Wet or Dry

A

alan f

Guest
Many shooters these days are leaving a light film of oil in their barrels before firing their first shot to prevent copper fouling etc.
Which makes me wonder when leaving this fine film of oil in the barrel before shooting, does it effect the barrel life.
I say this due to the fact that oil does not compress?

Alan
 
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I always run a patch of Lock-Ease down the barrel before I leave for a match.
 
Silicone 3 in 1. Lubricant

george in KY said:
never shoot a wet bore..or a dry bore.
after you run a wet patch down the bore fallow it with a dry patch....lets call it a damp bore :)
like dave said after the first shot or 2 the fouling act's as a lube.
Click to expand...


A wet patch of "dry silicone spray" (3 in 1) will dry within few minuts and leave slipery invisible film.

Peter
 
wet barrel

Alan -

With a " wet " barrel, you' ll want to shoot a fouler or two fer sher;
before going for record.

I clean with " TM Solution ", followed by two wets w/ " Montana Extreme
Bore Conditioner "; then one dry.

I have to shoot a fouler, sometimes two if for no other reason than to get the barrel to stabilize; before trying for the record group.

In a contest that only requires a ltd number of shots, fouling a barrel can be problematic. I shoot at a groundhog & egg contest, where you are only allowed one fouler/sighter; before shooting 3 5-shot groups ( 100, 300; and 500yd ); and one shot @ an egg @ 500. That's only 17 shots for
the first day of the contest. Day two shooters are again allowed only one fouler; and then 5 shots @ 100, 300; and 500 ( but no egg shot ).
That's 16 shots max, the second day.

Irregardless of whose bore cleaner and bore conditioner you use; you'll want one that still makes it easy to get the barrel to "stabilize" quickly.

My Broughton 6mm SS 29" 1-8 w/ " 5-C" rifling, cleans great w/o my having to use ANY brushes. Patches & solvent / bore conditioner only.

Good barrels you should be able to do a " one-shot " break-in with.
They should also by extension, be easy to foul / un-foul.

Best of luck in your endeavors.

Regards,
.357Mag
 
I can see why people use oil in their barrels.
Although im starting to wonder if we do more harm than good, oil doesnt compress, therefore would be more friction/heat/stress on the barrel causing more wear and tear.
Copper is a natural lubricant for stainless?
 
Leather is a lubricant for asphalt but would you rather slide on wet pavement? or dry pavement?
A light film of any oil on the first shot reduces the start of jacket fouling. I don't do this but didn't Skip Otto break his barrels in with oil almost running out of the muzzle?
4 or 5 drops of oil on a patch, worked back and forth in a barrel hasn't hurt anything in 15 years.

Dave
 
Dave Tooley out of curiosty when your competition barrels are due to be replaced, how far has the fire cracking in the barrel travelled?
I too only run 4-5 drops of oil in my barrels worked back and forth.

alan f
 
alan

I can't give you an answer. I shoot them until I feel I start to lose control during the cleaning process or the target tells me it's time to make a change. I'm not worried about longevity. I'm more concerned about managing fouling during the life of the barrel. I know that a light coat of oil cuts down on the 1st shot copper fouling.

Dave
 
I also replace barrels when cleaning becomes difficult and when the target tells me so. I just borescoped down some older shot out barrels which in thoses days would never of had any oil put down it fired 2800/3000 rounds and the fire cracking only travelled 6-8". Some of our latest shot out barrels which have had oil in them are fire cracked from one end to the other. Dont get me wrong all these barrels shot well.
I just wonder why?
 
firecracking

alan f said:
Dave Tooley out of curiosty when your competition barrels are due to be replaced, how far has the fire cracking in the barrel travelled?
I too only run 4-5 drops of oil in my barrels worked back and forth.

alan f
Click to expand...

Alan,
I can show you barrels that look like a dry lakebed in the Sahara that will still shoot extermely accurate. I monitor firecracking but don't get worried until my group starts to suffer.

After every cleaning, I thoroughly remove all traces of solvent with automotive brake cleaner followed by dry patches. A wet patch of lock EEze is run through the bore and allowed to dry muzzle down.
Chino69
 
I have been running Wipe-out as the last thing down the bore (followed by two dry patches) for the past couple years. I figure, why burn the oil and add to the carbon buildup...

Chino - lockease never dries...turns into sludge...let some out on a piece of foil once...

YMMV,
JB
 
Could it be that the oil intensifies the friction between the bullet and barrel causing more heat/stress and excessive fire cracking.
If so do the pros of easy cleaning out way the cons of that hummer barrel not lasting as long?

alan f
 
Cleanning barrels

I have read this post with great interest. I am no expert on the subject but have done some experimentation over the years. I have not always been friendly to my barrels. I can say from experience,that clean barrels shoot more consistently. I have used about ever cleaning solvent, and routine out there. I started using Montana Extreme about 5 years ago. I started using a mixture of GM top engine cleaner (old formula) mixed with Marvel Mystery oil. I have found that barrels I thought were clean by using earlier techniques (Hoppes, Marksman's Choice, abbrasive paste, chemical foaming agents, Wipe-Out etc.) were really not clean as I thought. I have found it is important, if one uses a brush to wash the brush out between passes down the barrel an get the filth off it. Otherwise you arre just re-appling dirt to the barrel. I only brush in one direction (breech to muzzle) always using a bore guide. I have customers bring me guns they say they have already cleaned. I sit them down and re-clean their gun using both the carbon and copper solvent routines decribed above and most times I will continue to get residue on 10-50 patches. They are ammazed at what I get out of their barrel. Most of my customers shoot F-Class, XC, and/or are hunters. All barrels will begin heat cracking and it moves forward with shots down the barrel. I always fire two foulers before shooting for a group. There are both physical and chemical difference in a clean barrel. I find barrels shoot the most consistent between shots 3 and 18 then acuracy begins to drop off.. I think oxidation in combination with fouling has less effect than heat and preasure on barrel life. I think fouling has more effect on immediate accuracy. I think there is a balance between clean barrels and barrel life. Copper and lead bullets produce their own lubricity and oil is not neccessary for accuraacy however it may aid in barrel life with the first shot not producing more friction and heat than the subsequent shots. I find high end barrels usually shoot good from the get go. They show a slight increase in velocity between shots 300-600. After shots 600 there is a slight loss in average velocity with every shot. This may vary with load and bullet bearing lengths and lots. I also find high end barrels last longer because thay start with a better finish and degrade slower.

Just some of my thoughts.

Rustystud
 
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Some of our latest shot out barrels which have had oil in them are fire cracked from one end to the other.
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Not that my sample size is as great as a professionals gunsmiths, but I have never seen this. FWIW, I've worn out my share of barrels, both PPC and big stuff, and have always shot with a damp bore.
 
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