hey all, i am looking at getting a H4R SB2 .223. i was wondering, after i get it, how often should i clean the barrel, and how should i go about it? i ain't new to shooting guns, i have been doing it for a couple years, but this will be my first center fire gun, all i have is .22 rimfires. and another quesiton, how clean should i expect to get the barrel? when i clean my .22's with Hoppes #9, with a wet patch, they always come out kinda clean, then i use a brass bore brush, and they come out black for about 3 or 4 patches, that are wet. should i expect that with the new gun, or not? i am only 17, and have only bought old used guns, and don't really know what to expect out of a new one.

"Keep your stick on the ice"

Welcome to the forum crow_waxer,

Hoppes 9 just can't cut it when it comes to copper, you'll need ammonia solvents like Sweet's 7.62 solvent, it's water-based and it stinks but eats copper as fast as a slot machine.

The black patch you got after you use a copper brush is copper from the brush itself plus some remaining fouling, I myself ran into this phenomenon, I kept brushing and brushing and the patch kept coming out black, until one time I realized that the brush has become smaller than its original size...

This is my centerfire cleaning routine :

2 patches oil solvent, like your Hoppe's 9(I use Butches bore shine) to soften the fouling.

Then copper brush, 20 strokes.

Then dry the bore with 2 patches, this removes all oil solvent and prep the surface for the water-based ammonia.

Patches of Sweet's 7.62 until patches come out white, this ensures your bore to be copper free.

Clean the cleaning rod to rid of any solvent that sticks on it.

Wipe the muzzle clean of the Sweet's solvent residue.

2 patches to dry the bore.

Finally, check bore before shooting again, patch lint or solvent backflow from a semi-auto gas port means barrel obstruction.

That's it!!!

I do mandatory cleaning when I change different handloads or different brands of ammo so every load and brand are judged on the same ground. Other than that I clean between 20~40 rounds depend on degree of fouling.

What is a H4R SB2?

Pyrotek

I run 2 wet patches through the bore using Butch's Bore Shine, and let sit for 15 minutes before wiping it out.

Wrap a cleaning patch around a synthetic (nylon) cleaning brush. Apply Sweets Copper remover to the patch and scrub for 1 minute. Wipe it out. If the patch is a bluish/green, that's copper.

Apply another patch with Butch's Bore Shine, let it sit for 15 minutes, then wipe it out.
It should be pretty clean. Wipe your cleaning rod down.

Apply a mop containing Rem Oil, or some other preserving oil to your barrel for protection. You're ready to go.

Later on you'll find out about the other cleaners, like JB Bore Compound, and when to use them. Also you can mix Kroil with Butches. I'd read a couple of articles on a web site about when and how to use them first. You'll pick up this knowledge as you go along. Never put a firearm away without cleaning it first. This has been rather brief, but it contains the basic ideas. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

thanks for the replies guies.

Pyrotek, sorry bout the rifle name, i punched the worng keys. it is susposed to be H&R SB2. a Harrington and Richardon rifle, a single shot. here is a link to the rifle.
http://www.hr1871.com/firearms/index.php?cat=4&subcat=22

it is the rifle on the very bottem.

"Keep your stick on the ice"

Well, let's see if I draw any flames for eing so lazy.

If I have fired fewer than 20 rounds, I'll just use a bore snake. I spray some CLP or G-96 on the "patch" end of the 'snake, ahead of the bristles. Then 3 pulls through. Bore always looks good.

If I do this more than a coupla times, or if I have fired many more than 20 rounds, I use a more normal cleaning regimen like those described here. When doing the thorough cleaning, I always use a copper solvent.

Crow waxer,

This is a bit off topic, okay a lot off topic. I noticed your sign off, "Keep stick on ice." One summer the head trainer of the Soviet National Hockey team was giving clinics in Montreal. His team had cleaned our Canadian clocks for two years running. I put my 7 year old in his class. His favorite expression was a loud, boisterous, "Keep stick on ice." He would yell it loudly whenever one of our kids raised the stick. I asked him about it after class one evening. He took me aside out of earshot of my youngster and told me, "it's nearly impossible to skate with your stick on the ice, takes long time to do it well." The message was if your kid can do this he can do anything on skates. I've never forgotten the gruff, old bugger. He was right on the money. He also continually yelled it at his Olympic athletes, and they won everything in sight.
This was 20 years ago and to this day when I get flustered with someone, I yell out, "You, you keep your stick on ice." Thank for reminding me of a very good memory.

Cal - Montreal

glad to remind u.

i got it from a T.V. show that comes on every now and then, called "Red Green". it is rather funny. and at the end of every show, he says, "Keep your stick on the ice". So...

"Keep your stick on the ice"

I just got my 30-06 H&R back from the factory. They will adjust the trigger on your gun for free if you will send the rifle to them with a note requesting such.
My trigger action is now improved, its 4 lbs and crisp.
I've nailed alot of PD's with my H&R .223 rifle.
It groups the size of my thumb nail at 100 yards with reloads.

After I finish with the ammonia, I dry patch the bore, then I like to run a patch soaked with alcohol or brake cleaner thru the bore to neutralize any chemical traces. Then I dry patch again followed by a patch wet with Kroil. Lastly, a dry patch. I never shoot a dry barrel.

I spray in WIPE OUT.Let set 15 or 20 minutes..Run 2 or 3 dry patches down the bore...DONE...

Yep, WipeOut is the answer to what ails everyone, whether they know it yet or not. Why brush, and deal with stinky ammonia, when you don't have to?

Of course, you do have to be careful with the stuff. It's toxic to your kidneys, IIRC, but it doesn't burn your hands to warn you-- so wear gloves. And it will ruin the finish of your guns if you leave it on the stock. And it will eat brass (and maybe aluminum?) parts of your guns, so use a bore guide. But so what? It's fast and easy, once you get the hang of it. I clean heavily copper-fouled bores with five minutes of my time. Pull the bolt, insert bore guide. Paper towel over end of muzzle to block spray of foam. Spray in WipeOut. Wipe up excess from both ends. Go to bed. In the morning, two dry patches, then a lightly oiled one to protect the bore. I doubt it can get simpler than that.

How well does it work? I took one of my guns in for accuracy work to a noted gunsmith. His first move is always to check the bore, with his video camera borescope, because fouling is most people's accuracy problem. His comment was: "Wow! You really know how to clean a bore". He spends hours with JB. I do not. The results are the same.

It's a miracle product that delivers. Scrub a bore? You've GOT to be kidding!

Pertinax
(and no, I don't work for the WipeOut folks)

P.S. Midway now carries it.

[ 06-03-2003, 22:57: Message edited by: pertinax ]

No question about it:

BORE SNAKE!

No question about it:

BORE SNAKE!

I take a bore snake for the appropriate caliber I take with me in basically a ziploc baggie with some gun oil. Squirt a little gun oil on the bore snake, run it thru the bore and that is it.

They cost between $14 and $17 depending on where you find them. Any GOOD sporting goods store will have them.

I use the same old powder solvent/brush routine Ive used for years, but once in a while Ill run some JB compound in the tube. And even less frequently Ill use some CR-10 until the patches come out clean, but I dont like using Ammonia based stuff all the time, and when I do I clean it again as though I had just finished shooting and top it off with a patch of brownells water displacing oil. I really havent seen the need for agressive copper removal constantly so I still clean with bbl preservation being the formost Idea.

Wipe-out and a nice glass of whisky while it does it's magic! Dutch.

If you use copper solvent, don't use it with your copper brush, it will dissolve them and before long you'll be saying,"is this really my 22cal brush?"

Brushes are not needed as much as people think if you are willing to wait, let the solvent do its job. I run some really well saturated patches through, usually just Hoppes, and let the rifle sit for a while, run a couple dry patches, repeat process. One the patches are coming out clean I put a patch with a bit of oil on it through for sitting in the safe. I run a patch through again before I shoot it next time so that if the oil has attracted any dust or particles they are taken out.

Try to clean from the breach end, on a break open that should be easy, and when running patches and brushes through be aware of the muzzle. When you come out the muzzle end with a patch or brush on the rod come back in gently to avoid damaging the crown. In other words, don't just run the rod back and forth as fast as possible. :-)

If you ever clean from the muzzle end try to get a rod guide to help protect the crown.

And always wipe any solvents off of the wood immediately. Some of them will take the finish off so fast your head will spin.

Red

I quit using ammonia based copper solvents years ago. If you leave Hoppe's #9 in your barrel overnight it'll get all the copper and you don't have to mess with ammonia and all it's inherent problems. Hoppe's can't hurt your gun and you can leave it in your barrel indefinitely it's so safe.

Ammonia will eat your barrel, rifle finish, and any other part of your rifle it comes in contact with and it's almost impossible to get it all out of a rifle barrel once you put it in. If you ever buy a borescope you'll stop using ammonia pretty quick as you watch it eat your barrel. Plus it STINKS!!!!

$bob$