Interested in hearing views on shotgun bore cleaning frequency/methods

[jepp2]

Hopefully this question is appropriate for this area of the forum. I'm confident there are quite a number of shotgun sports shooters that can help me.

I expect to be doing more clays shooting than I ever have before. Have been mostly a rifle shooter/hunter/varmint eliminator. I'm well aware of the multitude of opinions on rifle bore cleaning - at least what I believe works best for me.

However with most of my previous shotgun experience (casual trap to prepare for annual pheasant hunt, and some skeet) all done with my hunting shotgun, the bore make have been somewhat neglected. Always attended to the metal and wood at the end of the day, especially if any moisture fell.

Will be shooting a Beretta 686 in 20 ga. So questions I have, include:

• how often do you suggest I remove all fouling from the bores?
• methods you find work best? (I admit to using a tornado brush to remove plastic, was this Ok)
• What solvents you find work best for you?
• techniques you have migrated to that work best for you?

If I asked 10 rifle shooters similar questions, I would get at least 12 different opinions. So I appreciate all that anyone has to offer. I prefer to benefit from the learning curve of others experience.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Google Ed's Red Bore Cleaner. The stuff is hard to beat and has been around forever. It's still better than 95% of the carbon/general rifle bore cleaners of today. It's weakness is copper. There are better cleaners today for going after that. I still use Ed's Red to get after the carbon, then go after the copper in a separate step when cleaning all of my guns, BR rifles, hunting, pistols and shotguns. The stuff melts wadding like butter.

 

[jepp2]

The stuff is hard to beat and has been around forever.

Still working on the gallon I mixed up several years ago! Thanks.

 

[lawman29]

BROWNELLS SHOTGUN WAD SOLVENT

Check out BROWNELLS SHOTGUN WAD SOLVENT available Online at Brownells Today and many more Gun Solvents & Degreasers products are available in our Tools & Cleaning Department.

www.brownells.com

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Still working on the gallon I mixed up several years ago! Thanks.

Yeah...cheap too...compared to most products that aren't as good.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have went to the Hilco lubricant/cleaner wipes. Wrap a strip around half the brush, removes wad,and fouling debris. I think the U.S. army trap team uses them.

 

[KMart]

This being a rifle based forum, I will be in the minority. I shot registered ATA trap for 30 years, however. My guns were Perazzi, Beretta, and the Belgium made Browning from 1936. I cleaned to bores on average of about once a year(5-10,000rounds) For choke tubes, you will need a little more care. You will get a build up where the bottom of the tube meets the barrel bore. You want to take them out and clean them. There is a product called Door-eze that can be bought at the hardware store. It is like a large crayon. Use that to lube the threads. You don't want to get a tube stuck in the bore.
Beretta has for years chrome lined the chambers and bores. They will never rust. Just knock the loose residue out of the bores if it makes you feel good.
I won a couple of Berettas years ago, 303 trap guns. The instructions for cleaning said to disassemble and clean the gas system every 2000 rounds. That was it.
When you finish shooting for the day, wipe your finger prints off the gun. Sweaty body acid can be toxic to the receiver finish. I kept a small jar with a piece, about 3x3 square of chamois that was damp with a good gun oil for that purpose.
Put a little bit of lubriplate or similar lube on the hinge pins and the fore end metal where it meets the receiver, every time you put the gun together. Prevents galling.

 

[drano38]

I use Hoppe's #9 for shotgun.
I removed the plastic handle from a Outers cleaning rod, and chuck it into a cordless drill.
Bronze brush, and patch wrapped around it wet with Hoppe's.
Run it back and forth several times with the drill turning at a low/moderate speed - removes wad residue, crud, pretty well, but takes a few patches.
When I was shooting a couple hundred rounds a week, I'd clean the bores every 3-4 weeks.
My 2 target shotguns have had the barrels back-bored, so if they were chrome lined when made, they are not anymore.
Edit -- I have a bore guide from Brownells to keep the cleaning rod centered in the chamber. Not as critical as rifle cleaning, but a low price product to keep the cleaning rod from spinning on the chamber walls.

 

[Dos XX]

Outers tico tool. I spray a pretty good dose of Shooters Choice Shotgun and Choke Tube Cleaner in the barrel. I swish it around and let it set for 10 or 15 minutes while I clean and lube the action. Then I wad up a piece of paper towel, about 1/2 of one of the small paper towels, and push it through the bore with the Outers tool. Might need to repeat once, but not usually.

The paper towel should be tight to the bore. I will be black when it comes out. The fuzzy stuff on the Outer's tool will eventually get dirty enough that you won't like it. When that happens, I clean it with some Dawn dishwashing soap, and it is good to go again.

Then I use the little swab that is in the handle of the Outer's tool to run some oil through the bore. The little swab attaches to the end of the Outers tool, and you drag it through the bore muzzle to breach. After a few uses, the swab will stay oily. Stored in the handle, it can stay oily without being a mess.

Outers - Shotgun Cleaning Tools

www.outers-guncare.com

 

[swd]

I shot a lot of trap at one time. One year alone I shot 44,000 targets. Pre married days, lol. I just sold my Perazzi of 21 years about a month ago. I wiped the bore out with a dry mop at the end of every day And gave a squirt of Rem Oil spray. If I saw any build up I used a tornado brush. I rarely saw the need for solvent, maybe once a year. I had Briley’s and if I didn’t change them I broke them loose every couple weeks and cleaned and lubed the threads. That was about it for the bores. I like Pro Gold for the hinge pins and knuckles or Lubriplate.

 

[jepp2]

One year alone I shot 44,000 targets

 

[Blackthorn]

I clean my clays guns through observation. I look for lead and plastic residue. Most cleaning can be accomplished no chemical means.

After each match I run a Tico Tool down the barrel then a bit of oil on the swab and I’m good to the next match.

I get a little more aggressive when I start to notice plastic at the forcing cone. I have an old Rodge F 20mm brush (Barrel-Buddy MFG is the manufacturer now) that I use to remove the plastic. The rod length is only about 14” so it only scrubs the chamber and forcing cone areas. Works well in just a few strokes. Then wipe out with the Tico Tool. If the plastic starts getting really bad (which happens depending on the factory ammo) and doesn’t scrub out with the dry 20mm brush I soak it with Bore Tech Shotgun Blend and scrub it with a good quality bore brush. Bore Tech makes one from nylon. Once I scrub the plastic out I run the Tico Tool down the barrel followed by a lightly oiled swab.

Chokes I soak in Bore Tech every other match. Run a brush through them and add a bit of Briley grease to the threads.

My 20mm bore brush is one of the best tools I own. I’ll carry it with me for multi day events and just do a quick scrub between courses along with a nightly Tico Tool wipe.

I use Slip 2000 to wipe down my shotguns after daily use to help preserve the finishes.

 

[ebb]

I barrowed a 20 gage auto to shoot clays with the guys i worked with. I liked it a lot, and thought it was bad manners to return it dirty so i took it apart and cleaned it. The bore was hard chrome and all the other parts in the action and trigger were black chrome. I ran a mop through the bore and wiped down the rest, and it was clean in 30 seconds. Its been a few years but it was either a Beretta or a Benelli. The manufacturer took all the work out of cleaning this gun and showed that they make a fine shotgun.

 

[HTSmith]

Lot's of good info given. I'll just throw in my $,02 on top. I clean the inside of my barrels every 200 rounds or so. Not critical just like to keep the plastic at bay. Use whatever is handy for solvent--WD40, Eds Red, and just lately Free All. Seems like the Free All is best. If you include Acetone in your Eds Red be very careful. It can ruin a stock finish in short order. Brass brush and patch out with 1/2 paper towel.

I also clean the action metal and lightly regrease everywhere with metal rubbing--locking lugs, hinge pins, knuckles, etc.. Lately I've used Lucus Red and Tacky but I don't think it matters too much.

Choke tubes can take some special attention. An acetone soak seems to soften the plastic. I'm ashamed to say I've had to scrape the plastic out with pocket knife a few times. Also put a little grease on the choke tube threads. I've seen them seize up and it can be a real mess. Wipe the outside down with a little Mobile 1 or whatever CLP you have.

The forcing cones can also gunk up just ahead of the chambers. I twist an oversized brush in there for that. Though your barrels are chrome lined, personally I'd stay away from stainless brushes.

I take the buttstock off once a year or if I've been in the rain and clean up the locks. Lube very sparingly with thin oil. None is better than too much. You'll need a long allen wrench for this but its easy to do. Don't overtighten.

Finally store it upside down so oil doesn't soften the buttstock.

Sorry this is so disorganized. I'm trying to get to the rifle range before the mirage sets in
https://www.amazon.com/Dove-Hunting-Shotgunning-Hurtford-Smith/dp/1523365439