Cleaning Mini 30s

[blume357]

I agree DonD and was going to make a comment on that thread since my name was used in vain but it was locked before I could.

I could not quite figure out the high faluten cleaning methods that were discussed.... until it all went down hill with name calling about the mini vs AR.

 

[Sig685]

The other thread was locked? I didn't see that.

 

[blume357]

That was the crux of the thread... how to run a cleaning rod down the barrel of a mini 30 or any other semi-auto rifle and not damage the barrel...

Seems that for purest you can only clean a barrel from the rear... I remember in the book 'The Ultimate 10/22' instructions on how to drill a hole in the rear of the receiver so you could run the brush and cleaning rod in from the back.

Just before the lock on the other thread a bore snake was mentioned and it was kind of passed over.

That's all I use on my rifles but I find that one swipe looks good to me.

I don't shoot that much and when I go to the range probably don't put more than 20 or 30 rounds through my AR or the mini I bring.. I can't remember the last time I cleaned either... sometimes I will put some oil around the bolt.

It sounds to me like some folks on this forum and others are clean freaks and there is nothing wrong with this. I will note that the used guns and specifically the barrels you see at shows and in shops... convinces me most folks that own and then sell a gun don't clean them ever.

Oh and Sig, I took no offense at you using my name in vane by the way on that other thread.

 

[Sig685]

Blume357, I don't remember using your name in vane in the other thread, (it must have been blowing in the wind.)

I agree with you about not over cleaning a rifle. For example, in my match AR, I only ever use moly coated bullets and I rarely clean the barrel. I should point out that it's a Kreiger and I believe that makes a huge difference. This past weekend, I played around a bit with it and shot a 25 shot group at 300 yards with 3 different loads (clearing up some left over ammo for reloading,) total group size was a little under 3 inches and you could see at least two distinct zeros in there. The barrel had not been cleaned in over 4 matches. A quick check at 100 yards showed a 5 shot group of under half an inch, standard accuracy for this rifle; don 't mess with the barrel.

On the other hand I clean and then regrease the bolt and bolt carrier group everytime, and I would do that for any semi-automatic rifle. Heck, I even do that for my bolt match rifle.

Speaking of the M77UM, I now find that I clean its barrel after every match and it takes 4 patches. It cleans very nicely and the POI is not affected like it is on my AR. I'm thinking that diameter of the bore has something to do with clean vs fouled barrels. At the last match 2 weeks ago now, my first shot of the match at 1000 yards was an X, my second was an X and the subsequent shots were 10s, well for a while. Cleaning the barrel had not affected the POI at all on this .308, but I do not use moly in this rifle as there is no need for it.


I use WipeOut for the M77UM (and all other non-moly rifles.) For the two rifles in which I shoot moly-coated bullets, I use Kroil.

I use a nylon brush to put in the Kroil or WipeOut and leave it there for a while (10-15) minutes. No need for a rod here. But when I push the patches through I use a bore guide and a coated rod because the barrels are very tight all the way through.

I try to be a minimalist for the barrel, after all it's designed to have bullets shot through it not an assemblage of "cleaning" implements and it really should only go one way. I would say a bore snake is a fair replacement especially for a closed breech semi-auto, (I have one somewhere but I never use it (a bore snake that is),) but you can't beat a good one-piece rod and a bore guide.

 

[HerbG]

Like a lot of older shooters I was brought up to believe that muzzle cleaning was a sure fire way to destroy a rifle's accuracy in short order. I no longer believe that is true.

The Spring 2009 issue of the Garand Collectors' Association Journal had the second of a two part article by Jack Prucha and Don Kemps that address the question of cleaning from the muzzle. Even after they used 60,000 cleaning strokes on an M1 test barrel, the barrel remained accurate. They concluded:

"It is our firm conviction that cleaning the M1 rifle from the muzzle end with a one-piece coated rod and exercising even a small amount of care will have no negative effect on the muzzle, and thereby also not on the performance of that rifle over the useful life of the barrel."

I do not believe there is any real evidence that muzzle cleaning causes damage if the shooter is reasonably careful in cleaning.

 

[DGW1949]

The help I was offering was addressing the way I do it. Not how often.

Far as how often goes...I think you'll find that the less ya break these rifles down (meaning the M1/M14/Ruger Mini's/etc) the better off you'll be in the long run. It aint nessesary when cleaning the bore, chamber, or bolt face anyhow. And unless the ammo being used is unusualy dirty, the gas sysyem perty-much cleans itself...hence the build-up of crud in stock's barrel channel (or lower handgaurd).

A couple of things about cleaning the barrel.....

If you're going to wet the bore with a solvent-soaked patch, and let it sit for a while, first poke a couple of big/clean patches up into the chamber. Then, immeadiately position the rifle upside down and (mostly) horizinal, but with a slight backwards tilt....Reason is, you do not want the migrating solvent to leach down through the gas port and wet the piston and/or the cylinder it sits in. That, and the slight backwards tilt will allow some to end-up getting into the clean patches that you just poked into the chamber, where it sits...'cause it won't go no further...meaning that when done, and when you pull the chamber patches out, you'll find that they have prevented solvent from leaching into the action and/or surrounding wood (or worse, the bedding)....AND that they are a nice green color, on account of you've inadvertantly began lifting crud out of the chamber also....which in turn, makes the chamber-brush routine go much easier.

Other stuff to note:

Cleaning these types of guns is somewhat different than other types, in that they got some rather unique requirements.

You'll find them easier to clean if you fashion some sort of cradle to postion them properly. Brownells, Midway, and even Walmart, offers a cheap, padded, thingamajig that works fine...if mounted sturdy enough.

At some point in the cleaning proccess, you'll be working while the bolt is open and latched. Be very carefull not to trip the latch....especialy while your fingers are stuck-off down in the action.

Never-ever use any sort of abrasive on the gas piston....not even steel wool. In the event that the gas system does need cleaning, simply soak the piston and it's bore in solvent and wipe off all the residue you can with a clean patch. Repeat as nessesary.
Do not lubricate the gas system parts. All that will accomplish is creating carbon, as soon as the gun is fired.

If you're going to store the gun away for a long time, it aint a bad idea to store it with the trigger gaurd unlatched....prevents the wood from compressing due to pressure.

Most of the above concerns a gun which is used somewhat regularly.....not to a gun which only gets fired a couple of times a year.....meaning that ya gotta use your own common sense about some of this stuff.

And bear in mind that all I know is what I know. I'm not an expert.
Might be better ways to do things than what I'm suggesting....or easier ways.

Hope something here helped.

DGW