Thread: How often do you clean your rifle?

been talking with a few folks around this.
I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.
The bergara gets a snake through it at setup or before I start carrying it, then a clean out at the end of the season as it doesnt seem to affect it too badly.

people here would know more about it than me, is there a benefit to cleaning it completely after each use?

My 22 never gets the bore cleaned unless changing to a new ammo but is given a light coating of oil after every use.

My centrefires get cleaned inside and out after every use even if not fired.

Bore cleaning is done with a rod and only ever use a snake when out hunting and I got some shit in the barrel.

Once a year I strip all rifles, remove all the shit stuck under the barrel give a good clean and lube.

Originally Posted by Bobba

My 22 never gets the bore cleaned unless changing to a new ammo but is given a light coating of oil after every use.

My centrefires get cleaned inside and out after every use even if not fired.

Bore cleaning is done with a rod and only ever use a snake when out hunting and I got some shit in the barrel.

Once a year I strip all rifles, remove all the shit stuck under the barrel give a good clean and lube.

that is a very accurate sum up of what's required BOBBA - tontavarish - I will let one of the target . 22 people awnser for their requirements - centerfire different cleaning regime - bore snake after 10 shots - that sounds like total overkill - personally I wont use one and worse yes you can love a barrel to death thru overcleaning - why a bore snake thru a .22 every 10 shots - something just not right here - I will let our target boys awnser this as you do need to really get your cleaning sorted - major things wrong

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

that is a very accurate sum up of what's required BOBBA - tontavarish - I will let one of the target . 22 people awnser for their requirements - centerfire different cleaning regime - bore snake after 10 shots - that sounds like total overkill - personally I wont use one and worse yes you can love a barrel to death thru overcleaning - why a bore snake thru a .22 every 10 shots - something just not right here - I will let our target boys awnser this as you do need to really get your cleaning sorted - major things wrong

ruger 10/22 running cci subsonics.
had a few plays with it target shooting, after about 10 rounds at 50m its added about an inch to its spread, pull a snake through and its back to where it was. isn't a barrel temperature thing. absolute pain in the ass and i'm almost thinking of selling it just because of it.

Every time I use a firearm I clean it. I guess that you can take the man out of the Army but you can’t take the Army out of the man.

After every time I use it.

I give a new rifle a good clean before first use then that's about it, unless it's been a wet trip or it's loosing accuracy.
Shooting extreme long range is a great way to learn that a clean barrel isn't always a good thing.
I have been guilty of over cleaning in the past, most will be doing more harm than good with cleaning after every use.

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Originally Posted by BRADS

I give a new rifle a good clean before first use then that's about it, unless it's been a wet trip or it's loosing accuracy.
Shooting extreme long range is a great way to learn that a clean barrel isn't always a good thing.
I have been guilty of over cleaning in the past, most will be doing more harm than good with cleaning after every use.

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So do you do anything to remove carbon or just run a oil rag and that's it.

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Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.

Wow. My 10/22 went through probably 50,000 rounds and well over 20 years between cleans. I did need to clean the mags to keep them feeding reliably though, I must have cleaned them at least twice. I don't think I own a 22 snake, there might be one on the back of the cupboard.

Yes I'm a farmer.

Cleaning......what's this new age nonsense.....

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It does depend on the qualities peculiar to your specific barrel, however often cleaning each use will do more harm than good. I don't clean the bore unless it gets very wet, there's a noticeable change in accuracy (with a custom rifle + bartlein barrel this hasn't happened yet), or I periodically get bored and run a couple of patches through it for no particular reason, about every 18 months.

Centre fire. One pull through with a bore snake after a hunt or so (I keep the bore snakes washed and clean). A good thorough clean out every 6 months or so depending on use. I only ever use cloth patches or soft bristle brush. Never brass or copper brushes. Hoppes 9 or such like as a solvent for the big cleans.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Centre fire. One pull through with a bore snake after a hunt or so (I keep the bore snakes washed and clean). A good thorough clean out every 6 months or so depending on use. I only ever use cloth patches or soft bristle brush. Never brass or copper brushes. Hoppes 9 or such like as a solvent for the big cleans.

Are brass brushes bad for any gun?
The shop told me that they won't scratch the barrel?
I've been putting a fair few patches through my 303 barrel with hopes no9.
I would give a brush between patches and they kept coming out black for a while, but the barrel looks good now.
It probably had not been cleaned for some time prior to me getting it.
I know you have to be careful not to damage the end of the barrel and my main concern is when using a rod that the edge doesn't hit the barrel when you pull it back. Brass is softer than the steel, but there is still a risk.
Makes me wonder if bore snakes are probably safer to use instead for this reason?

For rimfire, a few pull throughs and a light coating of oil inside the barrel and external surfaces, then a clean bore snake. If it's been a warm day with no rain/moisture, I occasionally skip all cleaning.

For centrefire, the same, but bore solvent every once in a while. In reality, I fire so few shots, that doesn't happen very often!

Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I'll pull a snake through a .22lr every 10 shots then clean it after each use as I find it fouls badly.

Be a totally PIA useless .22lr for shooting rabbits around here if one has to do that at every mag reload. Mine only gets a quick oily rag onceover and a dry patch if it's been out in the rain/drizzle but otherwise...nothing.