Cleaning too often?

AlphaAssault · July 10, 2010, 09:20 PM

I have an old turk mauser reworked to take 8mm ammunition. All I fire, at the moment, is corrosive ammunition. As such, I clean my rifle after every firing. I use a copper bore brush, among other things, and was wondering if there's such thing as cleaning youre barrel too much. Does cleaning the bore with the brush abnormally wear down the rifling in the barrel? I shoot about once a week, so I clean it about as much. Just making sure I am not hurting anything by cleaning it so often.

Jim Watson · July 10, 2010, 09:31 PM

A bronze brush is not going to wear away much barrel steel. Just keep the rod clean and smooth and use a rod guide in the action.

You MUST get the salts out of the barrel soon after firing chorate ("corrosive") primed ammunition. Only water will do the job. Regular solvent will get out the powder fouling and coppering and oil will protect it after it is dry.

AlphaAssault · July 10, 2010, 09:39 PM

I use water, as well as solvent and oil. I just wanted to focus on the wire brush because I thought it was the biggest potential problem.

Jim Watson · July 10, 2010, 09:42 PM

Just don't use it too long so that it wears out and the steel core scratches up the barrel.

If you still worry about it, you can get the potassium chloride out with wet patches or a nylon brush and clean the fouling out with Wipe Out foam or similar, no wire brush required.

ISC · July 12, 2010, 10:58 AM

It was reworked to take 8 mauser? What was it originally chambered for?

steelman762 · July 13, 2010, 02:26 PM

I use hot water (120`F), remove the bolt and poor it down the breach. Heating up the barrel opens the microscopic fissures in the bore and allows more of the salts to flush out. Then I will swab some soap and water in the bore and flush it again with hot water. Then dry it with compressed air. Then go over it with conventional cleaners and oil. I never had problems with corrosive ammo this way. Bore would come out quite clean.

AlphaAssault · July 19, 2010, 04:53 PM

ISC, it was originally chambered for 7mm Mauser ammo.

Ignition Override · July 21, 2010, 10:46 PM

AlphaAssault:
Was the chamber built with stronger steel than what was used in the early Spanish 7mm Mausers in the 1890s?

Some of those were converted to .308 and the steel is reported by many to be of questionable strength for .308.
A guy died at a range in PA when shooting his converted .308 Spanish Mauser, from that period. Have no other info, or what ammo he used.

July 10, 2010, 09:20 PM	#1
AlphaAssault Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: East Tx; Tx Hillcountry Posts: 50	Cleaning too often? I have an old turk mauser reworked to take 8mm ammunition. All I fire, at the moment, is corrosive ammunition. As such, I clean my rifle after every firing. I use a copper bore brush, among other things, and was wondering if there's such thing as cleaning youre barrel too much. Does cleaning the bore with the brush abnormally wear down the rifling in the barrel? I shoot about once a week, so I clean it about as much. Just making sure I am not hurting anything by cleaning it so often.

July 10, 2010, 09:31 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	A bronze brush is not going to wear away much barrel steel. Just keep the rod clean and smooth and use a rod guide in the action. You MUST get the salts out of the barrel soon after firing chorate ("corrosive") primed ammunition. Only water will do the job. Regular solvent will get out the powder fouling and coppering and oil will protect it after it is dry.

July 10, 2010, 09:39 PM	#3
AlphaAssault Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: East Tx; Tx Hillcountry Posts: 50	I use water, as well as solvent and oil. I just wanted to focus on the wire brush because I thought it was the biggest potential problem.

July 10, 2010, 09:42 PM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Just don't use it too long so that it wears out and the steel core scratches up the barrel. If you still worry about it, you can get the potassium chloride out with wet patches or a nylon brush and clean the fouling out with Wipe Out foam or similar, no wire brush required.

July 12, 2010, 10:58 AM	#5
ISC Junior member Join Date: August 5, 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,982	It was reworked to take 8 mauser? What was it originally chambered for?

July 13, 2010, 02:26 PM	#6
steelman762 Member Join Date: January 18, 2010 Posts: 61	I use hot water (120`F), remove the bolt and poor it down the breach. Heating up the barrel opens the microscopic fissures in the bore and allows more of the salts to flush out. Then I will swab some soap and water in the bore and flush it again with hot water. Then dry it with compressed air. Then go over it with conventional cleaners and oil. I never had problems with corrosive ammo this way. Bore would come out quite clean.

July 19, 2010, 04:53 PM	#7
AlphaAssault Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: East Tx; Tx Hillcountry Posts: 50	ISC, it was originally chambered for 7mm Mauser ammo.

July 21, 2010, 10:46 PM	#8
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,886	AlphaAssault: Was the chamber built with stronger steel than what was used in the early Spanish 7mm Mausers in the 1890s? Some of those were converted to .308 and the steel is reported by many to be of questionable strength for .308. A guy died at a range in PA when shooting his converted .308 Spanish Mauser, from that period. Have no other info, or what ammo he used.