How often do you clean your barrel?

[Cranky1]

My streamline in 22 is still pretty new, but so far it seems like I need to clean it at about 200 rounds. I’ve been swapping between CPHP for hunting and jsb 15.89 for longer shots. I noticed the CPHP are much dirtier, ballistol is great for cleaning. I just noticed at 100yrds my jsb have opened up. I will try my cleaned gun again when I get a chance.

 

[FunGun]

I wash pellets and sort now, so I honestly have never cleaned any of my barrels. My bobcat .25 is lights out accurate. My Streamline is right behind the Bobcat and my Vulcan is such a tack driver....not one cleaning pad yet has touched my barrels. Just my 2 cents.

EDIT 5.15.18--You know what happens when you brag? You get to eat some crow...lol. My Streamline started getting some wider groups. Thought at first it was maybe the scope mounts had loosened up a bit....so I remounted the scope. Nope, that was not it. So I watched the AEAC video by our friend Steve about how he cleans his guns. So I ordered the "Patch Worm" from 20/20 concepts. In the mean time I researched different cleaning "solvents/oils" and decided "Ballistol" was a good choice for my application. One thing about Ballistol that I found from others on youtube, was that it works best if it is allowed to "soak" for about 5 minutes, before dry swabbing.

Guess what? My Streamline is now back to shooting hole in hole just like it did before. Guess I'm a convert, cleaning when POI becomes an issue, might just be what the chef orders to go with a little crow. Big thanks to Steve of AEAC and to Tom at Tomcat airguns for their hard work putting out videos to help us all.

 

[Grin_Reaver]

Fungun what sort of shot counts are we talking about through your guns and what are the typical distances you shoot to.

 

[Hookster]

I usually let the gun tell me when it needs to be cleaned. When I start to see the groups open up or see pellets spiraling in the air I throw a patch to it. Never had a set number of shots. 

 

[Cranky1]

I might have to start washing pellets, but I’ll treat it like my powder burners.... when groups open up I’ll clean. Also I caught the brother shooting 2 or three pellets at once. 

 

[TonyT]

I cleaned my FX. 400 barrel once after ca 5000 shots. Found virtually no leading and have not considered cleaning the bore again. I only use JSB pellets straight out of the tin.

 

[Cranky1]

The jsb are much cleaner then the crossman. I load one clip and get silver fingers.

 

[Guest]

Sorry for the ignorant question, but how do you wash your pellets?

Edit: I just looked it up on YouTube, so now I know. Although, having a PCP, I’m curious what lube you use. 

 

[Keyman62421]

I have a new 700mm impact barrel that im trying to figure out. Very rarely did i clean the standard twist barrel BUT, the x barrel needs cleaning every 1000 or so.
when the group starts to wander, i clean the barrel. Results are fairly immediate as far as i can tell.

 

[Xbowsniper]

Cranky,

If you have a habit of swapping pellet's, particularly Crosmans with other pellets, you have to remember that Crosman pellets are designed with a much harder alloy than other pellet brands that have thinner skirts. Crosman depends on this harder alloy to make a tight seal using their barrels. In doing this, the Crosman pellets leave behind a lot of antimony and bismouth deposits on the barrel, and it's hell to properly remove it. For this reason, I use a separate barrel for Crosman pellets in my Marauder, will not shoot a Crosman pellet in a barrel that shoots a different pellet well, don't want to foul it and ruin that barrels accuracy. Lubing the Crosman pellets might help, but I wouldn't count on it.

Tom Holland 

 

[Michael]

I recently went through and cleaned all of my barrels. I was surprised that every single one of them including the original smooth twist had quite a bit of fouling. The build up actually looked like melted bubbles or corrosion. It turned out to be just lead fouling that could not be removed with a standard pull through or patch worm and required a brass brush. Almost all of the build-up accumulated in the choked area.

I plan on cleaning my barrels more often now, as I'd like to stay away from the brass brushes. Note that contrary to what some believe, the brass brush did not harm the barrel or choke in any way.

 

[outdoorman]

Crosman pellets are usually very "dirty". I've read that they are coated with graphite. I don't know if that's true but my fingertips are always gray after handling them. Don't see that at all with JSB's.

 

[Xbowsniper]

I have been inside the Crosman facility more than once, and spent a good deal of time observing their pellet manufacturing process. They use a liquid oil type compound, not to be used as a lube, but it is used as a release agent to free the swaged pellets from the dies. Graphite is not used, as graphite in it's proper form is actually an abrasive.

Tom Holland 

 

[Drumsnguns]

Interesting note about the fouling and brass brush, Michael. Did you find in increase in accuracy after brushing?

I have been washing pellets with acetone and lubing with Krytech and have found that the barrel comes clean after only two or three patches. I do have a stiff nylon brush I have used on occasion. When my groups start to open up with occasional fliers, it's time to clean, usually 2-3 tins. I pull dry patches through on fishing line and that's all it needs

KP.

 

[Cranky1]

Sounds like I just need to use jsb and not get anymore CPHP once their gone I’ve got about 800 left, I’ll try washing them and either pledge or ballistol. I’m cleaning the barrel with ballistol, usually takes 1 wet 3dry then 1 wet 3 dry and sometimes one more set then it’s clean.

 

[spinj]

I posted a little while back on what Crosman pellets can do to barrels and why no amount of cleaning patches will clear out the lead deposits unless a brass brush is used to scrub them off. Here's a picture that shows lead smeared onto the steel action of my Air Arms TX200. I had to scrub all of them off with a brass brush as just wiping them off even with a solvent could not get rid of them. So, just imagine if this is what pellets can do to the surface of steel that we can see clearly, think about how the inside of your rifle's bore looks like after loads of pellets have gone through it. I use a brass brush all the time and prefer it when cleaning my rifles' barrel, and I have been stating for ages that it will not destroy the rifling of a good quality airgun barrel.

 

[outdoorman]

Get a piece of paper and start writing with a pellet. Works just like a pencil although much lighter and it won't erase with the pencil eraser.. Looks the same whether it's a JSB or Crosman.

 

[Cranky1]

I use to make lead fishing weights and they were never that dirty. But I was pouring melted lead into molds, still have my melter. It will melt 115lbw in about 10 minutes. 

 

[Paul_R]

There may be all manner of gunk in a barrel but knowing the process by which leading occurs in powder burners, I find it hard to believe that it's even possible in an air gun. Haven't even been tempted to clean mine.

 

[Quoddy]

So far I've been cleaning my barrel and suppressor every 250, or so. I use a Swab-its bore whip with a dap of Hoppes 9, then run it up and down the bore's muzzle/supressor about 3 times. I follow this up with a clean one run through twice. They're washable so no need to buy new ones. The whole procedure takes no more than 2 minutes and leaves the barrel like new. I've been unable to find the Bore-Whips in anything above .22, so I'll be finding a new method for my new Impact .30