I've asked a few of you already, but I thought it a good idea for all of us to share (and learn) different cleaning regimens. For example some of you just use oil, others solvent and oil and some also use the new generation of foaming bore cleaners and scrub the bore down to remove all the copper after each session.

Given the fact most of these rifles received little if any exposure to the types of bore cleaners we have today, I wonder just how critical it is to clean down to bare steel every time one shoots it.

I must admit I have a bit of OCD when it comes to cleaning weapons! jorge

Jorge-

I love the high-tech bore cleaners but they can abosolutely destroy the finish of your stock. If you use them, be sure that the barrels are off the frame and that the stock is not going to get touched by the solvent.

I am not anal about cleaning it down to bare metal, especially if hunting.

I use a patch to put Hoppe's No 9 Powder Solvent down the bore.

I let it soak a bit and might brush it as well.
Then patch it out.

Then put a patch through with WIPE Out Patch out
Copper solvent on it and let the barrels sit horizontally, occasionally turning them over.

I clean / wipe down the rest of the gun while
the solution works on the copper.

I then patch that out.

I then repeat both processes as needed.

Generally leave Hoppe's, Inox or Lanox
in the barrel.

And maybe at the end of the year the barrels
a really good scrub out to bare metal but
I can't see any point in normal day to day
cleaning. As long as most of the top powder
layer is out as that attracts moisture.

Woodhits

I use that rule for ANY bore cleaner.

505 and I are from the same gene pool.
Brush, patch over brush, Hoppes 9, gun oil and that's it for me. More brushing if shooting lead.
Cal

I am of the belief that many of us over clean our rifles and that the over cleaning does more harm than good. I pull a bore snake down both barrels a couple of times and wipe them down with a silicon rag. That is about it, plus a little hinge pin grease occasionally.

i use whipe-out and a loose patch to patch it out. I am kindof in the same thinking of mike. I have seen many people cleaning at the range that are doing more damage than good. Trying to ram too tight of a patch down bores, etc. I do three cycles of whipe-out letting each sit for 8-24 hours. Have checked with my borescope numerous times and this gets all the fowling out. My smaller doubles do shoot better clean with accuracy falling off at around 60+ rounds. Big bores I have not been able to detect any difference and have gone 100+ rounds without cleaning them. Oh and use good grease on the hinge pin.

Mac: That's about what I do or what 505 mentioned. I find it much easier than brush and Hoppe's or similar products takes forever to get the fouling out and does nothing for the copper

McKay

I have yet to see a big bore - 375 and up
- lose accuracy from not being cleaned.

Have had the odd small bore lose it.

Agree re comments on over cleaning.

Wipe out and then a couple of patches.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Wipe out and then a couple of patches.

From a chap called Rusty. That's classic.

I think that it is important to mention that it is vitally important to run a patch with oil on it down the bores, when you are storing rifle for a time, especially doubly important if you live in, or are in a very humid environment. The purpose is to ward off any chance of rust formation. Also, I think that it is important to mention that it is important to clean that oil out, before firing your rifle. A long term very experienced gunsmith told me that he had a client come in one day, mentioning that he oiled the chambers, and oiled the cartridges well before firing them, because they chambered and extracted better that way. WOW, I didn't know that somebody could be that stupid about shooting rifles, but I obviously was wrong. An oiled cartridge gives much more back thrust on action,LOL.

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:
McKay

I have yet to see a big bore - 375 and up
- lose accuracy from not being cleaned.

Have had the odd small bore lose it.

Agree re comments on over cleaning.

My 375 flanged definitely drops off. However it is an extremely accurate double in my opinion. The majority of my 4 shot groups are under 2" at 100 yards. Very rarely does it shoot over 3".

McKay

After how many rounds does it drop off ?

I haven't shot mine enough to know
- that is my 375 Flanged.

I wrap a patch around a brush and soak it with Butch's bore shine and run it through the barrels. Then a dry patch. Then I brush some Butch's with a bare nylon brush. Then dry patch until dry. Then I apply either Patch-out or Wipe-out and let sit for a while. Dry patch it out and then run another patch through with Patch-out on it to check for copper. If good...dry patch. If not apply to soak. After the Patch-out shows no more copper...I run a patch or 2 of non-chlorinated brake cleaner thru and dry patch til dry. Then I apply some Tetra Bore Conditioner oil for storage. Dry patch when it comes out to shoot.

If I have a very dirty bore that I am having trouble getting the copper out...I will apply some Kroil and then scrub with a patch over a brush saturated in JB's. I clean the JB's out with Kroil and re-do a Patch-out/Wipe-out cleaning and test until no copper. Since I switched to Wipe-out/Patch-out...this is an uncommon occurence.

If I am working up a load...I don't clean once fouled much until I am done. Then when I am getting ready to go hunting and check the aim...I don't clean until done hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:
McKay

After how many rounds does it drop off ?

I haven't shot mine enough to know
- that is my 375 Flanged.

Right around 60 or so.....

quote:

Originally posted by McKay:
i use whipe-out and a loose patch to patch it out. I am kindof in the same thinking of mike. I have seen many people cleaning at the range that are doing more damage than good. Trying to ram too tight of a patch down bores, etc. I do three cycles of whipe-out letting each sit for 8-24 hours. Have checked with my borescope numerous times and this gets all the fowling out. My smaller doubles do shoot better clean with accuracy falling off at around 60+ rounds. Big bores I have not been able to detect any difference and have gone 100+ rounds without cleaning them. Oh and use good grease on the hinge pin.

Exactly!

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:


I have yet to see a big bore - 375 and up
- lose accuracy from not being cleaned.



Agree re comments on over cleaning.

That's not what Shootaway says!

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
That's not what Shootaway says!

Has he ever cleaned a gun ?

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Wipe out and then a couple of patches.

From a chap called Rusty. That's classic.

Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
That's not what Shootaway says!

Has he ever cleaned a gun ?

Are you kidding man? Cleaning his guns is his claim to fame. Well, that and testing bullet expansion traits with a hammer and anvil!

Do we still hate Sweet's?

I have a near-full bottle of it that looks like never getting used. Is Butch's solvent OK? It smells a lot like ammonia, too, IIRC.

Hate the stuff (Sweets that is).

Sweets always did a great job for me! Smells like Hell and just a messy!
I liked it because it was fast. I had better things to do than wait for my bore cleaner to work!

Now I limit the number of times I have to shove a cleaning rod down my bores with Wipe Out. I've found I can accomplish a lot of things while it is working!

I've also graduated from that's not clean enough, to It shoot's great, that's clean enough!

It's your firearm and your money. You ought to be able to use what you like and does what you want!

quote:

Originally posted by McKay:
i use whipe-out and a loose patch to patch it out. I am kindof in the same thinking of mike. I have seen many people cleaning at the range that are doing more damage than good. Trying to ram too tight of a patch down bores, etc. I do three cycles of whipe-out letting each sit for 8-24 hours. Have checked with my borescope numerous times and this gets all the fowling out. My smaller doubles do shoot better clean with accuracy falling off at around 60+ rounds. Big bores I have not been able to detect any difference and have gone 100+ rounds without cleaning them. Oh and use good grease on the hinge pin.

Mac: How does/can a too tight path down the bore potentially damage the bore?

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:

I've also graduated from that's not clean enough, to It shoot's great, that's clean enough!

I gotta remember that one.

quote:

Originally posted by jorge:

quote:

Originally posted by McKay:
i use whipe-out and a loose patch to patch it out. I am kindof in the same thinking of mike. I have seen many people cleaning at the range that are doing more damage than good. Trying to ram too tight of a patch down bores, etc. I do three cycles of whipe-out letting each sit for 8-24 hours. Have checked with my borescope numerous times and this gets all the fowling out. My smaller doubles do shoot better clean with accuracy falling off at around 60+ rounds. Big bores I have not been able to detect any difference and have gone 100+ rounds without cleaning them. Oh and use good grease on the hinge pin.

Mac: How does/can a too tight path down the bore potentially damage the bore?

Beacuse at the same time while trying to jam that too tight of a patch down the bore the rod is flexing and banging into the throat and rifling. Then most always they are using a cheap 3-4 piece steel rod that does not have much rigidity as well.

gotcha, thanks for the clarification.

EDIT: I realized I left off the 1st part- Non-Chlorinated Brake cleaner
Then
Nylon Brush-
then-
Dry patch-
Then-
KG-12- fully soaked on patch-then-
Allow to sit
Dry Patch
KG-12- lightly soaked on patch
(repeat this and brush as needed)
Sit (if cleaning another gun)
Dry patch-
Eezoxx on patch-
Put away

Good morning, what is KG-12?

Jorge,
Here is a link to their site.
KG-12

Thanks Rusty. Have you tried this product as well? I went and took a look at their website, and it's pricey! I don't mind paying but I wonder how it compares to other products such as Wipeout? I must admit that at least my double takes considerable time to clean when compared to other rifles I know, then again, one is burning 100grains of powder with each trigger pull!

I was really frustrated trying to get the copper fouling out of my doubles. I could see the build up when I looked down the muzzles. I tried Barnes copper fouling first and after 6 or 7 cleanings some was still visible. I then tried a couple of other brands of copper cleaners but no joy there. Then I bought one of the electronic bore cleaners and even that wasn't perfect. Eventually, I happened on Gunslick's foaming bore cleaner and low and behold two easy and quick cleanings got all of the copper out. You simply spray the faoming cleaner down the bore from the muzzle and into the chambers filling the bore. Wait 20 minutes and wipe it out with a dry patch. Repeat if necessary. It also takes out all powder fouling. There may be an easier and quicker method but I don't know who makes it.

465H&H

Jorge, I have. To tell you the truth, after a conversation with Jeffe Smith, I just went back to Wipe Out. It does a great job! Slower, but I don't have to spend a bunch of time shoving a cleaning rod and jag/brush down the bores of my doubles.

With Doubles, Wipe Out is even easier to use. Take the barrels off the action and spray. let them sit and let Wipe Out do it thing.
A patch, then a couple of oiled patches and I'm done.

Rusty

And if you find the foam messy (which I didn't
as it is all in the application technique),
you can use the Wipe Out PATCH Out which
I have found to be just as good.

Rusty: That is the way I presently clean my double, Wipeout Foam. 505, I find the patch out is not nearly as effective. jorge

Jorge

Interesting.

Thanks for your feedback.

I found Sweets messy.
Wipe Out is no muss no fuss!
Once the foam has done it's work, I use a dry patch to push the residue out the bore. Then a patch with oil to protect the barrel.

A good primmer on using Wipe Out
http://www.sharpshootr.com/wipeout.htm

I have used Wipe out as well,
It Works
Just not as well as the KG-12 for me-
Pricey,
Maybe a tad,
but it takes very little