How clean does your barrel really need to be?

[gonoles_1980]

I use a mix of a brass brush, and brass brush with copper from a Choirboy wrapped on it. I use Hoppes #9 and Hoppes Copper remover on my revolvers, no matter how long I clearn, there always sees to be a gray or copper spots in the barrel. It looks clean other wize, no lead build up, very shiney. Just when I look closely into the mouth of the barrel, I see gray, and sometimes a short thin line of either gray or copper.

Update: Oh yeah, I run a snake through the bore 10 times after I am done cleaning and oiling.

 

[ku4hx]

I used to do "white Glove Inspection" cleaning and then one day realized it was waste of time. Now I work toward "functionally clean". I get off the major gunk, any leading, wipe off the surface soot and then properly lubricate.

You'll never get 100% of everything off and why do it anyway? The marginal gain is nil.

 

[rcmodel]

I use a mix of a brass brush, and brass brush with copper from a Choirboy wrapped on it. I use Hoppes #9 and Hoppes Copper remover on my revolvers,

Well there's your problem!!

The copper solvent is eating up your bronze bore brush, and copper Chore-Boy.

And leaving copper deposits in your barrel.

If you use any kind of copper solvent ( Hoppes #9 included) follow up with clean white cotton patches to remove the copper from the bore brushes the copper solvent ate out of them!

rc

 

[Stony]

We probably do more damage to our barrels with aggressive cleaning than we do by shooting.

 

[gonoles_1980]

Makes sense RC, and Stoney you are probably right. I think I'm going to back down to no little "lead pepples" or streak build-up. I think I may be over cleaning, potentially causing damage.

 

[joem1945]

I started cleaning my pistols in a sonic cleaner. Remove the grips. open cylinder or remove slide and run for i hour at 120 degrees. Super clean.

 

[Jim K]

The reason a barrel looks shiny when viewed through it, yet appears dull when looked at directly is simply due to the reflection of light.

I think a lot of that cleaning regime came from the days when a high percentage of men served in the military, and Marine Corps "gunnies" (or the equivalent in other branches of the service) demanded, loudly and often, absolute cleanliness of weapons. It was also necessary in the days of corrosive primers; failure to clean the barrel resulted in a ruined barrel in fairly short order.

But it was always more about discipline and assertion of power than about weapons functioning (and most NCO's would admit it to their peers). But an excess was never necessary and, in fact, could be detrimental. In the days of rifle muskets, the barrels were not blued, but issued "armory bright", and the troops were required to keep them that way. The abrasive of choice was almost always plain sand, and there were reports of muskets being polished so much over time, that the barrels became too thin and burst. The guns may have been dangerous, but they were, by God, clean!

Jim

 

[GBExpat]

I started cleaning my pistols in a sonic cleaner. Remove the grips. open cylinder or remove slide and run for i hour at 120 degrees. Super clean.

So, then you disassemble the handgun and thoroughly dry & re-lube/-oil all of the components prior to reassembly?

I certainly would not consider doing that with any of my revolvers ... and I would be very hesitant with most of my semi-autos.

 

[Jim K]

With a sonic cleaner, disassembly is not necessary, just remove plastic or wood parts, dunk the gun, and hit the switch. Of course, the oil will be removed and has to be replaced, but that is easily done on any handgun without taking the gun apart or at least not beyond field stripping.

Jim