Cleaning with Abrasives and using Fire Lapping kits and warranty

[Kracken McGraw]

It is after 5:00 here. FWIW, I clean mine with a homemade mix of 150 grit blended into some Hydrocortisone cream in case my ass gets chapped while cleaning the gun. I hear some guys prefer Vagasil though.

I read this while for some reason I’m drinking out of one of my wife’s pink coffee cups, Damn!

 

[Acyr]

The barrel business has to be one of the toughest businesses out there. It is "always" the barrel's fault, no matter what the shooter is doing with it.

 

[Syncrowave]

I haven't read the thread, but I suspect that 10X if not 100X more barrels are ruined by over-cleaning than under-cleaning. Some fellas just go wacko with it.

Toilet bowl cleaner?

Really?

If you want it REALLY REALLY CLEAN, why not just cut to the chase and use a plasma cutter or oxylance?

 

[Will Henry]

Almost fifty years ago, I believe it was John Fry who said cleaning after every group with JB would ruin a barrel inside of 400 rounds. I think you do have to take care. Around sixty years ago, I think it was Charles Askins who advocated using toothpaste and a brush, if a barrel tended to foul badly. I don't recall that he specified a particular brand. I used Colgate on my Lee Enfield. It shot fine before and after. WH

 

[AlNyhus]

I put a new Bartlein .30 on my VFS gun this season. Dave Tooley did the barrel work and chambering. Long story short, after reading Frank's cleaning recommendations of no brushing, I was still pretty hesitant. Randy Robinett has been telling me for quite a while how's he's been cleaning his Bartlein's (multiple calibers) without brushing. Evidently, I had reached a "teachable moment"....that's a Robinett-ism.... and decided to give it a try. After a while and verifying it with my Hawkeye, I was whiplashed back to the Gomer Pyle USMC show.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[Fuj]

I have to put this out there for the sake of more abrasive argument.....
Yeah the pun was intended. Some times those videos of showing a
known shooter with a brush on a rod, and run with a drill can't be
anything more then a bad April fools joke. Hear me out. The method
shown is basically "HONING". You clean a barrel in a linear motion
and not rotary. Carbon fouling that can be removed from a surface
is now in particle form, and in solution. Your then taking this mix and
running it against the edges of the lands in a rotary fashion. Not too
smart......

 

[J.d. Popkes]

I put a new Bartlein .30 on my VFS gun this season. Dave Tooley did the barrel work and chambering. Long story short, after reading Frank's cleaning recommendations of no brushing, I was still pretty hesitant. Randy Robinett has been telling me for quite a while how's he's been cleaning his Bartlein's (multiple calibers) without brushing. Evidently, I had reached a "teachable moment"....that's a Robinett-ism.... and decided to give it a try. After a while and verifying it with my Hawkeye, I was whiplashed back to the Gomer Pyle USMC show.

Good shootin' -Al

Am I understanding correctly that you never use a brush of any kind for the life of the barrel?

 

[AlNyhus]

Am I understanding correctly that you never use a brush of any kind for the life of the barrel?

Speaking specifically about this barrel, I've shot it all season and have yet to put a brush down it.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Speaking specifically about this barrel, I've shot it all season and have yet to put a brush down it.

How are you cleaning? How long is it taking? I’m assuming it’s shooting great with your method? How’s it looking in your borescope?

 

[charlie b]

Just for grins..... has anyone compiled a list of cleaning regimens from the top 20 or 30 benchrest shooters? Segregate between short range and long range to see if there is a difference.

I always keep in mind that many of the top shooters change barrels more often than most.

I've tried a ton of stuff, including several home made concoctions. None worked that great for carbon. KG12 works on copper the fastest for me. Wipeout foaming seems the easiest for me and I let it sit overnight.

 

[jelenko]

OK.
I'm going to get some stainless steel rods that i can chuck up in my hand drill.
I'm going to see how much abrasive [Iosso] and how long it will take to remove 1/1000 " from the OD of the rod. I've got a nice Mitutoyo micrometer. I'm hoping I can see the tenths go by.
If it takes less than a lifetime, I'll do the same with Flitz.

 

[dellet]

This is a brass barrel lap. I use one of these and very very fine polishing compound or JB paste, then aluminum wheel polish to open up the neck of hardened sizing dies. Doesn’t take as long as you would think to remove .001 or so to change neck diameter .002-3”

 

[J.d. Popkes]

I’m thinking I’ll just keep doing what I have been doing. My barrel life is good and I clean where it’s pretty shiny. Doesn’t take long. I don’t think I’m going crazy. No drills. I like keeping ahead of it so it’s easier. Witches brew, Montana copper cream, flitz, iosso, yes please, and I love brushes.

Spoiler alert, if I need a new barrel I have 4 ready. 3 Bartleins and a Schneider. I never even considered complaining to a barrel manufacturer about it problem.

Cheers. Go big red.

 

[AlNyhus]

How are you cleaning? How long is it taking? I’m assuming it’s shooting great with your method? How’s it looking in your borescope?

I clean at the end of each yardage. At 100 yds, that will be from 50-60 shots, including the warm up match, sighters and record shots. At 200, it's about 70-80 rounds. This is a 30BR so for other cartridges (6PPC, etc), the cleaning intervals will be different.

-Two wet patches of Accelerator
-Fill the bore with Wipe Out foam

Then I let it sit while I reload my fired cases, etc. After about 20 minutes, patch out the Wipe Out, bore mop the chamber, clean the lug area and head back out with the gun and set wind flags for the 200.

Same routine at the end of the day, except I refill the bore with Wipe Out foam (no Accelerator used). The next day at home, I'll patch that out and get in there with the bore scope to see if there any carbon at the end of the neck area.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Holy smokes to remove 4" of rifling you gotta be getting crazy with it.

 

[jelenko]

Doesn’t take as long as you would think to remove .001

Sounds like you have experience with this.
But, I gotta see it myself.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

I clean at the end of each yardage. At 100 yds, that will be from 50-60 shots, including the warm up match, sighters and record shots. At 200, it's about 70-80 rounds. This is a 30BR so for other cartridges (6PPC, etc), the cleaning intervals will be different.

-Two wet patches of Accelerator
-Fill the bore with Wipe Out foam

Then I let it sit while I reload my fired cases, etc. After about 20 minutes, patch out the Wipe Out, bore mop the chamber, clean the lug area and head back out with the gun and set wind flags for the 200.

Same routine at the end of the day, except I refill the bore with Wipe Out foam (no Accelerator used). The next day at home, I'll patch that out and get in there with the bore scope to see if there any carbon at the end of the neck area.

Is that 30 br a fairly mild fouling round? Seems like it would be.

 

[dellet]

Sounds like you have experience with this.
But, I gotta see it myself.

The first one takes for ever, or you ruin it because you thought it would take forever and were too aggressive. Third one is not so bad.

 

[FrankG]

here is another I have here in the shop for show and tell.

308w barrel off of a tactical gun.

Guy cleaned it with Witchs Brew and a brush. Only 500 rounds on the barrel. I don't know how many times he cleaned it. Shot great when new.... now the bore and groove are basically a full .001" ovesize.

 

[Carl S]

Not everyone will agree.i haven't seen fire lapping a match grade barrel do it any good.would I do it no.would I recommend anyone doing it no.ive seen good barrels ruined by fire lapping.because a person has read how good it is and his barrel is badly fouled.lot's of barrels are ruined by improper cleaning regimes.to much abrasives.uncoated cleaning rod.no bore guide.poor quality components etc,the list goes on.also people not being educated properly on the topic.just a little common sense and patience is needed.then you have the one's who say you don't need to clean your barrels at all.