barrel cleaning

[1377x]

what is the importance of barrel cleaning?
i have a 14".22 barrel purchased new cleaned once.
now 5000+ pellets later, just about every kind you can think of, i don't have any accuracy issues but decided to clean the barrel while i was cleaning a new barrel i have.
there was so much gunk in there i'm surprised accuracy was never an issue.now that it's clean watch me have all kinds of accuracy issues.
does anyone here have a barrel that was shooting great before cleaning and not so great after?
when i get my gun back together that's the first thing i'm going to check

[Nate]

did you put a couple of dry patches through to remove any excess oil in the barrel, i have to do that with all of my guns when i clean them because if i dont, for some reason they dont always shoot low like you woud expect, but to the left, right, and high. i am not entirely sure about whey this happens, but i know it is more noticeable in my crosman barrels. i must say though i am surprised that you didnt have accuracy problems with a bore that dirty, i ususaly clean my barrels after 300-400 shots

[Crosshairs]

I always clean my barrels and we all know why but thats with real firearms. reason ! Heat, real guns produce much more heat in the barrel then airguns therfore lead will melt and then fill the groves in the barrels rifeling. not so with airguns could have same fps but not the heat,so it is realy dirt and some lead that you are cleaning.And thats just me thinking,i can be wrong.so to answer you question no i have never lost accuracy after cleaning my barrel.
                         Mike

[quickster47 †]

Every tin or so I run three or four of those cleaning pellets through my guns. Also when I change pellet types I do the same thing.

But there is also that old saying that says, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Carl

[1377x]

did you put a couple of dry patches through to remove any excess oil in the barrel

yes,i remembered reading that so i followed suit
with my firearms i keep them spic and span clean my life may depend on them.i once had a mishap from using a paper towel and a micro spec got stuck in the breech causing it to jam  (Tupperware 
never had this problem with my Beretta 92fs
anyways since i had no issues with my dirty barrel ,i never bothered to clean it.
man it was filthy   i would look down it from time to time and would see the rifling so i would say i'm good to go. my main shooting distance is @ 20yds but have taken further shots a good 50-70yards shooting 6oz paper cups. paper was laid down so i couldn't miss.
when mentioning heat and barrels causing problems,what about cold i would think some heat is created as the pellet goes down the barrel.every time i shoot my disco pistol the whole gun gets very cold that's what i was shooting out to 70yds with
   

[eric]

there is that myth and each to his own on that  if after cleaning your barrel and accuracy isn't the same then you just keep shooting until it does .you have loosen the the barrel's bore and it needs to be seasoned (tightened up) again .your groups should come back but it might take some pellets to get there.

[zoned]

I typically won't clean any of my barrels after the initial cleaning, unless I notice a degradation in accuracy. Then I will run a couple patches through.
I find it takes roughly 50 pellets down the pipe before accuracy returns after a cleaning.

[NorthStaR]

I read an article in January and posted some of the information in someones thread on here but I can't remember where! 

Anywho, what you've asked is basicly what the article was about. The term is "Leading". And each brand of pellet will leave its own kind of 'finger print' in the barrel. It is to do with the way the pellet moves down the barrel leaving a skidmark (tee-hee) on its travels.

If you stick with one brand of pellet this skid builds up in a bespoke way to the form/shape of that particular pellet.
So after X amount of shots the barrel is 'leaded'. The accuracy inturn increases as the barrel has been broken in of sorts.

When you spotlessly clean or buy a new barrel this will start over. Also to an extent if you change pellet brands.

The article stated that a basic cleaning of the barrel will mean the leading will need redoing. After 20-30 shots you may see a more predictable shot. They estimate 30-50 shots for new/cleaned barrels.

It makes sense and I personally don't believe its a myth. Like many items in life, a device can run smoothly but if you change something it may need a wearing in period or simply doesn't seem the same and may never. It can be poor parts too. In this case the pellets quality is a factor if the brand changes or production is not controlled acutely. Or the change of barrel, it may never feel the same as another. Like two crosmans are never the same.

Woffle, woffle..... thats my Ã,£5 worth! Snooze... 

[zuke]

What about an initial "cleaning" of something like flitz with a saturated patch?
Could you not lap the barrel that way to help with the burr's and high spot's in the barrel?

[zoned]

You could, but only if it's not shooting well initially. I would test the barrel first by shooting some groups and see how it performs. If it's grouping well, leave it alone. If it's spraying pellets, a polishing with some flitz could possibly help. You won't know unless you try it.

[airguns100]

I strongly advise removing the barrel from the receiver and flushing some (non chlorinated) brake cleaner through the bore. It's exactly the same chemical derivatives found in the $15.00 cans of Gun cleaner everyone pays so much for (including myself) before finding out. That will degrease and remove all the lead deposit found trapped along side the barrel rifling.

I also strongly suggest staying away from aluminum cleaning rods and cleaning attachments. I had a cleaning attachment score the hell out of my .177 barrel not to long ago. I thought the metal was softer, apparently not. beware!

The best thing on the market right now are brass brush bore snake cleaners. Brass brush bore snake cleaners that do a better job at cleaning the barrel anyways.

[eric]

crown savers work well if you don't want any metal thru your barrel 

[zoned]

crown savers work well if you don't want any metal thru your barrel 

Bingo. Been using one for the last 3+ years.

You can get them from Mac1 or Airguns of Arizona for anyone interested.

[quickster47 †]

May be just the picture size or scaling but does that fit a .177 caliber barrel? It looks BIG!

Carl

[zoned]

Yep, fits them with room to spare! Works great.