Rifle Cleaning

[Lakenut]

Couple of questions....

1. Favorite bore solvent...for carbon...and for copper? Is there a good all in one? If not, what 2 products work best?

2. Cleaning rods...not sure I buy into the "3 piece aluminum rods ruin barrels" philosophy. How could aluminum harm a steel barrel. Not being a smart arse...serious question. Anyway, assuming this theory is correct, what' the best 1-piece rod?

I'e gtting ready to break in a new barrel....and since everyhing I've red on the web is correct....and since I'm starting off with "virgin steel" and want to do it right.

 

[cdschoonie]

I use either 3-in-one (for guns that are older or have surface rust) or Ballistol. I have also used Hoppe's solvent

 

[rc508pir]

Couple of questions....

1. Favorite bore solvent...for carbon...and for copper? Is there a good all in one? If not, what 2 products work best?

2. Cleaning rods...not sure I buy into the "3 piece aluminum rods ruin barrels" philosophy. How could aluminum harm a steel barrel. Not being a smart arse...serious question. Anyway, assuming this theory is correct, what' the best 1-piece rod?

I'e gtting ready to break in a new barrel....and since everyhing I've red on the web is correct....and since I'm starting off with "virgin steel" and want to do it right.

I use rods and not sure I buy into that either but I still pull the rod through instead of push. I just use breakfree, but then I have 2 gallons of it

 

[Pokinfun]

I use either a dewey or tipton one piece rod pushing through from the rear, with Hoppes #9 aftershave.

 

[Buzzgun]

From Gale McMillan, who has made record setting barrels and knows more about barrels than all of us put together.

Read it and you will understand why "barrel break in" is a waste of time.

http://www.6mmbr.com/gailmcmbreakin.html

How to Break-in a Barrel
-- A Dissenting Point of View

Gale McMillan, of McMillan Stocks fame, was one of the finest barrel-makers and benchrest shooters of all time. Here he argues that elaborate barrel break-in procedures do more harm than good.

Comments collected from Gale's Gun Forum postings.

As a barrel maker I have looked in thousands of new and used barrels with a bore scope and I will tell you that if every one followed the prescribed [one shot, one clean] break-in method, a very large number would do more harm than good. The reason you hear of the gain in accuracy is because if you chamber a barrel with a reamer that has a dull throater instead of cutting clean sharp rifling it smears a burr up on the down wind side of the rifling. It takes from one to two hundred rounds to burn this burr out and the rifle to settle down and shoot its best. Any one who chambers rifle barrels has tolerances on how dull to let the reamer get and factories let them go longer than any competent smith would.

Another tidbit to consider--take a 300 Win Mag that has a life expectancy of 1000 rounds. Use 10% of it up with your break-in procedure. For every 10 barrels the barrel-maker makes he has to make one more just to take care of the break-in. No wonder barrel-makers like to see this. Now when you flame me on this please [explain] what you think is happening to the inside of your barrel during the break in that is helping you.

Consider this: every round shot in breaking-in a barrel is one round off the life of said rifle barrel. No one has ever told me the physical reason of what happens during break-in firing. In other words what, to the number of pounds of powder shot at any given pressure, is the life of the barrel. No one has ever explained what is being accomplished by shooting and cleaning in any prescribed method. Start your barrel off with 5 rounds and clean it thoroughly and do it again. Nev Maden, a friend down under that my brother taught to make barrels was the one who came up with the [one shot one clean] break-in method. He may think he has come upon something, or he has come up with another way to sell barrels. I feel that the first shot out of a barrel is its best and every one after that deteriorates [the bore] until the barrel is gone. If some one can explain what physically takes place during break-in to modify the barrel then I may change my mind. As the physical properties of a barrel don't change because of the break-in procedures it means it's all hog wash. I am open to any suggestions that can be documented otherwise if it is just someone's opinion--forget it.

It all got started when a barrel maker that I know started putting break-in instructions in the box with each barrel he shipped a few years ago. I asked him how he figured it would help and his reply was if they shoot 100 rounds breaking in this barrel that's total life is 3000 rounds and I make 1000 barrels a year just figure how many more barrels I will get to make. He had a point; it definately will shorten the barrel life. I have been a barrel maker a fair amount of time and my barrels have set and reset benchrest world records so many times I quit keeping track (at one time they held 7 at one time) along with High Power, Silhouette, Smallbore national and world records and my instructions were to clean as often as possible preferably every 10 rounds. I inspect every barrel taken off and every new barrel before it is shipped with a bore scope and I will tell you all that I see far more barrels ruined by cleaning rods than I see worn out from normal wear and tear. I am even reading about people recommending breaking-in pistols. As if it will help their shooting ability or the guns'.

More from Gale McMillan: http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/Barrel_BreakIn.asp


As far as cleaning.....aluminum rods can damage barrels, not because aluminum is harder than steel, but because it is soft enough that abrasive particles can imbed into the rod and damage the bore when the rod touches the bore while cleaning.

I have used WipeOut bore cleaner for quite a few years......unlike many ammonia based barrel cleaners, WipeOut will not damage your barrel if left in too long and can be left in the bore without worry.

 

[dennishoddy]

Agree. Bore break-in is worthless. I tried it once on a new rifle, and saw no difference in the accuracy.
Waste of time and money.

 

[swampratt]

here is a 400 yard group from a barrel that was not broke in. 2.113" center to center Savage Axis .223 with 55gr VMax In federal cases H4895 powder and CCI450 primers..Notice 32.5" of drop.

This is 500 yards with the same gun same day.. I called the low and right shot before it hit the target.
Not bad for shooting off the top of my car with a front bag only. But I am proficient at shooting off the top of my car
If only I didn't choke that third shot.
This is a pencil barrel shelf gun that cost $150 after rebates. Imagine if it had a good barrel on it and a good shooter behind it.

This may load also.
30-06 mossberg 100ATR not a "broke in" barrel. But many shots have been down the tube.
It was 37degrees out and i shot cold bore shot and 3 more.
At 211 yards the cold bore was out of the group total for 4 shots measured 1.570" and the other 3 printed together in a group that measured .436" center to center. another pencil barrel cheap gun. Picture in the link below.
Hunting guns.



http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/6jeffswish/media/cGF0aDovMzAtMDYxNjVncjM3Zi5qcGc=/?ref=

 

[doctorjj]

I clean the least amount possible. Chamber guides may have a purpose. Make sure your rod itself is clean. I’ve used Hoppe’s, Ballistol, Butch’s. All seem to work well. Just remember, less is more.

 

[beastep]

Sweet 762 for copper and Shooters Choice for everything else. J Dewey rods.

 

[D. Hargrove]

I agree with @doctorjj that less is more on barrel cleaning. I use Hoppe's as well when needed. As to break in of the barrel, I have done it both ways and have seen ZERO advantages to the 'ol fire three and clean method.