Cleaning barrels

[Dave M.]

I have always cleaned 100% of my barrels on the rifle. However, I recently took off two barrels off separate gun to get some work done on the actions. I want to clean these barrels really good before putting them back on the shelf. Has anyone ever cleaned barrels off the gun just in the barrel vise? Personally I think it’s a bad idea because you wouldn’t have any way to guide the rod down the bore. Just wondering if I’m missing anything here and if others have done, or do this regularly.
Dave

 

[jackieschmidt]

If you have a guide that fits the chamber fairly well, (with the help of small o-rings), you can carefully handle the rod so as to avoid any ill happenings.

But I try to avoid cleaning them off the action.

 

[6MMsteve]

make a wood jig to hold barrel and bore guide..maybe I'm not really precision minded just shadetree

 

[Dimner]

I have always cleaned 100% of my barrels on the rifle. However, I recently took off two barrels off separate gun to get some work done on the actions. I want to clean these barrels really good before putting them back on the shelf. Has anyone ever cleaned barrels off the gun just in the barrel vise? Personally I think it’s a bad idea because you wouldn’t have any way to guide the rod down the bore. Just wondering if I’m missing anything here and if others have done, or do this regularly.
Dave

if you do it often enough you could create a jig for lack of a better term.

Something like a piece of pvc or more stiff pipe say 16" long that you can slip over the first 6 or so inches of the barrel. Then reduce the inside of the pipe so your bore guide is stable while cleaning. Probably alot more work than useful unless you clean alot of barrels without a receiver.

Another thought is to create a fake receiver for your barrel to screw into.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have a few TC dimension barrels, I have cleaned them off the action. I unscrewed the chamber tip end from one of my bore guides used that in the chamber. My 223 barrel I used a possom hollow AR 223 bore guide, layed the whole works on the bench to clean. Thought off the action while switching barrels was a good idea, the tip as a guide worked the best, for off action.

 

[nmkid]

A long time ago I had a guy tell me that with the barrel off he would cut the base off a case and expand the neck until the case would just barely fit in the chamber. That was his guide with the barrel off. I never tried it or bothered to find out if it was possible and no, it wasn't me.

 

[F Class John]

21st Century used to make off-barrels guides for just this purpose. I have one and it's nice to have one in a while for this purpose. To my knowledge nobody makes them anymore but just buy something like a Creedmoor or other chamber specific boreguide and just chop it off or if you have a buddy that can do lathe work you get some delrin and make one.

 

[Tesoro]

Maybe I am just an amateur, but I dont understand all this terror of scrubbing a barrel without a bore guide. When I clean a standalone barrel in a vice I just slow down when I feel when the bush starting to come out of the bore and and gently re-insert the tip with my '2 finger guide' and then have at it with another round. Dosent hurt one bit accorning to my bore scope. I use all dewey cleaning stuff. I think the boreguide is primarily a great tool for speed and not making a mess when adding juice by having to pull the brush all the way out of the receiver.

 

[K22]

I am not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I don't understand why anyone would want to remove the barrel to clean it???

If you are not satisfied with your F Class Open scores, I would look somewhere else to improve them rather than any gain that could be achieved by removing the barrel to clean it.

 

[K22]

Maybe I am just an amateur, but I dont understand all this terror of scrubbing a barrel without a bore guide. When I clean a standalone barrel inn a vice I just slow down when I feel when the bush starting to come out of the bore and and gently re-insert the tip with my '2 finger guide' and then have at it with another round. Dosent hurt one bit accorning to my bore scope. I use all dewey cleaning stuff. I think the boreguide is primarily a great tool for speed and not making a mess when adding juice or paste by having to pull the brush all the way out of the receiver.

I believe a bore guide is beneficial, if for nothing else to keep solvent from draining into the action even if the barrel is tilted forward since drippings from the patch and / or brush could leave solvent in the trigger assembly and / or mag well.

Dewey coated rods and non-harm bronze brushes are excellent in my experience. I have been using them for a very long time. Even so, I believe a bore guide minimizes off center stroking. Whether that is harmful, I can't say but I would rather avoid off center rods.

 

[Dave M.]

I’ll probably just wait until I put the actions back on to deep clean these barrels. Both were given a light cleaning but definitely need more work after reviewing with the scope.
Dave

 

[Dave M.]

I am not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I don't understand why anyone would want to remove the barrel to clean it???

If you are not satisfied with your F Class Open scores, I would look somewhere else to improve them rather than any gain that could be achieved by removing the barrel to clean it.

Clearly you didn’t read the original post….thanks for offering your two cents, but I will be giving you a full refund.
Dave

 

[K22]

Clearly you didn’t read the original post….thanks for offering your two cents, but I will be giving you a full refund.
Dave

I did read it, but my old brain doesn't always comprehend what I read. How much refund? Enough for a cold beer?

But seriously, why would you even consider removing the barrel every time you clean it. I guess that was the point I was trying to make which I clearly didn't accomplished.

 

[JFrank]

I do barrel off cleaning on occasion, I’ve never had any issues whatsoever. Use a shorter cleaning rod if it helps.

Personally I think it’s a bad idea because you wouldn’t have any way to guide the rod down the bore. Just wondering if I’m missing anything here and if others have done, or do this regularly.

 

[JB10]

I did read it, but my old brain doesn't always comprehend what I read. How much refund? Enough for a cold beer?

But seriously, why would you even consider removing the barrel every time you clean it. I guess that was the point I was trying to make which I clearly didn't accomplished.

Barrel was removed to get work done on the action he said. Cleaning while removed was just an idea..

 

[Tesoro]

I’ll probably just wait until I put the actions back on to deep clean these barrels. Both were given a light cleaning but definitely need more work after reviewing with the scope.
Dave

Take a walk on the wild side!!

 

[Dimner]

bore guides are important. For people like me who are impatient and hate cleaning bores. Also often distracted and talking to someone at the range. It's a save me from myself kind of tool

 

[F Class John]

I'll just interject and say there's 100% valid reasons to clean a barrel off the gun and Dave (OP) asked the most obvious and valid which is, the barrels came off for one reason or another and they need to be cleaned but since they won't get used for a while he doesn't want to put them back on just to clean.

I've done this myself while switching barrels where for one reason or another I swap barrels before cleaning the off barrel and go back to clean it since it may be in storage for a while. This has nothing to do with a barrel not shooting, in fact I pull a number of barrels off because they're great shooters and I'm saving them for big matches instead of wasting them on club matches. High level F Class shooting (and other disciplines as well) is all about barrel management and development.

 

[Dave M.]

I did read it, but my old brain doesn't always comprehend what I read. How much refund? Enough for a cold beer?

But seriously, why would you even consider removing the barrel every time you clean it. I guess that was the point I was trying to make which I clearly didn't accomplished.

I don’t remove barrels to clean them. I took the barrels off two rifles to have some action work done, I was considering cleaning the barrels off the action while waiting on the actions to return. I will likely wait until the actions return to clean them fully.
Dave

 

[Dave M.]

Barrel was removed to get work done on the action he said. Cleaning while removed was just an idea..

Glad to see a few people read my original post. Thank you sir.