Experts please advise if this is a good idea or not. I made up a small ball of steel wool and placed it in the chamber of my break barrel. Then I dripped a speck of oil on top of it and inserted a pellet on top of that. I fired it and the bore was spotless!

lal--Most of us that shoot air guns have experience with powder burning guns as well. So we think in those terms, but it's really a different ball game. Powder burners have the fire, smoke, soot from the powder and igniter and need cleaning. Not only do they need cleaning, they get dirtier and thus harder to clean. Air rifles don't have that. My RWS owners manual says pellets leave a beneficial residue and should not be cleaned. Despite this, we are used to cleaning powder burners and have this urge to do so on air guns. If you can't resist doing it, a patch down the bore is all that is needed. I'd consider the steel wool as a bad idea. BTW a piece of the very heavy weed trimmer line can be used to push a CLOTH patch through the bore and the line wont harm the bore.

i have fired thousands of rounds through all 4 of my Daystates and never cleanded the barrels. and all 4 are just as accurate as ever. there is no powder residue and the minute amount of lead deposited in the barrel is considered beneficial by manufactures/experts. the steel wool is a very bad idea. the lands and grooves in an air rifle barrel are very shallow compared to firearm barrels and easily marred/nicked. not to mention the minute pieces of steel wool that wil come of the "ball" and get left behind to cause problems. if you absolutely have to clean the barrel, use a cleaning agent compatible with the o-rings, wet 2 felt cleaning pellets and shoot them or use the weedeater line method with a patch and cleaning solution

Thanks Guys. I use my BSA Meteor for hunting hare at night and I have had this gun since 1986 so quite abit of gunk came out the muzzle. I guess I will have to go out tonight and 'dirty' the barrel.