T/C Omega Cleaning Questions

[cherokee75]

I have an Omega in stainless and just shot it last week for the first time.  I fired 12 rounds through it (Shockwave sabots) while running a spit patch through after each shot.  Back home, I cleaned it with hot water and T/C bore butter.  I wiped the swinging breech portion and it was dirty.   I also ran some cotton swabs into the trigger assembly and they came back dirty as well.  I decided to take the stock off and completely clean the breech and trigger assembly.  My questions are as follows:

1. Is the fouling on the breech and trigger area from the primer or blowback from the powder?

2. Which is more corrosive, the powder or the primer?

3. Also, if I have to take the rifle apart (removing the stock), won't my scope be slightly off next time I shoot it creating the need to sight it in again?  And in turn the shooting will cause me to have to take it apart and completely clean it again starting the cycle over.  What do I need to do?

[Wolfhound]

I have an Omega in stainless and just shot it last week for the first time.  I fired 12 rounds through it (Shockwave sabots) while running a spit patch through after each shot.  Back home, I cleaned it with hot water and T/C bore butter.  I wiped the swinging breech portion and it was dirty.   I also ran some cotton swabs into the trigger assembly and they came back dirty as well.  I decided to take the stock off and completely clean the breech and trigger assembly.  My questions are as follows:

1. Is the fouling on the breech and trigger area from the primer or blowback from the powder?

2. Which is more corrosive, the powder or the primer?

3. Also, if I have to take the rifle apart (removing the stock), won't my scope be slightly off next time I shoot it creating the need to sight it in again?  And in turn the shooting will cause me to have to take it apart and completely clean it again starting the cycle over.  What do I need to do?

1. It's blowback.

2. The Powder. The Primer residue is Non corrosive.

3. Possibly. I had exactly this problem when I got my Omega. I solved it with a 25 ACP breechplug. Now I only remove the stock after the season. Once I'm on I'm on. It's the one thing I hate about the Omega design.

[Biff Mayhem]

The breech residue will be powder. I assume you mean inside the barrel. If you mean the area where you place the primer on the breechplug, that may be a 50-50 mix of primer/powder fouling. The trigger residue is most likely only non-corrosive primer residue. Most Omegas have no powder blowback that far back.down - unless the breechplug flashole is defective/enlarged.

Torque your stock screws the same each time to keep best shot group consistency. Keep the front screw pointed(hypothetically) 11:00 ... back one 4:00. As the rifle accumulates 100s' of shots, you may have to tweak that time clock. Most Omegas are pretty accuracy-forgiving when taking the stock off a few times every year. I shoot mine 10-12 times a year - but only remove the stock around three times. You can seal the gap between stock and barrel with gun grease. Only need to take apart the trigger assembly when shot alot - basically because the residue is corrosion-free. Just wipe it down with any CLP.

[AndyHass]

Mine changed POI significantly when removed from the stock.  I didn't want to rely on torque so I installed aluminum pillars...now I can pull the action whenever and the POI never changes.

[cherokee75]

Can I get away with not cleaning the swinging breech right away after shooting, say for a few days?  If not, I don't really see how I can accomplish sighting it in and cleaning it while keeping my point of impact if I have to take the stock off each time.  Would I be better served getting a break action ML  I had an Optima which was very easy to clean.  I did not have it that long before I sold it and I know it is not near the quality of the Omega but it seemed more hassle free.  How much does it generally cost to have aluminum pillars installed and it that my best option?

[Biff Mayhem]

Can I get away with not cleaning the swinging breech right away after shooting, say for a few days? 

Depends on the weather/humidity - powder brand used - if you wiped down the gun exterior - ran an oily patch down the bore - loosened the breechplug right after your last shot - keep your "now storage-prepared ML in a hard-shell, foamed/air-sealed gun case - placed it in a dry environment at home.....well if you do all that -- you may not have to clean it for two weeks like me. I've done the two week method several times.

You have to learn the preparations first - then know how to judge the weather every time you expose that ML to the environments.  Once you get that "Lazy Cleaner Degree", you are good-to-go.