Gun cleaning question

cgrab

cgrab

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cgrab
Every July fourth, I open the safe and get all my guns out to clean. I set up a table in the driveway and put on some music and clean away. Recently I bought one of those pull through cleaning rods for my 30-30 and was wondering how other use them.

Do you push the rod in from the barrel end and then attach the patch or brush; or do you run the rod out from the breach and then attach the handle?
 
cgrab said:
Every July fourth, I open the safe and get all my guns out to clean. I set up a table in the driveway and put on some music and clean away. Recently I bought one of those pull through cleaning rods for my 30-30 and was wondering how other use them.

Do you push the rod in from the barrel end and then attach the patch or brush; or do you run the rod out from the breach and then attach the handle?
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The crown (muzzle end) is what you want to protect to keep accuracy. Which ever way you do it, keep that in mind.
 
Barrel end patch with Hoppe's #9, then brush, then patch with light oil
 
cgrab said:
Do you push the rod in from the barrel end and then attach the patch or brush; or do you run the rod out from the breach and then attach the handle?
Click to expand...

You want to pull towards the muzzle, so either option works if you are careful (and if I’m understanding you correctly). When I used a rod, I did option 1, attach the patch then pull. I’ve moved away from rods and now use a cable system.

kgruber said:
I'd just use a bore snake, unless you are planning to win the Wimbledon cup at Camp Perry. Cheap, fast, good!
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+1 on a bore snake. I love them, easy and less likely to damage the barrel. I use it on the warm barrel before I even leave the range, and it makes my detailed cleaning days much quicker.
 
Think of it like washing a plane, always spray in the proper direction of airflow

Never push anything into the muzzle as you risk damaging the crown

Always go from breach end out the barrel, like in the direction a bullet would travel.
 
cgrab said:
Every July fourth, I open the safe and get all my guns out to clean. I set up a table in the driveway and put on some music and clean away. Recently I bought one of those pull through cleaning rods for my 30-30 and was wondering how other use them.

Do you push the rod in from the barrel end and then attach the patch or brush; or do you run the rod out from the breach and then attach the handle?
Click to expand...

Brush I just put on and run it back n forth. Patches to with solvent. The final passes with dry patches I put one on, run it in, replace it with clean one at the breach, pull out, replace, repeat until clean. May not work with a 30/30, I dunno
 
I go both ways.

I push one from the muzzle end and if it is really dirty, I'll remove it when it comes out the chamber end and replace with a clean one. My last few patches I will pull through.

And don't use your wifes dishwasher to wash small parts....

For what it is worth, because of the cost of ammo I haven't fired any of my guns except when I had to use one pistol outside the front door a couple weeks ago.
 
cgrab said:
Every July fourth, I open the safe and get all my guns out to clean. I set up a table in the driveway and put on some music and clean away. Recently I bought one of those pull through cleaning rods for my 30-30 and was wondering how other use them.

Do you push the rod in from the barrel end and then attach the patch or brush; or do you run the rod out from the breach and then attach the handle?
Click to expand...

Ok. Ya been partying in the driveway with yer guns. They’re clean. Now what?
 
Zeldman said:
For what it is worth, because of the cost of ammo I haven't fired any of my guns except when I had to use one pistol outside the front door a couple weeks ago.
Click to expand...

This is why I make it an annual event. Sometimes I don't fire a gun all year but it gets cleaned none the less.

In addition to cleaning my guns, I put a couple cups of alcohol free gas in my generator and run it dry, I sharpen my chain saw chains and ax. A light coat of oil and they are ready for fall.

This afternoon is pool and barbecue with a bunch of other vets and my heroes (their wives)
 
Make sure to look down the barrel to see if there are any bullets in it. Gotta be safe.
 
Zeldman said:
I go both ways.

I push one from the muzzle end and if it is really dirty, I'll remove it when it comes out the chamber end and replace with a clean one. My last few patches I will pull through.

And don't use your wifes dishwasher to wash small parts....

For what it is worth, because of the cost of ammo I haven't fired any of my guns except when I had to use one pistol outside the front door a couple weeks ago.
Click to expand...

Have ya got a duplicate made and hidden under the doormat yet
 
cgrab said:
This is why I make it an annual event. Sometimes I don't fire a gun all year but it gets cleaned none the less.

In addition to cleaning my guns, I put a couple cups of alcohol free gas in my generator and run it dry, I sharpen my chain saw chains and ax. A light coat of oil and they are ready for fall.

This afternoon is pool and barbecue with a bunch of other vets and my heroes (their wives)
Click to expand...

Hmm. I run my generator dry. I’m thinking maybe I should what you do. Could be a little alcohol left behind that gets thirsty
 
When I was in college (more decades ago than I care to remember) we cleaned the rifles for the ROTC rifle team every spring, just before the end of classes. No other time. Didn't make any difference in the point of impact the rest of the year, so why bother?

Good idea cleaning them every year, even if they haven't been shot.
 
Used to use rods/patches/Balistol from the chamber end. Now it’s a blast of Balistol in the barrel and a bore snake coated with a short squirt of the Balistol and snake from the chamber end. Works with both pistols and rifles.

Cheers
 
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Ditto on protecting the crown. Mess up the crown and accuracy is impacted.

You an run a rod down the barrel if you’re careful. Put some tape or rubber hose toward the handle end of the rod to keep it from impacting the crown once the brush exits the breach end (if you’re sending the rod down the barrel from the muzzle).

Use Hoppes if you’ve got some cleaning and deleading to do. Copper bore brush works well with Hoppes. I do like the bore snakes as they’re easy to use, but I will clean with Hoppes first, run the bore snake, then follow-up with a bore patch with M-pro (or your favorite oil). Interstingly enough, Corrosion X has a gun cleaning/lubricant as well that I use on my antique slingers.
 
If you don't shoot than why clean? Just oil. When I lived out west I didn't even oil....just attracted dust and with no moisture in the air rust was a spectre rarely seen. Out here we oil because of humidity. Oily patch down the bore from the Breech end (a breach is a broken area like a wall where its been broken through). Oily rag wipe the rest of the metal. Back in the safe. Simple, easy and quick.
If you shoot corrosive ammunition like anything made overseas prior to 1960 or so and any ammo made in the US prior to WWII than you need to clean every time you shoot and a time or two afterward. New ammo uses non corrosive primers and there is nothing in the burning powder that will cause corrosion besides water vapor. Old primers used potassium perchlorate or potassium chlorate which become potassium chloride after burning. This is the potassium analog to table salt-sodium chloride. It is hygroscopic meaning it attracts moisture and holds it in the places it lives. When firing ammo with corrosive priming the material is blasted into the bore and any attachments like gas ports and tube, suppressors or flash hiders etc. You can wash it out with water as it is water soluble. I like hot soapy water as it cuts any oil film that might protect the salts from coming in contact with the water. After doing some hot water washing or running patches with hot soapy water down the bore you can run a couple dry patches and clean with solvents like Hoppes, shooters choice etc and then oil.

Frank
 
For what it’s worth, on my rather higher end custom AR I have a TBO like chart for sub MOA, it says to clean every 300 rounds.
 
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