Rifle Bore Cleaning

[AJ]

Rifle Bore Cleaning

There are a few ways of removing the fouling that occurs in the bore of the rifle while firing. These are the methods I have found to work the best. First though a little about fouling. There are two types of fouling, powder and bullet. Powder fouling is the black or gray sooty carbon stuff that is left over as the powder burns. Bullet fouling can be in the form of copper or lead fouling. Lead fouling happens when cast bullets are shot in the gun. Copper fouling is part of the copper jacket that gets left over in the bore from the bullet. The copper is picked up by the rough spots or scratches in the barrel or accumulates in the corners of the rifling grooves.

Fouling is typically built up in layers on very neglected guns. As you clean the bore you remove all traces of copper fouling and after another pass with a brush, find more copper fouling. When I buy a used gun, I give the bore a very thorough cleaning. This consists of alternating powder fouling removal and copper removal until the steel is clean. Occasionally, a hunter or shooter sells a gun that does not shoot very well or as well as it used to, and it is because of fouling.

To remove all traces of fouling, a few items are needed. First off, a bore guide or muzzle protector is mandatory for cleaning the bore without damaging the crown or throat. A good cleaning rod is also needed. I prefer one-piece rods. They are not as convenient as the multi piece rod but they are not as apt to scratch the bore as a multi piece rod. Quality rods have handles with bearings that allow the brush or patch to follow the rifling and are more efficient for removing the fouling. Bronze brushes will not scratch the bore but will remove the powder fouling and assist in removing the copper fouling. Cleaning jags are necessary for holding the patch. Jags made of brass and plastic or some other materials are necessary for proper cleaning. Good quality patches for applying solvent and removing fouling are also necessary. Solvent to dissolve the fouling is another necessary item. You will need a solvent for powder fouling and another for copper fouling. Shooters Choice, Butch's Bore Shine, Ed's Red (home made bore cleaner), and Hoppe's #9, are a few good powder solvents. Sweet's 7.62 and Barnes CR-10 are a couple of good copper solvents. JB Bore paste is a very good product for cleaning the bore.

A .22 long rifle does not use copper-jacketed bullets, so copper removal is not necessary. The bullets do not travel fast enough to give big lead deposits either. The bore can typically be cleaned with just patches and good powder solvents. Centerfire rifles on the other hand get both powder and copper fouling. Often the faster the cartridge, the more it will copper foul. I don~ mean 150 gr bullets compared to 180 gr bullets, but a cartridge that shoots 3500 fps will typically foul more than a cartridge that shoots 3000 fps.

Fouling is easiest to remove when the barrel is warm. Cleaning at the range is easier but not always possible. You can heat the barrel with hot boiling water before cleaning at home to make it a bit easier. To start the cleaning process it is best if you can secure the gun in a cleaning cradle or vise. Another option is a bipod, which will make cleaning easier. Be sure the gun is not loaded! Visually check and cycle the action to be sure there is no ammo in the gun.

Insert your rod guide into the action, chamber, or assemble the muzzle guide/protector on your cleaning rod. This will prevent the rod from riding on the crown at the muzzle, or throat of the chamber. I use a dry patch on a brass jag first, to remove dust, debris, or unburned powder from the bore. I then use a patch soaked in powder solvent to swab the bore. Most solvents will damage the gun's stock finish. Lay a towel under the rod guide to catch the drips of solvent. Let the solvent loosen the fouling for a few minutes.

Change the cleaning jag to a bronze brush and apply powder solvent to the brush. Give the bore 10 strokes or so with the brush. Do not change the brush's direction while it is in the bore. Push or pull the brush all the way through the barrel until it exits, then reverse direction. Remove the brush and grab the jag again. One more time, use the powder solvent to remove the loosened fouling from the bore. I like to clean the brush with carburetor cleaner to prevent adding already removed fouling to the bore. I repeat this one more time to remove powder fouling. After repeating, I run a couple dry patches through the bore to remove the solvent. Take a rag, towel, or patches and wipe down the cleaning rod.

Now I grab the plastic jag and use a patch saturated with copper solvent in the bore. You must not use this stuff on a bronze brush or copper jag. It will eat the brush and the copper jag will give false copper readings. Apply the copper solvent to the bore and give it 10 minutes or so to work on the copper fouling. Use dry patches to remove the copper solvent. They will come out green and will turn blue as the ammonia corrodes the copper. I repeat the copper solvent treatment until the patches come out clean. Read the instructions on the bottle of copper solvent. Do not leave it in the bore as it will induce corrosion of the barrel steel. If used properly, it will not harm the barrel. As in the previous step, wipe down the rod after finished with copper solvent.

If the bore has had quite a few shots since its last thorough cleaning or if it is the initial cleaning of a used gun, I repeat the process of powder fouling removal and copper removal. When the patches come out clean, the barrel is then finally clean. Now is the time to add a coating of your favorite rust preventative.

Another good way to clean the bore is the Outers Foul Out electronic gun cleaning system. They will remove the copper fouling from rifle barrels effortlessly. They are also good for removing lead build up from handguns that shoot lead cast bullets. I scrub the powder fouling from the bore and use the Foul Out electronic bore cleaner per the directions. It plates the rod with the copper buildup from the barrel. It does work very well. Be sure to read and follow the instructions if you get one to clean your rifle barrels.

Now you can clean the action, bolt, slide or other parts of your gun. Most trigger mechanisms should be sprayed with gun scrubber or other degreaser. Usually the trigger mechanisms do not need lubrication. If your gun is a pump, semi or has more pivoting parts to the trigger, give the pivot points a small drop of oil. If you hunt in very cold temps, less it better. I like Remington's Dry Lube product. I spray the inside of the action and the bolt with it. It does not gather dirt like oil or grease will. Wipe down the exterior of the rifle with an oil rag or silicone rag. Be sure to clean the jags, brushes, and cleaning rod and put everything away. Give the stock a coating of wax and your gun should be good to go back in its resting position until you call on it again for some trigger time.

Usually guns will have different points of impact for a clean bore compared to a fouled bore. Once the barrel is totally cleaned, it will take a group or two for the point of impact to settle down. I do not recommend cleaning the bore to this level between sighting in and hunting season. I use the Hoppes Bore Snakes to remove the big stuff in the bore until I am done hunting or shooting. They do a good job of removing excessive fouling but not enough to change the point of impact.

[sureshot]

You the man AJ!! Very helpfull thanks!!!

[richv70]

Thanks AJ!!

[VTbowman]

I thought I had it all down packed until I read this. I see that I am missing a few steps, like the entire copper part! I only scrubbed with powder solvent and dry patched it until clean. Or so I though. I guess I need to pick up some copper solvent next time out.....
Thanks AJ.

[AJ]

I know what ya mean VT. Too many people just grab the Hoppes #9 and run a brush through the bore a few times, clean patch, and concider that a thorough cleaning. Those are the guns that have the layers built up. Often when a shooter cleans like that they will see the accuracy slowly deteriorate over time. They only shoot a box of shells every other year and in a few years the gun does not shoot as well as before. The only problem is copper build up. Remove it and it will probably shoot like it did.

[VTbowman]

AJ-
Thanks again for the tips on the copper part of cleaning. I often wondered if the copper would leave fouling but was always taught the other way. Never even asked about it, dummy me...
Luckily my 300 U.M. is only a 2 years old and your right only 2 boxes have gone threw it. I am not a big time bench shooter or target man. I sight in and get it ready for blood and lungs. I get the meat.... LOL
Thanks again buddie! (I love it here...)

[richv70]

AJ, have you tried the Coppermelt product yet?

[AJ]

Yes I have used the product. Our Ace predator hunter Sureshot sent me some this past spring to try out. It did work to remove the copper fouling. Treat it like any other copper solvent and do not use a brush or a copper jag. I plan to test a few products against each other after my hunting season is over to see what works the best.

[richv70]

AJ, I use a Dewey rod also, can you get a plastic or s.s. jag for their rod? I have a brass one now. Thanks for the great info.

[AJ]

You can get the adapters to use the normal brushes and jags.

[VTbowman]

AJ: Where can I get a cleaning rod guide like you keep praising? I have never used one nor have heard of anyone using one until I have read your cleaning guide.
Is it just a hollow plastic tube that fits between the bore and your cleaning rod? Or something more then that?
I am hitting the stores this Sunday and its one of the little things I plan to get with some of my x-mas money.
Thanks in advance!

[AJ]

Yep, I have been in the woods all day.

The guide for a bolt gun fits in the bolt way. They can be aluminum or plastic (usually Delrin). They look like this:



A muzzle guide is for pumps, semi auto or some levers that have closed receivers. They make cleaning from the muzzle necessary. They look like this:



These are available from Brownells . Most gun shops should have them though.

[VTbowman]

I have never even seen something like this in any store around here. Can i use something, say make-shift, out of something around the house?
Just as long as the rod does not contact the bore, correct?
A manufactured product would be more convenient and easier to use but is there any ideas for a quicky solution until then?

[VTbowman]

Marylander: I agree with you. A store bought, specific designed item, will most likely always be the safe bet. But you obviously do not know me very well... LOL
I am not cheap, I just have a little motto, or freak obsession, that if I can make something I will. Heck even a piece of well placed duct tape would help protect the throat of the barrel. I am gonna look for this item though since it will be easier to use a manufactured one then "some junk around the house". LOL
Thanks to all!

[AJ]

You can use a smaller diameter cartridge case to make a muzzle saver. You can use a .270 case that has had the case head cut off as a muzzle saver. I buy a 6 foot piece of 3/4" Delrin and turn my own bore guides on my lathe. I have them for .17, .224-.243, .257-.264, and .308. As long as you can keep the hold drilled parallel to the sides, you can make your own.