Rifle Cleaning & Barrel Break-In

by Jeffrey Chosid


Often, Highpower shooters ask my advice on barrel break-in and normal cleaning procedures. This article will address both questions in my typical, highly opinionated manner. Let me emphasize that my methods are not the only methods. Other procedures can be just as effective, if not more so. I can tell you, though, that my methods work and will not hurt the rifle. Since most Service Rifle shooters are now using AR-15’s, this article will focus on that rifle. 

Cleaning Supplies


All of the items listed below are available from either Brownell’s or Sinclair International. Brownell’s (641-623-4000) is the largest supplier of gunsmithing supplies in the world. Sinclair International (260-493-1858) specializes in accessory equipment for accuracy shooting. Both companies publish great catalogues. Since most of the following items are from Brownell’s, only the items from Sinclair are noted accordingly.

36” Dewey Coated Cleaning Rod
Only use a one piece cleaning rod since a break-down rod can damage the bore. Quality rods, such as Dewey, are available in both coated versions and stainless steel. I prefer coated. There are other brands of quality rods but Dewey is the most popular. (234-222-036)

Dewey Brass Loop Pistol Rod
This short rod is inexpensive and is ideal for cleaning the chamber. It comes with a brass loop jag which is ideal for holding patches for this specific cleaning process. (234-400-010)

Rod Guide 
A rod guide slides into the upper receiver and centers the cleaning rod when cleaning the bore. Cleaning a rifle bore without a rod guide will result in bore damage. (234-015-000)

Sinclair Pierce Jag 
A pierce jag has a point at the end and used with round cleaning patches. In use, you pierce the center of the patch with the tip of the jag. Dewey rods come with a pierce jag but I prefer the jags available from Sinclair International. They only cost a few bucks and are much better. (Sinclair Part No. SJ-22)

Parker-Hale Wrap Jag
A wrap jag is a bit different than a pierce jag. As the name might indicate, you wrap the patch around the jag instead of piercing the patch with the tip. I use these jags with J-B Bore Paste because they provide much more surface contact with the bore. (234-810-122)

Dewey Thread Brushes
Dewey rods have a male thread, as do most cleaning brushes. This setup requires the use of a brush adapter. Recently, Brownell’s introduced “Dewey Thread” bore brushes the have a female thread, eliminating the need of an adapter. All quality brushes have brass bristles and a bronze core. Never use bore brushes with a steel core and NEVER use a stainless steel bore brush. (084-418-021, 3-pack; also available in 12-packs)

AR-15 Chamber Brush
An AR-15 chamber brush has brass bristles to clean the chamber and stainless steel bristles (larger diameter) to clean the lugs in the barrel extension. You will use this with the Dewey Loop Rod, described above. (084-116-015)

Patches
A cleaning patch, in combination with a specific jag, must be properly sized to fit the bore. If it’s too thick, the patch will not pass through the bore without jerking. In addition, the rod will bend, rubbing against the bore and causing wear. A patch that’s too thin will not properly wipe the bore surface. You should use round patches on pierce jags. These 100% cotton flannel patches from Brownell’s (#2 Round) work perfectly with the Sinclair Pierce Jag, mentioned above. (084-268-002, 1,000 pack)

Bore Solvent
Bore, or powder solvent is designed to dissolve powder residue, carbon and, sometimes, copper). There are a lot of different products on the market and, probably, they all work. Hoppe’s #9 has been around for 100 years and is the most popular bore solvent on the market. It works well and smells great. Very popular among competitive shooters is Shooter’s Choice. SC is a quite a bit stronger than Hoppe’s and will remove some copper fouling. There is some anecdotal evidence that SC should not be mixed with ammonia-based copper removers. Hence, I never use Shooter’s Choice in conjunction with Sweet’s 7.62 Copper Remover. A number of people “in the know” have said that Shooter’s Choice is repackaged GM Top Engine Cleaner. I’ve heard, from these same people, that samples have been chemically analyzed, proving that it’s the same stuff. After one analysis, the results indicated that the two samples (Shooter’s Choice and GM TEC) seemed to be out of the same batch. TEC is sold at a fraction of the cost of SC and I use it as my standard bore cleaner.

Break-Free CLP
Break-Free CLP (Cleaner Lubricant Preservative) is the same product the military uses for their M-16 rifles. I use it for everything except the bore. (102-100-004)

Oil
I prefer non-synthetic oil for protecting the bore of match rifles. It just doesn’t sound like a good idea to coat the bore with synthetic compounds such as Teflon, silicone, etc. Recently, I’ve been using Butch’s Gun Oil. It’s not real heavy and is ideal for bores. Since Shooter’s Choice (or GM TEC) does not contain an rust preventative oil, the bore should be oiled after cleaning. (539-000-003)

Sweet’s 7.62 Copper Remover
Standard bore cleaners will not remove all of the copper fouling in a barrel. Sweet’s 7.62 is an ammonia-based chemical copper remover. It’s great stuff but should not be used with Shooter’s Choice or GM Top Engine Cleaner. When I use Sweet’s 7.62, I only use it in conjunction with Hoppe’s #9. Since copper turns blue when exposed to ammonia, it’s easy to see the fouling on a cleaning patch. (100-000-001)

J-B Bore Compound 
Copper fouling can also be removed by mechanical cleaners. J-B Bore Compound is a thick abrasive paste. The abrasive particles are harder than copper but softer than steel. Since its softer than steel it will not damage the bore. J-B does an excellent job of removing copper fouling, in addition to the carbon fouling found in front of the chamber. J-B can safely be used with any bore cleaner. (083-065-002)

Aerosol Degreaser  
I use either electronic cleaner or brake cleaner. Do not use carburetor cleaner. To extend the life of bronze brushes, thoroughly flush after use with aerosol degreaser. It’s also quite effective when cleaning upper receivers, lower receivers and trigger groups. Keep in mind that these products flush out all loose dirt and lubricant and it is necessary to re-oil immediately.

Utility Brush
These brushes have bristles on both ends and are ideal for general cleaning and scrubbing. They are similar to a toothbrush but are a bit handier. (699-138-000) 

Sinclair AR-15 Cleaning Link
A cleaning link holds the upper and lower receiver apart during cleaning. It is not expensive and makes cleaning much easier. (988-003-001; also available directly from Sinclair)

Military .30 Cal Patches
30 caliber patches are perfect for cleaning and lubricating chambers. I use them also as small towels and find them ideal for cleaning, wiping and applying lubricants. I keep a small stack of them on my cleaning table. (546-100-030)

Plastic Bottles
You should never stick a dirty bore brush in a bottle of clean bore solvent. In addition, bore solvents come in large bottles or cans, making them awkward to use. Small plastic bottles, with dispenser tops, are a necessity. (Sinclair Part No. SB)

Cleaning Cradle
You’ll need some sort of stand to hold the rifle during cleaning and general maintenance. I use the Tipton Rifle Vise, available from MidwayUSA.
  

Cleaning AR-15 Rifles


Competitive Highpower is not the military; we do not use rifle cleaning as an exercise in training and discipline. We need to keep a rifle clean enough to insure consistent accuracy and reliable operation. In other words, it does not need to be surgically clean. I think there are a number of levels of rifle cleaning. I perform Level I cleaning after every day of shooting. Level II cleaning is performed every 300-400 rounds. Level III cleaning is performed after every 750–1,000 rounds.


Level One Cleaning – After each day of shooting

  1. Verify that the rifle is unloaded with the magazine removed.
  2. Place the rifle on cleaning cradle.
  3. Push out the rear pin, separate the upper and lower receiver and insert a Sinclair Cleaning Link.
  4. Remove the bolt carrier assembly and charging handle and set aside.
  5. Insert a .30 Cal cleaning patch into the loop jag on the Dewey Brass Loop Pistol Rod and saturate the patch with bore cleaning solvent.
  6. Clean the chamber and repeat the process if it is necessary.
  7. Insert the cleaning rod guide into upper receiver.
  8. Using the Dewey rod and Sinclair Pierce Jag, place round patch on jag and saturate it with bore cleaning solvent. Push the patch through the bore, from the receiver to the muzzle. Discard the patch.
  9. Repeat step 8.
  10. Remove the Sinclair pierce jag and replace with a Dewey Thread bore brush.
  11. Saturate the bore brush with bore cleaning solvent. From the receiver, work the brush back and forth for five passes. A pass is once through and once pulled back through the bore.
  12. Replace the Sinclair Pierce Jag, place a round patch on jag and saturate it with bore cleaning solvent. Push the patch through the bore, from the receiver to the muzzle. Discard the patch. Repeat this process until patch comes out clean.
  13. Dry the bore with a clean patch.
  14. Apply a light coating of oil to the bore with a clean patch.
  15. Remove the cleaning rod guide.
  16. Using the Dewey Brass Loop Pistol Rod and .30 cal. patches, dry the chamber.
  17. Apply a light coating of oil with a clean .30 cal. patch.
  18. If necessary, lightly lubricate the assembled bolt carrier assembly with Break-Free CLP. Make sure to place a drop of lube on the cam pin.
  19. Replace the charging handle and the bolt carrier assembly.
  20. Remove the Sinclair Cleaning Link, close the receivers and push the rear pin back into position.
  21. Clean the sights, making sure any sight black is removed.

Level II Cleaning – Every 300-400 rounds


In addition to a Level I Cleaning, add the following steps:

  1. Disassemble the bolt carrier assembly.
  2. Clean all parts with bore cleaning solvent, using patches and utility brush
  3. Dry the parts thoroughly.
  4. Lightly lubricate all parts with Break-Free CLP.
  5. Making sure that the gaps in the gas rings are equally spaced, re-assemble the bolt carrier assembly.
  6. Place a drop of Break-Free CLP on the cam pin and friction points on the bolt carrier.
  7. Lubricate the moving parts on the sights.

Level III Cleaning – Every 750 to 1,000 rounds


To maintain accuracy, it is necessary to periodically remove copper fouling from the bore and carbon from the chamber and neck area. Since I use Shooter’s Choice or GM Top Engine Cleaner, I avoid the use of ammonia-based chemicals and prefer to mechanically remove these deposits with J-B Bore Compound. This procedure should be performed after the bore and chamber have been cleaned but before final lubrication.
In addition to a Level I and II Cleaning, add the following:

  1. Place Parker-Hale wrap jag onto the Dewey bore rod.
  2. Place a #2 Round patch in the center of your palm and rub J-B Bore paste into the cloth.
  3. Wrap the patch around the P-H wrap jag.
  4. Using a rod guide, scrub the bore, using a rapid jerking motion. Start from the chamber area and work your way toward the muzzle. Do not let the patch exit the muzzle until you are finished. Avoid excessive contact with the crown.
  5. Repeat steps 2 – 4.
  6. Remove all J-B paste using #2 round patches, the Sinclair pierce jag and bore cleaning solvent.
  7. Lubricate the bore with oil.
  8. Remove sling.
  9. Remove both receiver pins and separate the upper and lower receivers.
  10. Thoroughly clean the upper and lower receivers with bore cleaning solvent using patches, utility brushes, etc. Flush out with aerosol degreaser, paying close attention to the trigger group. Lubricate everything, except the bore, with Break-Free CLP. Make sure that you lube all pivot and contact points of the trigger mechanism.
  11. Reassemble upper and lower receivers.

Barrel Break-In


There are widely divergent ideas regarding barrel break-in. Some very knowledgeable individuals will tell you to go shoot the rifle and don’t worry about doing anything besides normal bore cleaning. Other people, equally knowledgeable, recommend a careful and tedious process of cleaning and de-copperizing after each shot until no trace of copper is found on the used patch. My barrel break-in procedure is in the middle of these two extremes. If possible, use a bullet with a long bearing surface such as a Sierra 80gr. MatchKing.

  1. Fire one shot.
  2. Place the rifle on cleaning cradle. Break open the rifle and remove the bolt carrier assembly. Insert the Sinclair Cleaning Link and cleaning rod guide.
  3. Clean the bore as explained under Level I cleaning, steps 8 –13, substituting Hoppe’s #9 for the Shooter’s Choice or GM TEC. Remember that you never use an ammonia-based chemical, such as Sweet’s 7.62, with SC or TEC.
  4. Place a clean patch on the Sinclair Pierce Jag and saturate it with Sweet’s 7.62 Copper Remover.
  5. Push the saturated patch through bore.  Let the Sweet’s soak in the bore for five minutes.
  6. Wipe out the bore with a clean patch.
  7. Run one patch down the bore, saturated with Hoppe’s #9.
  8. Push a dry patch through bore.
  9. Repeat steps 1 – 9 four more times (a total of five fire one shot and clean sequences).
  10. Fire a string of five shots and clean, following steps 2 – 9
  11. Repeat step 11 three more times (a total of four five-shot strings and clean sequences).
  12. Clean the bore and the chamber, making sure to remove all of the Sweet’s 7.62.
  13. Lubricate bore and chamber.
  14. For the next 100 shots, de-copperize after every 50 shots. Again, remember not to mix Shooter’s Choice or GM Top Engine Cleaner with Sweet’s 7.62.
  15. Only use Hoppe’s #9 in conjunction with Sweet’s 7.62.