Gun Cleaning For The Tactical Rifleman
by Ron Roark
Rangemaster/Armorer/Gunsmith
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department

Considering the recent revelations regarding the use of certain bore cleaners, I would like to recommend the following method for cleaning counter sniper rifles. These methods are also recommended for hunting/varmint rifles. The KG Product’s line of cleaners is strong1y suggested due to their efficiency and lack of dangerous chemical additives. Always:
Be sure the weapon is unloaded. Inspect it visually and physically.
Locate the rifle so that the barrel muzzle is angled downward slightly from horizontal. This will help keep liquids from draining into the action.
Remove the bolt and install a cleaning rod guide firmly in the boltway.

BORE CLEANING: Affix a NYLON bore brush to a cleaning rod and push the brush all the way through the bore so that it protrudes from the muzzle end of the bore. Saturate the brush with a non-ammoniated cleaner, such as KG-1. Run the brush through the bore several times in order to saturate all parts of the barrel surface with a good coating of fluid. Allow to soak for five minutes or slightly more. This will allow the cleaner to soften the carbon deposits. If the carbon is very hard, or there have been a large number of rounds fired since the last cleaning, repeat the above process again. The nylon bore brush allows one to scrub back and forth with the brush without damage to it or the bore. A brass brush microscopically scratches the inside of the bore ultimately causing more copper to accumulate. It is not necessary to dry brush since using the cleaner on the brush is more efficient than dry brushing.

Affix a good quality brass jag to the rod and carefully push it through the bore with a patch tightly wrapped. Do not withdraw the jag. Remove the patch at the muzzle end of the barrel. Tightly wrap another patch around the jag and carefully pull back into the bore part way so that it forms to the inside diameter. Use caution so as not to damage the crown of the bore. (Pulling the patch-covered jag back through the bore instead of pushing it prevents bending the rod against the lands and burnishing them) Then, using a scrubbing motion (short back and forth strokes), scrub the bore from one end to the other. Repeat until the patch comes out clean with no hint of black. The number of patches and the amount of scrubbing will depend upon the number of rounds fired, and the general condition of the bore. If the bore has seen a lot of use, re-brushing with the liquid cleaner, and reuse of the patches may be desirable until the bore has been conditioned and repeatedly polished. A hint that you have a clean bore is when the first patch down a wet barrel comes out perfectly clean. Be sure the patches are tight but not so tight as to cause the cleaning rod to bend when pushing it into the bore.

BORE POLISHING: To remove the copper oxide deposits from the bore, carefully push the rod with a jag through the barrel. Wrap a tight patch around the jag at the muzzle. Squirt KG-2 bore polish on the patch, covering the entire patch. Carefully pull the rod back into the bore about halfway or until it moves easily, then begin with the scrubbing action from one end to the other for several minutes paying particular attention to the muzzle end without permitting the patch to exit the bore completely. Push the rod out the muzzle, remove the blackened patch and repeat this procedure. (It should be noted that the patch will never come out clean. It is removing the oxidation from the bore metal.) After several polishings, saturate a clean patch with bore cleaner, KG-1, and wash the polish from the bore followed by scrubbing with dry patches until they again come out clean. Visually inspect inside the muzzle. Look for heavy layers of copper on the surface of the lands or grooves. You may see traces of copper inside the minute irregularities in the barrel metal. This is OK, as long as it’s not on the top. The surface of the lands should look polished.

The next step will depend upon the intended use of the rifle in the immediate future. If the weapon is to be stored, or placed in its case, the bore should be oiled with gun oil (KG-4) to prevent rust from forming. If the rifle is to be shot again before storage, it can be fired as is or the bore can be swabbed out with a good quality degreaser such as KG-3.

In the event of a call-out and the rifle has been stored in it’s case; the bore should be quickly swabbed out with KG-3, a quick drying degreaser. This will allow for an accurate cold shot.