The old question? Do you clean your barrel?

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ThomasT

ThomasT

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Apr 25, 2021
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Hello everyone,

I know that this subject has been covered many times but with new products and new guns on the market I felt like it was time for an update. FX tells me in the Owners manual to shoot several “cleaning pellets” through the barrel to keep it clean. OK, just over a week ago I had removed the barrel for an adjustment and completed a really thorough cleaning. Since then I have shot a little over 500 rounds down the barrel and shot cleaning pellets about every 100 shots. Today I decided to shoot more cleaning pellets and they were really dirty, all 5 of them. So I put a clean cotton swab on the rod and ran it down the barrel and it was also dirty, see the photo of the swab and what wiped off on the shop towel ( the towel is a lot dirty than the photo shows ). I then pulled a cleaning plug soaked with Ballistol down the barrel and it too came out dirty. I then pulled a second plug and it came out clean.

My point is, all that “gunk” has to effect the pellet to some degree. So now comes the question (s);
1) Do you clean your barrel
2) How often do you clean
3) How do you clean

Be safe and have a great day,
ThomasT
FX barrel clean.jpg
 
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Yes I do, and I believe there are factors that result in the frequency.

My HW30 for example, after 1500 shot or so, accuracy will star to degrade. So I run a few patches with googone followed by dry patches, and the accuracy is restored.

My HW95 received a light polish and cleaning, followed by Hector’s run in process, has 4000 through the .22 barrel that I added, and has yet to show me it needs to be cleaned.

I have since given the HW30 a light polish and have surpassed the 1500 mark without any noticeable accuracy degradation.

Small sample size, but I think it depends on th sharpness of the mountains and valleys in the bore.

After cleaning it takes 20 or shots to fill the valleys and become normal. I wouldn’t run cleaning pellets in my springers, but I have doubts about them in other actions. I think a person needs to do it right when needed.
 
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If I see the accuracy fall off, then I'll clean. If it doesn't I don't bother. I've owned an FX Wildcat for at least 4 years and it continues to shoot lights out just like the day I bought it; I've never once cleaned the barrel. My shooting partner has the same gun and we both shoot 18 gr. JSB pellets. His needs to be cleaned regularly or accuracy suffers, so go figure.
 
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^^^
Yeah, that's how I do it as well. And it is what I tell my new airgun shooting friends when they ask.

I started out with the PatchWorm for cleaning, but I now find that I like the Napier pull-thru better. Ballistol wetted patches until fairly clean, then dry patches.

Just make sure that you also lubricate your breech o-ring every time you clean your barrel.
 
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Pretty much same here - when accuracy drops off I usually do 3 pull throughs with a bore snake (brass bristles removed) of the appropriate caliber. Usually seems the ones with a tighter choke need more frequent cleaning.

Also, when I get a gun new, I do give it a better cleaning with rod and cotton pads and Ballistol.

If the barrel needs a little work, some JB Bore paste, followed by a good cleaning.
 
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rsfrid said:
Depends on the gun. My RAW needs fairly consistent frequent cleaning. My Avenger or Maverick not so much. My HW44 needs cleaning every time I shoot. So I tend to frequently clean.
Click to expand...
Hello rsfrid

Well it is almost 100 ambient degrees with a feels like temp of 108 and a pretty good breeze outside but I set up on my 25-yard range and shot the heck out of a test target. No question that the cleaning did improve the accuracy on my FX Crown. I guess I will have to pay a bit closer attention to how often I clean the barrel. From all of the above replies it appears that each gun requires it's own needs.

Have a great day,
ThomasT
 
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When accuracy falls off i watched some you tube video on polishing barrels i am getting ready to try it on my 500mm 177 cal FX it seems like i shoot 1/2 tin of pellets and the accuracy goes to poop when i put ballistol the patches come out black with flakes that are shiny from what i understand the polishing of it will lessen the amount of times i have to clean it
 
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Many factory bores will have a moderate or sometimes severe amount of surface fretting left behind from the rifling process. In other words, a rough microscopic landscape that will aggressively strip off lead as the pellet or slug passes over. In those cases, a polishing regimen with something like J-B Bore Compound will help increase the number of shots possible before accuracy degrades substantially.

Another trick some of us do is apply a paste wax after a deep cleaning. The wax does two things...significantly reduces or eliminates the number of seasoning shots needed for the POI to stabilize, and also helps extend the cleaning interval.

A couple of recommended threads for further reading:

Tuning - Barrel Polishing?

Interested in how folks are doing this. I’ve seen a couple different ways and the last was with a drill and a device I can’t remember the name of. As always thank you
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com

Wax and gun bores

OK, some of you will consider me a few pellets short of a tin, but, I have something I'd like to share, and maybe even get some to thinking/doing. A trick I learned during my military career, from military gunsmiths, was/is to limit as much as possible,the use of grease and/or oil on...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com
 
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nervoustrig said:
Many factory bores will have a moderate or sometimes severe amount of surface fretting left behind from the rifling process. In other words, a rough microscopic landscape that will aggressively strip off lead as the pellet or slug passes over. In those cases, a polishing regimen with something like J-B Bore Compound will help increase the number of shots possible before accuracy degrades substantially.

Another trick some of us do is apply a paste wax after a deep cleaning. The wax does two things...significantly reduces or eliminates the number of seasoning shots needed for the POI to stabilize, and also helps extend the cleaning interval.

A couple of recommended threads for further reading:

Tuning - Barrel Polishing?

Interested in how folks are doing this. I’ve seen a couple different ways and the last was with a drill and a device I can’t remember the name of. As always thank you
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com

Wax and gun bores

OK, some of you will consider me a few pellets short of a tin, but, I have something I'd like to share, and maybe even get some to thinking/doing. A trick I learned during my military career, from military gunsmiths, was/is to limit as much as possible,the use of grease and/or oil on...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com
Click to expand...
Hello nervoustrig,

Two very helpful pieces of information.

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT
 
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ThomasT said:
Hello everyone,

I know that this subject has been covered many times but with new products and new guns on the market I felt like it was time for an update. FX tells me in the Owners manual to shoot several “cleaning pellets” through the barrel to keep it clean. OK, just over a week ago I had removed the barrel for an adjustment and completed a really thorough cleaning. Since then I have shot a little over 500 rounds down the barrel and shot cleaning pellets about every 100 shots. Today I decided to shoot more cleaning pellets and they were really dirty, all 5 of them. So I put a clean cotton swab on the rod and ran it down the barrel and it was also dirty, see the photo of the swab and what wiped off on the shop towel ( the towel is a lot dirty than the photo shows ). I then pulled a cleaning plug soaked with Ballistol down the barrel and it too came out dirty. I then pulled a second plug and it came out clean.

My point is, all that “gunk” has to effect the pellet to some degree. So now comes the question (s);
1) Do you clean your barrel
2) How often do you clean
3) How do you clean

Be safe and have a great day,
ThomasT
View attachment 270860
Click to expand...
Yes, I clean the barrel on my Impact .25 after each outing at the range. I run one patch with Ballistol Multi-Purpose and continue with dry patches until residue is gone. IMO a pellet or slug will pick up some of the lead build-up and it could affect flight/accuracy.
 
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morewind1 said:
Yes, I clean the barrel on my Impact .25 after each outing at the range. I run one patch with Ballistol Multi-Purpose and continue with dry patches until residue is gone. IMO a pellet or slug will pick up some of the lead build-up and it could affect flight/accuracy.
Click to expand...
Hello morewind1,

More and more I am believing it is important to clean regularly ( each gun can be different ) if accuracy is important. I shot several hundred rounds yesterday with a clean barrel and then cleaned the barrel after shooting and it was dirty. I just shot a little over 100 this morning and then shot 5 cleaning pellets and they were all pretty dirty. I will do a complete clean later on.

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT
 
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Have been shooting my RedWolf for over a year now, and I don't think I have cleaned it yet. Accuracy is still as good as it was from day one, always clean the barrels when I first get a rifle. Not sure how many tins I have through the rifle, but haven't had a need to clean as of yet. Still smacks rabbits around at 50 yards with ease
 
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woogie_man said:
Have been shooting my RedWolf for over a year now, and I don't think I have cleaned it yet. Accuracy is still as good as it was from day one, always clean the barrels when I first get a rifle. Not sure how many tins I have through the rifle, but haven't had a need to clean as of yet. Still smacks rabbits around at 50 yards with ease
Click to expand...
Hello woogie_man,

You are not the only person that has stated that they have never ( or rarely ) cleaned their barrel. It must be that some guns just do not require cleaning to stay accurate. Could be the design of the bore of the barrel, who knows.

Thanks for sharing and have a great day,
ThomasT
 
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This barrel cleaning thing is, and always has been an enigma (I know, look it up). After over a half century of shooting about everything that can be shot, I'll share my thinking (but remember, my wife says I'm always wrong). First, "accuracy" is subjective. If you need to hit a beer can at 50 feet, that's one level, if you need to shoot competitive BR groups, that's different. As a practical matter, and probably relevant to 90% of our needs, clean only when accuracy is prohibiting achieving your goal. If you are a high level shooter engaged in a precision discipline, then you need to know your barrel, because you can't risk accuracy going away in a match. We're lucky in the air rifle field, because our ammo variables are very limited compared to metallic cartridges. I don't believe any barrel shoots better "dirty". But, the gray graphite coating we get in air rifle barrels can be beneficial. It's not leading, and it can contribute to consistent accuracy. Whether centerfire, rimfire, or air rifle, it's incumbent on the shooter to manage good barrel cleaning routine. The only firm rule, there are no rules.
 
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