help me clean a dart rifle please

[mpstan]

Back when I did large animal vet work, I tended to be the guy who cleaned and maintained our dart rifle, used to immoblize cattle for clients who weren't smart enough to have handling facilities.

I looked at that rifle yesterday for my old friends, and it's got some rust in the barrel. I want to help them clean it out and was hoping for help picking out the most effective penetrating solvents to use--- this is a 50 caliber rifled barrel. I was going to start with a metal brush and do some scrubbing, then use some very wet patches..... perhaps leaving overnight?


Can I use a bore cleaning jag along with a cheaper cleaning rod like I do with my shotgun? I can't approach the barrel from the breach end; must be from the barrel end. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[Cosmoline]

For rusty bores I like to start with some CLP patches to get things going, then the phos. brush, then Mpro cleaner, etc. until the loose stuff is out. Then move to bore gel or a similar intensive cleaner. Follow the directions on it, repeat until the patches are clean. It could take a spell depending on how bad the rust is.

You can use a rod guide to protect the crown. Does a dart gun have a crown? I don't know much about them.

 

[Dr.Rob]

You can buy a black powder 50 cal cleaning kit, use a bronze brush and gun oil. Scrub it, rinse it with solvent (like Hoppes #9) scrub it again. Leave a thin coat of oil in it when you store it, run dry patches before you take it into the field.