Had my Valmet 412 completely apart today to clean EVERYTHING.

When I put it back together, I decided to re-clean the bores just for the heck of it....has been years since it was last fired and it was a bit dusty in the "launch tubes".

Anyway, first cleaned it using one of my old Parker-Hale rods. Happened to notice as I pulled the rod out that the sharp upper ejector had peelied a fine strip of the plastic covering off of the cleaning rod.

Got out a dental pick and carefully cleaned again around the ejector/extractor, and the rod on which it rides. Guess what? found a very fine strip of plastic about 1/2" long and maybe 1-128th-inch wide or slightly wider had been shoved down along the ejector rod as it was peeled from the cleaning rod. That would undoubtedly have caused an ejector hang-up eventually...probably as the elk ran away wounded or the bear DIDN'T run away.

So, after I got the plastic shaving removed, I did the rest of the bore cleaning with a stainless steel rod. That will be my policy from now on, and I suggest other O/U double rifle owners might consider making it their policy too.

Best wishes,

AC

AC:
Not meaning to be critical of your cleaning technique, but IMHO the rod should never contact any part of the bore or chamber. That includes the ejector of course. To allow this to happen is to invite asymmetric wear of the bore/throat/chamber.

It is well known that careless cleaning has worn out more barrels than shooting over the years.

I respectfully suggest you look at acquiring (or making) a rod-guide, or at least modify your technique to prevent rod contact with the bore or chamber.

quote:

Originally posted by Marrakai:
AC:
Not meaning to be critical of your cleaning technique, but IMHO the rod should never contact any part of the bore or chamber. That includes the ejector of course. To allow this to happen is to invite asymmetric wear of the bore/throat/chamber.

It is well known that careless cleaning has worn out more barrels than shooting over the years.

I respectfully suggest you look at acquiring (or making) a rod-guide, or at least modify your technique to prevent rod contact with the bore or chamber.

I am well aware of what you speak.

Just to be perefectly clear, my cleaning rod NEVER touches any part of the bore or chamber of my rifles. The side of the rod does occasionally touch one of the ejectors, but as the ejectors are standing a good half inch behind (clear of) the entry to the chambers when the barrels are open, there is absolutely no chance or physical possibility of the cleaning rod touching either the bore or the chamber when it happens to touch an ejector. And, as the rod does not touch either bore or chamber, there is no way it can wear any part of either. As to it wearing an ejector to the point to be even noticeable, let alone significant, I dearly hope I live long enough for that to occur.

Thanks for the suggestion, but in this case it is a solution to a problem which does not exist.

Best wishes,

AC

No worries AC, I just couldn't see how a rod which was far enough off-centre to contact the ejector, could miss contacting the throat. Still can't actually, but all my doubles are SxSs...

Please accept my apologies, mate.

No sweat, Marrakai-

I was serious when I said thanks for the suggestion. There is no way you could see the geometry of what I am working with from where you are, and without being able to see it, your warning was quite appropriate and thoughtful.

With this particular chambering in this particular O/U, if the brush or patch is still in the barrel, that end of the rod is roughly centered. Then, with the ejectors protruding all the way out as they do when the barrels are open, if the rod is touching the ejector, it is clear of the throat, and the chamber itself for the whole distance in etween. That is probably partly due to the length of the 9,3x74 cartridge, and perhaps the relatively small diameter of the cartridge head,but whatever, that's how it works out. (Could also be partly that I use a .30 rod, which is actrually only about 7m/m diameter, with 9,3 accessories.)

I used to have all SxS doubles too, but those days and finances are gone forever for me.

You are really a gentleman to be looking our for others the way you do, and I really do appreciate it, honest.


P.S.: What part of OZ are you in? Are you in the "Darwin area", or actually right in Darwin itself? I haven't been there for about 28 years now. Dearly wish I was young enough to return once in a while..tried to become one of your neighbors (a Kiwi) at one time; was going to buy a 400+ acre island in the midst of Lake Rotorura. But, in those days NZ was accepting NO immigrants over age 40 who were not coming there to establish businesses which would employ other New Zealanders. I thought of moving to OZ instead, but got tied up in negotiating the building of the Alaska Highway Gas Pipe Line Project and never got around to it. A bad decision in retrospect.

Best wishes,

AC