Rules for cleaning weapons. Modern methods of cleaning the barrels of rifled weapons Rod for cleaning the barrel of a weapon 6 letters

Leaving aside the arguments about the correctness of cleaning a rifled barrel, its necessity in general and the quality of the approach to this process, I will simply describe the entire cleaning process as I do it myself. Surely this article will be a good help for novice users of rifled weapons, perhaps experienced shooters will find some new and interesting points for themselves. Of course, there are critics who have a diametrically opposed opinion on the need for high-quality cleaning of a rifled barrel and manage the usual “spindle” to maintain their carbine.

Of course, immediately at the beginning of the process, 3 main questions arise:

1. What do we clean?

2. How do we clean?

3. Why do we clean?

So what are we cleaning?

The firing process leaves behind carbon compounds and other residues of combustion of the capsule composition and gunpowder in the form of soot, traces of bullet shells smeared with a thin film, all this is superimposed layer by layer, forming an aggressive layer cake. The more shots fired, the more layers of the pie we get. Of course, depending on the quality of the rifled barrel, laid down by the manufacturer, and whether or not the new barrel was prepared for operation (polishing, firing), the amount of contamination can vary greatly. Often in a barrel that has not been prepared for operation, after a couple of shots there is more dirt than in a prepared barrel after five or six series. But in any case, we get multi-layered, aggressive contamination, which must be completely removed from the barrel.

What do we clean?

This is a very important question! When buying an expensive rifled carbine, do not spare money for good chemistry, high-quality tools and accessories (ramrods, ruffs, vishers, inserts). Gone are the days when gun shops stocked two types of oil for gun maintenance: alkaline and neutral. Today you will find a wide range of chemicals, consumables and tools for high-quality care of your weapons, and qualified sellers will always prompt and help you choose the necessary materials.

My rifle maintenance kit.

Let's start with the main cleaning tool - a ramrod. Ramrod must necessarily correspond to the caliber of your barrel, be solid (not prefabricated) and sufficiently rigid in order to avoid deflection in the bore, and, accordingly, the ramrod friction against the rifling fields, have a protective coating that excludes direct contact of the ramrod steel rod with the inner surface of the barrel. Also, another important condition for a high-quality ramrod is the presence of bearings in the handle, which allow the ramrod rod to rotate freely and easily when the patch or ruff moves along the grooves of the barrel.

In my use, I had several ramrods from different manufacturers, I settled on ramrods and interchangeable nozzles for them from an American manufacturer Dewey. Of course, professional athletes also use more expensive ramrods, and even individual “custom” versions, but a ramrod from the specified manufacturer will be quite sufficient for both an ordinary hunter and a shooter who spends a lot of time at the shooting range.

Various nozzles are attached to the ramrod:

Ruffs : There should be several for the required caliber: nylon, brass, aluminum-based nylon (for application and cleaning with solvents). Never use steel brushes when cleaning your weapons.

Vishera : there should be several for different types of patches and ways of using.

Pugs: for applying preservative oil.

Ruffs and patch holders made of aluminum for solvents.

Cleaning insert .

To clean the Blaser barrel, which is removed from the stock and has free access to the breech, I do not use the insert, it is easy for me to control the position of the ramrod relative to the barrel geometry even without the insert. In all other cases, I recommend using an insert, it will allow you not to be afraid for the contact of the ramrod with the bullet entry during manipulations. With an insert, it is convenient to apply various chemicals to ruffs and patches through the solvent port, avoiding getting into the internal mechanisms of the weapon and on its bed. In general, the benefits of insertion abound.

Patches.

I use different ones. I definitely recommend felt patches-tampons like VFG or their domestic counterparts. They are produced for all kinds of calibers, they are very convenient for cleaning carbon deposits, applying chemicals, polishing the barrel with pastes. In general, having tried it once, I can’t imagine my cleaning kit without them. Quite good and very cheap are patches made from pressed cotton pads from women's cosmetic toilet items. Having spent quite a bit of time, you can choose the required size for your caliber and cut any amount with scissors. Such patches are well suited for both removing carbon deposits and for finishing wiping with preservative oil. I also use standard cotton patches, which are mainly used to control copper removal. I pass with such a patch along the barrel after soaking with a solvent, on the wide surface of the patch the amount of oxidized copper is well reflected in the form of blue.

Chemistry.

Several types are required, each of which is intended for a specific operation.

I use:

Powder soot solvents: WD-40 and penetrating agent Kano Kroil.

More powerful solvents (which also remove copper): HoppeS-9 and Eliminator.

Copper solvents: SweetS-7.62, Robla Solo Mil.

Cleaning and polishing pastes (required for polishing a new barrel and when the barrel is heavily soiled): J-B pastes.

Neutral Preservative Compounds: Ballistol Silicone Grease.

Weapon machine .

I use homemade powerful, hard. It was possible to build this device, which allows both cleaning any weapon in assembled or disassembled form, and using it as a sighting machine.

The HandMade machine was designed for shooting rifled weapons, it turned out to be universal.

The machine allows you to clean weapons, as in the assembled state (most bolt-on carbines)

So in disassembled, for example, the barrel of the Blaser carbine or the barrels of smoothbore weapons.

In no case do I force everyone to go my way, it will be enough to have a machine of such a plan that is available in weapons stores in various configurations.

Finally, we come to the third question. Why do we clean?

As I wrote above, in the process of a shot, and even more so several, a layer cake of aggressive compositions appears on the surface of the barrel. The thing is that the products of combustion of gunpowder and capsule composition have an acidic environment, which in turn adversely affects the surface of the barrel, causing corrosion. With high-quality cleaning using all the materials, tools and chemistry listed above, we disassemble (clean) layer by layer (clean off) this whole cake and our goal is to disassemble the cake completely, freeing the barrel metal from the aggressive components left by the shooting.

Well, now, step by step, leaving all the theoretical bookmarks above, we will consider the whole process of cleaning a rifled barrel.

Let's clean the trunk Blaser caliber 243Win. 15 shots were fired from the barrel with a cartridge with a bullet Lapua Scener.

It is convenient for me to clean the Blaser barrel separated from the stock and with the optical sight removed.

I clamp the barrel at a slight angle down with the muzzle to drain the chemistry. With a fairly large amount of WD-40, I soak the entire inner surface of the trunk, also passing several times to distribute the solvent with a nylon ruff, leave it for 10-12 minutes.

We wind the visher and patch on the ramrod, we pass along the trunk until the patch comes out of the trunk. The first couple of patches are the dirtiest, and it is undesirable to return the dirt and rub it along the trunk. We make several reciprocating movements with the rest of the patches, the mark from the electrical tape on the axis of the ramrod serves as a limitation until the patch exits the barrel.

To control the position of the patch inside the barrel, a note on the ramrod.

We clean until the outgoing patches have their original white appearance, in my case it turned out 10 patches for the first stage of cleaning.

Patches after the first stage of cleaning.

At this point, many opponents of the “major cleaning shamanism” would have completed the whole process, because the last patch was almost snow-white, which means, in their opinion, the barrel is clean.

Well, we will continue. Having removed the soot, and even then not all, because it also remained under the layers of copper, we will begin to soak the pollution with the help of a penetrating composition Kano Kroil.

I think this is the best tool for cleaning weapons today. With high penetrating power, Kroil swells the formed mud film, which contributes to its further removal with patches.

Apply Kroil with the help of a brass ruff, passing over the entire inner surface with several movements until the ruff completely exits the muzzle. In no case should you make a reverse movement with a ramrod with a brass brush without pushing it out of the barrel completely, otherwise the brush antennae break and the brush does not live long. Just as in the first stage, we leave the barrel alone for soaking for 10-12 minutes. After the time has passed, the visher and clean patches are again, and what we see: it seems that they have already cleaned the barrel until the patches are snow-white, but after a little soaking with Kroil, the first patch is no different from the first patch of a dirty barrel. At the second stage, 8 patches were spent before the release of white.

Patches after the second stage of cleaning.

For soaking with solvents, we use an aluminum patch holder.

This tool dissolves carbon deposits well and actively oxidizes the settled copper. We pass a couple of times with a moistened patch along the trunk and leave it now for 15-20 minutes for the active work of the composition with pollution. Now, after the time has elapsed, on a patch driven through the barrel, we see the remains of powder deposits and a layer of copper starting to oxidize after a layer of deposits (you can see a slight blue on a dirty patch). After the third soak, 3 patches were enough to clean, due to the fact that the bulk of the dirt had already been removed.

When soaking with solvents, it is imperative to prevent the composition from leaking onto the outer surface of the barrel, since with prolonged exposure, the solvent eats bluing.

Then we clean with felt patches soaked in HoppeS-9. The felt patch goes more tightly along the barrel, cleaning the rifling and corners of the combat edges with high quality. With each new patch dipped in HoppeS-9, I make up to 10 reciprocating movements over the entire surface of the barrel, without the patch going beyond the muzzle. It took 8 patches or 80 passes down the barrel before the white patch came out. That's how much dirt still remained in the seemingly already clean trunk.

Patches after cleaning with HoppeS-9 solvent.

Once every 50-60 shots, I additionally clean the barrel with a "fine abrasive" paste J-B blue. The paste, due to its abrasiveness, helps to clean off carbon deposits that are pressed into the metal of the barrel and cannot be cleaned with solvents. You should not abuse cleaning with pastes, especially on an already polished and previously run-in barrel, but 10-15 passes of a felt patch lubricated with paste, with a frequency of 50-60 shots, will not damage the barrel. And here we again see the dirt removed by the patches after the paste passes.

After the appearance of a clean patch, we can confidently say that we cleaned the trunk, only we did not clean it from all the components of the layer cake, and it is easy to check this. We drive a clean patch into the barrel not reaching the muzzle of 0.5-1 cm and into the light, moving it to the table lamp, we see copper layers in the margins and in the rifling.

Traces of copper on the margins and in the rifling.

To remove copper, use Eliminator or Robla Solo Mil, for which I abundantly moisten the felt patch in the indicated solvent, make several passes along the trunk and leave it for 15-20 minutes for the drug to act.

After the time has passed, I drive a cotton patch, which clearly shows the amount of copper removed from the barrel, depending on the number of shots, it takes from 1 to 5 soaks until the copper is completely removed.

Cotton patches with traces of copper oxide.

I carry out the control soaking with the composition that is most aggressive to copper. SweetS-7.62. I do not recommend leaving it in the barrel for more than 15 minutes. Last soak with SweetS-7.62 enough to completely remove copper from the barrel.

Now, in order to remove the remnants of aggressive solvents from the bore, we again use a penetrating Kano Kroil. Having abundantly moistened several times, we pass with a patch, and then with another dry patch.

We clean the chamber with reciprocating, circular motions, use a short ramrod with a suitable ruff and a flannel cloth wound around it.

Everything, the barrel is cleaned “to zero”, that is, perfectly clean. Depending on whether I have to use a carbine in the near future or not, I leave the barrel dry or for long-term storage I go through a pug with preservative oil Ballistol.

Patches after all stages of cleaning.

It took quite a bit of consumables and a fairly small amount of time to clean the barrel after 15 shots. Of course, the main time interval is spent on soaking with solvents and, as a rule, there are other activities during these intervals.

I would also like to warn novice users of rifled weapons, this cleaning “to zero” with such a small consumption of materials and time becomes possible only after proper preparation of the barrel for operation, that is, the indicated Blaser barrel went through a full cycle before the start of operation.

We clean the shutter.

We wipe the outer surface of the barrel with preservative oil.

We collect. The carbine is ready for further operation.

I would also like to add about the need to have such a small set for people traveling with their weapons. Whether it's long hunts or rafting. Form such a kit for yourself and you can always service your weapon outside the home.

My travel set for 20 and 308 caliber combo guns.

Let your carbine serve you for a long time and please you with excellent results both in target shooting and in real hunting.

Alexey Suvorov

None of the people who know will argue: cleaning weapons is a necessary thing. Regardless of whether we use it or it just sits in our closet, nevertheless, weapons tend to get dirty over time. Especially, of course, it gets dirty during operation: during shooting, hunting, and if it is a military weapon, then during the battle.

This raises a whole list of questions: how to properly clean weapons, what cleaning products are best for this, how often cleaning is necessary, with what tools, etc. If we know why cleaning is needed and put our knowledge into practice, our weapons will serve us long and reliably.

How do weapons get dirty?

Naturally, the weapon is most intensively contaminated as a result of firing. It is also clear that the trunk is exposed to the greatest contamination. When fired, there is high pressure inside the barrel. Residual products, which are formed during the combustion of gunpowder and as a result of the ignition of the primer, are deposited on the inner surface of the barrel. These products affect the metal, and therefore the barrel in the most detrimental way. In addition, these deposits spoil the polishing of the barrel.

It should be remembered that potassium chloride, which is part of the primer, is much more harmful to weapons than the residual products of gunpowder. When fired, its particles come into contact with the surface of the barrel, due to which, at the points of contact, the steel loses its original properties and turns into fusible. The powder gas formed during the shot melts the steel fragments and pushes them out. As a result, the inner surface of the trunk becomes rough, a rash and small shells form on it. To gun owners, this process is known as “barrel full”.

And that's not all the harmful effects of potassium chloride. It also has the ability to draw atmospheric moisture into the barrel, causing the steel in the bore to corrode and rust. In addition to potassium chloride, the primer contains mercury, the remnants of which penetrate deep into the metal, resulting in microcracks that contribute to the further fire of the barrel.

Due to the heating of the barrel during the shot and cooling after it, the chemical reactions that contribute to the height of the barrel last from 3 to 5 days. If, at the same time, intensive daily shooting is carried out from the weapon, then due to the friction of the bullet passing through the bore, the process only intensifies. And it will get worse until you clean the weapon.

There are three main stages of cleaning weapons:

pour alkaline oil (solvent) into the inside of the weapon;
clean weapons;
oil the weapon.

Of course, when cleaning weapons of various systems, there are many features that must be considered.

Rifle cleaning

Basic rules for cleaning rifled weapons:

Rifled weapons should be cleaned in the following sequence: first - the breech, then - the muzzle. That is, according to the direction of the bullet's flight;
In the same direction - from the breech to the muzzle - the ramrod should also move. At the same time, it is recommended to change the patch more often (a special napkin wrapped around a wipe, called a visher). The patch is a one-time device, so it is not recommended to use it again;
It is not recommended to move the ramrod for cleaning weapons in the "back and forth" mode. Because of this, scratches can form inside the barrel. Moreover, the brush and patch are easily clogged with particles that have settled on the walls of the trunk;
A brush for cleaning weapons should be chosen not soft, but hard. Soft bristles are very quickly clogged with hard deposits that have settled inside the trunk, and it is very difficult to remove it from a soft ruff. On the contrary, a ruff with a stiff brush is much more effective in this sense, since it cleans the inside of the trunk more reliably. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the brush remains dry (as well as the patch), otherwise, again, residual particles in the bore will stick to them;
It is advisable to clean the weapon immediately after firing. It is highly recommended not to move the cleaning to the next day. The reasons for this requirement have been discussed above;
Periodically it is necessary to clean the weapon even if no firing from it was made. The lubrication is not so intense;
If the weapon has been fired, it has been said that it must be cleaned immediately after firing. After 2-3 days, the weapon must be cleaned again, and after another 2-3 days - for the third time. And only then can rifled weapons be stored for a long time, but it should be remembered that even during long-term storage it must be periodically cleaned;
It is most carefully necessary to clean the muzzle and the bullet entrance - as the most "lightly vulnerable" parts of the barrel;
When cleaning a rifled weapon, it is very undesirable to use a variety of "home-made": home-made compounds, lubricants that are not intended for weapon cleaning. Home-made alkaline compositions cannot be used, nor can the weapon or its individual parts be immersed in strongly alkaline solutions. Such an amateurish approach to cleaning weapons can simply kill these weapons;
After cleaning, the gun barrel, as well as all cleaned components and mechanisms, must be lubricated with gun oil.

To clean weapons more efficiently, you can use a stand or a gun cleaning machine. These are special devices on which the weapon is conveniently fixed. In addition, there are special niches on the machine and stand for placing gun oils and other cleaning and lubricating products there. At the same time, the stand for cleaning weapons is very compact, so if you wish, you can take it with you even for hunting, even for shooting sports competitions. You can make it yourself, or you can buy a branded one.

Shotgun cleaning

Smoothbore weapons, like all other types, need to be cleaned. Here it is important to know what is the frequency of cleaning such weapons. There are many opinions on this subject, but most knowledgeable people argue that smoothbore weapons should be cleaned at least monthly - even if they have not been fired from and not pulled out of the safe.

However, there are situations when weapons need to be cleaned more often:

After buying a gun - especially a new one;
After the shot has been fired from the gun;
After each day spent on the hunt;
After the hunting season is over.

After buying the gun, you need to clean it to remove the factory grease, and also check how the weapon is assembled and for defects. In the process of zeroing, the gun must be cleaned after each shot. This will help determine what the accuracy of the gun is. With cleaning a gun during a hunt, everything is clear and without explanation: it is on the hunt that the gun gets dirty the most. Well, in the "off season" the gun is cleaned for preventive purposes: during storage in the cabinet, moisture may accumulate in the weapon.

Smoothbore weapons are cleaned in the following sequence:

First, the barrel is broken or dismantled (depending on the design of the weapon);
A brush screwed onto a ramrod is passed along the inside of the table in order to remove substances harmful to weapons from the barrel formed during firing;
It is necessary to change the brush on the ramrod to the visher, into which the patch is inserted, and with the help of such devices the barrel is cleaned until there are no signs of soot and soot left in it. At the same time, the patch needs to be changed periodically;
If several rags have already been replaced, and the traces of burning are still not completely removed, then in this case the rag must be moistened with turpentine or kerosene;
After the contamination is completely removed from the barrel, a brush with hard bristles is put on the ramrod, on which universal or neutral grease is applied in advance, and the entire inside of the barrel is covered with this grease;
Outside, dirt is removed from the entire body of the weapon, after which the body must be lubricated with a thin layer of grease;
The wooden parts of the weapon are also cleaned of dirt and oiled;
After that, the gun must be collected and placed in a safe for storage.

When cleaning, care must be taken that moisture does not get into the barrel. If the weapon is cleaned in winter, then in this case the gun is allowed to “sweat”, wrapping it in a warm rag.

However, all this is good if the weapon is not rusty, but if it has already begun to rust, then more radical means are needed here. In this case, the trunk is cleaned with a metal brush and a hard brush. In this case, the brush and brush, as well as the rod for cleaning the barrel, are moistened with dehydrated kerosene. If there is a lot of rust and it is old, then kerosene must be poured into the barrel, the barrel itself should be plugged with a dense cork, and everything should be left in this form for 24 hours. After that, the barrel must be cleaned with the same brush and brush.

But if rust has formed on the outside of the weapon, then waterproof glue can come in handy. First, use a hot soda solution to wash off all the grease from the gun. Then the glue is diluted in hot water, and this substance is applied to the surface of the weapon - to that part of it where rust has appeared. The glue dries instantly, after which a universal lubricant is applied to the treated surface.

Even if such a tool did not cope with rust, then you can try to remove it by preparing such a solution for this:

Ammonium sulphate - 28 g;
Ammonium carbonate - 13 g;
Ammonia water - 170 g;
Distilled water - 100 g.

The prepared solution must be poured into the barrel, plug the barrel on both sides with stoppers, hold the solution in the barrel for half an hour, then remove it, wipe the barrel dry and lubricate with alkaline oil.

Air gun cleaning

Pneumatics also needs to be cleaned. Not as often, of course, as rifled or smooth-bore weapons - but even less so. An air rifle also clogs, and in addition, its charges also leave a mark inside the barrel. In addition, the barrels of pneumatics are not as high quality as those of other weapons, the steel for their manufacture is relatively soft, and for this reason such barrels rust more easily and faster than hunting rifles.

Cleaning an air rifle is necessary in the following cases:

Between 100 and 200 shots;
When the accuracy of the rifle decreases (the rifle starts to “spit”);
When smoke and sparks are visible from the barrel when fired.

The pneumatic barrel can be cleaned from either end. The process of cleaning the "air" consists of four main stages: removing lead deposits inside the barrel, degreasing the barrel, drying and lubricating. After that, the cleaned weapon must be lubricated. When lubricating a pneumatic barrel, quite specific nuances should be taken into account.

In principle, lubrication for an air gun is needed “insofar as”, but nevertheless, the charge moves along the lubricated barrel more easily. However, if the barrel is lubricated excessively, then the accuracy of the battle in this case will decrease (the rifle, again, will “spit” in different directions). It is best to lubricate the barrel with some kind of neutral gun oil. Moreover, it is an extremely thin layer.

Cleaning 12 (16, 20) caliber weapons

To clean 12, 16 and 20 gauge guns in general, you will need the same set of tools and tools as described above. Yes, and the sequence of cleaning and lubricating the barrel and individual components is the same.

The only "know-how" here is that many experts and practitioners advise cleaning the barrel of a gun not with rags, but with a ball made of toilet paper. Such a ball is driven into the barrel and pushed along the entire length of the barrel with the help of a ramrod with a ruff mounted on it. It is claimed that toilet paper cleans the barrel much better than rags. For a perfectly positive result, it is recommended to clean it with several of these balls.

Weapon cleaning products

For the entire time of the existence of firearms, means for cleaning it, an innumerable number of devices have been invented, ranging from the most primitive and ending with the most modern ones that can be found in the catalog. We will not talk about ancient methods like cleaning the bore with crushed bricks here. Let's talk about some of the most popular modern tools for these purposes:

German-made gun oil Ballistol 50 ml (liquid);
Gun oil of the same production Gunex 2000 200 ml in the form of a spray. Robla Solo MIL Barrel Cleaner 100 ml in liquid form. Made in Germany. All three of these tools are included in the kit, with which you can clean and preserve weapons;
The American BIRCHWOOD-CASEY Value Pack is also available for the same purpose;
Foam for cleaning weapons. Actually, the world chemical industry has produced a lot of foam samples for these purposes. For example, Armatech 210 ml Russian production. Or - Schmeisser 200 ml of German production. Etc;
Means for cleaning weapons from soot and soot, as well as for corrosion protection Ballistol Robla Solvent. The solvent is available in the form of an aerosol, and perfectly cleans the barrel - especially when using charges with black powder. In addition, the solvent remarkably resists corrosion;
A set for cleaning weapons with a special flexible snake, and weapons only 12 gauge. Made in the USA;
Alkaline composition "Taiga" of Russian production. It is remarkable in that it can be used to effectively clean any weapon - rifled, smoothbore, pneumatic. At the same time, its cost is very small.

This list could be continued, but it is better to look into the catalog and choose a product to your liking and affordable.

Summing up, we can say that cleaning weapons is the most important condition for them to serve faithfully for many years.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

Do you remember that Leskovsky Lefty asked me to tell the tsar-father that the soldiers should not clean their guns with crushed bricks? Look when back in Russia they thought about the abrasive properties of ceramics and the right technologies for cleaning weapons!

Seriously, not so long ago, in remote places, the trunks were simply “spilled” with boiling water, then driven off with a ruff and wiped dry. But do not rush to accuse the ancestors of barbarism. The same operation is carried out for modern pneumatics for collective use in very neglected cases, when the barrel is so leaded that no chemistry and mechanical devices take it. Physics comes to the rescue: due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients, lead flakes safely peel off steel.

I think that among the readers there are no enthusiasts of a gurgling kettle or, God forbid, an electric drill as a drive for a brush. And yet, how to properly clean a weapon and with what?

Professionals and amateurs: the difference in approaches

The author belongs to the group of "moderates", who believe that excessive passion for cleaning and lubrication, especially without a critical understanding of the essence of the processes, also does not lead to good. This is mainly due to long-standing experience, when the shooters had at their disposal kerosene (then super-detergent WD-40), alkaline composition and neutral oil. The weapons serviced with the help of these components have served and serve faithfully for many decades, failing for reasons not related to the chemistry used and the frequency of hygiene procedures. I note, however, that all this applies to serial domestic guns, albeit high-class ones, as well as to civilian versions of the army riflemen - OP-SKS, "Tiger", numerous "Kalashoids".

With the appearance on our shelves of specialized chemistry, especially aerosol, everything has become even more simplified. For example, the same legendary Ballistol allows you, after a day full of shooting and rain, to simply wipe all the iron, pour it inside and out with this spray and not worry about anything else until the house, where you already do cleaning in a more comfortable environment.

And, finally, "maximalists", most often fans of high-precision shooting. People of this type practice thoroughness in everything. As a rule, they prefer a compact, but still a cleaning center to a table covered with newspapers. For example, such as in the photo, an extremely inexpensive "Portable Maintenance Center".

And it's hard to disagree with them. See how well thought out and comfortable it is.

When you read the recommendations of adherents of “high-precision”, you marvel at the perseverance and scrupulousness, a purely scientific approach to removing various types of pollution. Can you imagine what practical experience and surgical accuracy of movements one must have in order to remove copper plating on match barrels with the help of abrasive pastes!? In their arsenal of techniques, for example, the selection of chemicals for cleaning different sections of the chamber, methods that provide for special cleaning after EVERY shot, the use of substances that are neutral to some barrels, but literally dissolve the metal of others. In a word, if you have an ardent desire to become a real BR shooter, you should not engage in guerrilla warfare - go out of the forest to people and join a team of like-minded professionals. Moreover, there is no “benchrest” without regular competitions.

For the bulk of people, all this is somewhere on the other side of good and evil. Therefore, let's be guided by the well-known from mathematics condition "necessary and sufficient". Without dwelling on the basics of preliminary procedures, such as the need to unload and disassemble the weapon, prepare all the necessary accessories, etc., the entire cleaning process can be divided into three stages.

Stages of cleaning weapons

pouring with an alkaline composition (solvent) everything and everything that came into contact or could come into contact during the shot with a primer, cartridge case, bullet and, of course, powder gases;
proper cleaning;
lubrication and preservation of weapons.

Start over.

For the vast majority of cases and non-exclusive weapons, the already mentioned Ballistol or the well-known Hoppes No. nine".

There are still a lot of modern drugs with a similar effect, there are much more effective ones, for example, Shooter's Choice formulations, but many of them are highly specialized. For example, they can only be used for stainless steel barrels. If you are the owner of such a not too massive weapon, carefully study the manufacturer's recommendations.

So, the composition we have chosen is applied to all places to be cleaned - the bore, the shutter, the mirror (at the smoothbore), the details of the gas outlet, the barrel outside - 5-6 centimeters from the cut. We leave the whole household to soak for 10-20 minutes.

Let's move on to cleaning. This is where we need the tools.

Toolkit closely related to weapon traits

Ramrod.

Somehow it has long been customary that for rifled weapons it should be solid, for smooth-bore weapons it doesn’t matter, but more often composite. The approach is correct, given the caliber: you never know what can happen in a long tube, the inner diameter of which is less than a centimeter, so the requirements for strength characteristics in the first case are increased.

The material of the ramrod is also different. Wood, brass are quite suitable for a smoothbore, only metal for a rifled one, always braided, although there are bending-resistant and at the same time relatively safe stainless steel products on sale. In no case do not use aluminum devices, the oxide covering them is not inferior to crushed brick in terms of abrasive properties.

Another prerequisite for rifled barrels: the ramrod itself must rotate freely on the bearing installed in the handle so that the cleaning devices, when reciprocating, go strictly along the grooves.

Actually, ideally, these options look something like this:

On the left is a ramrod for smoothbore calibers, two-section, length 86 cm, the classic SL visher nozzle is included. On the right is a ramrod for rifled weapons. 35 cal., 9 mm and above, one-section, with bearing, length 91 cm.

Visher and patches.

The chamber and muzzle cut are "sacred cows" and should be handled accordingly. Therefore, the movement of the ramrod with wiping material (patch) always goes in one direction - from the breech to the muzzle. The introduction itself must be extremely careful, and the contaminated patch must be removed from the visher after exiting the barrel. It is very convenient to do this with vishers of modern design. Compare: on the left is the classic type, familiar to almost all shooters, on the right - brass .22 / .223 cal

Agree, it is very convenient to prick a branded or home-made patch on the latter (a square or round piece of cotton fabric, matched to the caliber), which, at the exit from the barrel, will simply fall off and fall into a carefully substituted vessel.

Smooth-bore cut defects will also not add accuracy. And here, willy-nilly, you will have to use a traditional visher, into the slot of which a rag of a suitable size is threaded and loosely wound.

Cleaning guides.

Somewhat ambiguous devices, just serving to protect the chamber, bullet entry and cut the barrel of a rifled weapon.

In the photo guides.30 ABS3 and.30 C30.

Let's start with the second, to cut the trunk. The scope of its application is extremely narrow, mainly for some models, and all because, as we remember, the barrel is cleaned only from the treasury to the muzzle. There are rifles where the manufacturer, as if on purpose, did everything to make it difficult to access the breech. But even here it is better not to resort to technology turned 180 degrees.

The guides inserted instead of the shutter, according to reputable shooters, with the rarest exception, do not provide accurate centering of the ramrod, since they are made universal for a certain caliber. Meanwhile, each rifle has its own characteristics. In a word, it is easier to protect the USM from dripping reagents with a cloth, and center the ramrod by eye, the main thing is not to rush and not be nervous. Or thoughtfully, again slowly, pick up a guide strictly for your weapon.

Ershik.

In the photo: brass and hard nylon brushes under .30 and 12 gauge, as well as a powder puff, which serves both for lubrication and for removing excess oil.

There are also brushes for cleaning the chamber. As a rule, they come as part of cleaning kits, but you can also purchase them separately, even on the handle.

And one more thing: brushes are used only for dry use, otherwise they are immediately covered with abrasive particles and only aggravate the process of destruction of the barrel mirror.

"Wand-lifesaver".

You definitely can't do without this tool. In fact, this is a kind of miniature hybrid of a spatula and a toothpick, carved from wood. It is with them, sometimes with a wound rag, that you will clean the dirt from hidden places, which are enough in the weapon, or carefully remove the remnants of copper from the mirror of the end of the receiver (where the strikers are).

The weapon is "wet", we start cleaning

Blessed are the owners of the classic Fracture shotguns and other cyplaufs, as well as modern semi-autos. The rest is more difficult - you can’t unfasten the barrel, and the already mentioned branded cleaning center could be great here. The main rule: in the machine or just on the table, the barrel should look down so that all the muck does not flow into the mechanisms of the weapon.

So, we prick a patch on the visher (we wind a rag) and in one unhurried movement we drive the ramrod forward. We discard the contaminated patch, carefully remove the ramrod. We alternate patches with brushes (only on dry trunks). We clean the chamber with rotational movements, in no case trying to push a special brush into the bullet entrance. If necessary, we process the barrel with a cleaning compound again.

And so, until we achieve the result. Professionals carefully evaluate pollution, using specialized chemistry depending on their types.

For an ordinary shooter, all this is more interesting in theoretical terms. Or when changing ammunition. So that you can say: “This is dirty!” And don't contact him again.

Our task is simple: regardless of whether copper turns blue on the patches or matte remnants of the polyethylene of the sleeve are found, it is necessary to ensure that the cleaning material at the output does not differ from what was at the input. That's all. Depending on the degree of contamination, all procedures can take ten minutes or an hour.

Lubrication and conservation

Finally, the patches emerge pristine from the barrel. And then comes the turn of neutral oil. By and large, we remove not so much dirt as the remains of cleaning agents, including those from metal micropores. Suspicious traces will appear again on the patches. After they disappear, we apply a thin layer of neutral oil to the dry trunk with a lightly oiled patch, cloth, powder puff. Or a preservative composition - depending on your goals and objectives. For example, Rust Prevent Corrosion Inhibitor or Elite Hoppe's GO4.

It is highly desirable to repeat the second stage of cleaning (with neutral oil) in three or four days, a maximum of a week. This is how long, on average, the sweating of the remnants of contaminants from the deepest microcracks continues.

Once again I would like to repeat. With today's variety of guns, carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations if you have, say, a stainless or chromium-molybdenum barrel. And select cleaning compounds, especially aggressive ones, exclusively in accordance with them. Do not always trust opinions from the Internet, if you read carefully, they often contradict each other. In a word, be careful and careful.

Let's assume that before the very first shot, the bore is absolutely clean - there is no dust, no residual lubricating oil, no old dirt in it. In this case, the first layer of new contamination will be a trace from the shell of the first bullet, which will pass through the bore during firing.

Shells of modern rifle bullets are made of a wide variety of materials. Next, we will consider in detail the types of contamination left by each specific shell material, but for now we will focus on the fact that all bullet shell materials, without exception, leave a mark in the barrel. This trace is an inhomogeneous film that adheres tightly to the surface of the bore. The next bullet will leave a film on top of the film from the first bullet; and the more times you have fired your weapon, the wider and thicker this cumulative film of bullet jackets.

The matter is aggravated by the fact that the material of the bullet shells is not the only factor determining the contamination of the bore, and not even the main one. The greatest influence - and the greatest harm - is made by the gaseous combustion products of the powder charge and the capsule composition. When fired, powder gases develop enormous pressure; thanks to (although it is ungodly to thank them for this) this pressure, the gaseous products of combustion are able to penetrate the crystalline structure of the barrel steel and accumulate there. And since the powder gases and, especially, the products of combustion of the capsule composition have an aggressive chemical effect on the metal of the barrel bore, this effect is the most deplorable for the barrel.

Solid residues of the combustion of the powder charge and primer composition are deposited on the surface of the bore. Since there is already a film left by the shell of the bullet, as a result of firing, something that looks like a layer cake is formed - namely, a dense multi-layered film of aggressive dirt.

Should I be afraid of this dirt?

There is a fairly large community of shooters (mostly hunters who shoot long rifles infrequently - only in the hunting season - and quite a bit) that do not bother cleaning at all. In this environment, it is generally accepted that contamination does not harm the trunks at all. And it is considered special chic not to clean the barrel, which has an army origin. I myself have so often heard statements like “But I don’t clean my SCS (SVT / Tiger / Vepr / Saiga / three-ruler, etc.) at all - why?” that it now causes an allergic reaction in me.

In fact - and this should be learned by heart - gunshot contamination is harmful to all rifle barrels without exception, regardless of bore coating or uncoated, barrel steel type, manufacturer's celebrity and weapon cost. But there is no need to be afraid of this dirt. Why? Because now we will learn how to deal with it.

To effectively deal with rifle barrel contamination, you will need some tools.

First of all, this is a ramrod. The ramrod is the cornerstone of proper rifle barrel cleaning, because the design of the ramrod does not only determine whether your rifle will be well cleaned. With a bad ramrod, the barrel bore and damage for a short time; if you want to avoid this, then you need a ramrod one-piece - in the form of a non-separable metal rod in a plastic sheath - and as rigid as possible. The best rifle ramrods are fully consistent with the concept of "ideally rigid rod" used in theoretical mechanics - there is no bending, and the force is transmitted only in the axial direction.

Of course, you can use composite ramrods or one-piece, but made of polymeric materials. However, composite ramrods, even those coated with plastic, can scratch the edges of the rifling in areas where the junction of individual links occurs; a similar phenomenon can occur when using one-piece, but flexible, polymer ramrods. Since we have agreed to love our weapons, it should be understood that the rifle ramrod does not have to be flexible. It's not spinning, after all.

The ramrod must also be long enough - we should not forget that a rifle, in addition to a regulated barrel length with a chamber, usually also has a receiver. In addition, sometimes it is useful to be able to swing. I myself use a ramrod with a working length of 44 inches (with a rifle barrel length with a chamber of 26 inches) and do not experience any inconvenience when cleaning - on the contrary, it is just a pleasure.

An equally important tool is the sleeve (in English-speaking countries it is called the bore guide). I would even say that in terms of importance, the sleeve and the ramrod share the first place among themselves.

The sleeve has a dual function. Firstly, it really serves to direct the movement of the ramrod - or rather, to prevent the ramrod rod from touching (and thus possibly damaging) the rifling in the area of the bullet entry of the barrel. This is very important, since the accuracy of the weapon directly depends on the condition of the rifling in the area of the bullet entrance. Secondly, a bushing that is tightly seated in the rifle's chamber prevents cleaning chemicals and dissolved dirt from entering anywhere other than the bore of the rifle. Agree, it makes no sense to smear the dirt removed from the bore all over the weapon.

The rest of the tools are a variety of nozzles. All nozzles can be divided into two main types: these are brushes and wipes (also known as "vishers").

The purpose and principle of operation of brushes is simple and clear - they are needed for mechanical action on a dense film of pollution. There are metal brushes (usually brass or bronze) and polymeric ones.

Of course, it will not be possible to remove dirt with just a brush, just as it will not be possible to eat a bowl of soup with a fork - this is what rubbing is intended for.

And the rack (gun vise or gun cradle) closes the group of necessary instrumentation. It is designed to hold your rifle (or separate barrel and receiver) during cleaning. There are specialized racks; there are racks integrated into folding tool boxes. In addition, you can make a rack yourself - it's not so difficult. In any case, the stand is necessary - even if only for the convenience of the shooter himself.

In addition to tools, it makes sense to describe consumables. The most common of them (and at the same time the most, perhaps, the simplest and most convenient) are fabric patches (from the English. Patch - a piece, shred). You can make them yourself by cutting a piece of fabric with scissors into squares of the right size, or you can buy ready-made ones; but homemade patches are better for cleaning, because you can adjust the density of the patch through the barrel by adjusting the size of the cut patch, while the factory patches in the package are usually the same size. It is best to make patches from white fabric - dirt is more noticeable on it - and thick and soft enough so that the patch completely fills the cross-section of the bore. I myself some time ago solved the problem with patches on a grand scale, buying about thirty meters of white flannel.

Recently, consumables manufactured by VFG have become very famous - in the form of felt cylinders screwed onto a special wipe (popularly they are called “VFG patches”, although this is wrong - these cylinders do not look at all like shreds). These cylinders are really very convenient - and in some procedures they are indispensable - however, they are not convenient for everything, and they cannot completely replace tissue patches. Therefore, it would be most reasonable to use both patches and cylinders - the procedure will be described below.

It's time to move on to describing the chemicals used for cleaning.

All necessary weapons chemistry according to the principle of action can be divided into three categories. Firstly, these are means for dissolving and neutralizing powder deposits. Secondly, these are agents for removing traces of bullet jacket material - I deliberately do not say "copper", since such agents, as a rule, are also able to dissolve traces of lead and zinc. There are also universal remedies that simultaneously dissolve both carbon deposits and traces of metals, but their effect, as a rule, is somewhat weaker.

The third category includes cleaning pastes - an approximate analogue of cosmetic scrubs. As a rule, such pastes have an exclusively mechanical principle of action, but there are also pastes with a complex anti-copper-mechanical action. Unlike solvents, pastes are excellent at cleaning even those barrels that have been fired with bullets with coatings - like molybdenum disulfide (moly-coated) or Teflon-based coatings that conventional chemistry does not take.

And, finally, the fourth category is made up of penetrating and lubricating oils. The task of oils is not only and not so much the actual lubricant. It is much more important to neutralize the remnants of cleaning chemicals, which in itself - especially products from the second category - are very aggressive. Such oils must have high fluidity and penetration in order to neutralize aggressive substances wherever possible; therefore they, in fact, are called penetration (from the English. Penetrate - to penetrate, penetrate). At the same time, these oils are excellent for lubrication.

It should be noted that in the most extreme cases - for example, when you are far from civilization, and there are simply no suitable means at hand - penetration oil can also be used to neutralize powder deposits. Of course, it will work far from being as effective as a specialized soot remover, but it is still better than not cleaning at all.

Questions often arise: is it possible to clean weapons with kerosene or its derivatives, like WD-40?

I will answer this evasively, because I know that many people clean only with WD-40, resolutely brushing aside all advice and ridiculing supporters of specialized gun cleaning products. Yes, you can clean your guns with WD-40. You can also clean weapons with cucumber pickle or exhausted Zhiguli beer - and just try to say that I'm wrong. Can. But not necessary. Believe me.

Now it's time to reward you for your patience and indulgence to my tediousness. Let's move on to cleaning.

First of all, stock up on everything you need. You already know that you need a rack, a cleaning rod and a bushing. In addition, you will need one bronze brush, one plastic brush, one visher for fabric patches, one wipe adapter for VFG felt rolls, one piece of flannel, one handful of VFG rolls, one pack of cotton swabs for cleaning ears, one roll of paper towels or 65 meters toilet paper, and one nail file. Don't forget also two arms and one head.

Chemistry we will use only the one that is on sale in Kiev weapons stores. We will need one can of Forrest Foam, one can of Hoppe's #9 Nitro Powder Solvent, one can of Robla Solo Mil, one can of J-B Bore Cleaner, and one can of Klever Ballistol Spray. Instead of Robla and Hoppe #9, you can successfully use Shooter's Choice MC #7 Firearms Bore Cleaning Solvent - this product dissolves both carbon deposits and traces of metal equally well.

So. Let's say you just shot at the range (or shot a prize elk while hunting, drank "on the blood" and took a picture) and intend to go home (or go "sour" to the base). Of course, the first thing you think about is your weapon (assuming this is true).

In the event that you shot only a few times, and plan to start the main cleaning of the weapon the next day - as it usually happens on collective hunts - there is no point in pouring chemistry into the barrel; it will do more harm than good. It is enough to remove the bolt and drive a loose patch, abundantly moistened with Ballistol, through the barrel. This oil has a slight alkaline effect, therefore it is able to neutralize powder deposits in some way - which, in fact, is what we need.

In the case when the shot is large - from fifteen shots or more - and it will take no more than an hour or two to get home, it makes sense not to limit yourself to Ballistol. If you have fired metal-jacketed bullets, blow Forrest Foam into the still-hot barrel and leave it there. Due to the increased temperature, the effect of the foam will increase, while there will be no danger to the barrel - Forrest foam is a very delicate product.

At home, install the weapon in the rack and insert the sleeve into the receiver.

If the bore was lubricated with Ballistol, then it must be thoroughly wiped off - otherwise Ballistol will weaken the effect of solvents; the same, but for a different reason, should be done with foam. It is best to do the first wipe with a VFG cylinder - there is still a lot of dirt in the barrel (after foam, of course, much less dirt than after Ballistol, but Forrest makes the dirt swell in some way), and a regular patch will not help well. Pass a couple more cylinders through the barrel.

Now it's the turn of the brushes. Take a plastic brush and use a nail file to apply some JB paste on it (the paste should cover only the middle part of the brush). Insert a ramrod with a brush into the barrel and drive it back and forth several times (at the exit from the barrel, the brush should completely leave the muzzle). Now remove the brush - you won't need it anymore - and wipe the cleaning rod from the dirt. Remove the spent paste mixed with dirt from the bore completely - first with cylinders, then with patches.

Now your trunk is cleaned of the main dirt; however, the most disgusting and complex dirt remained in it. I'm talking about soot that has eaten into the pores of the metal of the barrel due to the monstrous pressure developed during the shot. The complexity of this contamination is that it is hidden under the thin film of metal left by the shells of bullets - the very first metal film that cannot be completely removed with a non-abrasive paste.

Solvents will help us in the fight against this film (in fact, Forrest foam itself is such a solvent, but in this case we need something more serious). Run a few patches heavily moistened with Robla or Shooter's Choice through the barrel and leave the barrel alone for about half an hour (but no more, since these products containing ammonia compounds are quite aggressive).

After half an hour, wipe the barrel dry with patches. Apply a little paste to the side surface of the VFG cylinder with a nail file - just a little bit. Drive this cylinder along the barrel a dozen times back and forth - making sure, however, that the cylinder does not go beyond the muzzle. This procedure will help to clean the remnants of the metal film, not completely dissolved by the chemistry.

Now you need to neutralize the remnants of Ballistol chemistry. After letting the Ballistol work for half an hour or so, you need to wipe the barrel clean and dry with patches (if three patches in a row are as clean as the input, then you have achieved your goal).

Now that there are no solvents left in the bore, you can use a bronze brush (otherwise it would be successfully dissolved by chemistry). A bronze brush is needed not to destroy dense dirt - we successfully overcame it with the combined action of a plastic brush, felt, paste and chemistry. A bronze brush, due to its rigidity, is needed to destroy dirt in hard-to-reach areas of the trunk, where it is almost impossible to “get it” with more delicate means: we are talking about rifling angles. A few - a dozen or a little more - movements back and forth, and that's enough; then you need to skip a few patches moistened with solvent. Then you need to wipe the barrel clean with dry cloth patches until they no longer come out dirty. Voila - your trunk is cleaned to the conscience.

It is convenient to clean the remaining components of your weapon with the help of cotton swabs moistened with Ballistol and the same patches used as napkins. Compared to cleaning the bore, cleaning the rest of the weapon is not difficult, so I will not dwell on it in detail.

There is some subtlety in barrel cleaning if you have fired coated bullets like molybdenum disulphide or certain types of Teflon.

The difficulty here is that the traces of these coatings do not dissolve by conventional means. You will have to use exclusively mechanical means - brushes and paste; therefore, when buying such cartridges, please be patient.

Long life to you and your weapons.

Andrey Rudoy

Do you remember that Leskovsky Lefty asked me to tell the tsar-father that the soldiers should not clean their guns with crushed bricks? Look when back in Russia they thought about the abrasive properties of ceramics and the right technologies for cleaning weapons!
Seriously, not so long ago, in remote places, the trunks were simply “spilled” with boiling water, then driven off with a ruff and wiped dry. But do not rush to accuse the ancestors of barbarism. The same operation is carried out for modern pneumatics for collective use in very neglected cases, when the barrel is so leaded that no chemistry and mechanical devices take it. Physics comes to the rescue: due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients, lead flakes safely peel off steel.
I think that among the readers there are no enthusiasts of a gurgling kettle or, God forbid, an electric drill as a drive for a brush.

How to properly clean a weapon

In order to avoid omissions, let's say right away that there are a lot of legends, myths and opinions in this field of knowledge. The most radical of them: cleaning weapons is harmful. It is, as a rule, adhered to by those who ruined the barrel or bolt group by wrong actions, for example, by the wrong choice of lubricant. Or - you will laugh - the owners of models with extremely difficult disassembly / assembly and access to the breech.
The author belongs to the group of "moderates", who believe that excessive passion for cleaning and lubrication, especially without a critical understanding of the essence of the processes, also does not lead to good. This is mainly due to long-standing experience, when kerosene was at the disposal of the shooters (then spray WD-40), alkaline composition and neutral oil. The weapons serviced with the help of these components have served and serve faithfully for many decades, failing for reasons not related to the chemistry used and the frequency of hygiene procedures. I note, however, that all this applies to serial domestic rifles, albeit high-class ones, as well as to civilian versions of the army riflemen - OP-SKS, « Tiger", numerous " kalashoids».
With the appearance on our shelves of specialized chemistry, especially aerosol, everything has become even more simplified. Let's say the same legendary " Ballistol” allows you to simply wipe all the iron after a day full of shooting and rain, pour it inside and out with this spray and don’t worry about anything else until the house, where you can already do cleaning in a more comfortable environment.
And, finally, "maximalists", most often fans of high-precision shooting. People of this type practice thoroughness in everything. As a rule, they prefer a compact, but still a cleaning center to a table covered with newspapers. For example, such as in the photo, extremely inexpensive Portable Maintenance Center.

And it's hard to disagree with them. See how well thought out and comfortable it is.
When you read the recommendations of adherents of “high-precision”, you marvel at the perseverance and scrupulousness, a purely scientific approach to removing various types of pollution. Can you imagine what practical experience and surgical accuracy of movements one must have in order to remove copper plating on match barrels with the help of abrasive pastes!? In their arsenal of techniques, for example, the selection of chemicals for cleaning different parts of the chamber, methods that involve special cleaning after each shot, the use of substances that are neutral to some barrels, but literally dissolve the metal of others. In a word, if there is an ardent desire to become a real shooter " Benchrest", you should not engage in partisanship - go out of the forest to people and join a team of like-minded professionals. Especially since" Benchrest " without regular competition does not happen.
For the bulk of people, all this is somewhere on the other side of good and evil. Therefore, let's be guided by the well-known from mathematics condition "necessary and sufficient". Without dwelling on the basics of preliminary procedures, such as the need to unload and disassemble a weapon, prepare all the necessary accessories, etc.

The main steps in cleaning weapons

pouring with an alkaline composition (solvent) everything and everything that came into contact or could come into contact during the shot with a primer, cartridge case, bullet and, of course, powder gases;
proper cleaning;
weapon lubrication.

For the vast majority of cases and non-exclusive weapons, the already mentioned Ballistol or the well-known " Hoppes No. nine».

The first is extremely convenient to use, since it is made in the form of an aerosol, it successfully copes with all pollution, including lead and copper plating, while being absolutely safe. And not only for wood or plastic bed, but also for your hands. Moreover, according to the manufacturer and numerous users, it has a bactericidal and generally terribly beneficial effect on the skin. "Hoppes", on the contrary, is very toxic, so the author does not really like his relatively rare aerosol version. The dose can be taken even in the fresh air. He copes with his direct duties perfectly, perhaps better than Ballistol.
There is still a mass of modern drugs of similar action, there are much more effective, for example, formulations Shooter's Choice, but many of them are highly specialized. For example, they can only be used for stainless steel barrels. If you are the owner of such a not too massive weapon, carefully study the manufacturer's recommendations.
So, the composition we have chosen is applied to all places to be cleaned - the bore, the shutter, the mirror (at the smoothbore), the details of the gas outlet, the barrel from the outside - 5-6 centimeters from the cut. We leave the whole household to soak for 10-20 minutes.

Weapon cleaning

Here we already need a toolkit that is closely related to the features of the weapon. Let's analyze everything in detail.

1.Cramrod

Somehow it has long been customary that for rifled weapons it should be one-piece, for smooth-bore weapons it doesn’t matter, but more often composite. The approach is correct, given the caliber: you never know what can happen in a long tube, the inner diameter of which is less than a centimeter, so the requirements for strength characteristics in the first case are increased.
The material of the ramrod is also different. Wood, brass are quite suitable for a smoothbore, only metal for a rifled one, always braided, although there are bending-resistant and at the same time relatively safe stainless steel products on sale. In no case do not use aluminum devices, the oxide covering them is not inferior to crushed brick in terms of abrasive properties.
Another prerequisite for rifled barrels: the ramrod itself must rotate freely on the bearing installed in the handle so that the cleaning devices, when reciprocating, go strictly along the grooves.

Actually, ideally, these options look something like this:

On the left, a ramrod for smoothbore calibers, two-section, length 86 cm, comes with a classic visor attachment SL. On the right is a ramrod for rifled weapons. 35 cal., 9 mm and above, one-section, with bearing, length 91 cm.

2.Visher and patches

The chamber and muzzle cut are "sacred cows" and should be handled accordingly. Therefore, the movement of the ramrod with wiping material (patch) always goes in one direction - from the breech to the muzzle. The introduction itself must be extremely careful, and the contaminated patch must be removed from the visher after exiting the barrel. It is very convenient to do this with vishers of modern design.">

Compare: on the left is the classic type, familiar to almost all shooters, on the right - brass .22 / .223 cal

It is clear that the reverse movement must be no less accurate so as not to damage the ribs of the rifling at the barrel cut, even with soft brass. This will lead to the loss of accuracy of any rifled weapon, including pneumatic ones.
Smooth-bore cut defects will also not add accuracy. And here, willy-nilly, you will have to use a traditional visher, into the slot of which a rag of a suitable size is threaded and loosely wound.

Somewhat ambiguous devices, just serving to protect the chamber, bullet entry and cut the barrel of a rifled weapon.

In the photo guides.30 ABS3 and.30 C30.
Let's start with the second, to cut the trunk. The scope of its application is extremely narrow, mainly for some models, and all because, as we remember, the barrel is cleaned only from the treasury to the muzzle. There are rifles where the manufacturer, as if on purpose, did everything to make it difficult to access the breech. But even here it is better not to resort to technology turned 180 degrees.

The guides inserted instead of the shutter, according to reputable shooters, with the rarest exception, do not provide accurate centering of the ramrod, since they are made universal for a certain caliber. Meanwhile, each rifle has its own characteristics. In a word, it is easier to protect the USM from dripping reagents with a cloth, and center the ramrod by eye, the main thing is not to rush and not be nervous. Or thoughtfully, again slowly, pick up a guide strictly for your weapon.

4. Brush

Here, too, there are enough nuances. In principle, two things should be remembered: do not use soft polymer brushes (not to be confused with "powders"), generously sowing torn bristles everywhere, and steel ruffs for rifled barrels. Only rigid nylon and copper or brass. For a smoothbore, when removing lead and hard deposits, the use of steel mesh devices is quite acceptable.

In the photo: brass and hard nylon brushes under .30 and 12 gauge, as well as a powder puff, which serves both for lubrication and for removing excess oil.
There are also brushes for cleaning the chamber. As a rule, they come as part of cleaning kits, but you can also purchase them separately, even on the handle.

And one more important rule: brushes are used only when dry, otherwise they are immediately covered with abrasive particles and only aggravate the process of destruction of the barrel mirror.

5. Lifesaver

The final stage of cleaning weapons

We wipe various parts, depending on the configuration, with a stick, sponge, rag. After the disappearance of contaminants, wipe dry, generously lubricate with neutral oil, wipe again and now lubricate, as they say, with a thin layer. We drip a little into the holes of the smoothbore strikers. It is clear that competition forces manufacturers to move and produce the widest range of solvents and oils. If you want to support them and do everything according to “feng shui”, you can purchase and apply lubricants, say, separately for the stem or shutter stops, or something else in the same vein. But, in general, even domestic neutral gun oils, the same " Golden eagle' are quite functional.

Blessed are the owners of the classic Fracture shotguns and other cyplaufs, as well as modern semi-autos. It’s more difficult for the rest - you can’t unfasten the barrel, and the already mentioned branded cleaning center could be great here. The main rule: in the machine or just on the table, the barrel should look down so that all the muck does not flow into the mechanisms of the weapon.
So, we prick a patch on the visher (we wind a rag) and in one unhurried movement we drive the ramrod forward. We discard the contaminated patch, carefully remove the ramrod. We alternate patches with brushes (only on dry trunks). We clean the chamber with rotational movements, in no case trying to push a special brush into the bullet entrance. If necessary, we process the barrel with a cleaning compound again.
And so, until we achieve the result. Professionals carefully evaluate pollution, using specialized chemistry depending on their types.

For an ordinary shooter, all this is more interesting in theoretical terms. Or when changing ammunition. So that you can say: “This is dirty!” And don't contact him again.
Our task is simple: regardless of whether copper turns blue on the patches or matte remnants of the polyethylene of the sleeve are found, it is necessary to ensure that the cleaning material at the output does not differ from what was at the input. That's all. Depending on the degree of contamination, all procedures can take ten minutes or an hour.
Finally, the patches emerge pristine from the barrel. And then comes the turn of neutral oil. By and large, we remove not so much dirt as the remains of cleaning agents, including those from metal micropores. Suspicious traces will appear again on the patches. After they disappear, we apply a thin layer of neutral oil to the dry trunk with a lightly oiled patch, cloth, powder puff. Or a preservative composition - depending on your goals and objectives. For example, Rust Prevent Corrosion Inhibitor or Elite Hoppe's GO4.

It is highly desirable to repeat the second stage of cleaning (with neutral oil) in three to four days, a maximum of a week. This is how long, on average, the sweating of the remnants of contaminants from the deepest microcracks continues.

Once again I would like to repeat. With a modern variety of weapons, carefully read the manufacturer's recommendations if you have, say, a stainless or chromo-molybdenum barrel. And select cleaning compounds, especially aggressive ones, exclusively in accordance with them. Do not always trust opinions from the Internet, if you read carefully, they often contradict each other. In a word, be careful and careful.

Wishing you a great hunt

Saltsov Igor