How clean is your polygonal bore?

[AWD]

A lot of the older posts about bore cleaning never really answered a question I have about bore cleaning... is it absolutely necessary to clean every bit of fouling in the grooves of our barrels?

AWD

[threefeathers]

Only if I have fired hard cast lead bullets. Other than that I use Hoppes once every 3rd or 4th cleaning and EEZOX for a normal cleaning.

[Gerber]

I use MPRO7 and it gets the job done. I'll clean it after every trip to the range and then give it a good deep clean every six months.

[Mark71]

A lot of the older posts about bore cleaning never really answered a question I have about bore cleaning... is it absolutely necessary to clean every bit of fouling in the grooves of our barrels?

AWD

This topic was recently brought up on another forum about possible pitting inside a USP barrel and was answered by Big Bore -

"It is just scuffing in the barrel due to the bullet moving down the barrel at high speed and pressure which causes some of the finish inside the barrel to wear off. This is totally normal but because the barrel is polygonal the wear seems to show up more on this type of barrel than it does on a normally rifled barrel. All barrels finish wears off rapidly on the inside but because it is so much more apparent on the polygonal bore it causes a lot of people to freak out.

Some people think that with extravagant cleaning they remove those streaks but IMO all they do is remove the rest of the finish, so that when the streaks appear to be gone and the barrel is uniform in color again, they think they have removed the streaks but in reality they have only removed the rest of the finish, not that it hurts anything since the finish on the inside is not meant to stay there anyway.
Just clean normally and don't worry about it.

If you were shooting cast bullets though do worry. Polygonal bores lead more rapidly and you do need to get all that lead out of there before shooting again. And to do that you need brass/bronze brushes and elbow grease as well as good lead/powder solvent."

I only have a hard time cleaning my .45 HK's. I can get my 9mm barrels looking spotless but the .45's are a PITA and require some extra muscle to get all the streaks out.

[MaverickH1]

Mine are all lined with lint. Yum, yum.

[taseal]

its pretty clean. sometimes I have nothing to do at the house, and I'll pickup my guns and start cleaning... so they are pretty clean :)

[reaper8154]

I only have a hard time cleaning my .45 HK's. I can get my 9mm barrels looking spotless but the .45's are a PITA and require some extra muscle to get all the streaks out.


+1. I clean mine after every use and give my 45 a little extra love.

[UTVOL06]

I don't use anything but Mpro7 on my pistols. I clean my pistol and re-oil/grease it after every trip to the range. I can't stand going to bed with a dirty gun. I have been using Hoppes gun grease and mpro7 oil. I also wipe the slides down once a week with hoppes field wipes to drive out moisture when stored.

[Sobriquet]

I swab it with MPro-7 Bore Gel, let it sit for 10 minutes, do 5 passes or so with a bore brush, and then wipe it out with a dry patch. Then I use Weaponshield CLP until the patch comes clean, and run one final dry patch. I leave a light coat of Weaponshield on the outside of the barrel and the recoil lugs.

[rohardi]

I clean my guns after every range trip....

[harrydog]

This topic was recently brought up on another forum about possible pitting inside a USP barrel and was answered by Big Bore -

"It is just scuffing in the barrel due to the bullet moving down the barrel at high speed and pressure which causes some of the finish inside the barrel to wear off. This is totally normal but because the barrel is polygonal the wear seems to show up more on this type of barrel than it does on a normally rifled barrel. All barrels finish wears off rapidly on the inside but because it is so much more apparent on the polygonal bore it causes a lot of people to freak out.

Some people think that with extravagant cleaning they remove those streaks but IMO all they do is remove the rest of the finish, so that when the streaks appear to be gone and the barrel is uniform in color again, they think they have removed the streaks but in reality they have only removed the rest of the finish, not that it hurts anything since the finish on the inside is not meant to stay there anyway.
Just clean normally and don't worry about it.

If you were shooting cast bullets though do worry. Polygonal bores lead more rapidly and you do need to get all that lead out of there before shooting again. And to do that you need brass/bronze brushes and elbow grease as well as good lead/powder solvent."

I only have a hard time cleaning my .45 HK's. I can get my 9mm barrels looking spotless but the .45's are a PITA and require some extra muscle to get all the streaks out.

I can't agree with that answer. What "finish" are you talking about that is not meant to "stay there"? I don't think the "streaks" that most people see in their H&K barrels are scuffs in the barrel material. If that were the case it would mean that the barrels were quite soft and would be completely worn out in very short order.
Barrel steel in general is very hard and H&K uses particularly high quality steel for their barrels. I think the scuffs or streaks that most people see is residue from the bullets, not eroding of the barrel.

[AWD]

Well, I have tried three or four products to no avail. I use a nylon brush, not a bronze. I need something safe to soak.

What gives?

[BuckSolly]

Every time I clean my gun, I've noticed that I need to run the bronze brush through my bore like....30 times before I get all the gunk out. Is that...a little excessive? Maybe I need to soak the bronze brush more often while I'm making passes....


Also, it takes me several days before I'm able to set aside the time to really clean my gun. That could probably play a role... You know, allowing the stuff to basically MELD with the barrel. (not that it's actually melding)

[Kost]

Mine are all like a mirror. Cleaned with Hoppe's and brass brush after shooting(about 10 passes), then coated with Weapon Shield.

[spyder1439]

after every time i shoot them they get cleaned and about once every month or two months if i havent shot them i clean them. if i didnt carry a gun every day i would probably only clean them after each range trip.

[AWD]

Mine are all like a mirror. Cleaned with Hoppe's and brass brush after shooting(about 10 passes), then coated with Weapon Shield.

I wonder if this is an ammo issue. I have tried hoppes, it takes me a lot more than 10 passes... how long do you soak it in there? Also, who makes a good bronze brush?

On another note, has anybody read all the negative things on the 'net about bronze brushes? Is that just bull? Reason I am using nylon brushes is the crap I read about so called "damage" from bronze brushes, maybe I am reading too much into this.

AWD

[Furyataurus]

AWD, the barrel is made of steel, bronze is softer than steel, nothing to worry about unless you use something that's harder than steel. Try using a larger bronze brush when cleaning your pistol. I use a 40 cal brush for my HK USP 9 when ever I feel like cleaning it which is once every 3000 rounds.

[reaper8154]

I've had pretty good luck with Butch's boreshine. I use brass brush and a .410 boresnake for my HK45. My USPC 40 cleans up much easier for some reason, I just use CLP on it.

[joehk]

Well, I have tried three or four products to no avail. I use a nylon brush, not a bronze. I need something safe to soak.

What gives?

Nylon brushes leave that residue. The brass brushes work better, if you're worried about the residue. Barrel steel is very hard and brass will not adversely effect the steel, as it's much softer.

I just bought a nylon brush and I can't get the all of the fouling out. With the brass brush, it come out in 5-6 passes.

[mourneblade]

I was told in a class I took to just skip the nylon brush and use the brass brush. The guy teaching me said the nylon brush is only good for dust. I have to say my barrel looks pretty clean to me. I clean after every trip to the range, nice way to chill out.

[Alan_13]

CLP and a bronze brush, then some patches until the patch comes out clean after every trip to the range, I will use Hopps every now and then or when I go through an excessive amount at the range (500+)

[SoFlaDeputy129]

I"m some what fanatical about cleaning, "Damm Marine Corps and the crazy Gunny I had in my unit!!!" I use Butches Bore Shine with a patch, wait 10-15 mins then bronze brush 3-5 times, patch it dry then the last thing I do is use a bore mop with some TW25-B and it looks like glass.

[LSP 972]

I can't agree with that answer. What "finish" are you talking about that is not meant to "stay there"? I don't think the "streaks" that most people see in their H&K barrels are scuffs in the barrel material. If that were the case it would mean that the barrels were quite soft and would be completely worn out in very short order.
Barrel steel in general is very hard and H&K uses particularly high quality steel for their barrels. I think the scuffs or streaks that most people see is residue from the bullets, not eroding of the barrel.

+1.

All of my HK polygonal barrels (three 9mms, two .45s), "look like glass" when peering through the bore up against strong light. But take a flashlight, and look at the bore from the muzzle. Not THROUGH the bore, AT it; you will see streaks, etc. in the grooves.

This is residual bullet jacket material... no more, no less. The only thing I am aware of that will get every last bit out is an internal "wash" with mercury; and that would be tricky and hazardous, even if one had enough of that stuff lying around.

I'm sure there are other chemical combinations that would do the trick while not harming the barrel. But a normal cleaning with brushes and solvent will keep your bores in fine condition.

Now that I'm retired, I'm less anal about weapon cleanliness. As a young rookie trooper, I was once accused of firing my sidearm when I hadn't. It was a real snarky deal, and the ONLY thing that saved my ass was the fact that my Model 66 revolver was spotless, even to the point of no burn rings on the cylinder face. It was quite evident that the revolver had not been fired recently. That made a BIG impression on me, in several ways.

As a retiree, I'm not going in harm's way anymore. If I shoot, its because some cretin is in my face, etc. So my guns are clean and lubed, but not surgically so anymore. I find the polygonal bores somewhat easier to clean than conventional rifling; that is, they take less effort.

But don't think you're getting every bit of residue, etc., out of there...;)

.

[Plunky]

I always clean my guns after shooting them, never missing a spot, after every use no matter what. I have no "streaks" in my barrels when I am done. Everything looks nice and shiny. :)

[AWD]

I really WANTED to get by with a nylon brush, but it just doesn't do. Today I purchased a new bronze brush and two solvents; Hoppes Elite Bore Gel, and Hoppes #9.

I think either will work well, so long as a BRONZE brush is used. I hate to say it, but the nylon brushes are useless... after using the bronze brush my bore is mirror-like now. I think the #9 works better, but I will try the Bore Gel again exclusively after next range visit to see for certain.

AWD