🚀 go-pugleaf

Article: 1:29


I clean my rifle after each time I shoot.  I've heard folks say they
"never" clean their rifle or pistol, and have yet to hear an explanation
with which I agree.  I learned about rifle cleaning from my college coach,
my gunsmith (he rebarelled my Walther GX-1 smallbore free rifle), and the
Army Marksmanship Unit's gunsmith.

My cleaning procedure:

	- run a Hoppe's-soaked patch through the barrel;
	- run a brass wire brush (which has been dipped in
	  Hoppe's) through the barrel a couple of times;
	- run a series of dry patches through, until they
	  start to come out clean;
	- clean the bolt (especially the bolt face and the
	  firing pin), usually with a tiny toothbrush dipped
	  in Hoppe's, and wipe the bolt.

I do ALL my barrel cleaning from the breech end, using a cleaning rod
guide.  With my air rifle (which I only clean occasionally -- there's no
powder or primer fouling), I carefully run some monofilament down from the
muzzle, attach the cleaning patch (DRY PATCH ONLY!  NO SOLVENT OR OIL or
the rifle will be all over the paper for the many, many shots), and
carefully pull it up through so that the patch starts at the breech.  (The
air rifle procedure is likely overkill -- it's awfully hard to nick a
barrel with monofilament!)

I use the same procedure on my stainless barrel (the GX-1) and the blued
barrels (Anschutz 1407, Schultz&Larsen).

I don't oil the barrels of my rifles, unless I'm going to store them for
an extended period.  When I have oiled it, I like to run a Hoppe's-soaked
patch and then a couple of dry patches through prior to shooting.  I'll
also probably shoot a couple of fouling shots to ensure the barrel has
reach steady state.
-- 

Alan M. Marcum				Sun Microsystems, Technical Consulting
marcum@nescorna.Sun.COM			Mountain View, California