jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/11/87)
Article: 1:12 I would like to hear some of the various opinions on gun cleaning. Topics such as how often, and with which brand cleaners and oils. I have a feeling that these opinions will vary quite a bit, so a mail response is OK, and I'll summarize later. My inexperienced opinion is to follow the recommendation of the Outers cleaning kit that I have. They recommend a cleaning and oiling immediately after the weapon is used. The cleaning process is to use a wire brush to remove remaining lead deposits in the barrel, then use patch soaked in solvent to remove powder, dirt, etc., and then dry patch, and then oil. The exterior is wiped with a patch soaked in solvent, and then dry wiped, and then oiled. The weapon is then ready for storage. They especially warn against fingerprints as potential sources of rust. Thanks for the info. Don Blevins
jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/14/87)
Article: 1:20 What one mfr recommends is never use a wire brush, only rarely use a plastic brush, but clean after every use with cleaning patches.
jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/14/87)
Article: 1:29 I clean my rifle after each time I shoot. I've heard folks say they "never" clean their rifle or pistol, and have yet to hear an explanation with which I agree. I learned about rifle cleaning from my college coach, my gunsmith (he rebarelled my Walther GX-1 smallbore free rifle), and the Army Marksmanship Unit's gunsmith. My cleaning procedure: - run a Hoppe's-soaked patch through the barrel; - run a brass wire brush (which has been dipped in Hoppe's) through the barrel a couple of times; - run a series of dry patches through, until they start to come out clean; - clean the bolt (especially the bolt face and the firing pin), usually with a tiny toothbrush dipped in Hoppe's, and wipe the bolt. I do ALL my barrel cleaning from the breech end, using a cleaning rod guide. With my air rifle (which I only clean occasionally -- there's no powder or primer fouling), I carefully run some monofilament down from the muzzle, attach the cleaning patch (DRY PATCH ONLY! NO SOLVENT OR OIL or the rifle will be all over the paper for the many, many shots), and carefully pull it up through so that the patch starts at the breech. (The air rifle procedure is likely overkill -- it's awfully hard to nick a barrel with monofilament!) I use the same procedure on my stainless barrel (the GX-1) and the blued barrels (Anschutz 1407, Schultz&Larsen). I don't oil the barrels of my rifles, unless I'm going to store them for an extended period. When I have oiled it, I like to run a Hoppe's-soaked patch and then a couple of dry patches through prior to shooting. I'll also probably shoot a couple of fouling shots to ensure the barrel has reach steady state. -- Alan M. Marcum Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting marcum@nescorna.Sun.COM Mountain View, California
jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/14/87)
Article: 1:31 That is a good, thorough process. Modern smokeless powders relieve the urgency to clean right after use. I would add just one thing. If you are interested in accuracy, wipe out the barrel with a dry cloth *before* you use the gun. Otherwise your first few shots will be wild. --Brian
jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/22/87)
Article: 1:41 I'm sort of surprised that no one has mentioned the importance of a good, STIFF cleaning rod, especially for the smaller calibers. Those soft aluminum rods bend inside the bore and scrape against it, leaving a deposit of aluminum. I can't see the sense of trying to remove powder fouling only to replace it with aluminum dust. The best cleaning rods for the money are the steel military surplus ones. Jon Kaplowitz
jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (01/22/87)
Article: 1:43 In article <2202@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> brian@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Brian Godfrey) wrote: > I would add just one thing. If you are >interested in accuracy, wipe out the barrel with a dry cloth *before* you >use the gun. Otherwise your first few shots will be wild. With my GX-1, I've found that running a patch through the barrel prior to shooting (or shooting a fouling shot or two) is unnecessary. The rifle will print one hole right out of the case. -- Alan M. Marcum Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting marcum@nescorna.Sun.COM Mountain View, California