Bolt Action Rifle Cleaning

[ShaverAZ]

While many rifles have been prematurely worn by excessive cleaning, no cleaning for 60 years is just plain neglect. Most older rifles are simple to disassemble for a complete cleaning. Take it apart, clean up all the accumulated powder residue & varnished grease. Make it look and function as smooth as the day it was made. Sure, competitive shooters don't clean after every range session, but they do at least seasonally.
I was invited to clean up an old .22 pump a buddy at work inherited. It was reputedly never cleaned. The action was stiff - he said it was because the action was still so tight & not broken in completely yet. It was made around 1912. The bore showed definite wear.

A complete disassembly, clean and proper lube made is cycle as smooth as glass & accuracy was pretty impressive.

 

[Raissermesser]

This link might be helpful in establishing a date for the rifle.

Manufacture Dates - Remington Society of America

If you've enjoyed the features on this web site, you will enjoy a membership in the Remington collectors club: The Remington Society of America. Your annual membership will bring you in contact with those who share your Remington interests. Every three months you'll receive a colorful, 60-page...

www.remingtonsociety.org

That's the source I went to before. The barrel on the left side near the receiver has PK and a symbol that looks like a fat T. That should translate to June, 1941. The rifle could have been in stock somewhere for a number of years before it was sold.

That would make this rifle 77 and a half years old. Thought it was more recent.

 

[Bhugo]

That's the source I went to before. The barrel on the left side near the receiver has PK and a symbol that looks like a fat T. That should translate to June, 1941. The rifle could have been in stock somewhere for a number of years before it was sold.

That would make this rifle 77 and a half years old. Thought it was more recent.

Very cool!!

 

[jkingrph]

+2 clean from breech, invest in carbon fiber rod.
AA

For years I have heard to stay away from aluminum and brass rods because they are soft and can embed hard abrasive particles. Could that not happen with a carbon fiber rod also?

 

[ColtRevolver]

I clean my .22 benchrest guns with a brass rod with no worries. I polish the rod with metal polish every now and then to keep it slick.

 

[OkieStubble]

For years I have heard to stay away from aluminum and brass rods because they are soft and can embed hard abrasive particles. Could that not happen with a carbon fiber rod also?

Carbon Fiber rods are much thinner than aluminum rods and are flexible where as aluminum is not, making it much less likely.

 

[kelbro]

I would like to see evidence of 'abrasive particles embedded in brass or aluminum or stainless cleaning rods'.

 

[Bhugo]

Wiping your rod off would probably clean any particles big enough to do anything... A decent stiff rod and a guide would eliminate any possible issues according to my local gunsmith. He recommended Dewey nylon coated, but said any decent brand would be fine as long as it was stiff. He is an old pro that shoots competition a lot. I followed his advice.

 

[OkieStubble]

I would like to see evidence of 'abrasive particles embedded in brass or aluminum or stainless cleaning rods'.

It’s probably more of a matter of hardened particles scratching and gouging the aluminum rods and the gouges and marring in the rod then scratching the rifling.

I haven’t personally seen this effect in brass, or steel rods, but I have seen it before in an aluminum rod. Surely someone has an old Hoppes aluminum rod with scratching and gouging in it.

Gouging isn’t the problem people have with brass or steel. It is the joints and connections in the rods that are not manufactured perfectly inline when you screw them together that can scratch rifling. Also, many brass rods have design knurling and ornamental diamond patterns on the tips of their patch holders and other adapters which can scratch and gouge.

I usually am more concerned with rods who’s diameters are wider than they should be for certain calibers if barrels. I use an all steel USGI military issue rod for my AR’s and many other calibers. It’s rod is really small in diameter for the .22 it’s designed for but it works great in a 12 gauge shotgun barrel also with a 12g patch adapter.

However, do I want to use the large shotgun rod for my small barreled AR? The larger the diameter rod in smaller barrels the more chance there is to scratch barrel rifling.

 

[ColtRevolver]

There is a theory that rifling damage comes from too flimsy of a rod flexing in in the middle of the barrel and causing wear....I find it hard to believe a soft metal moving slow will cause damage.

I think any worry is overkill for the average rifle. One of my benchrest guns has a barrel that costs more than many rifles. I clean it with care, but don't fret over it.

 

[jkingrph]

Carbon Fiber rods are much thinner than aluminum rods and are flexible where as aluminum is not, making it much less likely.

Dad and I used aluminum rods for years, when that was about all most of us common folk could find. I always wipe my rods, so they were clean when they entered my barrel. We had a couple of Marlin lever actions , a .22 and a .35 Rem. Still have both rifles and are they are as accurate as they were 60 years ago. I tried a carbon fiber rod and did not like the flexibility, just too difficult to get a snug patch started, ok for a nylon or brass brush. Back in college when I was on the ROTC rifle team, one of the staff NCO instructors gave me a 30 cal rod for my 30-06 at home. I still use it at times, but most of the time I use one piece stainless steel rods at home, and have a couple of take down rods for when I go to the range. The only guns I have that require cleaning from the muzzle are a M1 Garand and a few Ruger #1's and I try to be careful with them. I also have some chamber guides for some other guns to keep the rod from contacting the rifeling in the throat area.