How often you clean the barrel and how?

[sepeteus]

Well,

I've been thinking about cleaning the barrel, but I don't clean the barrel that often... How about you?

It seems that there is lots of disagreement between firearm benchrest shooters, regarding the bronze brush and how to use it (how often, if at all...) and how to clean the barrel well.

I assume that no one here would use bronze brush to airgun barrel, but I may be wrong. Well, I don't use it, I don't use anything which could scratch the bore; if the barrel need something, maybe nylon, but I prefer cleaning pellets (to PCP gun). But I know that several here (in Finland) do think that airgun barrel too needs quite a cleaning, brushes, solvents and everything...

 

[Dave Shattuck]

sepeteus,

I for one do use a bronze brush when cleaning my air rifle, but only on occasion. I have a .177 cal. AZ Tuned Theoben MFR which is set up for shooting benchrest and generally only clean it by shooting 5 felt pellets through after each and every shooting session. But, after every 6 to 800 rounds, or if a noticeable accuracy drop off has occurred, I'll take the time to pull at least a few dry patches through to help better determine the condition of the bore.

From there, if I feel more cleaning is in order, I will take a length of fishing line that has been fed through a length of rubber storm screen replacement holder of a slightly smaller diameter than the bore (.145) so as to help protect the bore from being cut by the line and pull a couple of treated patches through from chamber to muzzle followed by 3 dry patches.

But, a couple of times a year I will remove the barrel from the action, then wrap a heavy work rag around the barrel to help protect it and hold it lightly in a vise, then after drawing 2 or 3 wet patches through the bore will back-draw a dampened .177 bronze brush through 5 or 6 times, maybe more, from breach to muzzle, followed by another 2 or 3 wet patches, then 3 dry patches.

What I mean by back-drawing is; I carefully insert a .177 cal. cleaning rod with no attachment screwed on from the muzzle through the bore, then will screw on the bronze brush, wet it with solvent and slowly pull it back through the bore. Unscrew the brush, then repeat. By doing it this way I feel there is much less of a chance of my scratching or gouging the bore, or putting a scratch in either the crown or chamber areas.

Hey, it seems to have worked so far!

Dave