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Thread: Barrel cleaning with brass brush

  1. #1
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    Barrel cleaning with brass brush

    Hi

    Are there any gunsmiths or barrel makers on here who can give me a definitive answer about cleaning airgun barrels with a brass wire brush? I have read that the steel used in airgun barrels is mild steel and susceptible to damage but I've also heard that brass brushes can damage mild steel??

    The guys at my club only use the pull-through patches and fluid and up til now I've been using a very good Anschutz pull-through thingy but I would like to give a thorough, deep clean to get any serious gunk out. I have bought a Bisley airgun cleaning kit which has a brass brush rod attachment included so this leads me to believe it might be ok to use. (I used it on my Steyr at my club and had some very shocked reactions from other members no noticeable damage, but I have been too scared to use it since)

    Your thoughts are appreciated.

    Atb

    Peter

  2. #2
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    While brass (or phosphor-bronze) is softer than steel, this does not mean that there will be no wear to the steel - even polishing with a soft cloth wears steel.

    That said, provided the cleaning is not excessive, or repeated frequently, I can see no problem. I clean mine with a phosphor-bronze brush occasionally and it suffers no harm AFAIK. Seems to need about 20 pellets through it to settle down again afterwards though.

    One point with the Bisley kit - the rod is steel so care is needed to prevent damage to the bore from the rod, particularly at the breech and muzzle.
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    Can you tell why you want to clean your barrel. Has it lost accuracy or generally performing less consistently? If it is still shooting the way it was and you aren't noticing a drop in performance then why clean it. You will only have to waste time re-leading the barrel afterwards. A waste of pellets air and time. I only clean my barrels when I first get a new rifle and when I notice a drop in performance. This dependent on barrels is about a couple of thousand shots or more. All I use is some good old mod cleaning cloth a smidge of gun oil on a bit of string and a couple of pull throughs. Once that's done a dry cloth pull through and that's it. I cant even remember the last time I cleaned a rimfire barrel. Probably last year and they have had hundreds of rounds going down them. I wont even bother with them until I see a noticeable drop in performance.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nimrod177 View Post
    Can you tell why you want to clean your barrel. Has it lost accuracy or generally performing less consistently? If it is still shooting the way it was and you aren't noticing a drop in performance then why clean it. You will only have to waste time re-leading the barrel afterwards. A waste of pellets air and time. I only clean my barrels when I first get a new rifle and when I notice a drop in performance. This dependent on barrels is about a couple of thousand shots or more. All I use is some good old mod cleaning cloth a smidge of gun oil on a bit of string and a couple of pull throughs. Once that's done a dry cloth pull through and that's it. I cant even remember the last time I cleaned a rimfire barrel. Probably last year and they have had hundreds of rounds going down them. I wont even bother with them until I see a noticeable drop in performance.
    Hi Nimrod

    I do notice a loss in accuracy and my groupings suffer so I usually clean with the pull-through and it does help a lot. As you say, I do have to chuck a few pellets down it afterward to get it leaded in again but that's ok. I bought the Bisley kit on the cheap, second hand and I thought that the brass brush would be a bit more thorough than the pull-through.

    Cheers!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Turnup View Post
    While brass (or phosphor-bronze) is softer than steel, this does not mean that there will be no wear to the steel - even polishing with a soft cloth wears steel.

    That said, provided the cleaning is not excessive, or repeated frequently, I can see no problem. I clean mine with a phosphor-bronze brush occasionally and it suffers no harm AFAIK. Seems to need about 20 pellets through it to settle down again afterwards though.

    One point with the Bisley kit - the rod is steel so care is needed to prevent damage to the bore from the rod, particularly at the breech and muzzle.
    Hi Turnup

    Thanks for the tips, especially the one about the steel rod, I will defo be careful with it.

    Atb

    Peter

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    just wondered which rifle you are using it on? and approximately how many shots you are taking before you think you need to clean it.

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    It's not just the rifling, brushes can damage breech seals. Also rods can have sharp edges where the sections join, these can damage the crown and rifling. Rods also shove all the crap down towards the transfer port. Best to pull through patches from breech to muzzle.

    Gus
    The ox is slow, but the earth is patient.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nimrod177 View Post
    just wondered which rifle you are using it on? and approximately how many shots you are taking before you think you need to clean it.
    I used it once on my Steyr after trying the pull-through and the cleaning pellets. I bought the rifle secondhand and it was already 2 yrs old. The groups I was getting were not what I expected from a steyr and after stripping and cleaning, the brass brush was my last resort. I was even thinking of buying a new barrel for it, so I went ahead and used the brush. It did make a noticeable difference to my groups so perhaps I had some serious build-up in there. i was very careful not to push too hard with it and i covered the transfer port. It has been much better overall since using the brush.

    I was just wondering wether or not I could do this regularly without damaging the barrel. I usually clean mine with the pull-through every 1-2 tins of pellets which is roughly when my groups start to shotgun a bit.

    Atb

    Peter

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    Quote Originally Posted by PJHIZZLE View Post
    I used it once on my Steyr after trying the pull-through and the cleaning pellets. I bought the rifle secondhand and it was already 2 yrs old. The groups I was getting were not what I expected from a steyr and after stripping and cleaning, the brass brush was my last resort. I was even thinking of buying a new barrel for it, so I went ahead and used the brush. It did make a noticeable difference to my groups so perhaps I had some serious build-up in there. i was very careful not to push too hard with it and i covered the transfer port. It has been much better overall since using the brush.

    I was just wondering wether or not I could do this regularly without damaging the barrel. I usually clean mine with the pull-through every 1-2 tins of pellets which is roughly when my groups start to shotgun a bit.

    Atb

    Peter
    What sort of groups are you getting now at what ranges and when was the last time you cleaned the barrel. I have a steyer so am trying to determine if there is anything else that may be contributing to the problem also are you changing pellets? Please bear in mind the barrel should be cleaned from breach to muzzle end and allow the cleaner to rotate freely along the rifling. This is why I use a bit of string and cleaning cloth as it allows the cloth to follow the rifling down the barrel. Also by not pushing from the muzzle end you wont push any crap into the port where the air comes from thus putting unwanted crap anywhere near the internals. I adopt this procedure even when I do occasionally clean my rimfires and they are a lot more dirty and have lesser tolerances than any of my pcp's/springers. Just another question when you bought second hand did the previous user use it on a regular basis. Also was it clean and tidy, ie no rust visible anywhere.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nimrod177 View Post
    What sort of groups are you getting now at what ranges and when was the last time you cleaned the barrel. I have a steyer so am trying to determine if there is anything else that may be contributing to the problem also are you changing pellets? Please bear in mind the barrel should be cleaned from breach to muzzle end and allow the cleaner to rotate freely along the rifling. This is why I use a bit of string and cleaning cloth as it allows the cloth to follow the rifling down the barrel. Also by not pushing from the muzzle end you wont push any crap into the port where the air comes from thus putting unwanted crap anywhere near the internals. I adopt this procedure even when I do occasionally clean my rimfires and they are a lot more dirty and have lesser tolerances than any of my pcp's/springers. Just another question when you bought second hand did the previous user use it on a regular basis. Also was it clean and tidy, ie no rust visible anywhere.
    The bad groups were between 2-4" at 55yds, with impacts in all directions. I have experimented with a few different pellets (JSB exact in all head sizes, AA fields, Superdomes) the 4.53 Exacts seem to be the best for my barrel. I went through one tin of pellets, used the pull-through, then changed to a different tin, so i was definitely allowing for the barrel to be re-leaded. Once I used the brush my 55yd groups came down to sub 1" on a good clear day.

    I'm not sure if the previous owner used it very much, he also had a nice Ripley when I went to pick the Steyr up. The condition was immaculate. I love my Steyr

  11. #11
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    .22 or .177?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by nimrod177 View Post
    .22 or .177?
    It's a .177 LG110 FT

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