How do you clean yours?

[Ricko]

How do you clean your barrels?

I use a brass wire brush, followed by a rounded wire brush, followed by a mop.

This is the way I've always done it.

Is it right? Any comments??

[Harry136]

Bore snake followed by a bit of oil

[panoma1]

Scrub bores out with an oiled Payne Galwey phosphor bronze brush, then clean out with successive sheets kitchen roll on a brass jag till it comes out clean....oil on a wool mop if you feel the need! Job done!

[Bungle The Bear]

24 minutes ago, ricko said:

How do you clean your barrels?

I use a brass wire brush, followed by a rounded wire brush, followed by a mop.

This is the way I've always done it.

Is it right? Any comments??

Spray with bore cleaner  - clean with bronze brush, and then wrap the bronze brush with kitchen roll, passed through twice = spotless barrels

Bore snakes in my opinion are for a quick clean in the field   -  only my opinion

 

[Gordon R]

Paradox barrel brush. If it gets very dirty - Ed's Red.

[bornfree]

I use my Beretta at least twice a week so I never bother cleaning the barrels

[miki]

How do I clean mine ? ... dilligently - using kitchen roll and a plastic jag soaked in 303 , repeat until clean.

Wiping down the outside with Legia before putting away

[JohnfromUK]

1. Push crumpled loo paper (two sheets is a decent fit in a 12 bore) through to remove powder residue, soot etc.  This step helps keep the brass brush cleaner for longer.  When it gets very dirty wash in a little white spirit.
2. Couple of drops of Young's 303, followed by light brush with Payne Galwey pattern brass brush
3. Leave for 15 minutes for 'solvent' to work
4. Good brushing with the brass brush again
5. Push through crumpled loo paper a few times to remove the Young's until clean
6. INSPECT for leading, plastic streaking etc, and if present repeat steps 2 to 5 concentrating on any fouling seen.
7. Couple of drops of either Young's 303 or other oil/preservative and spread with a fibre brush to leave a very thin film of oil.
8. Give the whole gun a good look over to check for any damage, corrosion, dents etc. and make sure it is DRY before putting in the cabinet

Two things I don't use;

1. Wirewool - which leaves iron 'whiskers' everywhere that can cause problems or start corrosion
2. WD40 - which is a fair water displacer, but neither an oil or a solvent

Edited November 16, 2017 by JohnfromUK

[figgy]

 Cleanzoil on Napier super clean a few runs up each barrel and that’s it run a mop up. I found no need to overclean them, scrubbing and scrubbing to remove a little plastic streak in the cones isn’t worth the effort. 

[Robertt]

As per Johnfromuk but use WD40. 

Not sure what WD40 is but it certainly shifts any plactic build up.

Last coat in barrels with Hornady One Shot.

This product came out in top 3 of big gun product test.

See link.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=398836

[JohnfromUK]

3 hours ago, Robertt said:

As per Johnfromuk but use WD40. 

Not sure what WD40 is but it certainly shifts any plactic build up.

Last coat in barrels with Hornady One Shot.

This product came out in top 3 of big gun product test.

See link.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=398836

WD40 is a silicone water displacer (WD stands for water displacer) and an oily film stuff in a solvent like (the old petrol based) lighter fuel and a 'propellant' to make it come out of the can, which might be CO2 these days.  It is the solvent part that shifts the plastic, the oily film stuff prevents corrosion, but can build up almost like a gum and is not a good lubricant.

Personally, I don't like it much on guns as the lubricant properties are not very good and it leaves the gummy residue.  The thin nature and ability to penetrate also means that if used too generously it can get into the wood - and wood doesn't like mineral oils.  However the stories about that it takes of the blueing etc., are rubbish.

Products designed as gun cleaners (like Young's) are better because they dissolve and neutralise the power burnt residue - which is what causes corrosion (by being acidic and attracting water).  It is fair to say that modern powders are pretty clean and non corrosive, so this is not the issue it was to earlier generations, but I still prefer to use a proper cleaner designed for burnt powder residue removal.

Lubrication (i.e. oiling to prevent wear and reduce friction) is a different issue and neither WD40 nor Youngs 303 (or any other powder solvent cleaner) is ideal here.  A little light grease (like Castrol general purpose) and a little synthetic oil are just as good as 'gun oils'.  All oils should be used VERY sparingly, not contaminate the wood (which they rot), and old (dirty and gritty) oil and or grease should be wiped away before clean new oil/grease is applied.  If oil 'runs down' the barrels - or action, there is too much there.

[greenergp]

17 hours ago, Gordon R said:

Paradox barrel brush. If it gets very dirty - Ed's Red.

I have just started using Ed's Red this season, i used the version with lanolin in it and it seems pretty good, my guns are used on the foreshore and the lanolin  is to try and keep the rust at bay.

[wymberley]

Loo paper, Payne Galway, OX 18 or 24 and 4 by 2.

With John re the WD40.

[Gordon R]

JohnfromUK - detailed and useful post.

[figgy]

John from Uk I wouldn’t say oil rots wood but it softens it. 

It does a great job on garden fences to preserve them for many years. 

[motty]

19 hours ago, Harry136 said:

Bore snake followed by a bit of oil

This will not clean the barrels very well at all.

[JohnfromUK]

1 hour ago, figgy said:

John from Uk I wouldn’t say oil rots wood but it softens it. 

It does a great job on garden fences to preserve them for many years. 

Point taken, but what goes on garden furniture is (in my garden anyway) a vegetable (natural) based oil (i.e. usually linseed based) - NOT a mineral oil.  This is in the form of 'teak' oil, Danish oil, boiled linseed oil or even just linseed oil or tung oil.  I also use Phillips Walnut Oil Preparation on my gun stocks.

The phrase used by the gun trade for stock damaged by mineral oil (as in the oils like 3 in 1 and others made from the crude oil as a raw material, though I appreciate this comes from plants many millions of years ago!) is 'oil rotten'.  It is regrettably common on old guns and softens, swells and weakens the wood. 

[Westley]

I just leave it for the Butler to do  !

[TIGHTCHOKE]

I presume that you all store your guns muzzle down after a light cleaning.

[JohnfromUK]

6 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I presume that you all store your guns muzzle down after a light cleaning.

No, I store mine muzzle up, but accept that if you like to leave it so that oil runs down, muzzle down is better.  Mine never have sufficient oil on then to run.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Fair enough, my son drowns them when he offers to clean the guns so we adopted that way a long time ago and I regularly mop up the residue.

[CharlesP]

Spray with Napier cleaner, vigorous bronze brushing, push a couple of squares of kitchen roll down thew tube. Spray again, then another bit of kitchen roll.

On my damascus barrelled gun the vigorous brushing is extra vigorous, and the final act is a mopping with Young's 303 oil. This is primarily for the aroma, which reminds me of my childhood. It is also (remember the Parker-Hale advertising?) an antiseptic (that can be "applied to open wounds") and an insect repellant. Last of all it sort of dries a bit and preserves the bores. It is one of the last remaining traces of our Empire, and should be "listed" like buildings or even given a blue plaque.

The outside  of barrels and actions get a wipe with 303 or whatever oil is closest. Never WD40.

I do not slather my guns in sufficient oil to necessitate the barbaric practice of storing them barrels-down. That is the sort of thing that foreigners do, and it frightens the servants.

[MR. BROWN]

Re: shotguns ....

 

Moisten bores with Lanolin spray then a tight patch.

 

Finish with thorough spray of Lanolin.

 

I've been doing this for years and the ( mostly chrome ) bores are 'mirror like'.

 

[JohnfromUK]

8 minutes ago, CharlesP said:

Spray with Napier cleaner, vigorous bronze brushing, push a couple of squares of kitchen roll down thew tube. Spray again, then another bit of kitchen roll.

On my damascus barrelled gun the vigorous brushing is extra vigorous, and the final act is a mopping with Young's 303 oil. This is primarily for the aroma, which reminds me of my childhood. It is also (remember the Parker-Hale advertising?) an antiseptic (that can be "applied to open wounds") and an insect repellant. Last of all it sort of dries a bit and preserves the bores. It is one of the last remaining traces of our Empire, and should be "listed" like buildings or even given a blue plaque.

The outside  of barrels and actions get a wipe with 303 or whatever oil is closest. Never WD40.

I do not slather my guns in sufficient oil to necessitate the barbaric practice of storing them barrels-down. That is the sort of thing that foreigners do, and it frightens the servants.

Unfortunately, Youngs 303 - whilst still my choice, is a shadow of its former self.  Apparently the formula had to be changed for Health and Safety reasons - I suspect it had a bit of creosote like stuff in it before.

[CharlesP]

I think you're right John, but I like to kid myself to preserve the dream. <Sob>