through that expensive tube. Clean, dry, then light oil is the way to go.

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