Cleaning a HMR

[ellebarto]

After debates on here about how to clean a HMR I decided to try something different than my usual run through with a bore snake to see if all the comments about my method were right or wrong. Just wondered if someone can give me an idea of how they go about it? I have bought a rod and some patches and I seem to be having a problem even pushing the rod in with a bronze or with patches. I've clean my .22 with rod and patches (rarely) and never had this

 

At first I thought you might all be right and the barrel is clogged or fouled but it puts bullet after bullet in the same hole at 100 yards and the bore snake passes through OK. I think I might have bought a **** rob set!

[Beardo]

are you sure you have the right size rod / bronze / jag?

[dadioles]

After debates on here about how to clean a HMR I decided to try something different than my usual run through with a bore snake to see if all the comments about my method were right or wrong. Just wondered if someone can give me an idea of how they go about it? I have bought a rod and some patches and I seem to be having a problem even pushing the rod in with a bronze or with patches. I've clean my .22 with rod and patches (rarely) and never had this

 

At first I thought you might all be right and the barrel is clogged or fouled but it puts bullet after bullet in the same hole at 100 yards and the bore snake passes through OK. I think I might have bought a **** rob set!

 

Compared to a .22 a .17 is significantly smaller, I know that sounds like a daft and obvious statement but cleaning the smaller bore does feel quite different, tighter, everything is much more critical.

 

Firstly you need the best quality single piece coated rod and Dewey is probably the most respected.

The cloth patches need to be specifically for .17 or they will be too tight.

Do use a bore guide specific to your gun!

 

I cannot stress enough the need for good quality cleaning kit, .17 is a really small hole!

 

When I clean my .17, the first few patches can be quite hard to get through. I cannot simply push the rod through, it is too tight and "sticks" a bit because of the contamination in the bore. I slide it in using the bore guide and then gently "tap" it through by gently hitting the end of the rod with the palm of my hand. It does not need much force but does not simply slide through easily as with larger bores.

I do not like to use the bronze brush except very rarely.

The "sheepskin" brush is good for swabbing out, soak it in cleaner and run it slowly up and down, it is the only thing that I run up and down gently in both directions.

After a few patches soaked in bore cleaner have been pushed through and things are getting cleaner it does get easier.

Obviously each patch only gets pushed through once and always one way only from breech to crown.

After maybe 20 or more patches you should find that you can push the rod through much more smoothly and easily and they are starting to come out clean.

I usually finish with a patch pushed through with a couple of drops of oil on it (do that twice, fresh each time) and finally a clean dry patch so the barrel is left nice and clean and dry ready for use.

[ellebarto]

Firstly, what's a bore guide?

 

Secondly, it's evident my cleaning kit is rubbish and I need to spend proper money on it if I'm gonna do it right!

 

Back to the drawing board!

[dadioles]

Firstly, what's a bore guide?

 

Secondly, it's evident my cleaning kit is rubbish and I need to spend proper money on it if I'm gonna do it right!

 

Back to the drawing board!

 

Hi ellebarto

 

Stick with it. You will have to spend a few quid but good kit (rod, bore guide, jags) will last you a lifetime, it does not wear out.

 

A "bore guide" is a kind of tube that will be fairly specific to your make of rifle and looks a bit like a rifle bolt.

When you clean the rifle with a rod, you remove the bolt and replace it with a bore guide.

The bore guide makes sure that the rod enters the barrel perfectly straight and without causing any wear or rounding off of the barrel face.

That is one of the reasons (in my very humble opinion - others will have a different view) not to use a bore snake.

[bullet boy]

I use a Napier Pull Through Kit plus Hoppes 009 Bore Solvent to remove any fouling then finally a run through with a Boresnake.I use this on my .22 Rimfire and .22-250 Centrefire rifles!

[cooter]

The rifling on an HMR is very fine, so go easy with the brushing.

 

Hoppes Elite gun cleaner will remove the carbon fouling without the need for a brush.

 

Just stick something in the ation to stop anything dropping through, then a few drops of oil in the muzzle, give it a few minutes to get to the action, then invert the rifle.

Give the solvent a few minutes to do it's thing, as per the instructions on the bottle, then pull through patches from the action to remove it.

You may have to give it a few goes, but it really works.

 

Once you are not seeing any carbon on the pull through's, use a copper solvent.

I use Forrest bore foam, which you put in from the muzzle, or T&M Solutions, which I put on a patch and pull through once again from the muzzle.

Which ever one you use, let it soak in for a few minutes, or over night, then patch it out in the morning, this time pulling through from the action to muzzle.

After the long soak, I follow this with a few shorter ones, and only stop when the patches stop coming out blue.

 

Once it looks clean I use a few oil patches, then pull it dry, and a final two patches with meths, or nail varnish remover to remove any oil residue, then a dry patch.

 

It takes some time, but you only do it every 1000 rounds so it's no great hardship.

 

After that it takes a few rounds to put it back on song.

 

 

Just my tried and tested take on it.

 

 

HTH

 

Cooter

[Dekers]

Cut the patches down until it works, and as previously said you need good kit to clean that tiny .17 bore!

[ste 2712]

After debates on here about how to clean a HMR I decided to try something different than my usual run through with a bore snake to see if all the comments about my method were right or wrong. Just wondered if someone can give me an idea of how they go about it? I have bought a rod and some patches and I seem to be having a problem even pushing the rod in with a bronze or with patches. I've clean my .22 with rod and patches (rarely) and never had this

 

At first I thought you might all be right and the barrel is clogged or fouled but it puts bullet after bullet in the same hole at 100 yards and the bore snake passes through OK. I think I might have bought a **** rob set!

if it is a hoppes cleaning kit they are **** ! i got one last week and they do not fit properly took it back the on site gunsmith tried and failed with it to!

it could have been a bad batch as the other 4 kits they had in didnt fit either!!

Edited May 29, 2011 by ste 2712

[dadioles]

Rimfire Magic have Dewey rods for .17 at about £32 including a jag. They also have bore guides for some rifles at about £20. From memory, a bag of several hundred pre cut patches was only about £5. Just add some bore cleaning solvents and you are sorted.

I had to import the bore guide for my Anschutz from Sinclair in USA which was expensive with postage. I am sure there is probably a UK supplier now?

So for less than £75 you have top notch kit that will do your rifle justice and last you a lifetime.

[apache]

If it's shooting spot on stop wasting your time go and bag some bunnies!

[ellebarto]

Lol. Was thinking that but always willing to learn new things an it's shooting so well I want to keep it that way!

[Catweazle]

I too read the posts about "deep" cleaning and decided to give my HMR a go. It shot all over the place afterwards, only came back good enough to pot a rabbit after 10 shots into paper.

 

The thing I really like(d) about my HMR outfit is that it always shoots spot on from the first shot, so if I see a rabbit as I enter the first field I can take it there and then and not have to worry.

 

I won't be cleaning it like that again.