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Click on any of the small "Figure" images below to see a larger version of the image.
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I can't say it is a cheap habit and neither will my wife. To properly maintain any type of rifle - whether a $59 surplus Romanian M-44 or a $1000 Mauser 98k Sniper Rifle, you need to invest in some basic supplies.
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I have found one of the most important and necessary investments you can make is a good, solid gun stand. There are many on the market - I happen to like the one I purchased because of it being manufactured in plastic. The plastic makes it almost impervious to the solvents and really easy to clean up when it gets dirty.
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Another necessity is a large and continuous supply of rags. I save every T-Shirt, Dish Rag, Sock, and you name it. They are all washable and a heck of a lot cheaper than buying rags. You need to try and save where you can - you will have ample opportunity to spend in this evil addiction. Here in Figure 3 , I am using an old Dish Rag to catch any solvent that may spray out of the end of the barrel.
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In Figure 4 I have disassembled a rifle bolt after a heavy day's shooting and am letting it soak in Hoppes No. 9, while I am cleaning the rest of the rifle.
In the shopping list to the right I make a reference to Solvent. My brand is Hoppes No. 9. I know of no other smell I like better in the world of gun cleaning. I have heard other guys say the same thing and to tell you the truth - I really believe it is a guy thing because my wife and daughter do not share my sentiments.
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I always save a little bottle to pour some Solvent into and also it fits perfectly into the gun stand. The stand allows you to have Solvent, Patches, Brushes, Slotted Ends, etc in easy reach.
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Do not pull dirty, soiled patches back into your barrel. Pull them off and discard them as shown in Figure 6 . If you do pull them back soaked with dirty Solvent, you are only making your cleaning job more difficult.
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Notice I have taken a rag and placed it over the rear of the rifle (Figure 7) as to not spill any solvent on the wood and rear receiver. |
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After running a Solvent soaked patch through the barrel, I take a good unbent, bronze brush and run it through the bore 20 times. I run another patch through the bore to gather any excess solvent and crud.
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Next I take a clean patch and dowse it with Shooter's Choice Copper Remover . I have tried many different brands of Copper Remover - but Shooter's Choice seems to work the best and the fastest. Take a look at Figure 10 and you will see what the patch looks like when you have copper fouling and it is being removed. The patch turns bright blue.
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After running the copper remover soaked patch through the bore a couple of times (yes, this is the only time it is all right to pull a patch back through the barrel ), I start again with the Hoppes No. 9 soaked patches to remove the copper solvent.
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To expedite the cleaning process and to remove a maximum amount of crud I take a bronze brush that is smaller in caliber than the size of rifle I am cleaning and rap it with a Solvent soaked patch . |
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Continue running a solvent soaked patch alternating with a non soaked, dry patch until the patches come out clean (only the color of the solvent) This may take quite a while and you may actually want to span it over several sessions. This is not rocket science but does require a certain level of tenacity and endurance. You usually do win out over the rifle. When the patches finally do come out clean and you have removed any remaining solvent, take a clean patch and dowse it with Break Free and run it through the barrel. Then take a clean patch and slowly run it through the barrel to sop up any excess. This will leave your bore protected for a short period of time from rust.
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After you are finished cleaning the rifle, remove all of the bolt parts that are soaking in solvent. Give them a good brush down with the nylon brush. Just pretend they are really dirty teeth and you just ate two ears of corn. |
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Make sure you dry them with clean rags entirely. I spend some time here, you are not supposed to leave any oil inside of a bolt. |
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I use pistol cleaning rods and slotted ends to take clean patches and run them through the inside of the bolt. This will remove any loose dirt and sop up any solvent. Last but not least I run a clean rag with a little break free over the entire rifle and bolt. Then I follow up with a clean rag sopping up any excess. |
