Barrel cleaning and accuracy

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zooma
Lifetime Contributor to Shooting
Lifetime Contributor to Shooting
Posts:646
Joined:Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:12 pm
Re: Barrel cleaning and accuracy

Post by zooma » Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:23 pm

What "compound" do you suggest for deep cleaning an air rifle or pistol barrel Robin?

I read various threads where a "solvent" or "compound" is recommended - but nobody will name this mysterious juice.

Is is another mystery of the East - or can you reveal this well hidden secret? :think:
Feinwerkbau P40 Tricolour wanted.........still !
http://www.bobsairguns .com - proud to host the RMTC site since April 2011.

RobinC

Re: Barrel cleaning and accuracy

Post by RobinC » Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:30 am

My opinion? And I'm only talking air guns.

You should not need any more than dry felts, and in most cases standard ones, but they do make extreme ones with a litle phospher bronze content, I've only ever bought standard ones and before felts I used standard cleaning cords also dry.
Unless you've been shooting molten lead I can't see a situation that will require more. If a barrel is so rough that it gets lead fouling then its not worth cleanng, and it will make no difference to the accuracy any way!

With regard match barrels (or at least a good quality )I think I used too strong a word before saying "lead fouling", its more lead staining, its very slight and dry felts would remove 99.9% of that in 99.9% of guns. In a worst case it would just take more cleaning with the same thing.
To go more you need to go into an abrasive, which I woul dnot recomend, I know of people who have used the softest grade of T cut, and a well known expert did have a special compound he was extolling that to me was the same thing, I know of one top class pistol shooter who tried it and said it mad not a jot of difference. I do not recomend in a decent gun using any more than dry felts or cords.
Solvents in an air gun will not remove lead, more likely will damage seals.

The fit of a pellet in an air barrel is not tight, it has little power pushing it and its doing 500 to 600 fps, the lead is not fouling, its no more than a film. I'm dealing with hi tech state of the art match air rifles, and with shooting at the top levels, and I know they can go for ever with out cleaning and it makes little or no difference, as I've said my wifes match air rifle is a typical Ladies rifle (never cleaned!) and it shot one of the tightest groups seen at MEC!

Cartridge guns are a different subject, the bullets are a lot tighter, they are faster, there is burnt powders, carbons, and primer material (glass), and heat, in fullbore a lot. In those cases yes, solvents such as KG-1 and Hoppes no 9. But for air forget it.
I've never heard of an air rifle barrel being genuinly shot out, possibly hundreds of thousands of rounds, a .22rf is shot out from 25,000, some go a lot more, 100K, a fullbore is shot out in 2,500 rounds.

For an air barrel worth cleaning, the trick is to shoot a few felts through regularly and at least every tin of 500, don't even think about solvents, and don't oil the bore.

Robin

Jeff
Posts:27
Joined:Thu Jul 16, 2015 8:04 am

Re: Barrel cleaning and accuracy

Post by Jeff » Sun Aug 09, 2015 6:16 am

Does this advice apply to pistols. Im shooting a Zoraki HP 01 Ultra which has never been cleaned and my scores seem to be getting better but I'm just about to start using an IZH 46M and would like to treat it properly!

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