Posted by Alex Silva on September 10, 2001 at 21:13:32:
Hi,
I'm a AP
shooter and I usually shoot a felt pellet after each session (about 80 pellets).
Today, another shooter told me that I should only shoot a pellet just after
about 5.000 pellets because the felt pellets "clean" the lube of the pellets
inside of the barrel.
So, I really would like to know your opinion about
this.
Cheers,
Alex.
Posted by Raymac on September 11, 2001 at 02:35:57:
In my opinion I feel
that there is little usefulness in using the felt pellets at all under normal
conditions.....I don’t know exactly what it is that we are trying to clean out!!
The only thing that there is in the barrel is a well stabilized coating of
graphite which is necessary for consistent accuracy. Why would one want to
disturb it at all? I am given to believe that it takes a substantial number of
shots to build up this "glaze" and for the gun to re-stabilize after any
cleaning at all. It seems to me that if cleaning is necessary at all it should
be done with solvent and a bronze brush perhaps once a year, this way we only
have to worry about upsetting the barrel condition once a year instead of after
every session as Alex suggests. Obviously we should clean if there is reason to
believe that there is actually dirt in the barrel [from dust, moisture etc.]
Under normal indoor shooting conditions, however, there should be none of this.
I have never heard of lead build-up in a modern match grade barrel.
Posted by Tony on September 11, 2001 at 08:30:38:
I am very new to this
sport and have been cleaning my gun (Hammerli 480K2) after each tin of pellets.
If there is nothing to clean in an air pistol, what is the black junk that comes
out of my barrel each time I clean it? I have assumed it was lead buildup.
Posted by Warren on September 11, 2001 at 11:56:09:
It's the
graphite/lube residue that really doesn't do any harm to anything.
Posted by R.M. on September 11, 2001 at 14:37:29:
Has anybody done any
accuracy testing, before and after cleaning a barrel? It would be interesting to
see if group sizes change.
How about it Maco? You seem to have done quite a
bit of pellet testing. Have you tried this, or maybe this could be your next
project? If you do, or have, please let us know how you make out. I'd certainly
be interested in seeing the results.
R.M.
Posted by Jerry on September 11, 2001 at 12:52:41:
Will it fill the
rifleing?
--Jerry
Posted by Warren on September 11, 2001 at 17:55:15:
No. In fact many
shooters have gone for years without cleaning and have tested their guns to find
no significant drop in accuracy.
Hey Warren, How Long Will a Modern Match Air Pistol Hold Its
Accuracy?
Posted by Carl on September 11, 2001 at 23:01:08:
Posted by Warren on September 12, 2001 at 22:33:32:
More rounds than
anybody is ever likely to put through a match air pistol in their lifetime.
Honestly, you're more likely to wear out a match air pistol barrel from cleaning
it than shooting it.
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