A Question for Frank Green@Bartleins Barrels

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Frank, now when you've mentioned that you shoot CM barrels at competitions on some occasions, you've made me curious.

How often do you clean you competition CM barrels and what with?
Could you please elaborate on the subject a little?

Thank you kindly

Shoot better
Peter
 
Peter, I don't clean my C.M. barrels any different than my S.S. barrels. Roger listed the link to our site on cleaning. I don't list what types of cleaners on the website. I have my preference on what I use. I don't see one cleaner being hands down better than another. Again follow the rule of "Don't mix the cleaners together weather in the bore or in a jar!" Unless your a chemist and you know how the chemicals are going to react with one another and also with the barrel steel don't do it. Keep it simple and play it safe.

Also follow the basics of a good one piece cleaning rod, a bore guide etc....

I don't use brushes in any of my barrels. I don't see the need in a good barrel. I have not used a brush since around 1990. If you insist on using a brush I recommend at least one caliber smaller and or old worn out one and wrapping a patch around it. Push it breech to muzzle and take the brush off the rod before you pull the rod back thru the bore. Don't drag the brush over the crown.

I know you're still wondering what I use for cleaners. Again this is my preference in how I clean my guns. Just because I clean this way or use these cleaners doesn't mean it's the way the bible should be written. If you have a method that you use to clean or a preference on cleaners as long as you don't wreck your barrels I have nothing to say. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you have a system that works and you don't wreck you barrel it doesn't mean the guy down the road is doing it better than you. If it works for you than go with it.

If I'm not in a hurry to clean the gun I use good ole Hoppe's No.9. I run a wet patch one after another until they come out clean. Then I leave the gun sit with the barrel wet. After awhile I come back and run another wet patch down the bore and back. If there is any copper in the bore the patch will come out green. I repeat this until the patches come out clean. I store all of my guns with a light coat of Hoppe's in it also. It will protect as good as any oil will. The only thing that I see with Hoppe's is that it gets thick/gummy over time. Run a couple of fresh wet patches down the bore and dry patch it completely before shooting the gun.

If I'm in a hurry I use Sweets 7.62 solvent. I don't leave the barrel soak for a long period of time. Just keep running a wet patch down the bore and back until they come out clean. If there is any copper in the bore the patch will come out blue. Once the patches are coming out clean dry patch the bore completely. Then I follow up with a patch soaked with Rem. Clean. I will stroke the barrel 10 times with it. The Sweets seems to work good with on the copper but I feel it doesn't work good on the carbon fouling. The Rem. Clean will get any residual trace of copper out (if there is any) and it works really well on the carbon fouling. Dry patch it completely and it's ready to go.

As a side note some will ask about JB bore paste. I have used it once in awhile and have not seen it hurt anything. I also know of some of the top shooters in the country weather they be shooting Palma Matches, F-class or benchrest or across the course. They will use JB around 300 rounds. They short stroke the throat several time before pushing it out the bore. They are going after the carbon fouling and also trying to keep the throat smoother as it wears.

Again this is what I do but if you have a different system that you use and you get the barrels clean and don't damage them then go with what you are comfortable with.

If you have any questions feel free to give me a call. I usually answer them faster and in more detail than by email etc....

Later, Frank @ Bartlein
262-649-1574
 
Frank I thank you kindly

For your reply.

I do follow pretty much your cleaning lines, except I use a Nylon brush somwhere in the cleaning process.

My main reason for asking you about your CM cleaning method was, that I take "far" to long to clean my CM barrels. After reading your reply, I can't see that your method would be any faster.

At least now I don't feel like a total imbecile and to me it looks like, that cleaning a CM barrel can't be hurried after all.

Shoot better
Peter
 
Peter, Your questions wasn't dumb or anything like that. When I clean with the Sweet's and the Rem. Bore cleaner I can clean my barrel in about 30 minutes maybe a touch longer. Same goes for the s.s.

Don't forget some barrels clean easier than others and there are a lot of variables that effect this not just the quality of the barrel blank. Such as velocity your bullets are going, type of powder, bore size (in relation to case capacity) and one lot of bullets to the next even with the same manufacturer. One lot can foul more than the next.

later, Frank
 
Frank

I use Sweet's and I take about 45 min. to clean a CM barrel.

A friend of mine is a professional shooter who shoots about 40-60 rounds three nights per week on his culling job. He really surprised me when I've visited him. There were rifles standing in every corner of his house (the good old days) but not a single cleaning rod, brush or solvent of any kind to be seen.
I was curious how does he clean his all and only CM barrels. His answer was: I DON'T.
His favorite culling round was a 250-3000 Savage 75HP/3000 using 4227IMR powder. Amongst all the other rifles standing around the house, there was also a .220 Swift and 22-250 and he claimed that he never cleaned a rifle barrel in his life. The total lack of any cleanig equipment whatsoever could only support his claim.
His barrels were as one would expect, very dirty, but what I've witnessed was, that he was able to make 99% clean head shots up to 300 meters.

Shoot better
Peter
 
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Wow, I was under the impression that Rem-Clean was more aggressive than JB. I use it on factory barrels, since it will clean them in a hurry. I use the undersize brush and patch as the bottle recommends. However, I am afraid to try it on my custom barrels.
 
CWPINST, I haven't had any problems. Just pay attention to what your doing etc....and you shouldn't hurt anything. Again I don't use any brushes. Check out the cleaning part of our website.

Later, Frank
 
Brushless cleaning

Frank, I read your posts yesterday and was shaking my head a bit - brushless cleaning on a centerfire? Can't be...

This evening, I put two rifles in the rack to clean from today's matches, a 6XC and a 6BR, each has about 1500 rounds fired and they don't foul much, but a Highpower match (60 to 80 rounds) will always lay some copper and carbon in there, as you know. It occured to me that this was a good moment to try your method, nothing to lose, after all; if it doesn't look clean through the borescope, I'll just clean more with brushes.

I cleaned both rifles the same way, two wet patches one way followed by a patch of IOSSO back and forth 5 times (never exiting the barrel) with extra short-stroking in the throat and last 4" of the barrel, flush with two or three wet patches. Repeated the process, then dried. I put the borescope into the 6XC first, expecting to see a not too clean barrel - wrong! It was perfect, as good as my normal cleaning. The 6BR was just as good.

I'm about 90% sold on your method, tomorrow I'm shooting the 30-06 with a heavy load of 4350 and 190's (Bartlein 5R, 30"). Once I give that one a cleaning, I suspect I'll be 100% convinced and the brushes won't see much use anymore. Thanks for the tip!

German Salazar
 
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Hey German! Read your reply and thanks! Again I run a wet patch down the bore and back one after another. Might use 6-10 patches or more depends on how it's cleaning etc....before I use the Rem. Clean. Again I also don't use the Rem. Clean every single time but I do use it on a regular basis. If I was at the range doing some testing and shoot only 20 or so rounds. I usually don't. But like you said when I shoot a high power match and put 60-80 or more rounds thru the gun then I do.

I haven't used the Iosso bore paste and have been hearing conflicting information on it. Some say after cleaning with it the barrel started fouling and accuracy went sour. I don't know what is going on but I'm keeping my eyes and ears open on this.

Again I personally haven't used the Iosso so I can't give any personal feed back. If you've heard anything/personal knowledge let me know.

Talk to you later, Frank
 
Iosso

I've used iosso for 30 plus year as a mold polish. I've tried it on barrels and don't like it, to hard to make sure you've got it all out. If you don't the barrel will fowl and not shoot well.
Bob Dodd
 
Frank,
I just cleaned the 30-06 after shooting it 70+ rounds yesterday. Using the same procedure I outlined above it came out perfectly clean just like the 6mm barrels did. I think I'll stick to this procedure for my cleaning.

I've been using IOSSO for a few years, nowhere near as long as Bob, but I haven't seen that it causes any degradation of barrel performance/fouling characteristics. My perspective on this is that of a Highpower shooter who shoots 70 to 75 shots per session. There's always some degree of copper in the barrel and the IOSSO gets it out. Because of the number of shots I fire per session, I never see a barrel free of copper before cleaning and I don't really expect to. A Benchrest shooter who has the opportunity to clean more frequently will, of course, have a different perspective and that's to be expected.

German Salazar
 
German, Thanks for the feed back. Talk to you later!

Frank
 
Frank,,,,,, others

Being in the possition where I could shoot from the front door and on many occasion I would only fire one or two shots. Me being me, I would clean the CM barrel exactly the same way as if I've shot 50 rounds, or until the barrel was clean. I only use Sweet's, Nylon brush and patches.
Frank what's the main reason that you don't use the Remington Bore Clean everytime and if I understand you correctly, you go over the bore with it after you've used the Sweet's.
What's the advantage?

Thanks

Shoot better
Peter
 
Peter, The reason I don't use the Rem. Bore cleaner everytime is because it vary's with how many rounds I put thru the gun. If I'm only doing some testing and don't put a lot of rounds thru the gun I don't see a real need for it but if I shot a match and put say around 80+ rounds thru the gun then I do use it.

The reason I use it after the Sweet's is because to me the Sweet's works good on the copper in the barrel but I feel it doesn't work good on the powder/carbon fouling. That's why I follow up with the Rem. Clean. The Rem. Clean will take out any small copper that the Sweet's might have missed and it takes out the powder/carbon fouling really well.

If I'm not in a hurry to clean the gun I just use Hoppe's No.9. It works very well on the carbon and the copper but the down side is it cleans really slow but it also protects as good as any oil. If I shot the 80 rounds thru the gun today and need it tomorrow for another match I won't use the Hoppe's as it takes to long. Then I use the Sweet's and Rem. Clean method.

Later, Frank
 
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Bob D., Thanks for stepping in and saying something. It's how we all learn.

Later, Frank
 
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