polish the barrel

[rex6666]

I hear all this about firing 10 times and polish,fire 10 more and polish. i have bought several new rifles(not handis) and they seem to fire well enough to hit what i want after sighting in.
My question is if i buy a used rifle or barrel and the person they bought it new fired 20 rounds and didn't polish it, then sold it to some one else that did the same, what do i do start over or what
NOT tiring to be smart azz, it is just that I have been wondering about that.

[quickdtoo]

Clean if good to remove any fouling in the bore, then shoot it!!

Tim

[rex6666]

thanks Tim that is exactly what i thought

[Mac11700]

Use a foaming bore cleaner..remove all the fouling in it..The run a very tight fitting cotton patch thru it and see if it snags in it..our has real hard spots in the bore..If yes to either..Use some Flitz in it..and polish it..I do this on all of my barrels...new or used...

Mac

[rex6666]

MAC

what i was getting at, if the barrel wasn't fired 100 times and polished every 10 did that mean it was broken wrong and would it ever be ok, or do i need to do something other than just clean it and start running hot lead through it. I have heard so much about the proper "break in"
I am a new handiholic and just want know i am listing to the right stuff

[Mac11700]

MAC

what i was getting at, if the barrel wasn't fired 100 times and polished every 10 did that mean it was broken wrong and would it ever be ok, or do i need to do something other than just clean it and start running hot lead through it. I have heard so much about the proper "break in"
I am a new handiholic and just want know i am listing to the right stuff

I don't know what the inside of your barrel looks like..so I can't really say if it was done wrong..but..I do know for a fact..that there are some folks who don't even bother cleaning out the factory grease from them and just go shoot them...This can lead to all kinds of accuracy problems if there where metal filings in the chamber or bore...Which is why I said to use a good foaming bore cleaner on it..and then do a dry cotton patch test...

I've found that if the barrel is fitted properly..the difference between doing the break in procedures we have in the FAQ's and just shooting it with out doing anything can be pretty significant at times...no matter what type of rifle you are using... Most who say they don't see any difference...usually don't expend as much extra effort as a few of us do here..or they have gotten a barrel that didn't need as much work to begin with...  Each rifle is different...some may have rough spots along the lands..or chatter marks down in the grooves...and not shoot worth a darn..Some may be as smooth as a babies bottom..and be real tack drivers from the get go...Some may foul quickly..others hardly at all...Some may do better shooting from a fouled bore..others may have their accuracy drop off...

Like I said...I usually use a good foaming bore cleaner on them...and then dry patch it..This way I know if I need to polish it..and how much...I have my own way of doing things...and have found they work best for me when I do them...and treat both new & used the same for consistency... Either way you go..you really need to clean it completely..a start from a clean bore...this way you'll know what this barrels preferences are...

Mac

[LaOtto222]

I am in complete agreement with Mac 11700. I think you need to thoroughly clean the barrel to start with. Then evaluate each step. 1st visual inspection 2nd run a TIGHT fitting patch down the bore. 3rd shoot it. Evaluate the results at every step. By evaluating the results I mean does it foul up too quickly for what you want and how easy is it clean up. Rough spots in the bore will cause excessive fouling and make clean up more difficult. Polishing is no miracle, it will only help minor blemishes. It will not take out big messes in the bore only round them off...a little. If you only shoot 20 rounds a year through it and you have to clean every 5 shoots then you could probably live with it. Eventually you will polish it up just by shooting and cleaning. If you have an accuracy problem, polishing the bore will only help a little. You probably have another problem. I have polished every rifle bore I own, new or used, unless it was a lapped barrel. I found that it has never hurt a barrel yet, and some cases really helped a lot with the fouling. I do have a 222 that only shoots well if it is dirty. I polished it too, but probably did not need to.

[MLR]

I dont know about the polishing stuff, never tried it. BUT as far as cleaning a new barrel i do agree. I don't want to mention brands here.
I have cleaned brand new guns and pushed large metal shavings out of the barrels. Seems quality control is not what it used to be.

   Michael

[rex6666]

I am sorry guys, i never in my wildest dream thought that there were people that didn't clean there
guns. I always clean after ever firing if only one or two shots, and if it has set in the closet for a month
or so  i clean it before, just didn't understand all the polishing while firing at the range.
I keep my guns clean and just thought every one did, why own one if not.

[~Ace~]

Some guns (Read Barrels) don't shoot well "Clean" My NEF .17 HMR will shoot 1" at 100 all day long, run a bore snake through it and it opens up to 2+ the first 5 or so rounds. My Handi .223 Barrel needs a fouling shot to shoot right, but the .270 loves to be Clean. Just a matter of shooting and knowing the guns I reckon. I don't like to leave one Dirty, but if it's the Go To gun on the farm here, And I want the first shot to count...Sometimes you have to. ~Ace~

[LaOtto222]

I clean my guns regularly too. I found the 222 shot better dirty by a long trial and error. Why it does that is beyond me and I really do not like it. I am really thinking about rebarreling it for that reason. I have really polished it a lot, but to no avail, it still shoots better dirty and fouls up quickly. All my other guns shoot better clean, unless a rimfire and they seem to shoot better dirty than clean. Why do you or anyone else clean the bores on a regular basis? We use non corrosive primers and a little oil down the bore would keep it from rusting even if fouled up. It is to maintain accuracy is it not? So if maintaining accuracy involves a dirty barrel then so be it. I am not being a wise guy here. I think you missed the point of polishing the bore. It is not to skip cleaning, it is to make cleaning easier and not have fouling collect in the bore deteriorating accuracy as it is shot getting worse and worse with each group fired. I do not polish bores at the range (my back yard ). I only do them after a through cleaning between shooting sessions and once they start shooting and cleaning the way I think they should, I do not polish any more. I have a 223 barrel that would start throwing fliers after just three shots. I had to polish it up a lot to smooth out the bore, really a lot. After I got down to where I wanted it, it shoots the same out of a clean lightly oiled bore as the 10th shot. No change of impact, nice tight groups. It cleans up really slick too. No copper fouling. I just run a couple of solvent patches down the bore followed by clean patches until they come out clean. Some times I have to repeat to clean up if it was a long session. I then run a patch down soaked in Kroil followed by a dry patch. I am then ready to go at it again or store it way. I used a lot of foam cleaning up copper fouling before I polished the heck out of the bore. Now I do not need to use any foam. To each their own I say, just trying to pass on what works for me.

[Mac11700]

I clean my guns regularly too. I found the 222 shot better dirty by a long trial and error. Why it does that is beyond me and I really do not like it. I am really thinking about rebarreling it for that reason. I have really polished it a lot, but to no avail, it still shoots better dirty and fouls up quickly. All my other guns shoot better clean, unless a rimfire and they seem to shoot better dirty than clean. Why do you or anyone else clean the bores on a regular basis? We use non corrosive primers and a little oil down the bore would keep it from rusting even if fouled up. It is to maintain accuracy is it not? So if maintaining accuracy involves a dirty barrel then so be it. I am not being a wise guy here. I think you missed the point of polishing the bore. It is not to skip cleaning, it is to make cleaning easier and not have fouling collect in the bore deteriorating accuracy as it is shot getting worse and worse with each group fired. I do not polish bores at the range (my back yard ). I only do them after a through cleaning between shooting sessions and once they start shooting and cleaning the way I think they should, I do not polish any more. I have a 223 barrel that would start throwing fliers after just three shots. I had to polish it up a lot to smooth out the bore, really a lot. After I got down to where I wanted it, it shoots the same out of a clean lightly oiled bore as the 10th shot. No change of impact, nice tight groups. It cleans up really slick too. No copper fouling. I just run a couple of solvent patches down the bore followed by clean patches until they come out clean. Some times I have to repeat to clean up if it was a long session. I then run a patch down soaked in Kroil followed by a dry patch. I am then ready to go at it again or store it way. I used a lot of foam cleaning up copper fouling before I polished the heck out of the bore. Now I do not need to use any foam. To each their own I say, just trying to pass on what works for me.

                                                           DALESCARPENTRY...Read this...it might help

Once my bores are polished to my satisfaction..I don't continue polishing them..I'll shoot them till accuracy falls off to my standard..then use a foaming bore cleaner on them..lightly oil them..the shoot again..I can go about 75 rounds now with all of mine before cleaning completely..and usually clean the chamber after each session to remove any carbon left....I take a bottle of alcohol along to degrease everything at the range prior to shooting that day..and clean it at the range..I shoot a-lot of Combined Technology Lubalux coated bullets in all calibers..and can do it this way..If shooting copper..I can go a little longer...If I mix the 2...then there is about 3-5 hours shot cleaning it completely with some Flitz and only if I mix the 2... I won't turn a sub 1/2" rifle into a 1" shooter by not cleaning..nor a 1" shooter into a 1-1/2"--2" either..which is what happens with my rifles...Even with a lightly oiled cold bore..when hunting..it doesn't move it off too far...but normally will fire a 2-3 fouling shots prior to going just to check the scope & then leave it alone..unless I'm hunting in the rain or snow..then they get dried & lightly oiled..

Here's how I see it...You can have one of the most expensive custom barrels that will foul quickly...then you can have one of the most in-expensive ones hardly ever foul...It's really the luck of the draw...even though you don't expect the really expensive ones to give you fits...it does happen...and when you got one of the cheaper barrels..and it acts like a champion...well...enjoy the heck out of it..and treat it like one...you never know when you'll get another one to be that way..

Mac

[LaOtto222]

Here's how I see it...You can have one of the most expensive custom barrels that will foul quickly...then you can have one of the most in-expensive ones hardly ever foul...It's really the luck of the draw...even though you don't expect the really expensive ones to give you fits...it does happen...and when you got one of the cheaper barrels..and it acts like a champion...well...enjoy the heck out of it..and treat it like one...you never know when you'll get another one to be that way..

Mac

Right on

[rex6666]

I must say thanks to each of you i have learned a lot since this started, i am not one to spend a day at the range, maybe if i had one closer. I am glad to hear from guys that evidently shoot a lot.

THANKS FOR THE LESSON.