Barrel cleaning

[Paroxsym]

How do all you Ruger fanatics clean the barrels in your pistols after a day at the range? Any good tips to clean out copper that gets left behind in the rifling? Anyone lube the inside of the barrel, if so what do you use?

 

[edgalang]

Not a fanatic yet....but I use a copper brush, followed by a wet patch, then finished off with a dry patch.

EDIT:
With Breakfree CLP

 

[Paroxsym]

Thats similar to what I've been doing. Get kinda nervous shoving the copper brush down the barrel though, not sure what that would do to the rifling over the course of time.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

Copper or bronze brushes pushed by hand won't harm your barrel.

I mostly shoot cast bullets, but following a session shooting jacketed, I use Butch's Bore Shine. If the copper fouling is stubborn or I am in a hurry, I let that solvent sit 15 min and then follow up with JB Bore Paste.

 

[freedomcosts]

I use Hoppes Bore Cleaner- fill the barrel with patches, pour a little in there, and let it sit while I clean the rest. Then if it's pretty dirty I'll run the brush thru it a couple of times. Then a patch, then I run a patch with gun oil (for this just RemOil), then dry patches til done.

 

[Rei40c]

1st a soaking wet patch with solvent. None I've used so far have failed to work, I kinda use whatever, right now it hoppes.

-slowly push the patch through with the barrel pointing downwards until I can see the solvent dripping out of the end of the barrel. Run it the rest of the way through and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.

- copper brush it, usually 12 swipes

- dry patches until clean

- another soaking wet patch, this time I don't let it sit.

- copper brush it, usually only 2-3 swipes

- dry patches until clean, and dry

Thats it, I don't leave anything in the barrel but I may start using a product later since I've read here about others doing it. As is though I run the barrel completely dry.

 

[Paroxsym]

I've been running my barrel completely dry too, hasn't seemed to hurt anything but I do wonder if it makes it wear out faster, or if there is any discernible benefit to lubing the bore a little bit?

Sorry if the questions are a bit noob-ish, maintaining my pistol the "proper" way is still a bit of a new concept, lol.

 

[Rei40c]

I've been running my barrel completely dry too, hasn't seemed to hurt anything but I do wonder if it makes it wear out faster, or if there is any discernible benefit to lubing the bore a little bit?

Sorry if the questions are a bit noob-ish, maintaining my pistol the "proper" way is still a bit of a new concept, lol.

Ah nah not noobish to me anyways. I've only had my SR40C since Feb of this year but I've got 750 rounds through it in that time. I'm not sure either tbh. Just tonight I was looking up how long barrels in these semi auto's last. The general answer seemed to be much longer then I thought. Even into the 30,000 to 50,000 round range as I think Beretta claims their life to commonly be.

I personally know someone who owns a glock with 90,000 rounds through the same barrel. My CCW instructor who's also the owner of a local gunshop. Its never been cleaned and supposedly its like a black powder rifle when it goes off due to the huge amount of build up.

Anyway, it seems according to my internet researching (lol) that the barrel will very likely outlast us IF we do our part to keep it clean. Keeping it clean seems to be the critical thing as neglect can shorten the barrel life a lot. As much as I love my SR40C I think its very unlikely I'll ever push the barrel so hard it has to be replaced. Assuming a worst case 30,000 round lifetime average ( most companies quote the barrel life much higher) I'm only 750/30,000 so far. But again I suspect the Ruger barrels will go well beyond 30,000.

 

[Conn AK]

Hoppes #9-brass brush-Hoppes #9 patches-gun oil of your choice-patches. Works every time.

 

[Conn AK]

I've been running my barrel completely dry too, hasn't seemed to hurt anything but I do wonder if it makes it wear out faster, or if there is any discernible benefit to lubing the bore a little bit?

Sorry if the questions are a bit noob-ish, maintaining my pistol the "proper" way is still a bit of a new concept, lol.

Ah nah not noobish to me anyways. I've only had my SR40C since Feb of this year but I've got 750 rounds through it in that time. I'm not sure either tbh. Just tonight I was looking up how long barrels in these semi auto's last. The general answer seemed to be much longer then I thought. Even into the 30,000 to 50,000 round range as I think Beretta claims their life to commonly be.

I personally know someone who owns a glock with 90,000 rounds through the same barrel. My CCW instructor who's also the owner of a local gunshop. Its never been cleaned and supposedly its like a black powder rifle when it goes off due to the huge amount of build up.

Anyway, it seems according to my internet researching (lol) that the barrel will very likely outlast us IF we do our part to keep it clean. Keeping it clean seems to be the critical thing as neglect can shorten the barrel life a lot. As much as I love my SR40C I think its very unlikely I'll ever push the barrel so hard it has to be replaced. Assuming a worst case 30,000 round lifetime average ( most companies quote the barrel life much higher) I'm only 750/30,000 so far. But again I suspect the Ruger barrels will go well beyond 30,000.

Like most AKM owners, cleaning isn't always a top priority. My 2000 SAR 1 AK has well over 8000 rounds through it . A trip to the range usually includes twenty 30 round magazines loaded beforehand and a 100 rounds extra just in case. Maybe once a year I'll really clean the rifle. Russian ammo leaves incredible amounts of carbon from the piston back. Even with this typical lazy cleaning regimen, the rifle still groups the same as the day I bought it, that is, 4-5 @100 with iron sights. My Winchester 190 .22 (1977) has literally 10s of thousands of rounds through it in the last 35 years. That rifle, my first, I religiously clean every time I use it. Still hits the black @50 yards like it did when I was a teenager. But bores will wear out. I had a 1939 Mosin-Nagant with a bore that looked like a scatter gun. Very faint rifling even though the bore shined and the crown was perfect. Wasn't so much from corrosive ammo (no pitting), but probably much use in the Motherland. The Mosin grouped about 20 inches @100 and 3 feet @150 and forget about 200. I always clean handguns every time I shoot. If not so much for wear but more so function. A clean semi will always cycle better than a crusty semi.

 

[Sal1950]

Hoppes #9-brass brush-Hoppes #9 patches-gun oil of your choice-patches. Works every time.

Yep, just the way my dad taught me around 1962. Works as well today as it did then. No need to reinvent the wheel. LOL
Just do it after each time the weapon is fired and it will last many lifetimes.
Sal

 

[labhound]

I run a patch wet with Hoppes #9 through the barrel, let it set for about 10 minutes while I clean the rest of the gun, then run a bronze brush through the barrel followed by patches to dry the barrel. I then run a patch wet with RemOil through the barrel followed by dry patches to remove excess oil. The rest of the gun is cleaned with CLP and friction points lubed with RemOil.

 

[buckeyedave]

I use a brush with very stiff plastic bristles then a patch with Hoppes #9 and dry patches till it's clean.
Dave

 

[oilcangary]

I think most people (including me) over clean their guns. What I like to do is if I buy a used gun or after a few shooting sessions I clean it good with a solvent and brush followed by a couple of patches. Then I just swab it out with CLP on a patch and then a dry patch after each shooting until I have shot a few hundred rounds and then I use a solvent and brush again.

 

[freedomcosts]

Pretty good article on how we over-clean in a magazine a few months ago. Handguns, I think- said the same, all he does is run a patch or two thru every now and then- blow out the action with CLP or something every now & then. I actuallly clean mine after about 3 trips to the range- sometimes, in between, I might do a wipe-out wipe/off without field-stripping.

 

[Sal1950]

TOO CLEAN - OVER CLEAN ???
Good thing my Infantry Drill Sargent can't hear you guys talk.
How can you keep a weapon "over clean" when it just might be all that stands between you and a body bag?
If I had my way you'd be running laps till next Christmas and your weapon would get a white glove test one hour after each range day. :lol:
Sal

 

[MedicYeti]

Bore Snake FTW!!!!!!

 

[Rei40c]

TOO CLEAN - OVER CLEAN ???
Good thing my Infantry Drill Sargent can't hear you guys talk.
How can you keep a weapon "over clean" when it just might be all that stands between you and a body bag?
If I had my way you'd be running laps till next Christmas and your weapon would get a white glove test one hour after each range day. :lol:
Sal

lol But Sir its clean "enough".

Nah I think its right on saying most of us overdo it. I'm sure I do. I think its because our hobby for many of us, our love. Same way the guy with the expensive sports car towels down his paint finish every day.

Speaking of I think I've spotted a fingerprint on my stainless.... :shock:

 

[freedomcosts]

Hey Sal, I didn't re-up cause I didn't like cleaning clean rifles lol

 

[Paroxsym]

I know I'm probably way too picky about cleaning every last bit of my P95, if there is ANY residue still on it then I haven't cleaned it good enough. Even the outside of the stainless slide gets cleaned up and wiped down with an oil of sorts.

I always kept my M4 pretty clean, didn't want to get into a situation only to have it jam up on me constantly. Pistols are a whole lot different to me though so I think I may over-do it because I haven't quite figured out when enough is enough.

 

[flyfishny]

Hoppes #9-brass brush-Hoppes #9 patches-gun oil of your choice-patches. Works every time.

+1. This is the way I have been cleaning all my barrels. No problems yet.