Do you normally clean it routinely or how often do you know to clean your barrel?
How often do you clean your barrel?
- Thread starter peaceful_ruler
- Start date
Same here. Always cleaned the powder burners and never have changed. Just part of shooting.
Upvote 0
Thoroughly when brand new and then when accuracy drops off (or I get bored). I think my 97K's are probably pushing 10k pellets each since their last cleaning.
Upvote 0
P
pdxFrank
Guest
i agree at the moment, but i wonder if there's any actual evidence of that other than anecdotal?
i keep asking the question over the years*, i just need to sacrifice a couple gun barrels in the name of science lol
i have a bore scope, just need a couple brand new barrels to start with. one low end, one mid/high. boom, youtube video!
certainly someone's done that by now, but i haven't found it.
*like when folks say don't use metal brushes on an air-rifle barrel in fear of damage.
not sure that's legit. brass wearing down steel, which on every scale i see is several times as hard, even "soft" steel.
Upvote 0
Agreed. Airguns should be cleaned if accuracy diminishes. Unnecessary wear on the rifling otherwise.
Upvote 0
Hard to believe a Patch Worm and Ballistol will ruin or wear down a barrel. I've never seen barrel wear with bronze brushes in my powder burners either and that's after thousands of cleanings. But to each his own, I guess.
Upvote 0
Never. Several of my Weihrauchs have over 30k shots and have never need cleaned. I’ve never noticed any deterioration in accuracy.
FWIW, I only shoot “soft” lead JSB or AA pellets.
R
FWIW, I only shoot “soft” lead JSB or AA pellets.
R
Last edited:
Upvote 0
ThomasT
Member
- Apr 25, 2021
- 3,872
- 5,618
- 83
I agree 100%, there is no way that a soft cloth patch will damage a case hardened gun barrel. The pellet material is so much more harder and abrasive. I shot RF competitively for many years and would even clean my barrel during a match, and I shot Bulls Eye back then. I clean my air rifle barrel after every use and I shoot plenty Bulls Eye with a clean barrel today.
ThomasT
Upvote 0
I tend to agree with rsfrid - use patchworm and Ballistol - but I clean as needed. If I cleaned after shooting I'd be cleaning 4-5 times a week!
Upvote 0
It's odd. I'm crazy with cleaning my powder burners, and I NEVER EVER clean my airguns. I have over 20,000 rounds through one of then and didn't even clean it out of the box. I always said I'd clean them if I lose accuracy which hasn't happened yet.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Your right it's not going to damage anything but totally unnecessary in an air rifle!
Gun powder is corrosive and will eat away at your barrel in time but soft lead and air are not corrosive at all. In fact most need to be leaded up some to shoot there best!
Upvote 0
Yeah this! ^^^^^^ I only patch clean barrels on new guns. I will bronze brush used guns since I don't know if hard lead was used. I have scrubbed hard lead out of Weihrauch barrels with a bronze brush without damaging the barrels. Once done I don't have to clean them again because I only use soft lead pellets. Some of my guns have tens of thousands of shots on them since their last cleaning.
Upvote 0
I clean my air gun barrels after about a tin (500) of pellets. I see others here have not done a cleaning after many thousands of pellets so maybe it's not even necessary.
I'll still keep cleaning them though because I have OCD when it comes to taking care of my guns.
I'll still keep cleaning them though because I have OCD when it comes to taking care of my guns.
Upvote 0
Most pcp barrels like to be "leaded in", kinda like seasoning a skillet. My guns now have barrels that MAYBE need cleaning once a year (Original Smooth Twist barrels) I cleaned my other guns when I'd notice a definite change in accuracy or visible spiralling. PRN, as needed.
Upvote 0
I enjoy this topic every time it comes up. Its like politics and religion, with a broad spectrum of thinking and behaviors. Lathering after every shot with a blend of PABA free botanicals / refusing to allow any cleaning supplies near your range or workbench.
I do the ballistol on a patch every now and then. Seems to help, maybe not.
I do the ballistol on a patch every now and then. Seems to help, maybe not.
Upvote 0