I just took my gun to the gunsmith to remove a round stuck in the chamber... he said I need to learn more about gun cleaning. Is there a good book out there that focuses on cleaning bolt action rifles? I think I am fine with the barrel cleaning, but thats all I do clean. Thanks for any info... PD
Good gun cleaning book / website?
- Thread starter pd_buster
- Start date
BroncoGlenn
New member
Not much too it really. Just use whatever cleaner turns your crank among the various choices of Hoppes, Shooter's Choice, etc. I tend to buy whatever is cheaper or available at the time.
First off, if your cleaning rod is anything other than a one piece, you need a new cleaning rod that is--you guessed it--a one piece rod. Remember to wipe the cleaning rod down between strokes.
Next you need a bore guide. It'll go a long way to keeping your cleaning rod moving straight through the bore, in addition to keeping cleaning solvents from dripping down into the action.
Pickup one of the military cleaning brushes. It's the toothbrush that has bristles at both ends. That'll take care of most of the scrubbing chores. For very stubborn carbon deposits, a bronze bore brush works very well, if not difficult to manipulate in comparison.
Pickup some of those microfiber towels (many automotive store sell them) for where you need towels. Avoid paper towels as they leave lint and pieces scattered around. Make sure you wash them so they don't get loaded down with debris that can scratch the surfaces of your guns.
A cleaning mat is a good idea. It keeps your work surface clean and will help protect your marriage when you drop a bolt onto the tile of the kitchen counter.
Now that you are armed with the proper tools, just get to work cleaning what you need. I like to pour a little solvent into the container's cap to use for dipping my brush in. Custard bowls procurred from the kitchen also have many uses on the cleaning and loading bench, much to my wife's chagrin.
Pay attention to the bolt face and the extractor and ejector. Make sure there isn't junk there will prevent their proper operation.
Be careful with which oils you use in the firing pin channel. You need something to protect against corrosion, but that won't thicken up in the cold and slowing down the firing pin causing misfires. I like FP-10 for oil. Rem oil is pretty good. Militech seemed to thicken more than I cared for in the cold. Some folks like Mobil-1. Whatever you use you don't need to lube it up like a automotive chassis. A little goes a long way. Use whatever you like. If you want to be hardcore and test your oil of choice out, load a piece of brass with a primer only and put your bolt in the freezer for a few hours then see if it'll still pop the primer.
First off, if your cleaning rod is anything other than a one piece, you need a new cleaning rod that is--you guessed it--a one piece rod. Remember to wipe the cleaning rod down between strokes.
Next you need a bore guide. It'll go a long way to keeping your cleaning rod moving straight through the bore, in addition to keeping cleaning solvents from dripping down into the action.
Pickup one of the military cleaning brushes. It's the toothbrush that has bristles at both ends. That'll take care of most of the scrubbing chores. For very stubborn carbon deposits, a bronze bore brush works very well, if not difficult to manipulate in comparison.
Pickup some of those microfiber towels (many automotive store sell them) for where you need towels. Avoid paper towels as they leave lint and pieces scattered around. Make sure you wash them so they don't get loaded down with debris that can scratch the surfaces of your guns.
A cleaning mat is a good idea. It keeps your work surface clean and will help protect your marriage when you drop a bolt onto the tile of the kitchen counter.
Now that you are armed with the proper tools, just get to work cleaning what you need. I like to pour a little solvent into the container's cap to use for dipping my brush in. Custard bowls procurred from the kitchen also have many uses on the cleaning and loading bench, much to my wife's chagrin.
Pay attention to the bolt face and the extractor and ejector. Make sure there isn't junk there will prevent their proper operation.
Be careful with which oils you use in the firing pin channel. You need something to protect against corrosion, but that won't thicken up in the cold and slowing down the firing pin causing misfires. I like FP-10 for oil. Rem oil is pretty good. Militech seemed to thicken more than I cared for in the cold. Some folks like Mobil-1. Whatever you use you don't need to lube it up like a automotive chassis. A little goes a long way. Use whatever you like. If you want to be hardcore and test your oil of choice out, load a piece of brass with a primer only and put your bolt in the freezer for a few hours then see if it'll still pop the primer.
I think every bit of that was new to me... THANKS! I'll get a 1 piece rod and some other supplies. My bro could probably show me how to clean a rifle soon... he'll be getting back from Marine boot camp in January. He can probably do it in his sleep... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif THANK YOU!!
sage_yote
New member
As for one-piece rods the Dewey rod is probably your best bet. When you are running your dry-patches through after running a solvent patch through, check each patch for dirt and what not and keep going through until there is no more dirt and grime on the patch. If/when you use a brush, NEVER pull it the other way it came from when it's in the barrel, when you do this, the brass bristles are forced up against the bore and can cause damage to the bore and the brush /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angry-smiley-055.gif. It may sound a bit complicated at first but it's simple once you get the hang of it.
Budo
New member
Also if no one mentoned it, since you had a stuck case a chamber brush might be a good idea. Also the one piece cleaning rod is a must and I think most of them are coated. That is they have a vinal plastic coating on them so they don't damage the bore. Also it is best to clean the rifle from the chamber end (hence the rod guide). Decreases the chance of damage to the muzzle crown. Good luck.
Oh yeah, picked my gun up from the gunsmith today and he said the round was stuck from rust in the chamber. I took the gun to Iowa recently, and live in Colorado. Very different climates. Is the best way to prevent this from happening again keeping the gun out of the case when not traveling and a good oiling before heading to a humid climate? Thanks, PD.
BroncoGlenn
New member
For oiling the bore, I use FP-10, soak a patch with it and run it through the bore. Then follow that with a dry patch to remove the excess and your're done. You don't want too leave a lot of oil in the barrel as it can have the effect of a reduced bore diameter and raise pressures considerably.