Barrel Cleaning

[MikeHW45]

Just wondering folks what different opinions and preferences you have on ways to clean a barrel?

[Rickenbacker]

It's one of the dark arts, Mike. But always by pulling patches through from the breech end - and always upside down for a PCP. : )

[TonyL]

Now here you'll open up a right old can of worms, Mike!

It seems almost as contentious as the old calibre debate.

Some will say that you never have to, so leave well alone. Others clean their barrels regularly. Some when accuracy drops off. Most common methods will be patches on a pull through, cleaning felts fired through the barrel or felts rodded through.

I have never cleaned any of my barrels. And I've never felt the need to. It's maybe more of a requirement on PCPs and CO2 guns. And you would most certainly want to do it if the bore has got wet and/or dirty.

Some will say that you owe it to yourself and the quest for ultimate accuracy to clean the barrel regularly and then re-lead but, as I say, I've never felt the need.

Funny you should ask the question today. A few days ago I had googled up the VFG cleaning felts and their rod system and came across a thread on here from about 2012. And the late, great Paul James posted on that thread. His preferred method, I seem to recall, was the VFG felt and rod method. And, if I ever felt the need, I'm pretty sure this is the method I'd also employ.

[TonyL]

I've just revived that old thread, Mike.

[flyingfish]

I was always told that lead lubricates and rust proofs. Never bothered cleaning an air rifle barrel. Had my MK1 Meteor for 44 years, never cleaned the barrel and she shoots fine

[StellaArtois Sr]

I always clean my barrels the moment I get a rifle be it new or used then I know it's clean from the start, using the napier pull through kit. I will not clean the barrel again until the pellet groups start getting bad. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.

[MikeHW45]

I've just revived that old thread, Mike.

Cheers Tony,

Just had a look through that one. Interesting the different opinions for sure.

[MikeHW45]

I was always told that lead lubricates and rust proofs. Never bothered cleaning an air rifle barrel. Had my MK1 Meteor for 44 years, never cleaned the barrel and she shoots fine

I must admit I've never cleaned any of mine and I've never had a problem either. Years ago I bought a Bisley cleaning rod set. I took it out of the box, screwed it together and thought there's no way I'm sticking that through the barrel. It looked pretty harsh. I do believe its up I'm my loft somewhere now.

[Geezer]

I must admit I've never cleaned any of mine and I've never had a problem either. Years ago I bought a Bisley cleaning rod set. I took it out of the box, screwed it together and thought there's no way I'm sticking that through the barrel. It looked pretty harsh. I do believe its up I'm my loft somewhere now.

I cleaned an air rifle barrel once when it started shootng poorly, but the barrel wasn't the culprit.

Otherwise, only ever cleaned them when I did something stupid like shoot the old plastic-bodied Prometheus pellets down a choked barrel, leaving little plastic swirls in the bore.

I mostly shoot springers. They basically very lightly oil the barrel with each shot due to the controlled burn of a tiny bit of lubricant every time they are fired.

A bore snake is a handy thing, which I've used often on firearms (though you can't really beat, for that application, a one-piece - not jointed - rod with the correct bore or muzzle guide).

[angrybear]

Bore snakes are instruments of the devil

A flannelette patch pulled through or a felt shot through, (but remove any mod) I usually do mine with each new tin of pellets.

[Geezer]

Bore snakes are instruments of the devil

A flannelette patch pulled through or a felt shot through, (but remove any mod) I usually do mine with each new tin of pellets.

Really? I quite liked them for a quick field or range clean. But only on stuff that goes ka-boom, rather than phut.

[jumbuck]

I have never in my 40 years of shooting them ever cleaned an air rifle barrel
I only clean my powder stuff and that isn't set in stone!!!!!!!!!!

[mr dink]

I would say it depends on what the gun is and what you use it for ,if you shoot at tin cans at 20 yds you will never notice the difference ,but if you do comps FT HFT you don't want to travel 300 miles shoot 10 targets and find out the barrel needs a clean all barrels are different.

[ChrisC]

I would say it depends on what the gun is and what you use it for ,if you shoot at tin cans at 20 yds you will never notice the difference ,but if you do comps FT HFT you don't want to travel 300 miles shoot 10 targets and find out the barrel needs a clean all barrels are different.

And that's the correct answer. Plenty of time i've done a round trip of 600 miles plus hotel bill to shoot a comp. Imagine being 10 shots in at the Worlds for the barrel to 'go off'.

We're measuring our accuracy to a pellets width at 45 and 55 yards and are able to see almost every shot land. I'm pretty confident in saying that the air rifle disciplines that require high levels of accuracy have shooters that have a regular barrel cleaning regime. Once per month i like to shoot a few groups onto 15mm dots (card) at 45 yards. I suspect a 40 year old Vulcan wouldn't be able to hit the A4 card,never mind the dot

It's nothing to do with elitism, but about getting the most consistant accuracy possible.

[max headroom]

fag filters. does the job and its fun.