What is one of the major reasons folks don’t like to go out and shoot their firearms? It’s because you have to bring them back and clean them! As airgunners, we don’t have that requirement after we shoot. But there are times when cleaning our airguns is required, and in this article, we’ll take a look at when it’s time to clean your airgun and what gear we have to make the process as effective and efficient as possible. Let’s get started.
External vs. Internal
Most of the airgun maintenance that you’ll need to perform is going to be on the exterior of your airgun. Because we don’t use powder, there’s really nothing to muck up the barrel. But the outside of your airgun is constantly getting exposed to all kinds of elements. Dust, moisture, and if you are on the coast, then salt water, which is the absolute worst. Stainless steel airguns, anyone!
We have a new product on the site called Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber. This lubricant/solvent comes in a pressurized can. It is designed to literally “blast” away stubborn debris while cleaning and lubricating the entire gun and providing a protective residue once wiped down. It’s safe for metal, wood, and synthetics. It’s useful on all exterior parts as well as interior parts like trigger groups. It almost sounds a little too good to be true!
Other tried-and-true options are Ballistol and Air Venturi MP5 oil. These really penetrate the metal and keep it like new. Once you are done with your external cleaning, using a silicone sock can help it stay protected and rust-free for your next shooting session.
What about the barrel?
Before we get to the how let’s take a quick look at the why. Airgun barrels don’t really get dirty because there should only be clean, dry air coming out of them, at least from PCPs. That may vary somewhat for breakbarrel airguns or airgunners that rely on hand pumping their PCPs. Putting that aside, barrels may not get “dirty” from powder, but they can accumulate lead in the grooves. This will be more prevalent with higher-velocity airguns. Also, dirty lead and dirty pellets can lead to leading. Lastly, “cheap” barrels may be very rough and strip lead from the pellets leading to leading. Some shooters may lap the bore with bore paste and a bronze brush. While that was certainly the practice many years ago, it’s less necessary today.
So when do you clean your barrel? This is really the big question. If only Shakespeare were an airgunner: “To clean or not to clean. That is the question…” But seriously, it’s a big deal knowing when is the right time to clean the barrel of your airgun.
Additionally, it’s important to know how to do it without damaging your airgun and making things worse. There have been many times when accuracy degraded after cleaning the barrel, which is really frustrating. So what do you do?
The first principle is one we all know: “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” If your gun is shooting well, then just leave well enough alone. If you’re starting to see your groups open up, then check the simple things first. Did you just start shooting from a new tin of pellets? Is it dramatically colder or warmer than the last time you were shooting? For spring and gas ram gun owners, are your stock screws secure. Are your scope rings secure? These are all things that are more probable causes of errant shots than a dirty barrel. Lastly, do you monitor performance regularly? Did you get a baseline with a chrony when you first got it? Are the numbers the same? A drop in performance, even a small one like 30 FPS, can mean the difference between stable pellet flight and unstable pellet flight.
If all those things are good to go, then it “may” be time to clean the barrel. Our suggestion is to be as gentle as possible. A product like PatchWorm is a great option. Not only does is allow for easy cleaning from the breach, but it can help you navigate integrated moderators and baffles that exist on many airguns. It really stinks when you lose a cleaning patch in the moderator. Ask us how we know!
If you need to be more aggressive, we recommend a quality one-piece rod with nylon brushes. If that does not work, migrating to bronze brushes and even bore paste may be needed. Once you’ve cleaned out the grime, run clean patches through the bore until they come out clean. Really dirty barrels may take a long time to clean, so be patient and take your time. Using something like Ballistal or MP5 oil can also help clean out the bore.
Have questions?
We know there is a lot of data here, and you may have questions about how to clean your specific airgun. The first place to start is following the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you still have more questions, please give us a call. We are always here to help.
