# how do you clean the barrel of your rifle?



## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

Hi guys, a question about rifle barrel cleaning.
There is probably lots of ways to clean your barrel, but how do you do it?

I put an oily patch through, then run a scratcher 3 or 4 times, then 2 or 3 dry patches, then repeat.
Problem with this method for me is it goes on for way to long. I can repeat that routine 20 times, and I am still getting black coming through.
You guys must have a better method.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

What solvents/bore cleaners are you using and what ammo are you shooting? Do you clean every time you shoot? Do you let your chosen products soak in the barrel? There's a bit of nuance to cleaning, if you're on the OCD side of the clean spectrum.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

I run a wet patch down the bore, let the bore soak for a few, wet the scrubber and scrub the bore a couple times, and then run dry patches through it until the last one comes our pretty clean.
Run the rod through the chamber end, not from the muzzle. Else wise, you'll eventually wear the muzzle and cause the rifle to be inaccurate.


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

Hemi45 said:


> What solvents/bore cleaners are you using and what ammo are you shooting? Do you clean every time you shoot? Do you let your chosen products soak in the barrel? There's a bit of nuance to cleaning, if you're on the OCD side of the clean spectrum.


Just regular gun oil to clean the barrel. I reload, and I clean after every shoot, but I don't let the oil soak.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

Jackangus said:


> Just regular gun oil to clean the barrel. I reload, and I clean after every shoot, but I don't let the oil soak.


Your doing it all wrong , solvents / bore cleaners are used first , all your doing using oil makes it gummed up . Watch a you tube video on how to clean you gun , read the manual , dirty gun will kill you .


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

Targetshooter said:


> Your doing it all wrong , solvents / bore cleaners are used first , all your doing using oil makes it gummed up . Watch a you tube video on how to clean you gun , read the manual , dirty gun will kill you .


That was the way I was taught in the army to clean my rifle. Only oil, patches, pull through, and chamber brushes, never solvents. I fired thousands of rounds. Never killed any of us.


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

The lubricant I am using is Break-free CLP. I think we may have used this stuff in the army as well. 
I think that is more than just oil.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

Jackangus said:


> The lubricant I am using is Break-free CLP. I think we may have used this stuff in the army as well.
> I think that is more than just oil.


I used the same crap in the Army to I went out and bought solvent , just to be able to clean my m16 , 45 , the right way . jmho .


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

You have to pee in it first.

..dont do that, I am pretty sure it might work okay but ummm, you might get wierd looks

I use MPro7 or some other similar solvent and let it soak, make sure when you spray it gets all sides in the barrel, then I spray some on a scrubber and run that through.

Start from the chamber end, I use those steel cable snakes now and then run patches until I get them coming back clean

Or if you have an air compressor for my AKs I spray solvent down the barrel and blow it all out

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

Have not had any problems so far using CLP. Have fired about 2000 rounds so far. Will buy some Kroil tomorrow. I have heard that stuff is good for getting rid of stuff.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I still use Hoppe's No 9, which I think is extracted from dinosaurs. I'm living in the past, man! Besides, I love the smell of carcinogenic chemicals in the morning.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Kroil is good stuff. The reason I asked about type of ammo is to differentiate using specific copper solvents vs those for lead.


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## whoppo (Nov 9, 2012)

Most of the time I just run a bore snake with some SLIP2000 through the barrel a few times.
If the barrel looks particularly dirty I'll run a CLP soaked patch through and then a few dry patches... then the bore snake.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

I run a wet patch of break free CLP and let it soak in as I clean the bolt, carrier, and receiver. Then I run a bronze scrubber up and down the barrel from the CHAMBER end. I follow with a break free CLP patch then dry patches till clean. Works for me. Takes some time but hey, I enjoy cleaning and oiling my guns. PS. Don't forget to disassemble and throughly clean and oil your mags. They are part of the system... duh!


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

If your Hillary, use a cloth. Multipurpose because it can wipe a server too.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Piss and vinegar, literally, drink some vinegar and pee down the barrel, works like a charm and acts as a rest preventive too.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

sideKahr said:


> I still use Hoppe's No 9, which I think is extracted from dinosaurs. I'm living in the past, man! Besides, I love the smell of carcinogenic chemicals in the morning.


Hoppes for me as we'll, Birchwood Casey Nitro Powder Solvent works good too.
I shoot corrosive surplus ammo thru my military rifles so this is important. I use it in all my other firearms as well.
Remington 10X bore cleaner is good for getting rid of copper fouling, but is not needed every time.
I follow up with a light coat of CLP Break Free.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

View attachment 28746


Hoppes #9 also makes a convenient air freshener!


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

Hemi45 said:


> Kroil is good stuff. The reason I asked about type of ammo is to differentiate using specific copper solvents vs those for lead.


Mainly use Hornady Vmax projectiles.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Slippy said:


> View attachment 28746
> 
> 
> Hoppes #9 also makes a convenient air freshener!


Mighty distinctive aroma. I dont ever clean my rifles because I dont never shoot em. Solves a lot of problems and conserves ammo. Know I did shoot the .22 semi auto marlin I traded my Brother the other day..just cause he insisted I shoot it. I do not clean the barrel of .22s cause they clean themselves with all that nice wax on the bullets.


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## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

Hoppes, Break Free and others also come in foam. Just squirt it in and the foam expands to fill the whole barrel, then let it soak for a few minutes and clean it out. Might be easier if yours has a lot of grunge inside.

Never used it myself but some seem to like it.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Denton said:


> I run a wet patch down the bore, let the bore soak for a few, wet the scrubber and scrub the bore a couple times, and then run dry patches through it until the last one comes our pretty clean.
> Run the rod through the chamber end, not from the muzzle. Else wise, you'll eventually wear the muzzle and cause the rifle to be inaccurate.


Not all can be cleaned from the chamber end, I only have a few that can, the others are no option other than a bore snake, which I don't like.

If you are worried about land wear, there is a rod called Dewy that is plastic coated that most competition shooters use for 30 CAL and now for 22CAL.

They are one piece with brass fittings.

I use these on all my long range guns and have for over 35 years.

-As far as bore cleaner goes, I use USGI RBC, I have I think five one gallon cans of it, why buy more???


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

bigwheel said:


> I dont ever clean my rifles because I dont never shoot em. Solves a lot of problems and conserves ammo.


bigwheel, we need to hook up. I think we have hit the motherlode on this one. Do you have a prototype of this new fangled maintenance free rifle you speak of?


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

The waxy coating on lead 22lr bullets has does tend to keep things shooting well, especially in bolt actions. In my semi-auto 22 the burnt powder builds up so bolt slide must be cleaned more often.


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## Jackangus (Sep 1, 2016)

For my 22s, I just pull the bore snake through after every shoot. That gets rid of any crud I can see when looking through the barrel.


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