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How often do you clean your rifles?

B

b7tac

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 9, 2011
121
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40
FL
www.armatuscarry.com
I have gotten in the habit of cleaning after every time I go to the range, but lately I have been reading that leaving some fouling in the bore can help accuracy.

So what is the consensus on this?

Also, would leaving some fouling in the bore increase chances of corrosion? I would think it would, but I don't know anything.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Different rifles require different maintenance.

However most of the time I just clean the action after a range trip and pull a bore snake through the barrel.

With bolt guns, wiping the action and lubing the bolt is usually all that is required for post-firing maintenance. With AR's I tear down the bolt carrier group and give it a good scrubbing.

There are weeks were I go to the range two or three times, so scrubbing the bore each time would not only be unnecessary and time consuming, but increase wear on the rifle.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

My 7-08 bolt gun seems to need cleaning once every 300-350rds. All my semi autos get cleaned after every use.

Good Luck,
Merritt
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I clean about every 300 rounds. After cleaning I like to re-zero so the rifle is always shot with a fouled bore.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Clean the barrel real good, then keep a log of how many rounds before accuracy falls off; then clean it and keep track on your log.

In between sessions, I "might" pull a boresnake. I've gone up to ~900rds between cleanings but usually clean every 5-600rd now.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Look to see what the gun is telling you. It will tell you want it wants.

It also depends what it is chambered in, types of bullets you are shooting thru it etc...

Also depends on the material the barrel is made out of. If the barrel is c.m. steel I shoot it after I clean it. I don't store it for extended periods of time with out cleaning them/oiling the bore.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I clean when accuracy goes away. Then after about three times I got a good round number of shots before accuracy goes away. Then I usually clean before that if I have a hunting trip or something where it matters. Otherwise I just shoot it until accuracy goes away.

Some rifles will need cleaning very often some not so much and if you are lucky you will get one that does not need it. I have a 223 that has not been cleaned in over 2,000rds. Another 223 needs it at 40rds because if you go to 50 you will not be able to hit a basketball at 100yds. I have a 10mm I have to punch the bore ever 16rds and a 9mm I have never cleaned the barrel since I have found a round for it. I think it has something like 5,000 to 6,000rds down it. Your rifle will tell you what it likes or what it does not like.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: b7tac</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all the replies! So not cleaning it for a while won't corrode the barrel? </div></div>

If you're going to put the rifle up for an extended period of time, then by all means, clean and oil the bore.

If you're shooting regularly, unless you are shooting corrosive primed ammo, it's not necessary to clean and I've burned them out before they had a chance to rust.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Yep, twice a year which for me translates into 300-500 rounds between cleaning.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Different rifles require different maintenance.
</div></div>

I agree- I'd bore-snake, clean, lube, and grease a bolt gun after every range day (because lapped lugs need grease etc), but my M4's get the cold shoulder unless they are working guns, in which case I give them a quick cleaning, brush the chamber, bore-snake, get debris out of the barrel extension, if any, and lube them.

 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

there cant be any truth that fouling helps accuracy, could there be? Maybe some of the hardcore battle rifles may be designed to work well (or better?) with a certain amount of fouling???
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Yeah my rifle is the same - if I scrub it down it will

DTubbs did an article once and wrote it took him 16 rounds (Think it was in teh Final Finish instructions).

I can go about 200 rds w it hout cleaning but normally I'll run one LIGHTLY wet patch and 3 dry patches after a range trip...
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RemmyMaxhit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">there cant be any truth that fouling helps accuracy, could there be?</div></div>

There is a very simple way to find out.

Clean your rifle, fire a fouling shot (cold/clean bore) to remove any traces of solvent.
Fire a five shot group.
Complete your training for the day.
Fire a five shot group.
Compare.

You will obviously need to do this a couple times for the results to be meaningful. Otherwise a rough day at the range can badly skew your results. I can say that if you are firing a factory Remington .308 barrel you will most likely discover that it is more precise after the barrel has been fouled.

I don't see much difference with my AI or Noveske AR10. I do with factory Remingtons.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

What is this barrel cleaning that you speak of?!?!?! Your suppose to clean these things? F*#&!!!!!!!

I am just trying to get the chance to shoot mine enough to get it dirty! But x2 on the autos, they get naaasty! A good scrubbing on them never hurt.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Based of what I have read, not personal experience I have decided that I will clean my bore every 300rd-400rd rounds, or when accuracy falls off.

Unless you shoot corrosive ammunition(unlikley, unless you're shooting surplus ammunition) there is no need besided anything but oil for moderate storage.

I oil after I'm done shooting, then pull a boresnake through before right before I shoot the rifle. No rust, cold bore shots are right where the rest are. I just clean the bolt, action, and the chamber.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chaser_2332</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Clean a rifle barrel? That's more time I could be shooing!</div></div>

Pretty much this. Until i see a degradation in accuracy i'm not going to clean it.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I always give it a wipe down after being in the field to get any crap and moisture off.

Run a bore snake through the barrel a couple times every 50-100 rounds.

Do a full clean a couple times a year.

I'll always get out the tooth brush and give the bolt face a light scrub to get brass shavings out and keep the action bolt slider rails you might call them clean and carbon free.


Like some of the lads have said, it's important to fire a few fouling shots after a full clean before you depend on it - make sure it's settled in before you take any important shots.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

Everyone has differing views on this.

I clean every range trip.

One wet patch of hoppes No 9, then patch out dry.
One wet patch of KG Carbon remover, let soak for 15 min, then patch out dry. KG Carbon remover also removes small amounts of copper, from what I have noticed...but does not remove all copper.

No bristle brushes were used, just patches.

I noticed on my log that the barrel has just reached the thousand mark. This is where i do a slightly more detailed clean. Same as above but, this time I use a bristle brush to scrub out a bit of the carbon (12 strokes) patch out dry, then Sweets 7.62 for the copper, let that soak for 15 min then patch out dry.

To get that last bit of copper and/or carbon. I use JB bore paste, six strokes that's it, a few wet patches of hoppes to get the JB out, patch out dry, all done.

As stated above, everyone has differing views on this.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I usually clean my bolt guns after about 100 rounds or so. I will run some Butch's Bore Shine through and then several patches, wipe down the barrel and action and lube and clean the bolt. Dont see to much in accuracy changes from after the bore is first fowled (shots 3,4,5) compared to shots 98,99, 100. I will also clean them before and after any hunting trips but will shot several rounds once I get there to fowl the barrel. This works well for me.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I clean after every range trip. Kroil and Eezox.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I got a old savage 10fp that hasnt seen a cleaning now in 508 rounds.....Its still spitting out groups at 1/2 minute....
As long as its still grouping i dont clean.....
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

When the rifle stops shooting consistently, I clean. Or any time the rifle has been exposed to rain/water I clean.

Could be on round zero or many, many rounds. I think I went north of 900 once on one 308 and only cleaned the bore then because the rifle was going to be sitting idle for a couple months.

Before coming to this site I cleaned every time I shot. But I was only shooting maybe two or three hundred rounds a year. After reading threads like this one, I tried it. Now if those first few shots are off POA I know its me.

But I still get a kick out some guys at the range. Conversations go something like;

other shooter> "Time to clean my bore, it is starting to shoot out of the group again."

me> How many rounds did you shoot?

other shooter>"Five"

me> OH... Ok then, clean away.
grin.gif


other shooter>"How many are you at?"

me> not sure, few hundred I guess.
smirk.gif


other shooter>"seriously"

me> yup!

other shooter>
shocked.gif


I have found a good way to avoid these conversations is to go lay in the dirt and/or shoot prone. Most won’t follow you and leave you alone as now you are labeled "one of those guys"
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I clean after every session. I clean lightly using only nylon brushes and a mild cleaner such as Barrets bore cleaner. I've heard all of the theories but my logic is this...

Carbon is one of the hardest substances on earth and its extremely abrasive. I have some 20 yr old rifles with thousands of rounds through them with no noticable accuracy loss so I must be doing something right.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

The past few years have been tough to find free time to go shooting. I never quite know when I'll be able to get out to the range again - so I clean after every range session.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I just run a boresnake through the gun after around 3 range days of shooting 100+ rounds each day.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I was told that since my rifle has a chrome moly barrel I should clean it after every range trip, or at least coat the inside of barrel with CLP or some other lube to keep it from rusting.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

i run a bore snake and clean & lube the bolt every time !
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Engineer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The past few years have been tough to find free time to go shooting. I never quite know when I'll be able to get out to the range again - so I clean after every range session. </div></div>

Yep, same for me.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

I know some guys who shoot less than half of what I shoot and clean twice as much. I have also scoped alot of barrels and I see more of them damaged from poor cleaning methods than from not being cleaned enough.
 
Re: How often do you clean your rifles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: komifornian</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The question is: How often do I see this exact question posted?</div></div>

the answer is WAY more than I clean my rifles.
 
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