Cleaning your barrel...Another way

[@davidhandyman7571]

You always make sense. You and GunBlue 490 would have to be the two best people to give advice about the use and care of firearms. You both are down to earth, practical and no-nonsense people.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Dave, Cheers

[@rainbow2710]

I totally agree - Mark&Sam and GunBlue490 are two of the best - practical and with sense.

[@WayneGent-t2l]

Both very noligable

[@jimg.4913]

Thanks for more great content. When I started my journey as a competitive shooter an old hand recommended that I only purchase folding chassis if I intended to shoot thousands of rounds per year. I've always been glad I took his advice.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man

[@jimg.4913]

@markandsamafterwork you and Sam rock it. Thanks for all the hard work it takes to make the content. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and an excellent 2025.

[@wickedtrutharms57]

I've cleaned barrels from crown to receiver hundreds of times. I have a custom built device that mounts on the end of the barrel so the crown doesn't get damaged. It works well. Excellent video as usual. Thanks

[@markandsamafterwork]

Awesome, thanks Man, Cheers

[@The_Serb]

Another great clip, thank you for doing a cleaning topic, again I have learnt something. I like your comment on using torque fingers 🤣.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Lol, yep, Cheers

[@virgilpalmer2427]

I take my 45acp 1911 apart at times and give it a good deep cleaning.. Which I've done for decades.. I don't know why i haven't cleaned my rifle like you instructed, because it makes sense... And it's not complicated... Thanks...

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Virgil

[@terryh8421]

As usual good advice!

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Terry

[@johnhumphries4632]

Thanks Mark 👍

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers John

[@JohnRoberts71]

Great content thanks for sharing. Very informative

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks John

[@billhendon1017]

Cool ! Thanks!

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@wheelzandgillz]

When I began my journey learning how to shoot I would separate my barreled action from the stock and clean that way also, but in a simpler time when ammo, time and land to shoot were more plentiful I was fortunate enough to shoot soo much that disassembling my rife to clean it became a pain in the but lol now I just put a bit of downward pressure on the rod to work around the cheek riser and home made butt pad riser and only clean just enough surface carbon I leave all of the copper in, this summer I was able to print one .05 inch group at 100 and a .06 inch group also at 100

[@markandsamafterwork]

Awesome, Cheers Man

[@lzxray6781]

Mark, I have a habit of cleaning my rifles after each time I shoot them. At least the bolt and carrier (AR platform), and the bore even if I only fired a hundred rounds. I clean my carry pistol once a week regardless if it's been fired or not. Just basically inspecting it for debris and such, can't have it malfunction if it's needed.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man, Cheers

[@rainbow2710]

Great video. I had to pull the cleaning rod through the muzzle end a few times, done carefully, this should not be a problem. I usually need to do it with certain semi-auto rifles which are not accessible through the bolt end.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man

[@jameshalpin1580]

Hi from the uk very interesting instead of putting the rod through the end I use a bore snake works a treat with no damage to the crown also on the cheek piece I’ve put drill stops at the required height for my eye relief so I can remove it and it goes back without losing eye relief but thanks great vids

[@callahan1971]

Bore snakes are a gunsmith's best friend because they guarantee future work for us. Fine for a really quick clean out of loose stuff in the bore, but they don't shift fouling properly, we've seen them snapped and stuck in the bore, and the do slightly wear the crown.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Bore snakes need very careful use, they can ruin crowns very easily, Cheers

[@mr.stotruppen8724]

If you can't/won't do any of that (pull it apart, rod in through the muzzle side, etc) ye olde pull through is still an option. Not a bore snake or anything; hate those. Just a narrow cable or string with a weight on one end you feed from the butt. Slot for a patch and let the chemicals do your work for you. But like you say it doesn't have to be cleaned to perfectly bare steel before every shot for it to shoot well.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@xaviergreyling6620]

BRILLIANT! GREAT advice! I too cannot understand the fear behind taking the rifle out of the stock...? Using the different front rubber bits from any universal bore guide (e.g., TIPTON) and safely place it in the throat of the chamber/barrel or on the outside of the brake, assists in ensuring the rod stays straight down the barrel. As I use my range/competion rifle (in a TSPX chassis from SCSA...Yup, there from your neck of the woods!) for hunting also ....actually, it is more like just shooting...with med-sized game at 300 - 400m, I place the barreled action into a MDT FIELD ...and I have different loads/'freedom seats' : competion vs hunting. Greatest accuracy currently on the range is with monolithic HPBT's, printing incredible groups! BUT, I use the 143gr ELD-X on animals. Last is lead-core. Swapping between monolithic and lead-core 'freedom seats' dictate a thorough barrel scrub to ensure accuracy & tight groups

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man, cheers

[@Dmounts]

Yes!

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers Man

[@chrislang5659]

Great advice sir!❤❤❤

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Chris, Cheers

[@chrislang5659]

@markandsamafterwork 🫡

[@Liberty4Ever]

I prefer pulling a vinyl coated stainless cable from chamber to muzzle, pulling a copper fouling solvent (Bore Tech) on a patch wrapped around a polymer brush to make a swab. Feeding the cable end past a muzzle brake can be a bit problematic if the cable retains a curl from storing it rolled. A short length of brass cleaning rod screwed into the end weights the end and keeps it straight as it traverses the muzzle brake vents. The brass tip of the cable is cross drilled to allow a brass rod to slide through to make a T handle. Otis sells all of the kit. I use a similar method with different Bore Tech solvents to clean shotguns, pistols, semi-auto rifles, 22s (lead fouling solvent) etc. A brass brush can be used for neglected semi-auto bores that need some scrubbing.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks man, Cheers

[@philippefrater2000]

Got the same riffle in 243! Same stock, same color! 😂 🖖🏻🇫🇷😎🇫🇷😎🇫🇷🖖🏻

[@markandsamafterwork]

Awesome. Cheers

[@misterlewgee8874]

Stuff behind the action getting in the way is a hassle.. A folding stock adaptor solved one of my issues. ... I like to clean .to avoid carbon build up ..which is hard to remove ..so after every hunt...a solvent goes in...and then wiped out ...that ends up being alot of passes...with a bore guide. Taking out of action is inconceivable for daily use. As is entering carefully through muzzle....maybe once in awhile ..if rifle hardly used..but daily...sounds like asking for trouble.. Keeping it simple and safe ...ie..bore guide and no obstructions...I found to be best... Interesting video....again ..thanks..

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man, cheers

[@Rico11b]

Wetting the bore with KG carbon remover and letting it soak makes life a LOT simpler. I wet the bore with KG-1 and cover both ends so it doesn't evaporate. Leaving it alone to soak for a 30 mins or so and then scrub with a bronze brush with 15 to 20 strokes. Wet the bore again and let it soak overnight. Then patch it out with 3 patches and repeat the process with KG-12. My total time and effort is probably less than 10 minutes combined and it strips the bore back to bare steel. If you're not using KG-1 and KG-12, you're wasting your time. I've recorded lots of videos on my laptop with a borescope and recorded and hour or two long video that I played back in 10x speed to watch the carbon and copper disappear on the screen. After that I was convinced and done using any other cleaning products.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@Spectrecontrol]

How corrosive is ammunition residue? I get a sense that some of the cheaper ammo seems to leave a more volatile residue compared to better stuff?

[@markandsamafterwork]

Older, military gun powders are very corrosive, most modern smokeless is not, Cheers

[@Spectrecontrol]

​@@markandsamafterworkthank you

[@mr.stotruppen8724]

Corrosiveness is generally the result of a reaction between the primer compound and the propellant that leaves a layer of salt behind. Salt absorbs moisture which makes rust which makes pitting. Hasn't been an issue with new production ammo outside of Eastern Europe since the 50's and never required anything more complicated than simple water or some other liquid to dissolve away. Likewise a lot of the paranoia about jacket material buildup in the bore is left over from the turn of the century when cupro-nickle jackets were still the norm.

[@youtusk465]

Many thanks for the video. May I ask, do you ever clean the stock/chassis? And if you do, would you consider using an air compressor or not because it may scratch the finish?

[@markandsamafterwork]

Sure can, or what ever suits best, Cheers

[@youtusk465]

@markandsamafterwork Thanks mate

[@minigpracing3068]

How do you feel about pull through cleaning devices, Patch Worm, Bore Snake, etc.? We use these a lot for airguns where you can't easily remove the bolt and some work better than others.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Need to be used very carefully, they commonly damage crowns, most gunsmiths would recommend not to use them, Cheers

[@DanielReyes-hz1qk]

Thankfully I've never had a rifle where it was a problem. Old M1A had a removable cheek riser, old 24 clone had a removable cheek piece, and all the chassis I've run so far have either been folding or had quick removable cheek pieces. If I had to, I'd just take the action out of the stock and clean it that way. I do have some old lever guns and 22s that have to be cleaned differently and you just do what you have to do. How do you clean your lever guns Mark?

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man, and very carefully use a bore snake (super rare) or from the muzzle with a mob if just a wipe, remove the bolt if an actual clean, Cheers

[@jonhewitt3]

.22lr is a very dirty round, I do as Eley recommend, I clean my barrel every 100-150 rounds 🙂

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@sheridanblackley9394]

I put an old rifle barrel in my lathe and try as might I couldn’t machine that thing with brass or cleaning rod or anything that I use to clean my barrels it’s strange I know but barrels seem to be made out of really hard stuff 😮. I still take great care but please people stop overthinking things

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@Chris_the_Muso]

Thousands of shooters, thousands of ideas on how to clean a rifle. The American method of pushing jags through the the barrel and then dragging the bare jag back through the barrel is no worse than pushing a bare patch loop from the muzzle end, IMO. I don't see a problem, and I've cleaned many rifles that way. People do say that softer materials like brass and aluminium will not damage the bore, but that's not 100% correct either. Plastic scourers can scratch glass, soft dirt can wear down steel digging tools, and any soft metal can abrade a harder one over time. I think the key to it is that over cleaning is probably a bad thing. You won't go far wrong by doing wet patches (oil and solvent) before putting your rifle away, and a dry patch or two before shooting it again. For most shooters the issues of carbon rings and copper fouling should be deferred until they are an actual issue, preferably by bore scoping and chronograph readings to confirm the issue before it affects accuracy too much. Top level bench rest shooters are a different animal. Their quest for mm accuracy usually goes down the path of what any sane person would consider to be over cleaning (like every dozen rounds or so). There is zero reason for most of us to go there.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@tarmaque]

Ah-HA! But what about your black powder cartridges? There, I've run rings around you logically! (Kidding.)

[@markandsamafterwork]

Lol, Cheers Man

[@Mark-k2z9p]

What is wrong with you guys? I always using strong acids and tungsten drill bit brush. The bore is very shiny and smooth once i'm done 😂 cheers Joking aside, nice video, i like it😉

[@markandsamafterwork]

Lol, Cheers Man

[@Gunsgame1966]

Yup I’ve seen so many rifles so called cleaned and rusty under the stock ! Dirty trigger system, and on top of that oil saturated stock especially timber ! Wonder why Their full floated barrel is touching the stock , I don’t exactly send a lot ammo down the tube but I do a bit ! I’ve shot a bit of target range work over the years I’ve seen blokes put more cleaning rods down barrels then ammo 😂 probably not funny ! I used to do it too ! But a rifle is like an engine if ya take away the oil / copper and a bit of lead ya have to basically have to run it in again like an engine Tilll it settles down into a tuned state ! Jus my two cents merry Christmas yo u and Sam ! Just remember port Arthur was staged! So are these draconian so called “ laws ! Stuff em !

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@ARC_30-06]

Man, I couldn’t agree with you more about how a properly setup rifle WILL hold zero when removed and put back into the stock (a well bedded one) or chassis. I had to come back and edit this in. I forgot to mention how great it was, your pointing out one should seat the action back (towards the butt stock end) in the chassis/stock during reassembly in order to get the action seated in its proper position, and get the recoil lug in contact with the correct surfaces etc. Just wanted to help point this out to any new shooters so they can start learning about these kinds of things. Thanks for the video, as always. S_B

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Man, Cheers

[@amsb4dafunk558]

The most importantay Is To let the chemical chemicalate You Do not need the grease of the elbow If You let the solvent have the right proper time to do its job

[@markandsamafterwork]

Cheers

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Agreed. Chemicalating is very important.

[@glennllewellyn7369]

For Full Bore we seem to follow the old, "Wet-dry-wet" for storage then "Dry-wet-dry" before use. No worries.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Thanks Glenn

[@Dreamboffin]

Maybe I misunderstood something, but taking the gun out of stock to clean it "properly" in my mind is a bit excessive.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Maybe missed the part that explained, when your butt stock is in the road... lol, Cheers

[@C-Culper4874]

Not really. In dusty environments, the little bit of oil that will eventually get on the trigger will start to cake up.

[@stevekiemele995]

My most precise rifle, a 6PPC, has its action epoxied into the carbon fiber stock.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Well that's different, didn't use a good release agent on doing the bedding job, Cheers

[@stevekiemele995]

@ No, intentional. Jim Borden built the rifle that way. Especially inconvenient when changing the barrel.

[@tarmaque]

My friend has a 6PPC in a hand made laminated stock* his Dad built back in the 80's. (The barrel of the original Remington 600 was shot out. As I recall it was 300 Winchester Magnum necked down to 6mm.) Anyway, it's bedded but never epoxied. It shoots fantastically. There was and still is a faction that believes once something is bedded and torqued down you should never remove it from the stock. My friend's Dad never believed that, and built dozens of extremely accurate bench rest rifles. *It's extremely uncomfortable to shoot. I'd love to take a rasp to the stock and make it more ergonomic, but he'll never allow it since his Dad made it and he's gone now. The cheek weld is okay, but the grip is insanely enormous. It wouldn't take much to work it down to a better size.

[@paullavallee1631]

I use Bore Snakes on my rifles

[@Kartyman550]

THATS NICE. I DONT.

[@markandsamafterwork]

Need to be very careful with a bore snake, they commonly damage crowns, Cheers

[@alcantrell5340]

@@markandsamafterworkbrass vs Steel 🤔

[@UnCoolDad]

@@markandsamafterworkwould love to hear more about this.

[@paullavallee1631]

@@markandsamafterwork I use a guide until the string portion has passed the crown