Barrel cleaning process

N

NChunter89

Member
For years I've only used Hoppe's #9 and Benchrest solvents to clean my barrels. It never really seemed to be much of an issue until I started shooting a lot more. Now those two don't seem to be cutting it. No matter how many times I run patches and brush the barrel, it still doesn't seem to get clean. So what products might be better suited to get my barrels clean without having to worry about damaging anything? Also, is there a process that I could follow that might make things simpler? Thanks in advance!
 
Do you just use the patch out and tactical advantage on a wet patch and alternate with a brush until clean? How do you use the accelerator with the other two?
 
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Before
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Dry patch, give it a light coat of oil if going to store it.
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After

Regards,
hm
 
No. It's very effective at removing both copper and powder fouling. Manufacturer claims it can be left in the barrel as a preservative, as well. Guess I'm just old school; prefer to rely on oil for preservative.

Regards,
hm
 
Bore Tech C4 for the carbon, then dry out barrel, 2 patches of Wipe Out Accelerator, then Tactical Advantage. Leave over night if need be. After barrel is clean, then 2 patches of Lock Ease. Lock Ease is colloidal graphite and keeps the barrel from becoming coppered up and makes barrel cleaning a snap.
I only use non brass jags and nylon brushes. Brass brushes and jags leave bluish-green color on the patch just as copper does, so you can't really tell if the barrel still has copper in it or if the brush/jag are the culprits.
 
Many different ways/products to clean rifle bores. Identify what is the main fouling to remove or general cleaning for low rounds fired followed by storage. Carbon,copper,lead. Method and product based off that. Main thing some products contain water, always remove completely and apply rust prevention product. Corrosion is worse than than a "dirty" bore for maintaining accuracy.
I also use the Sharpshooter/Wipe Out products and abrasive pastes for neglected barrels(friends who need help).
 
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Why are you cleaning so often?

Unless I see a degradation in accuracy, or my rifle is subjected to some pretty substantial moisture, the bore doesn't get touched. If I am putting it away for a while, a wet patch and a couple of dry ones is about it.
 
Seems some solvents have a shelf life. Also some if the internal temp gets above 90° it can ruin it.

I can't stand the smell of Montana Extreme bore solvent..... But..... I clean my rifles with it. The reason why is this: No fouler shots required.

Your first shot out of clean will not be different than the following shots.

I love that.
 
My worst problem has been getting carbon out of barrels, both
factory and custom. Does Tactical Advantage actually get the
carbon out?
 
Give it a try. It does for me, but my cleaning regimen is different than some. I get out far too seldom of late due to various family health issues. I will not put a rifle back in the safe after a hunt or range trip without cleaning because I never know when the next opportunity will arise, so..... I clean after every outing whether it was 1 round or 30, dry patch and push an oily patch through the bore. Rifle is good for months, if it doesn't get used in the meantime.

Having said that, TA does an excellent job on removing my carbon, which is seldom baked on. Wish I had known about TA back when I was shooting 100-300 rounds every weekend in practice or a match, half of which was sustained fire. Then I would know how well it does with baked on powder fouling. Does great as described in previous post w/softer powder fouling up to 30 rounds (slow fire) or so. Back in the day, I used mostly Hoppe's Benchrest, which is superior to #9 for carbon, but often required multiple overnight treatments to get the hard stuff out.

Works for me, someone else will have to chime in on how well it works on hard baked carbon.

Regards,
hm
 
Originally Posted By: NChunter89For years I've only used Hoppe's #9 and Benchrest solvents to clean my barrels. It never really seemed to be much of an issue until I started shooting a lot more. Now those two don't seem to be cutting it. No matter how many times I run patches and brush the barrel, it still doesn't seem to get clean. So what products might be better suited to get my barrels clean without having to worry about damaging anything? Also, is there a process that I could follow that might make things simpler? Thanks in advance!

Here's the thing with cleaning. You don't need to get it clean to the steel. Many times it's an automatic for me to clean every 50-75 rounds on my bolt guns, just to stay ahead of the possible curve.

I'm working on a video of my process, for every shot, I run a pass with a soaked nylon brush, usually increments of 10, so if I have 50 rounds down, I do 5 reps of 10 brushes, AND, some stuff in between of course. It gets it clean, and can be done in minutes with the right equipment.
 
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