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Device for cleaning the barrel of a weapon. Modern methods of cleaning the barrels of rifled weapons We wipe the outer surface of the barrel with preservative oil

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

Gun barrel cleaner made in the form of a visher, which is a tip with a diameter of the working part, consistent with the caliber of the barrel, with an end section (2) for placement on a ramrod, while the tip is a piston (3) made of an elastically deformable material, rigidly connected to a metal rod (1) passing along the axial line, the piston is made in the form of a body of revolution with annular grooves (4) along the generatrix. The technical result is the expansion of the range of devices for cleaning the barrels of weapons, providing effective cleaning with minimal labor costs. 1 n.p. f-ly, 1 z.p. f-ly, 1 drawing

The claimed utility model relates to accessories for cleaning gun bores and can be used to clean gun barrels of smooth-bore and rifled weapons from soot, soot, and unburned powder particles.

Known machine for cleaning the bore of small arms with brushes mounted on a rotating eccentric shaft mounted on a progressively moving frame in the direction of the bore, providing movement of the ramrods to the full length of the barrel (USSR Author's certificate 119101, 1958).

Bronze and nylon brushes, which are mounted on ramrods, are widely used for manual cleaning of the gun barrel from carbon deposits to this day.

It is also known a device for cleaning the barrel of a weapon, containing a rod with a replaceable nozzle, the rod is connected to the piston of the pneumatic cylinder, the cavities of which communicate with a source of compressed air through the control equipment and a controlled spool, while the cover of the pneumatic cylinder with a hole for the rod is connected to a centering clamping device for connection with the inflatable part of the barrel by fastening with side windows made on it for access to a replaceable nozzle when replacing it (Patent RU 2107877, 1998).

Known devices provide automated cleaning of weapon barrels, i. e. can be used on an industrial scale and are not used for cleaning personal weapons. To date, various bronze and nylon brushes, which are installed on ramrods, as well as powder puffs, etc., are widely used to manually clean the barrel of a personal weapon from soot. tips.

A device for cleaning the inner surface of a gun barrel is known, including a fabric sleeve having a first end, a second end and a wall; and a brush placed inside said sleeve, wherein the bristles of said brush penetrate said wall of said sleeve. The device may be provided with a flexible cord attached to the specified fabric sleeve for pulling the cleaning device through the bore. (Utility model patent RU 99136, 2010).

The well-known set with a flexible snake, oil and solvent is applicable for cleaning personal weapons, however, it is usually used as an auxiliary cleaning method in addition to cleaning the barrel of a weapon with a ramrod, laborious, not convenient enough.

Closest to the proposed device is Yu.N. Lysakovsky, which is a threaded brass tip with a diameter of the working part, consistent with the caliber of the barrels for winding rags (patch), equipped with an end section equipped with a thread for screwing onto a ramrod and a hole for a pin for unscrewing the visher (see "Handbook of a hunter-athlete ", edited by Prof. P. A. Manteifel, Publishing house "Physical culture and sport", Moscow, Volume 1 section "Care and preservation of hunting weapons", 1955, and "Encyclopedia of hunting weapons". DELTA-MM Corp, 2002 ). Vishers are used as ramrod tips to remove carbon deposits and oil residue from the walls of the bore.

Known tips require a laborious process of cleaning the bore by repeatedly moving the ramrod from the breech to the muzzle of the barrel. At the same time, with each pass of the ramrod, the patches fixed on the vishere must be changed to new ones, and the used ones are discarded. Moreover, the brass tip does not deform, and the smoothbore weapon has a slight narrowing in the muzzle. This creates additional difficulties in using the well-known visher. In addition, patches, ruffs and brushes are prone to clogging with solid particles.

The task to be solved by the claimed utility model is the expansion of the arsenal of devices for cleaning the bore of a weapon.

EFFECT: performing the function of cleaning the bore of a weapon with increased efficiency.

The problem is solved by the fact that the inventive device for cleaning the barrel of a weapon is made in the form of a visher, which is a tip with a diameter of the working part, consistent with the caliber of the barrel, with an end section for placement on a ramrod, while the tip is a piston made of elastically deformable material, rigidly connected to a metal rod passing along the axial line, the piston is made in the form of a body of revolution with annular grooves along the generatrix.

The claimed device differs from the known one in that the body of the visher is made of an elastically deformable material, which can be used as elastic polymers, for example, vulcanized isoprene rubber (rubber), silicone, nylon, etc. materials.

The material of the metal rod is bronze or brass or stainless steel or similar metals and alloys.

The end section of the metal rod, designed to fit on the ramrod, can be made with a thread, a flange connection and other similar known detachable connections.

The head section of the visher, opposite the end section, intended for nozzles on the ramrod, is made soft (elastically deformable), allowing the choke zone (choke) to pass.

The working part is made of an elastically deformable material, made in the form of a piston with annular grooves, which makes it possible to provide effective finishing cleaning of the bore of the weapon from the breech to the muzzle in one pass, ensuring a snug fit to the walls of the bore both in the breech and in the muzzle. Existing soot and other removed residues are pushed out of the barrel bore during translational movement due to the tight fit to the barrel walls of the elastic surface of the head and annular sections of the piston. A tight fit is ensured by matching the piston diameter with the barrel caliber and elastically deformable piston material. The head part of the piston and several annular sections of the working surface of the piston, formed by the annular grooves, provide in one pass the same effect that is provided with multiple passes of the known visors. At the same time, not only large particles of soot are removed at the same time, but also small particles, including rust, as well as residues of cleaning agents, copper plating and lead particles. When using known devices (brushes, brushes, visers with rags, etc. devices), carbon deposits are removed from the barrel channel in stages, remaining in the channel, including due to shedding from the villi of working surfaces. This requires repeating the cleaning operations many times with the replacement of brushes, ruffs and patches with new ones. Unlike the known ones, the inventive device allows for effective cleaning of the barrel channel from carbon deposits with minimal labor costs, because the working surfaces are not only the piston head, but also the ribs of its annular sections. In addition, the elastic material of the piston cannot cause damage to the inner surface of the bore. The foregoing allows us to conclude that the claimed device provides the claimed technical result, which is in a direct causal relationship with the claimed set of essential features.

The claimed device is illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows a general sectional view.

The figure shows a visher having a central rod 1 with an end section 2 intended for nozzles on a ramrod (not shown). The body of the piston 3 is made of an elastically deformable material, which is rubber, provided with end grooves 4 and is rigidly connected to the central rod 1.

The inventive device is used as follows. The end part 2 of the visher is put on the ramrod and fixed. First, the barrel channel of the gun is treated with cleaning agents. To do this, a patch moistened with a cleaning agent is put on the piston 3 of the inventive visher. After use, the patch is removed from piston 3 and discarded. The operation of treatment with cleaning agents is carried out once or repeatedly, depending on the cleaning schedule. Next, the inventive visher (without a patch) is inserted with its head into the bore from the side of the breech of the gun, slowly pushing it with a ramrod to the muzzle. The central metal rod 1 provides the necessary rigidity, and the head part of the elastically deformable body of the piston 3, in close contact with the inner surface of the barrel bore, provides mechanical cleaning from carbon deposits, cleaning agent residues and other removable residues, pushing the removable residues separated from the walls towards the exit from the muzzle of the barrel. Particles of residues to be removed that did not separate during the passage of the head of the piston 3 sequentially contact the ribs of the annular parts of the piston body, accumulate in the annular grooves 4, and are pushed out of the bore during a single pass of the visher.

The proposed device allows you to expand the range of devices for cleaning the barrels of weapons, provides effective cleaning with minimal labor costs.

1. Device for cleaning the barrel of a weapon in the form of a visher, representing a tip with a diameter of the working part, consistent with the caliber of the barrel, with an end section for fixation on a ramrod, characterized in that the tip is a piston made of an elastically deformable material, rigidly connected to a metal rod passing along the axial line, the piston is made in the form of a body of revolution with annular grooves along the generatrix.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that elastic polymers are used as elastically deformable material.

Andrew L.
Cleaning weapons is not an idle issue for any shooter, whether it be a hunter, sportsman, sniper or just an amateur. At the same time, there are a great many recipes for "correct" cleaning, and this topic is an occasion for writing more and more new articles and heated debates. Despite the variety of existing methods and recommendations, it seems possible to highlight some general tips for cleaning weapons. In addition, with the gradual increase in popularity on the Russian market of both new imported high-precision rifled weapons and various chemical care products, the appearance of an article on methods for cleaning rifled barrels in the West seems to be very timely.

When firing from a rifle in the barrel as a result of a shot, both the combustion products of gunpowder and the cartridge primer (soot) and the particles of the bullet shell (copper plating) are deposited. It is immediately necessary to make a reservation that we will limit ourselves to considering, first of all, firing a bullet with a copper sheath and a non-corrosive primer from a non-chrome-plated barrel. Barrel cleaning for other options (steel-jacketed bullets, lead bullets, chrome-plated barrels, etc.) does not differ significantly from the considered option, although, of course, some differences cannot be forgotten.

It is advisable to clean the rifle after the end of the shooting, if possible without putting it off for too long. Despite the fact that modern Boxer primers do not emit corrosive products during the firing process, when firing Russian-made or army surplus cartridges, in the vast majority of cases you will encounter corrosive Berdan primers. In addition, experience shows that in good weather it is much more pleasant to spend an extra half an hour on the shooting range cleaning a rifle than doing it at home, often in a room poorly adapted for such work with insufficient ventilation.

Accessories

To clean the barrel of a rifle, it is advisable to acquire the following accessories:

A good ramrod, suitable for the caliber of the rifle. It is desirable that the ramrod be one-piece, with a plastic coating and a bearing in the handle. Dewey is considered the quality standard in the American sports shooting community, although there are analogues from other manufacturers.

Rice. 1. Various accessories and barrel cleaning chemicals

Visher, suitable for the caliber of the rifle (usually supplied with a ramrod).

Bronze brush according to the caliber of the rifle. As a rule, with proper regular care of the trunk, there is no need to use a brush. Moreover, cleaning chemicals can interact with the brush material itself, and the use of steel brushes in high quality barrels is highly undesirable.

Cotton flannel patches for cleaning the barrel (hereinafter referred to as "patches"). It is desirable that the size of the patches correspond to the caliber in such a way that when pushing the patch along the barrel, it passes under tension, that is, the force on the ramrod is felt, but not excessive.

Cleaning rod guide bushing suitable for the action of the rifle. When cleaning the barrel with patches, the bending of the ramrod can lead to unwanted contact of the ramrod with the surface of the chamber or bullet entry, which can have an extremely negative effect on the accuracy of the rifle. If possible, cleaning the rifle must be carried out from the breech - the quality of the muzzle cut significantly affects the accuracy of the battle, so any contact with the cut is highly undesirable. That is why, in addition to cleaning from the breech, it is recommended to push the patch along the barrel only in one direction, and be extremely careful when pulling the cleaning rod back into the barrel from the muzzle. In cases where the design of the rifle does not allow cleaning the barrel from the breech (some semi-automatic samples), it is strongly recommended to use a special cap to protect the muzzle from possible contact with the ramrod.

Carbon remover. Hoppe's No.9 Bore Cleaner (the choice of US Marine Corps reconnaissance snipers) has proven itself well, Kroil, Break-Free, Shooter's Choice are common from other brands.

Copper remover. These cleaners can be divided into two groups - weak alkaline (a typical example of Hoppe's Benchrest Copper Remover) and strong ammonia (like Sweet's 7.62). Means from the first group, although significantly weaker in terms of removing copper plating, are more gentle on the barrel itself than strong tools from the second. So, Sweet 7.62 is not recommended to be left in the barrel for longer than 15 minutes, while Hoppe's can be left in the barrel for several hours to combat strong copper plating.

Lodgement, slipway or machine for holding a rifle. When cleaning a rifle, it is necessary to firmly fix it in order to be able to push the ramrod with force. If the rifle is equipped with a bipod, it is enough to use them. It is desirable that the barrel of the rifle be slightly tilted forward when cleaning to drain the chemicals.

Rifle cleaning

The cleaning procedure begins with removing the bolt from the rifle (for bolt-action rifles), and installing a guide bush in its place. Often such bushings use a bolt retaining system or a bolt handle opening for rigid fixation in the bolt group. Sometimes the sleeve is fitted with a rubber gland to prevent chemicals from leaking from the rifle barrel into the chamber and action.

Rice. 3. The sleeve is inserted into the receiver and is held behind the hole for the author's handle

After the sleeve is securely installed in the chamber, you can proceed directly to cleaning the barrel. You should start with the removal of soot - the most easily cleaned component of pollution. To do this, it is necessary to moisten one patch in a cleaning agent, then put it on the visher and smoothly drive it through the bore. A dirty patch that has appeared from the muzzle is easiest to remove (each patch is used only once!), Substituting a trash can under the muzzle - the patch will fall off the visher itself when the ramrod reverses. This procedure must be repeated several times, each time treating a new patch with a cleaning compound, until the patches come out clean from the barrel (or clear improvements in the quality of the outgoing patch stop).

Rice. 4. A clean patch is put on the visher and goes into the barrel through the sleeve from the breech

Now you can move on to removing the copper plating from the barrel. The procedure itself in this case is similar to cleaning from soot, but there are several differences. Of course, in this case, a copper remover is used. After running the first two or three patches, liberally moistened with an anti-copper agent, you can stop for a few minutes to give the solution time to oxidize the copper deposits. The next time the treated patch is run down the barrel, it will show the characteristic blue-green traces of copper oxides. This procedure must also be repeated until the patches come out of the barrel clean.

Rice. 5. At the exit from the barrel, a patch with traces of soot is removed from the ramrod during the reverse stroke

If it is not possible to completely get rid of the copper in the barrel, there are several options for further action. The simplest is to treat the barrel with a cleaning agent and leave it to "soak" for 12-24 hours (it is advisable to place the rifle with the barrel down, leaning on a rag that will absorb the solution flowing from the barrel). After such chemical treatment, copper is removed from the barrel much easier. The second option is to use stronger ammonia-based products (never leave it in the barrel longer than prescribed by the manufacturer!). The procedure for their use does not differ from that described above for weaker alkaline. And finally, you can try to use a brush to remove copper from the barrel (by no means steel!). When using a brush, it is recommended to treat it with a cleaning agent, and then make about 10 reciprocating movements through the sleeve, smoothly running the brush along the entire length of the barrel. It is necessary to be extremely careful and smooth when the brush enters back into the barrel from the muzzle - the quality of the cut is crucial for the accuracy of the rifle.

Rice. 6. Some sleeves allow you to wet the patch already on the ramrod through a special hole in the sleeve - in this case, the potent Sweet "s 7.62 is used

After finishing the cleaning procedure, it is necessary to drive a dry patch through the barrel. If you do not find traces of copper on it (very weak traces) - the cleaning of the barrel is finished. Next, you need to drive a few more untreated patches through the barrel until they come out completely dry, and if the rifle is to be stored for a long time, drive one or two patches with preservative lubricant through the barrel (in this variant, the lubricant must be removed before firing with two or three dry patches ).

There are frequent cases when it is not possible to completely clean the barrel of a rifle from copper using the methods described above. This usually happens with rifles that have been improperly or irregularly maintained, or rifles with rough barrels. In such a case, you can try the barrel break-in procedure described below. There are examples when running-in improved the characteristics of even barrels with significant pre-shotting. There is also a more radical way to clean the barrel - using abrasive products, such as J-B Cleaner, however, opinions on the benefits and harms of using such products differ greatly, and therefore it is not possible to unambiguously recommend them for use. If no cleaning really helps strong copper plating, there is a method of electrochemical cleaning, however, its use at home is extremely difficult and therefore this method is beyond the scope of this article.

Barrel break-in

The inner surface of the barrel of almost any new rifle is not perfect (the exception is hand-polished piece barrels) and has pores and bumps left as a natural result of the barrel manufacturing process. When shooting, these pores are gradually smoothed out, but at the same time they are filled with copper from the shell of the bullets, which leads to a strong increase in the rate of accumulation of copper deposits - as a result, the number of shots fired from a rifle without loss of accuracy due to copper plating will be small, and the barrel will be completely cleared of copper is often simply impossible.

In order to avoid filling the pores and microroughnesses of the barrel with copper, it is recommended to perform the barrel break-in procedure according to the following algorithm.

From a new rifle, fire one shot, after which the barrel must be cleaned of copper according to the cleaning procedure described above. This process (cleaning after each shot) must be repeated several times until the copper plating after the shot is clearly reduced.

Next, you need to move on to shooting in series of several (in different sources, the specific figure varies from 2 to 5) shots, after each of the series it is again necessary to clean the barrel from copper deposits. The number of runs should also be determined by the apparent reduction in copper plating after a run.

Then you need to lengthen the series to 10-20 shots between cleanings, and after several such series, your rifle barrel will be broken in.

An exact technical description of the processes occurring in the barrel during the running-in of a rifle cannot be found in the literature, however, apparently, the running-in process is a gradual polishing of the barrel by shooting while removing copper from the pores and irregularities. This interpretation explains both the improvement in the quality of a new barrel after running-in, and the benefit of running-in already fired, but not run-in, barrels.

Individual approach

Rice. 7. Cleaning a rifle at home

There are many legends, myths and beliefs associated with barrel cleaning procedures. Someone considers it unacceptable to use coated ramrods, due to the deposition of abrasive combustion products on this coating, scratching the barrel when the ramrod passes (to the question, "Why will these abrasives scratch a steel barrel, and not a softer plastic coating?", Get an answer usually fails). someone considers it unacceptable to use strong agents in stainless steel barrels; someone pushes the ramrod along the barrel only 5-10 cm, and considers the feed of the ramrod in one smooth movement to be absolutely unacceptable; The list can be continued almost indefinitely. An article recently appeared in one of the American weapons publications in which the author deliberately subjected his rifle to numerous cleanings in the worst possible way - without a bushing, with a composite aluminum ramrod with a steel brush and a terrible boiler of chemicals - and made sure in practice that after such a "mockery" the accuracy of the battle his rifle has not deteriorated. All these facts speak only about one thing - cleaning a rifle, in addition to practical training, is also a ritual, which for each shooter will certainly be his own, different from all others. In this case, all of the above are just some general considerations, in accordance with which it is possible to design the process of cleaning a rifle in such a way that it brings both benefit to the barrel and satisfaction to the shooter himself.

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:

  1. pour alkaline oil (solvent) into the inside of the weapon;
  2. clean weapons;
  3. 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:

  1. First, the barrel is broken or dismantled (depending on the design of the weapon);
  2. 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;
  3. 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;
  4. 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;
  5. 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;
  6. Outside, dirt is removed from the entire body of the weapon, after which the body must be lubricated with a thin layer of grease;
  7. The wooden parts of the weapon are also cleaned of dirt and oiled;
  8. 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 gun barrel 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.