How to best clean barrel?

bk40 · December 14, 1999, 10:21 PM

I could use some advice on how best to clean the barrel on a pump shotgun (12ga 870).

How often, from the breech, brush AND patches, solvent, type of rod, remove barrel??.... any info on what works for YOU would be most appreciated.

Dave McC · December 15, 1999, 05:41 AM

Remove the bbl from the weapon. Using a Brass brush or similiar soaked in Hoppe's, run it through several times from the breech end and follow with cloth patches until they come out clean. Use more patches with pil or a wool mop to lube the bbl. Wipe down the exterior with an oily patch. Once assembled, place one drop of Break Free on each action bar and work the action a few times.If the bbl has choke tubes, loosen, remove, oil the threads and replace tightly.

Once a year, or more often if hunting in wet conditions,ESPECIALLY near salt water, drop out the breech block and trigger group. Use Gun Scrubber on these following the directions on the can and relube.

point308 · December 15, 1999, 06:00 AM

I clean my Mossberg pump every time I use it. First, remove the barrel, this will simplify things no-end.

I use "Youngs" oil, which is diluted 1 part oil to 3 parts water to form a white emulsion. Put a patch soaked in this emulsion on the plastic jag, and shove it up the bore and out the muzzle. Next take a bronze brush and vigorously scrub the bore, especially the forcing cone and choke area. Then use a succession of clean patches soaked in the oily emulsion on the jag and push them through the barrel until they emerge from the muzzle relatively clean. Dry the bore by pushing several patches through, and finish by passing an oil-soaked patch through the bore. When I say soaked I don't mean dripping with oil - there should be just enough to leave a thin film of oil on the bore. A cleaning kit usually includes a wooly brush for this purpose.

Spray the outside of the barrel with the red can of Browning 'Legia' oil (or similar product), leave for a few minutes and wipe down with a clean cloth.

It is important to vigorously scrub the forcing cone with the bronze brush - plastic builds up in this area and will lead to rusting of the bore under the plastic.

Last week I bought a semi-auto and the barrel is permanently fixed to the receiver. Thankfully this gun has an IC choke, so it was quite easy to clean from the muzzle. I noticed plastic build up after only 250 rounds.

Point308.

Al Thompson · December 15, 1999, 08:33 PM

BK, agree with everything said. I find that a handfull of Q-tips are also very helpful for both applying and removing solvent. I have also used a "chore boy" wrapped around an old bore bruch for really dirty forcing cones and barrels.

Point308 - what the heck is "Youngs" oil? Sounds interesting.

Giz

house · December 16, 1999, 12:00 AM

Get a BORESNAKE the best and easy way to clean guns. if the gun is really dirty a lil hoppes on the boresnake will take it right out,

point308 · December 16, 1999, 04:19 AM

Youngs oil - It came with a cleaning kit I bought. Maybe you cannot buy it in America.

Point308.

Ned Roundtree · December 16, 1999, 11:59 AM

I guess I'm the only lazy one. I think the product is called Tico Tool. Long plastic stick with absorbent fiber. Looks like a long dust mop. Stick in barrel. Twist as you bring it out. Presto, barrel clean. Stick in barrel again, hook on attachment sprayed or dipped with oil. Pull through barrel. Presto light coating of oil. Easy, fast & lazy. Seems to work.

Dr.Rob · December 16, 1999, 03:05 PM

Kleen-Bore makes a muppet-fur covered rod that cleans a shotgun in seconds, not minutes and you can still screw the bronze brush into the tip.. works like a charm in black powder shotguns too.

I use a lil bit of hoppes#9 or a spray solvent on the rod and stroke it through the barrel 5-6 times and its usually MIRROR clean., Wipe off the rod with a papertowel or clean cloth to remove the powder residue, spray rem-oil in the rod , repeat the process 1-2 times. (removethe choke before doing this and clean the choke seperately)

That's about it, then I use a brush on the receiver and bolt and trigger group, wiping off the excess solvent with a rag.

Dr.Rob

oberkommando · December 17, 1999, 04:40 AM

Guess I'm not the lazy one around here. Use brass bore brush and patches to get the gerneral crud out then for the hard stuff like hardened lead alloy caked in the forcing cone area. Take bore brush wrap large patch around it add USP bore paste or JB bore compound and start scrubbing. Clean out paste and pieces of patch and see if cone is clean, if not repeat. I shoot about 30-50 rounds of mixed 00buck and slug so have a lot of build up but get it all out by end of cleaning session. Will coat patches about 5-10 times with paste to get all the lead out. This depends on how much build up there is. I learned the hard way by letting benelli build up and it took quite a while to clean thank god the bore was chrome lined. BTW this ruins bore brushes but oh well. My bore looks like it did when I bought it.

For the rest of the gun I just dump quart of 30wt motor oil on it and put in plastic bag until I arrive at range, at which time I clean off oil with gun scrubber in parking lot. Just kidding.

I use break free lightly on all exterior surfaces and inside mag tube.

[This message has been edited by oberkommando (edited December 17, 1999).]

bk40 · December 17, 1999, 08:35 PM

Thanks for all the responses, guys!

blooch · December 21, 1999, 01:34 PM

there is a product out there called "quick shot" it is manufactured in fort worth, texas. this stuff smells good and will absolutely clean all the plastic out of a shotgun bore in about 30 seconds. spray it in and wipe it out. if you have never used it before shoot it in the barrel, wait about a minute and you can see the plastic coming loose in sheets. it is some form of oil field technology for stripping parafin out of wells.

Bennett Richards · December 22, 1999, 10:24 AM

Anyone out there know where to get "Quick-Shot"? Safe for Nickle finishes?

Ben

blades67 · December 23, 1999, 02:55 AM

I have been using MPro7 on my Winchester 1300. It lifts plastic off the bore in about a minute and if you let it sit for about five minutes lead comes off almost as easily. I then use a light coat of Break Free on all metal parts.

------------------
May your lead always hit center mass and your brass always land in your range bag.

~Blades~

December 14, 1999, 10:21 PM	#1
bk40 Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 1999 Location: Mississippi Posts: 1,004	I could use some advice on how best to clean the barrel on a pump shotgun (12ga 870). How often, from the breech, brush AND patches, solvent, type of rod, remove barrel??.... any info on what works for YOU would be most appreciated.

December 15, 1999, 05:41 AM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Remove the bbl from the weapon. Using a Brass brush or similiar soaked in Hoppe's, run it through several times from the breech end and follow with cloth patches until they come out clean. Use more patches with pil or a wool mop to lube the bbl. Wipe down the exterior with an oily patch. Once assembled, place one drop of Break Free on each action bar and work the action a few times.If the bbl has choke tubes, loosen, remove, oil the threads and replace tightly. Once a year, or more often if hunting in wet conditions,ESPECIALLY near salt water, drop out the breech block and trigger group. Use Gun Scrubber on these following the directions on the can and relube.

December 15, 1999, 06:00 AM	#3
point308 Member Join Date: November 1, 1999 Posts: 37	I clean my Mossberg pump every time I use it. First, remove the barrel, this will simplify things no-end. I use "Youngs" oil, which is diluted 1 part oil to 3 parts water to form a white emulsion. Put a patch soaked in this emulsion on the plastic jag, and shove it up the bore and out the muzzle. Next take a bronze brush and vigorously scrub the bore, especially the forcing cone and choke area. Then use a succession of clean patches soaked in the oily emulsion on the jag and push them through the barrel until they emerge from the muzzle relatively clean. Dry the bore by pushing several patches through, and finish by passing an oil-soaked patch through the bore. When I say soaked I don't mean dripping with oil - there should be just enough to leave a thin film of oil on the bore. A cleaning kit usually includes a wooly brush for this purpose. Spray the outside of the barrel with the red can of Browning 'Legia' oil (or similar product), leave for a few minutes and wipe down with a clean cloth. It is important to vigorously scrub the forcing cone with the bronze brush - plastic builds up in this area and will lead to rusting of the bore under the plastic. Last week I bought a semi-auto and the barrel is permanently fixed to the receiver. Thankfully this gun has an IC choke, so it was quite easy to clean from the muzzle. I noticed plastic build up after only 250 rounds. Point308.

December 15, 1999, 08:33 PM	#4
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	BK, agree with everything said. I find that a handfull of Q-tips are also very helpful for both applying and removing solvent. I have also used a "chore boy" wrapped around an old bore bruch for really dirty forcing cones and barrels. Point308 - what the heck is "Youngs" oil? Sounds interesting. Giz

December 16, 1999, 12:00 AM	#5
house Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1999 Location: AZ/CA Posts: 369	Get a BORESNAKE the best and easy way to clean guns. if the gun is really dirty a lil hoppes on the boresnake will take it right out,

December 16, 1999, 04:19 AM	#6
point308 Member Join Date: November 1, 1999 Posts: 37	Youngs oil - It came with a cleaning kit I bought. Maybe you cannot buy it in America. Point308.

December 16, 1999, 11:59 AM	#7
Ned Roundtree Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 1999 Location: Lexington, KY,USA Posts: 738	I guess I'm the only lazy one. I think the product is called Tico Tool. Long plastic stick with absorbent fiber. Looks like a long dust mop. Stick in barrel. Twist as you bring it out. Presto, barrel clean. Stick in barrel again, hook on attachment sprayed or dipped with oil. Pull through barrel. Presto light coating of oil. Easy, fast & lazy. Seems to work.

December 16, 1999, 03:05 PM	#8
Dr.Rob Staff Alumnus Join Date: July 28, 1999 Location: Denver Posts: 2,454	Kleen-Bore makes a muppet-fur covered rod that cleans a shotgun in seconds, not minutes and you can still screw the bronze brush into the tip.. works like a charm in black powder shotguns too. I use a lil bit of hoppes#9 or a spray solvent on the rod and stroke it through the barrel 5-6 times and its usually MIRROR clean., Wipe off the rod with a papertowel or clean cloth to remove the powder residue, spray rem-oil in the rod , repeat the process 1-2 times. (removethe choke before doing this and clean the choke seperately) That's about it, then I use a brush on the receiver and bolt and trigger group, wiping off the excess solvent with a rag. Dr.Rob

December 17, 1999, 04:40 AM	#9
oberkommando Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 1999 Posts: 1,158	Guess I'm not the lazy one around here. Use brass bore brush and patches to get the gerneral crud out then for the hard stuff like hardened lead alloy caked in the forcing cone area. Take bore brush wrap large patch around it add USP bore paste or JB bore compound and start scrubbing. Clean out paste and pieces of patch and see if cone is clean, if not repeat. I shoot about 30-50 rounds of mixed 00buck and slug so have a lot of build up but get it all out by end of cleaning session. Will coat patches about 5-10 times with paste to get all the lead out. This depends on how much build up there is. I learned the hard way by letting benelli build up and it took quite a while to clean thank god the bore was chrome lined. BTW this ruins bore brushes but oh well. My bore looks like it did when I bought it. For the rest of the gun I just dump quart of 30wt motor oil on it and put in plastic bag until I arrive at range, at which time I clean off oil with gun scrubber in parking lot. Just kidding. I use break free lightly on all exterior surfaces and inside mag tube. [This message has been edited by oberkommando (edited December 17, 1999).]

December 17, 1999, 08:35 PM	#10
bk40 Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 1999 Location: Mississippi Posts: 1,004	Thanks for all the responses, guys!

December 21, 1999, 01:34 PM	#11
blooch Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 1999 Location: texas Posts: 152	there is a product out there called "quick shot" it is manufactured in fort worth, texas. this stuff smells good and will absolutely clean all the plastic out of a shotgun bore in about 30 seconds. spray it in and wipe it out. if you have never used it before shoot it in the barrel, wait about a minute and you can see the plastic coming loose in sheets. it is some form of oil field technology for stripping parafin out of wells.

December 22, 1999, 10:24 AM	#12
Bennett Richards Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 1998 Location: Carlsbad, CA USA Posts: 356	Anyone out there know where to get "Quick-Shot"? Safe for Nickle finishes? Ben

December 23, 1999, 02:55 AM	#13
blades67 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 1999 Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA Posts: 6,014	I have been using MPro7 on my Winchester 1300. It lifts plastic off the bore in about a minute and if you let it sit for about five minutes lead comes off almost as easily. I then use a light coat of Break Free on all metal parts. ------------------ May your lead always hit center mass and your brass always land in your range bag. ~Blades~