[Ghost]

This is embarassing to have to ask, but I don't know so here it goes. After disassembling my ranch rifle, I realized that I am not sure what/how to clean it. Should the black coating on the barrel/receiver assembly be removed? Can I assume it is powder, not graphite. Should all of the internal parts be thoroughly cleaned and lightly oiled? And finally after how many rounds should this be repeated?
Please help! Thanks

 

[Ivanimal]

If you are unsure if its clean, clean it. For your first time use Gun Scrubber a canned aerosol cleaning agent that wont harm wood and will agressively attack spent powder. Use a drop cloth and a towel you will need it. Spray liberally and wipe off with a freshly oiled clean rag.Unless your gun was in front of me I wouldnt know what was lube and what was dirt, but what I suggested will do the trick. Also oil cannot help the workings of your rifle if you dont use it. I use a product called Cleenzoil. Hoppes works great also but the smell kills me.:usa:

 

[cajungeo]

If you asked our 1200 members how then cleaned their guns, you would get 1200 different answers. The only way you can hurt your mini by cleaning it (I'm shure I will get some rebutal on this) is cleaning from the bore end without a bore guide. What you do is gradually wear out the crown, by the grit, and dirt on the cleaning rod rubbing against the crown. The other damage is the slovent if allowed to get into your stock, will soften your bedding.
Here is the way I clean my guns. I use a plastic coated cable rod, and clean from the chamber end, I run a patch wet with Hoppe's #9 Copper solvent, let it set for a couple of hours. Then I run another wet patch, then 4 dry patches, repeat till dry patch is clean. Sometimes I run a brush thru to speed cleaning stuburn stains. The blue color is copper, you have to clean all the copper out of the bore. After it is clean, and dry I run a patch thru the bore with Rem oil, then a dry patch. Before I shoot I run another dry patch thru.
I pull my stock off, to clean the bolt, Chamber, trigger group, and action about once a month. Once a year I take the gas block appart, to clean. The outside I just wipe down with Rem oil, and wipe off.

 

[Ghost]

Thanks guys. My area of concern was the underside of the barrel assembly as I removed it from the stock. I called Ruger and the girl told me to simply wipe off the powder, but refrain from added lubrication.
I am so new to the world of autoloaders and I want to maintain the gun properly.

 

[Kalifornia Citizen]

The US Army advises field stripping their service rifle every 150 rounds. God, I hope our soldiers aren't trained to hold up a "wait" sign in the heat of battle.

KC

:ar15:

 

[deerhntr]

My father taught me how to shoot when i six with an old ruger 10/22 every weekend, and after shooting shooting it I HAD TO STPIP IT AND CLEAN it,Once i got good at it he forced me to do so in the complete dark by "feel" alone i thought it was nuts back then but now i see why and thank him for it.Well anyway,
I use BREAK FREE on my stainless mini-14 it seems made for it,
it dont have any oder (my wife dont kick me out of the living room)
and it is a one shot cleaner -lubricant,I love the stuff big time!
Anybody else use Break Free with the same results?

 

[Ghost]

I don't recall seeing Break Free, but I certainly with look for it. Cleaner, Lub, and perhaps my wife will let me out of the basement. Women do not appreciate the smell of gun powder and Hoppes.

 

[cajungeo]

Thats funny, but true, Gost, on the other hand we have to put up with their Toni Permenant, and Acqua Net hair spray smell, I would go to the basement on my own except here in Louisiana, we don't have basements, as the water table is 4 ft.
I've used Gun Scrubber, and Break Free, they both work well, clean & lube on powder resedue 1 shot, and wipe. Available at Walmart.

 

[Ivanimal]

Hell I use gun scrubber to get some privacy!

like most people who grew up in San Francisco in the 60's its not the chemicals so much as the high. Just kiddin, when my wife gets her hair permed I sleep in the other room! that stuff smells worse than methane.

The hoppes seems to stay on me all day, and if I can smell it a deer can smell it to. Thanks for the tip on break free I will give it a try.

 

[Tankcommander]

The Army taught me to clean my weapons after each use. I am a stauch advocate of CLP but at times it needs help on really tough copper or lead deposits. Shooters Choice bore cleaner does a good job on copper and lead. Outers Nitro Solvent in spray form is ok but doesn't cut the tough stuff. I use it for hard to reach spots. I found some Break-Free abrasive paste to get the really tough stuff in the bore. It mixes with CLP and really gets the grunk out. Its good for surplus rifles that may have years of lead build up.

I always use a bore guide but was stumpped on what to do when you have a muzzle brake on. Now thanks to Cajungeo I will hunt for a flexible cleaning rod. I have a bore snake but always get some more carbon after I scrub.

If I don't have time after the range I try to run a CLP patch down the bore to start the cleaning process. It works on dissolving carbon to make it easier to clean later.

I always field strip every weapon for cleaning and if I used a lot of rounds I will strip it down as far as I can, even the bolt. Pipe cleaners are great for gas tubes, and bolt faces.

TC:cannon:

 

[cajungeo]

Hey TC, the cleaning kit I use is similar to this one at Midway, I use it for all my autoloaders, and pistols. It is very compact, I take it to the field, and to the range. All brass tips, that wont break.
http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/applica...leItemID=697209

 

[Tankcommander]

Thanks Cajungeo, once the credit card gets paid down a bit I will look in to it. MidwayUSA has great service I just made 2 ammo orders with some mags thrown in. Now if they only carried the Mini-30 10 rounders. The mini-14 mags were cheaper then fourfourmag quoted.

TC:cannon: