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Let's talk about cleaning...


Norm_66

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I am brand new to everything here- this forum, gun ownership, and shooting sporting clays.

 

As a total newcomer, I would like some feedback on my gun cleaning technique:

 

When I get done shooting for the day (50-100 rounds) everytime I clean my Franchi 612. I clean the barrel with a metal barrel brush (is it OK to use the brush each time?), followed by a nitro solvent on a cleaning pad, then I keep going with the pads soaked in REM oil until the barrell is clean and shiny.

 

Then with just a rag and can of REM oil, I remove the piston and clean the heck out of that inside and out.

 

Lastly, the receiver, ejection port, cocking handle, etc. (anything I can get to w/o more disassembly) gets a shot of REM oil and a wipe down.

 

The action spring is left in the recoiled position, so I am not getting "behind" that much at all, but it seems pretty clean there.

 

Everything metal is left with a light coat of oil.

 

How does this sound? Too much? Not enough?

 

I appreciate the feedback...

 

[ 02-07-2005, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: Norm_66 ]

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sounds fine to me i like to keep a small container of breakfree clp with me at all times when im shooting an auto because you never know when something is going to dry out or decide not to work. its a small vial that i got a a gun show that fits in my pocket. its pulled me out of more than one jam no pun intended

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  • 2 weeks later...

Norm_66: Sounds pretty good. But I'll give you a couple tips. You may be doing this already but it's not clear in your post.

 

#1. When cleaning your barrel, use a couple of solvent soaked (and I mean dripping wet) patches first. Then let it set for a few minutes (5 min. should do). This will allow the solvent to soak into the fowling in the barrel, and soften it up. Then go to work with your barrel brush. Next come the dry patches till they come out clean. Lastly, and maybe most important of all use a wool mop sprayed with a light oil (your REM oil will work fine) and make severial passes to ensure that entire surface of the barrel has a nice coat of oil to protect it while being stored. If you'll be storing for a long time (end of season) use a heavier oil.

 

#2 Reciever, triger group, bolt & carrier. Wiping and oiling is good, but what about cleaning???

Oil will actualy hold dirt, powder and any type of fowling. Have you ever bought a K&N air filter for a car??? They are just cotton gause soaked with oil. The dust and dirt sticks to the oil and is trapped, same thing happens in your gun. Rinsing the parts in some sort of cleaner degreaser first, will remove the old oil taking the dirt and fowling with it. Then oil and wipe as you have been doing and your gun will last a very long time. To clean and degrease you can use many products: Gun Scrubber, Break Free. I often use a coffee filled about half full of paint thinner.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's what I do after shooting 50-100 rounds through my shotgun:

 

1) Remove barrel from gun.

2) Dip metal bore brush in Hoppe's #9 cleaning solvent. Run through barrel twice.

3) Let barrel sit for 2-3 minutes.

4) While barrel is sitting, dip old toothbrush in Hoppe's #9 and lightly scrub inside of chamber, bolt, etc.

5) Now that barrel has sat, run dry cleaning patches through bore until they come out clean.

6) Spray wool/cotton bore brush with gun oil (not brand specific)

7) Run through barrel 2-3 times and check for nice shine.

8) Take old cotton t-shirt and wipe off Hoppe's #9 and all the gunk that comes with it from receiver, bolt, etc.

9) Shoot a few squirts of gun oil into trigger assembly, firing pin, and on surfaces that see sliding action (under forend, in receiver, etc).

10) Assemble gun and wipe entire gun with oil-soaked heavy cotton rag. Place into gun case without applying finger-smudges to blued surfaces.

 

 

That's what I do with my Remington 870 and rifles. Now that I have a Benelli SBE, I'll probably take apart the bolt each time to clean the inertia spring, firing pin, etc. It's a lot easier to get to the trigger assembly/inner-workings of the SBE than the other guns I have, so I'm sure they'll get a better cleaning.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Originally posted by Norm_66:

A brush you can spray clean, patches you throw away. What do you do with a dirty snake?

That my friend is why they are only meant for field cleaning situations, such as between rounds at a trap meet, or while on a 2 or 3 day hunting trip. It will remove most of the fowling from the bore, but it will never get your gun truly clean. When it comes time to “CLEAN” the gun and put it away there are no shortcuts, and no miracle cleaning products. If you want your gun to last, you have to take it apart and spend a good half hour cleaning it the old fashion way. This is not coming from some old timer that just hates new fangled devises. Quite the opposite, I’m a 28 year old IT professional, and I love new tricks and technology. But I’ve been shooting competitively since I was 15, and I’ve learned through experience that there is only one way to get your gun truly clean. WB-PTC (Wet patches, Bore brushing, Patches Till Clean.)
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What do you do with a dirty snake?

 

Most bore snakes can be washed like dirty laundry. Check the manufacturer's web-site.

 

As for cleaning the gun.. It really depends on use or how much use.

If you are shooting infrequently like 1-2 boxes once a week, you could probably get by with wiping down the gun & running a bore snake down the barrell after each use. You would want to periodically clean it more thoroughly with wet patches, bore brushing, patches till clean.

If you are shooting like Joe and Heavy above, or the weapon gets wet... I would follow their advice.

I would also clean the weapon more thoroughly if you plan on storing it for any extended period of time.

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what i found works the best is to run a steel brush through the barrel a couple times. But it's important to keep a rag in the chamber to keep all the crap you push out w/ the brush out of chamber. Next run a dry patch through it then a patch w/ some cleaning solvent. Then just run a Bore-Snake through it several times and it should be good as new.

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Steel??? I'd be affraid of scratching the bore. :eek:

Barrel brushes are made of bronze because it's much softer than steel. Thus, it won't scratch the bore of your barrel. Any wear from brushing will occur on the $2.00 brush, and not in your $120.00 + barrel. Steel on steel, will wear just as much off the bore as the brush.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I use tynex brushes. they work really well.

 

its not as streesful as steel and not a pliable as bronze. so if it bends out shape it won't be so difficult to put it back. It is ok to run a dry brush down the barrel unless it is steel, bronze, or tynex.

(some of you may say well whats left?)

a nylon brus is my cleaner of choice. it is so soft that you don't have to push it all the way through the barrel before you come back.(useful for guns with a very small action that won't let you go all the way through).

 

I only use nylon for shotguns and thats it they are particularly delicate barrels that scratch easy. I use HCL low level acid on the bore. steel is resistand to the acid so it is safe. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T SOAK IT OVERNIGHT holy crap it was terrible. but I called a chemist for help and he supplies me with some HCL that does'n evan begin to damage steel for 1 hour. The only trouble I have with cleaning shotguns is drying the bore I mean they tell you to do it with the patch but its so loose that it doesn't take anything out.

 

anyway I sould recomend picking up a nylon brush for cleaning shotguns.

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