Barrel cleaning

[nhdog]

 
My question is, How much is enough?
 I always start out with Hoppes #9,mixed with a little Kroil oil to remove powder and primer fouling. Once I'm satisfied, I then switch to Bore Tech's Eliminator, and work on the copper fouling. If it's been a long day at the range,I may use something stronger, like Sweets 7.62 or Shooter's Choice Copper Removeral only a couple of times, always being careful to follow their directions and not let it remain in the barrel. Then I finish up the final cleaning with Bore Tech or Hoppes until I ensure I getting a clean patch. I then run a wet patch with Hoppes through the barrel and put the gun away.
 Later, prior to shooting, when I run a clean dry patch through the barrel,there will be a bit of color indicating additional copper has been removed. I suspect this is from the small cracks and fissures in the barrel's metal.
 Does removing this last bit of "hidden copper" cause the barrel to go back to sort of a pre-seasoned condition?
 And, does this affect the accuracy or ballistics until after a couple rounds are fired, which again fills up those microscopic areas?
 At what point is the barrel "clean"?

[gunnut69]

I will adnit that I'm a little lazy.. I usually clean once a year or when the rifle starts shooting hinky!! With 22 rimfires I'm even worse. Sometimes more than a year passes before a cleaning is mandated.. If you clean a rifle very clean then usually the first few shots will shoot to a defferent POA than the rest will because the bore needs the fouling shots. If I'm really going to clean a bore I use one of the elctro-chemical cleaners (foul-out?) They use a reverse plating process and will leave the bore sparkling clean but that's very very seldon needed.. When I clean a centerfire I use ShootersChoice first then Sweets (sometimes with a brush) and finish with more ShootersChoice or Hoppes,,depends on what I've got. I much prefer the smell of Hoppes.... Dry patches always at the end follwed by a patch with either ATF or grease depending on whether or not it will be stored for a long period.. For this I usually use GunSlick gun grease.. The outside of all get a treatment with RustPrevent spray and wiped down to prevent rusting.. If I had to guess I bet you're claening too much rather than too little.. A lot of damage can be done with little effort when cleaning if proper care is not used..1 piece rod, (I much prefer stainless, uncoated) and a rod guide. Wipe the rod as it's withdrawn from the bore and don't drag dirty patches back thru the bore..

[JustaShooter]

I imagine you'll get answers that vary from one end to the other of the entire range...

For me, it depends on the rifle.  .22LR I clean when the action gets dirty or accuracy starts falling off.  For the more accurate center fire rifles I have, I clean like you do, then let them sit over night after running a patch soaked with Hoppes #9, then run a couple of dry patches followed by a bore preservative before storing.  For the plinkers & less accurate center fire rifles, I rarely go the full distance with copper removal, and never worry about the last overnight soak with Hoppes #9.

No, removing the last bit of copper does not take the barrel back to "pre-seasoned condition".  Barrel seasoning / break-in smooths out some of the the microscopic imperfections in the barrel, forever changing the surface.

Certainly, for many firearms that "squeaky clean" barrel needs a bit of fouling before it settles down to shooting good groups.  Some only need a couple of rounds, others might need more (or less, I suppose, but I've never owned one that didn't benefit from a couple of fouling shots.)

The barrel is clean when you say it is.  For me, I don't want to spend forever cleaning up, I want to spend more time shooting and less time cleaning.  Others find their happy place with more or less cleaning.  Find yours and don't worry about it afterward. 

Just a Shooter

[George Foster]

99.09% of the time all I have to use on my centerfire rifles for cleaning them every 20 rounds is Bore Tech Eliminator.  I run three wet patches, then use a nylon brush for 25 strokes and then another three wet patches.  I let the rifle set for five minutes and patch it out.  Usually two patches and then they are coming out white.  Once in awhile I will follow up with Montana 50BMG to make sure I have all the copper out.  I then run an oiled patch followed by a dry patch through the barrel and I am set.