Florida Shooters Network

How often and how do you clean your "target" rifles?

I cleaned two of mine today as one was fired about 200 rounds and second one has fired about 250 rounds since last cleaning. Third one was only fired about 100 rounds so I left it alone. I normally clean them after about 250 rounds.

To clean my rifles,

1. Swab the barrel with a mop with Bench Rest Copper Remover couple times and let it sit for few minutes.
2. Run two dry patches to clean out any loose material.
3. Swab the barrel again with a mop with Bench Rest Copper Remover couple times and let it sit for few minutes.
4. Run two dry patches to clean out the bore.
5. Clean the bolt and chamber with Hoppe, chamber mop and cloth.
6. Run two wet patches through the barrel with Hoppe.
7. Run two dry patch through the barrel.
8. Clean the exterior with CLP and cloth.
9. Lube necessary points with CLP and/or Rem Oil.
10. Clean scope lenses with lens brush and microfiber cloth.

Done in about 20 minutes per rifle. I got both rifles done in just over 30 minutes.
I usually use two or three cleaning rods to make the work faster.
BTW I only use one piece steel cleaning rods with plastic coating which I constantly clean with a cloth.

When I reach 1,000 rounds I'll take the rifle apart (trigger group, bolt, etc.) and give it a real good cleaning.

I know some people spend a lot more time to clean their rifles but I'm not sure it make it any more accurate or shoot better.

Sounds like a good regime for a gas or the average bolt gun. Of course everyone has their favorite practice. I just finished 4 days of competition F-Class shooting @ Malabar with a total of 250 rounds fired and will clean this weekend.Since I shoot Moly coated bullets I skip the copper cutter and use Gunslick bore foam ( rifle stands muzzle down) twice before running patches down the barrel. Then Hoppe's Elite on a Nylon brush and more patches until clean. With cleaning, I know I'll need to fire 10-15 rounds to get back to my Dead Wind Zero on the barrel I've mentioned. Remember barrel manufacture,twist rate,and round count, and shooter know how, all effect what that barell is going to do the next time you pull the trigger.

barkingspiders wrote:Sounds like a good regime for a gas or the average bolt gun.

Yes, it was a pair of Remington 700.

OK here's mine for my "average" bolt guns.
I'm curious, what does "average" mean? Price? Accuracy? Brand?

Anyways here goes:

I set my rifle on the bench, bipod open and down and pull out the bolt.
Run the Dewey coated rod thru the muzzle with nothing on it.
Place small cloth in mag well.
Screw in the tip over the mag well with a patch thats dipped in Sweets 7.62 and then squeezed.
Pull the rod from chamber to muzzle. I allow it to set for about 5 minutes.
Repeat this procedure without the waiting part until the patch comes out clean.
I NEVER start a patch at the muzzle in any of my rifles EXCEPT my flintlock.
I ALWAYS pull patches from the chamber to the muzzle.
Run 2 dry patches the same way.
Run 2 wet patches ( alcohol ) thru again.
Run 2 more dry patches.
Run one with Ballistol.
Exterior cleaning: wipe down stock, scope etc.
Clean bolt with nylon brush and Hoppes #9 then dry.
Apply CLP to extractor, pin etc, grease rails and reinstall.

I have never timed this method.

One of my "gas" guns:

My M14/M1As get the same basic treatment EXCEPT they are upside down in a rifle cradle to allow any drips to go on the bench and there are a few more parts ( gas piston, op rod, spring, trigger group, etc. etc. ) and decarb procedures that I won't bore you with.

Oh yeah, I clean EVERYTIME I come back from a match or just practice.

Gunny

I suppose everyone has "their method" of cleaning their firearms. Whether one method is better than another might be difficult to determine.

Me, on a bolt gun (and these are not thousand dollar, rail guns), remove the bolt and run a wet patch of Hoppes 9 thru the barrel from the chamber end. Remove tip, pull rod back thru. Install bronze brush, push thru from chamber end two or three times, removing the brush outside the muzzle before retrieving the rod and repeating. Remove bronze brush, run a soaked Hoppes patch back thru, followed by dry patches until clean. Finally, run a patch with gun oil (usually Rem Oil) thru the barrel.

Clean action end of bolt with wet Hoppes patch, using nylon bristle brush where/when necessary. Dry, then apply light coat of gun oil. Wipe entire outside of firearm (except wood stocks) with gun oil to apply a protective film.

I don't know how much it matters whether you push from the chamber or pull from the muzzle? On the autoloading 22s, there isn't much choice. You simply have to work from the muzzle end to clean them.

PCJim9mm wrote:I don't know how much it matters whether you push from the chamber or pull from the muzzle? On the autoloading 22s, there isn't much choice. You simply have to work from the muzzle end to clean them.

I doubt it's easy to ruin a crown using coated cleaning rods and brass tips. The barrel is made from steel.

mjmensale wrote:

PCJim9mm wrote:I don't know how much it matters whether you push from the chamber or pull from the muzzle? On the autoloading 22s, there isn't much choice. You simply have to work from the muzzle end to clean them.

I doubt it's easy to ruin a crown using coated cleaning rods and brass tips. The barrel is made from steel.

OK, I'm a bit anal.

get an otis kit and you dont have to run a rod down the muzzle