Some time back I mentioned that after trying all these new fangled barrel cleaning products I concluded they didn't work very well at all. You can go back and look at that post but I'm having a hell of a time finding it myself. I'll keep looking for it and post it here when I find it.
So, I went back to the old stuff, and my old process. Guess what? That old stuff works, and a lot better than the new stuff based on my borescope.
I went back to brass brushes, and Hoppe's #9. That's right. They starting making that stuff in 1903, I think...
Now I have a picture to show you. Last time I went to the range I shot 60 rounds of 6mm centerfire. I had run out of the Hoppe's #9 so I ordered some and had to wait 6-days to get it. So the gun sat dirty for a week.
I do have the luxury of having a vise with silicone barrel jaws so I can leave the rifle in there as long as I want. That said, the process only takes an overnight - 12 hours. The image below is ALL the patches I used. I capture them just by pulling back on the rod and they fall on one of them plastic drawer things that I also use for storage.
The cleaning regimen:
1) Run a couple of patches to remove all the loose carbon stuff.
2) Next I run a #9 soaked bronze benchrest brush - 15 strokes (30 passes through the barrel) have a drink while that sits for an hour. Then, run patches soaked in #9 until reasonably clean.
3) Repeat #2.
4) Let that soak overnight.
5) Next morning I run #2 again.
6) An hour later I do #2 again until wet clean. By this time, all the stuff on the patches is all copper (blue/green).
7) Then I run dry patches until they come out dry.
Done.
When you look at the image all the carbon gets taken out first (it's all below the rest of the patches). Then the last wet patches are all copper and finally the dry patches on top perfectly clean.
No more different chemicals, No more expensive cleaning crap that doesn't work. The old stuff still works the best. It's cheaper and it's only one bottle.
So, I went back to the old stuff, and my old process. Guess what? That old stuff works, and a lot better than the new stuff based on my borescope.
I went back to brass brushes, and Hoppe's #9. That's right. They starting making that stuff in 1903, I think...
Now I have a picture to show you. Last time I went to the range I shot 60 rounds of 6mm centerfire. I had run out of the Hoppe's #9 so I ordered some and had to wait 6-days to get it. So the gun sat dirty for a week.
I do have the luxury of having a vise with silicone barrel jaws so I can leave the rifle in there as long as I want. That said, the process only takes an overnight - 12 hours. The image below is ALL the patches I used. I capture them just by pulling back on the rod and they fall on one of them plastic drawer things that I also use for storage.
The cleaning regimen:
1) Run a couple of patches to remove all the loose carbon stuff.
2) Next I run a #9 soaked bronze benchrest brush - 15 strokes (30 passes through the barrel) have a drink while that sits for an hour. Then, run patches soaked in #9 until reasonably clean.
3) Repeat #2.
4) Let that soak overnight.
5) Next morning I run #2 again.
6) An hour later I do #2 again until wet clean. By this time, all the stuff on the patches is all copper (blue/green).
7) Then I run dry patches until they come out dry.
Done.
When you look at the image all the carbon gets taken out first (it's all below the rest of the patches). Then the last wet patches are all copper and finally the dry patches on top perfectly clean.
No more different chemicals, No more expensive cleaning crap that doesn't work. The old stuff still works the best. It's cheaper and it's only one bottle.
