I cleaned the barrel on my Crown mkii the day I got it. Never since probably 20k through it
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I never need to clean my barrel -- am I the only one?
- Thread starter stovepipe
- Start date
I polished my barrel on my Crown mk2. 25 cal. and shoot primarily 33gr slugs at 975. I rarely need to clean my barrel , only when the accuracy starts dropping off. 2 patches with Ballistol seems to do the trick.
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I'm not totally sure of who you are referring to. In the context of things, it could be the original poster (that would be me). Or it could be 18.13. If you are addressing me, then you are correct -- I'm definitely not a competition shooter.
I know that competition shooters will have to try a lot of different projectiles and tunes with the same barrel and they will need to clean their barrels between testing different loads.
stovepipe
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Most competitive shooters clean their barrels before and during competition to maintain accuracy of their rifles. I would never go to a match with a dirty gun barrel.
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I need to clear something up here before I get labeled as "the anti-barrel-cleaning guy". I clean my air rifle barrels when they need it just like most people do. My previous barrel needed cleaning fairly often. With the new barrel and slug tune, I was relieved each time I inspected the barrel and saw that it did not need to be cleaned, simply because I don't enjoy cleaning barrels. It became a real mystery to me when, after 1,000 rounds through the barrel, I still did not need to clean it. I searched, but only found posts/threads about cleaning -- not about not cleaning. So I started this thread.
Unfortunately some people will read the title of this thread and maybe the first post and assume that I'm advocating not cleaning rifle barrels.
stovepipe
Unfortunately some people will read the title of this thread and maybe the first post and assume that I'm advocating not cleaning rifle barrels.
stovepipe
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Lol don't take it personally. I'm in the camp of not cleaning until accuracy suffers. Which isnt often. But even if I would I don't have any guns where I'd say it takes more than a mag for accuracy to be dead on again, if even any shots.
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No problem. It appears that you and I and a whole lot of other shooters are alike when it comes to barrel cleaning -- no radical thoughts about it one way or the other.
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My limited experience with any meaningful sample sizes:
Diana D48 springer- 4k+ pellet rounds never cleaned.
AV Avenger- 7k+ pellet&slug rounds never cleaned.
FX Crown MKii- 5k+ (so far) pellet&slug rounds, cleaned once when starting for longer distances, no effect for me.
I’ve had a hand full of other airguns with less sample sizes in the same camp.
These were all cleaned well, once when new and I never had any noticeable accuracy drop off.
No, I’m not a competition shooter but I quest for continual improvement and within 75 yards or so and occasionally to 100 I would think I can notice a drop in accuracy same as the guy next to me on paper.
Again, just my limited experience.
Diana D48 springer- 4k+ pellet rounds never cleaned.
AV Avenger- 7k+ pellet&slug rounds never cleaned.
FX Crown MKii- 5k+ (so far) pellet&slug rounds, cleaned once when starting for longer distances, no effect for me.
I’ve had a hand full of other airguns with less sample sizes in the same camp.
These were all cleaned well, once when new and I never had any noticeable accuracy drop off.
No, I’m not a competition shooter but I quest for continual improvement and within 75 yards or so and occasionally to 100 I would think I can notice a drop in accuracy same as the guy next to me on paper.
Again, just my limited experience.
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So you don't clean your barrel until accuracy suffers. That's ok if you are shooting cans in the backyard. If your accuracy suffers in the middle of a match, you lose. You may as well pack up your stuff and go home because it's too late.
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I've yet to have accuracy suffer, nor have I experienced a cleaning restore accuracy into a barrel that went missing.
A dirty barrel may experience a minor drop in FPS, and your particular gun/pellet combo may really dislike the dirty barrel shooting 850 fps compared a clean barrel shooting for 865 fps.
So in the above scenario, the airgun(er) in question isn't suffering because of a dirty barrel, they're suffering because they're no longer operating within their optimal tune, had they re-tuned for 865 fps through the dirty barrel, accuracy would likely be restored.
If NOT for the above scenario, I would like to know which mode of failure (failure to provide accuracy) is caused by a dirty barrel? Grooves becoming caked with lead debris? On a very poor quality barrel with lots of surface imperfections that also runs extremely tight perhaps? Certainly neither conditions are standard on airgun barrels. Cleaning before and even during every match is a bit extreme, but hell some people probably wear the same pair of lucky socks to each meet, doesn't make them right for doing it.
-Matt
A dirty barrel may experience a minor drop in FPS, and your particular gun/pellet combo may really dislike the dirty barrel shooting 850 fps compared a clean barrel shooting for 865 fps.
So in the above scenario, the airgun(er) in question isn't suffering because of a dirty barrel, they're suffering because they're no longer operating within their optimal tune, had they re-tuned for 865 fps through the dirty barrel, accuracy would likely be restored.
If NOT for the above scenario, I would like to know which mode of failure (failure to provide accuracy) is caused by a dirty barrel? Grooves becoming caked with lead debris? On a very poor quality barrel with lots of surface imperfections that also runs extremely tight perhaps? Certainly neither conditions are standard on airgun barrels. Cleaning before and even during every match is a bit extreme, but hell some people probably wear the same pair of lucky socks to each meet, doesn't make them right for doing it.
-Matt
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Every one of my rifles, from .177 cal to .30 cal have choked barrels. After about 100 shots or so, I run a patch trough them moistened with Ballistol. In every instance, there are lead flakes on the patches. So how can you folks tell me that your barrels stay clean? What are you shooting, some cheap Chinese gun?
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"Clean" is not the absence of lead flakes. It is the absence of negative affects on target. It is normal for a completely clean barrel to shoot to a different POI until 10 shots have gone through it to "season" it. Meaning lay down a stable coating of lead - so not completely clean. Hence the concept of "fouling shots" to condition a barrel before shooting for score.
"Dirty" is a barrel that no longer shoots every shot to the same POI, within reason. A rough barrel may go from clean to dirty in 20 shots, in which case lapping or polishing the bore may help extend the number of shots before grouping has degraded to the point of being unusable. Ideally, each shot should wipe out as much lead as it lays down, so producing stable acceptable grouping - in some cases seemingly for every, without cleaning.
Yes, this does depend on expectations for grouping ability, and individual tolerance for fliers. Hunters that shoot fewer shots and drop each animal on the spot are not concerned about small incidental shifts in POI, because they don't notice them. Bench shooters expecting 1 MOA or less are going to notice unexplained fliers, and rather than question their own skill and more likely to clean their barrels.
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A couple of years ago I became so dissatisfied with the quality control of the Crosman pellets that I gave most of them away.
I noticed right off that my barrels didn't need cleaning as often. I only clean them now when accuracy suffers.
So using pellets that overly lead your barrel you will need to clean more often.
I noticed right off that my barrels didn't need cleaning as often. I only clean them now when accuracy suffers.
So using pellets that overly lead your barrel you will need to clean more often.
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Crosman pellets are made of a lead alloy with a higher antimony content. This hardens the pellets to reduce shipping damage, and probably makes them penetrate targets better. But, high antimony lead smears off and builds up in airgun barrels; and is very hard to remove. Often requiring a bronze brush. This, while nearly pure lead JSB pellets lead barrels very little, and what is left behind can usually be dry patched out. Certainly two wet patches and a few dry ones will do the job easily, in most instances.
So, the question of how often to clean airgun barrels and the potential effect on grouping must include the type of projectile and the alloy used to make it. Pellets require less cleaning than slugs, and soft lead requires less cleaning than hard lead. Now, some people lube their airgun projectiles, especially large bore slug shooters because leading is reduced, and / or more easily removed. Others believe that lubed projectiles makes more dirt stick to the barrel than if shot dry. Your mileage may vary.
So, the question of how often to clean airgun barrels and the potential effect on grouping must include the type of projectile and the alloy used to make it. Pellets require less cleaning than slugs, and soft lead requires less cleaning than hard lead. Now, some people lube their airgun projectiles, especially large bore slug shooters because leading is reduced, and / or more easily removed. Others believe that lubed projectiles makes more dirt stick to the barrel than if shot dry. Your mileage may vary.
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Or it could be some barrels shoot better clean and other barrels shoot better a bit more loaded up.
I’ve observed some situations where bits of lead stick to the bore and until they get shot out they will throw shots. A pull through resolved it. Not sure if it’s observable outdoors but on an indoor range it becomes apparent.
In rimfire circles both approaches are well accepted.
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I let each barrel's accuracy dictate it's cleaned ng requirements. For the most part, no e need attention ever because I shoot lubed ammo through a polished bore.
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Exactly, all of my barrels shoot like crap until I shoot 20-60 shots to season them. So why clean them just to shoot 60 shots to get it back to exactly where it was to start with
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