Barrel Cleaning

[Idaho Brad]

How often should a person really scrub the barrel out?


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[id_jon]

Depending on who you ask, anywhere between literally never, and every time you shoot. I'm on the less often end of the spectrum.

 

[Dmoua]

If you ask 100 guys you’ll probably get 100 different answers.

I personally think it’s easier to keep it consistently clean than consistently dirty so I clean every 100 rounds.

 

[turbobrick]

On the less frequent side for sure, probably around the time accuracy starts being effected by being dirty.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Most people clean because they are sheep and that's what they have been told to do.

 

[ljalberta]

I used to clean after everytime I shot. Now I don’t clean (okay, I only clean if I’m putting the rifle away for months at a time) because Ryan tells us not to.

 

[nightant]

You just asked one of the most controversial questions in all of shooting. I don't clean until I see accuracy degrade. That's usually not until 500-1000 rounds down the tube. Unless it's for long term storage, then I like to scrub it down.

 

[ArcherAnthony]

I used to clean after every outing with the rifle. Then i learned i was doing a disservice to my accuracy. Now i clean when i first buy the rifle and then either when i store it long term or after about 100 rounds. Depends on the rifle.

 

[Wrench]

Your brass and groups will let you know when it's time.

 

[Jimbee]

I've joined the never club. It's working great. 223 with around 2k rounds, a couple 6.5 and 6mms with 500-800rds. If anything it seems like accuracy gets better, but maybe I'm just getting better at shooting?

 

[rsipes3]

i used to clean fairly often when i was younger and didnt know any better, and try and get every last bit of copper out of the barrel, but i think that was all for nothing, maybe even more harm than good. now i rarely ever clean unless its for long term storage

 

[Shortschaf]

How often should a person really scrub the barrel out?

Scrub when you are having unexplained problems with accuracy or pressure signs. There are times where it's the solution

No gun is the same, and the statement "Accuracy problems" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, so I leave that open ended.

Shooting hundreds of suppressed rounds without cleaning will build a carbon ring which can cause issues

 

[wind gypsy]

The more overbore, the more cleaning. A magnum might get a quick cleaning every 100 rds or so. A 223 might go 500 rounds or more.

Rarely or never "really scrub the barrel". Primarily want to get any carbon in the neck/throat out. Foaming bore cleaner, patch dry. A couple wet patches of bore tech carbon eliminator, patch that out or dry and call it good. Sometimes break out the copper solvent but not usually.

That's what i'm currently comfortable with but won't say it's right or wrong. I have had accuracy/pressure improvements immediately after cleaning so I THINK it helps. But i've also chased my tail with changes in accuracy/pressure trip to trip without cleaning so it's hard to say with 100% confidence. I've never let a truly terrible carbon ring develop.

 

[SDHNTR]

No one ever talks about the need for cleaning specifically as it relates to corrosion protection. That’s why I clean. If you live in a salty, humid environment, you may find yourself needing to clean for that reason alone. An unclean will develop rust in a matter of weeks where I live.

 

[Juan_ID]

How often should a person really scrub the barrel out?


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Most people clean because they are sheep and that's what they have been told to do.

So in other words don’t never ever clean your barrel especially when you think you should and still be a sheep… maybe a black sheep?

 

[Shortschaf]

So in other words don’t never ever clean your barrel especially when you think you should and still be a sheep… maybe a black sheep?

I believe he is meaning that many people who do clean and say to clean, don't really understand why they should or even if they should.

He did not say that cleaning should never be done.

 

[wapitibob]

I clean this lastest barrel every session, two max, and finish with loc-ease. Cold bore flyers and 5-7 shots to "settle in" that I used to see in past barrels went away. No idea if it's the barrel, the cleaning, the loc-ease, or just dumb luck, and don't care. I know where the first shot is going, if yours is the same way with no cleaning, congrats.

 

[Ryan Avery]

So in other words don’t never ever clean your barrel especially when you think you should and still be a sheep… maybe a black sheep?

The key in my post is “Most”

Thinking and needing to clean your barrel are two different things.

Cleaning a barrel based on round count is dumb!

 

[Juan_ID]

I believe he is meaning that many people who do clean and say to clean, don't really understand why they should or even if they should.

He did not say that cleaning should never be done.

I was mostly joking, hence the black sheep reference lol. I was once a cleaning sheep and had heard or been told along the way “they’ll shoot better if you clean them” This was back when we’d shoot a box of ammo a year and groups 2-5” at 100 yards meant we were ready to go hunting.

And now as of a couple years ago I’m a non-cleaning sheep because the rifles shoot “dirty” and I’m lazy…

The key in my post is “Most”

Thinking and needing to clean your barrel are two different things.

Cleaning a barrel based on round count is dumb!

I can’t differentiate between thinking and needing to clean a barrel so I quit it altogether.
I do swab the action from time to time but that’s about it these days.

 

[TaperPin]

Your gun will tell you when to clean, and every gun is a different collection of chamber size, bullet, powder, barrel condition, etc.

Tight chambers don’t have as much physical room or clearance for carbon to build up - an old factory chamber will shoot many hundreds or thousands of rounds and probably not cause problems. I love buying newish Christensen Arms barrels that guys pull off because they don’t want to clean and the built up carbon screws with their accuracy - the snug chamber contributes to good accuracy, but they have to be cleaned.

Those statistically significant groups you guys claim to shoot all the time will start to go to hell and that’s your clue it’s time.

It’s easier to clean more often and not wait until it only shoots 2 moa right before a hunt and none of the crappy solvents you have will remove the stubborn carbon ring. It’s also easier to use a cheap borescope to see if your cleaning has actually removed the carbon - you don’t even need to buy it, just make friends with someone who has one.

I think the resistance to cleaning comes from elaborate directions and thoughts of lots of unneeded elbow grease. Just soak a patch and run it through.

I have a plastic set of $10 magnetic jaws that go in the vice in the garage that clamp the barrel - insert a simple bore guide, grab the cleaning rod and put on the correct size plastic brush to hold a patch, use a medicine dropper to add a squirt of solvent to the patch, run it down the bore and let it drop out the end. Done. Wait 5 minutes and repeat until very little green comes out. Run two dry patches and bore scope it. If theres a carbon ring that hasn’t come out just keep repeating, maybe run a brass brush each cycle if you have to, or change to a better solvent. When you’re finished, run two well oiled patches then two dry patches, make sure to wipe anything out of the chamber and you’re done.

It literally takes longer to type this than clean a rifle. Having a can doesn’t matter - the patches just go one way.

Even the carbon ring in this photo doesn’t look large enough to actually contact the bullet, but it might.