Quote from: mikejd on May 22, 2012, 08:50:27 PM
How many shots would you fire before deep cleaning again. And after approximately how many shots before patterns are affected.
I recommend that you "deep clean" the bore of every gun, new or used, following the recommendations in the article
"Cleaning a Shotgun Barrel" . If you really follow the recommendations in that article, including the time spent with brushing and allowing the solvent to work, only routine cleaning is necessary after that.
Getting to know your gun is the key. Some guns will pattern better when they are squeaky clean. If that's the case, then I recommend that you dry brush the bore after every shot. A bore snake (I like the new Viper) will work just fine for that.
Your gun may pattern better after several shots without any cleaning or brushing in between shots however.
The only way to find out is to "deep clean" the bore and then shoot it, without cleaning, until your patterns either improve or degrade.
Each gun may be a bit different. I have guns that will only pattern well when they are clean and others that pattern better when they have been shot 4-5 times without being cleaned in any way.
When I see patterns start to degrade, I will perform what I refer to as routine cleaning. I dry brush the bore, followed by a cotton patch soaked with Hoppe's #9 over a Tynex brush. I will run that patch through one time, reverse it and run it through again, then follow that with a clean cotton patch.
I'm ready to shoot again after that process. If I plan to store the gun, I'll run a cotton patch that has been sprayed with gun oil through the bore.
Lastly, you can not "deep clean" the bore too much. You could do it after every shooting session if you like. There is nothing abrasive or corrosive in the process.
I hope that helps. Questions? Please let me know.
Clark
