Barrel cleaning

[slugs.22]

I have a few old rifles and have decided to give them a good clean is there any good advice for cleaning inside of barrels

[Powderfinger]

Yes: Unless the airgun has an accuracy problem, there is no point in cleaning the barrel. Cleaning a barrel is a satisfying process but often pointless. Barrel-cleaning is something drummed into generations of shooters through past experience of military service and the use of old fashioned corrosive primers. It is disputable whether airgun barrels need cleaning except as part of tracing the cause of accuracy problems.

[slugs.22]

Thank you for the advice I'll shoot them all and test accuracy and if not to big problems I'll leave them alone

[the logun-ator]

IM with above on this,only clean if you have accuracy problems.
sometimes cleaning a barrel can actually make a gun more inaccurate until it is 'leaded' back in after a few hundred shots
if you have to,use a tight fitting pull-through but keep mind of any orings inside depending on gun type,pcp eg
springers can also expel tiny amounts of lube every shot,you may clean them and the pull through will be very dirty/minging
after cleaning it may also help to pull a lightly 'oil' patch though which should stop any rust forming as a cleaned barrel will be susceptible to the brown stuff.

[max headroom]

said it before, will say it again, fag filters. if they are not air. good old copper push rod.

[ChrisC]

I have a few old rifles and have decided to give them a good clean is there any good advice for cleaning inside of barrels

I really does depend on the rifle but every single air rifle i have ever owned has preferred to have the barrel cleaned....and i've owned hundreds. The only difference is the frequency of the cleaning regime. For older rifles and back garden plinkers it may not be worth it as you would struggle to see the benefits.

I currently comp shoot 2 Steyrs and they both follow the same cleaning regime of a couple of pull throughs every tin or so (500 pellets). If you use the pull through correctly and make sure it's pulled centrally through the barrel and not rubbing against the crown then no worries. It depends on the barrel how often it needs cleaning and how many pellets it takes to 'lead up'. I zero onto card (15mm dots at 45yards) in the prone position as i mostly shoot comp HFT so that level of accuracy is needed.

I make my own pull throughs and would happily send you one for free to try....PM me your address mate and i'll get one in the post at the weekend.

[hutchys]

Hi I presume these are of the paper type and not fabric? Fairly new to this and the couple of videos I have seen show what seems to be paper type material, almost like dry glass cleaning wipes.

[slugs.22]

Pm sent and thankyou for the kind gesture

[ChrisC]

Hi I presume these are of the paper type and not fabric? Fairly new to this and the couple of videos I have seen show what seems to be paper type material, almost like dry glass cleaning wipes.

Not sure about paper/fabric?....the pull through goes through the barrel from the front to the breech and mine are made from nylon coated fishing trace. The napier cloths look like they are paper but are some sort of fabric material.

Pm sent and thankyou for the kind gesture

Not a problem, PM replied to and i will get one posted at the weekend when i'm home.

[Murphy]

I have only ever cleaned my barrels if the rifle gets a soaking.

But to be fair everything gets stripped and oiled after a soaking!

[scimitar]

If you do not clean your barrels how do you know how they will shoot clean and dirty . my anschutz likes to be cleaned after every shoot . my walther loathar barrels i clean once a year . suck it and see ??? HOLLY

[Bellycrawler]

I've never had to so never bothered to try for amusement or education.

[bighit]

I had a box of bisley cloths for barrel cleaning. They seemed to be the same sort of cloth the four by two cleaning cloth.

Any time I have cleaned my airgun barrels I have used four by two cut to size and a pull through.

[ChrisC]

I've never had to so never bothered to try for amusement or education.

Why?...is it because you don't own/shoot air rifles?, i'm asking that as it says CZ trigger breaker (or something similar) under your user name. Apologies if i'm wrong and making assumptions, but is your shooting Hunting?

[scimitar]

I had a box of bisley cloths for barrel cleaning. They seemed to be the same sort of cloth the four by two cleaning cloth.

Any time I have cleaned my airgun barrels I have used four by two cut to size and a pull through.

Yep i use 4 by 2 cut to 2 by 2 . rolled up tight , a squirt of napier gun cleaner on it and pulled through . it should either squeak or vibrate as it comes down the bore getting into the lands a it goes . usually use the other part of the 4 by 2 to pull through dry . job done . on my steyr i put a cotton ear bud down the transfer port to stop the napier getting inside . like i say . don't try , don't know ??? HOLLY