New Anschutz; New cleaning questions

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rfwhatley
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New Anschutz; New cleaning questions

Post by rfwhatley »

My new Anschutz 1907 arrived this evening. This is my first Anschutz. I'm sitting here assembling this "Erector Set" for big boys and it was readily apparent I need to ask some basic care questions before firing the gun....

1) Is there any barrel prep before firing the first shots?

2) Anschutz is suggesting "acid free oil". I've fooled with guns for years and never heard of such. What is that?

3) What should be used to wipe the exterior steel parts with after shooting?

Any other tips on care gratefully appreciated.

Thanks!
Guest

Post by Guest »

1) I don't think there's much you can do before firing, other than to run a dry patch down the barrel to remove any oil.

It's recommended that you "break in" the barrel by firing a few shots and then thoroughly cleaning, firing another group and then cleaning, and so on for another few groups. This will remove lead and carbon traces building up at the rougher spots made when the chamber was cut. The shoot a few and then clean should smooth these out.

2) I think Anschutz mean very strong cleaning solvents containing ammonia, such as Sweets 7.62mm used for removing copper traces from centre-fire bullets. This may be a precaution. I haven't heard of anyone harming a barrel by using Hoppes or another common powder solvent.

3) Any proprietry gun oil or light machine oil should be fine.

Any other tips, buy a cleaning rod guide, this will keep the rod straight to the bore so that it won't rub, it also keeps oils and gunk away from the trigger.

Clean the bore as and when, though regular cleaning is better. I've found that just patching out the barrel clear most of the fouling, so I don't have to scrub the bore so often.

I would also recommend wiping down the bolt and breech regularly. An old toothbrush and cotton buds (Q Tips?) are useful for getting into the nooks and crannies.
B.T.Carstensen
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Post by B.T.Carstensen »

1. Oil: If you are getting a blued steel gun then yoi will need to keep a good coat of oil on all parts. Wipe it down after anytime you touch it. Do not leave finger prints on it!!!! I would use something like Hoope's oil or Rem oil spray. On a stainless steel gun you still want to oil some moving parts.

2. Brass Cleanling Rod: I only use a one piece rod for smallbore. That will have to come from Brownells. Champchoice does not carry them. They carry the coated rods which are ok but the coating gets scratched. I would NEVER use a mult-section steel or aluminum rod on a target rifle. My coach has 2 rods - one for the brush and one for the patch. I only have one it takes a little longer but I don't have the money for 2 rods. Make a holder for your rods or they will get bent. A guy in my club made one out of PVC. Never use a dent rod.

3. Patches: You can get this locally antime or order them. 22. cal

4. Hoppe's #9 powder solvent: Most people like good ole Hoppe's #9 solvent for cleaning smallbore. You don't need all the others with cooper solvent properties since smallbore bullets are not copper jacketed bullets. Lead build up is a problem with smallbore. Hoppe's and a good brush work wonders. You can get a small bottle to start with and when that is gone you can get a quart bottle and refill the small some. I thinks it a 5oz bottle with a wide lid. If it's a glass bottle wrap it in tape that way if it ever falls it won't shatter.

5. Phosphor Bronze Brushes: Get a dozen. Preferably with a copper core.
Champchoice , Champ shooters and Brownells. You don't want stainless steel or steel so you don't scratch the barrel. Like brass rods, bronze is softer then the steel the barrel is made of. The rod and brushes will wear but won't scratch the bore.

6. Action rod guide: It helps keep crud out of the action.

7. Patch Holder/Jag: My brass rods came with a loop jag?holder. However, you might want to try some different types. They don't wear much so get one or to types. It is personal preference here.

Alright now that that is done here is what I do. After I am done shooting I take the barreled action out of my stock set it down on my kneeling roll wet a patch push it through I do this 2 times then I take the brush and get it 10-12 strokes then I put 2 more patches through the barrel I do that same thing until the patches come out the right color ( my barrel does not like to be vary clean to shoot well) then some dry patches to get all the solvent out then some oil I like Kleen Bore TW25 B high tech oil. Not to much oil. If you have a tube you will need to get a brush that will fit you tube cus that tube will get nasty after a while. For the breech I take a tooth brush a scrub the whole thing. Then I take a rag wipe it down. On the bolt put one small drop of oil in the hole for the firing pin put some oil on the bolt put the bolt back in the rifle and your done.

<>Brian<>
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rfwhatley
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Thanks

Post by rfwhatley »

Thanks guys. This is some great info. I'm loving it!


Shot the rifle tonight for the first time from the bench to get the sights in the right neighborhood. Luckily I had stocked up on one box of every kind of ammo for sale in north Atlanta. Figured that since they'd be about an inch from the X-ring wouldn't hurt to burn some Remington Target, but it wouldn't chamber the last 2mm. Then I tried CCI Target and it was better, but the bolt still woudn't lock closed. Finally tried some Eley and things were tight but working. RWS seems to chamber the best.

Is this normal? I once had a Savage (single extractor) biathlon .22 that didn't like to extract some brands, but never this much trouble with chambering.

Thanks again for all the help.

Richard
Atlanta
Guest

Post by Guest »

My recommendation is simply to not clean your bore. If I as much as run a patch down my bore it takes a whole box of ammo through it before it'll settle back in. For the record, my barrel is very old (1966). Some of my team-mates' newer Anschutz rifles seem to take cleaning better than mine. Regardless, there is really no reason to put a brass brush down your barrel.

Edie Reynolds (current national women's prone champion) introduced me to this idea. She hasn't cleaned her barrel in years.

The only real cleaning is wiping down all steel parts with a light oil. I use a liquid called 'prolix' which drys and creates a sort of dry barrier to protect the metal for longer. Also, keep the chamber clean (especially with waxy ammo like wolf or lapua).
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Fred Mannis
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Post by Fred Mannis »

Richard,
I have limited experience with rifles, but I know that tight chambering is a common occurance with match grade 22 pistols. Chambers are cut on the small side and leade may be shorter as well. I would stay with the European match ammo.

I would be very careful breaking in a high quality match barrel. One shot, wet patch, dry patch, repeat several times; two shots, wet patch, dry patch, repeat several times; and so on. This goes quickly with a pull through like the Patchworm or an Otis. I rarely use a cleaning rod.

There's a lot of discussion on whether to use a brush; some do some don't. I don't. On those occasions when some 'scrubbing' seems to be called for, I use some JB paste on a patch or on a VFG felt.

Enjoy your new rifle.

Fred
wtf

Post by wtf »

Ok, not cleaning the bore is just stupid. That's a good way to make a good shooting rifle a poor shooting rifle. Clean the rifle after everytime you shoot it. As for your gun not "settling down" after just one dry patch, it's called ALL IN YOUR HEAD. Don't be stupid. Clean your rifle BORE INCLUDED.
MSNations
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Post by MSNations »

wtf wrote:Ok, not cleaning the bore is just stupid. That's a good way to make a good shooting rifle a poor shooting rifle. Clean the rifle after everytime you shoot it. As for your gun not "settling down" after just one dry patch, it's called ALL IN YOUR HEAD. Don't be stupid. Clean your rifle BORE INCLUDED.
When was the last time you won a national title? I'm not saying that not cleaning your barrel is the best and only method, but it is SOMETHING TO TRY. Chill out.
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Fred Mannis
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Cleaning

Post by Fred Mannis »

Here's a quote from website of the late Don Nygord, who won many matches:

Most .22 pistols are very forgiving, but they are still much happier clean that not. .22 firing residue is quite abrasive and there is absolutely no good reason to leave it in the gun rubbing on the riciprocating parts. The bore, on the other hand, needs very little cleaning in modern .22 pistols. I believe the often iterated saying from the small bore rifle shooters that "more .22 bores are ruined by brushing them than by shooting them." You should never have to use a brass brush on a .22 rimfire bore - patches should be all you ever use
wtf

Post by wtf »

Its not a method to try. It damages the guns and causes lead build up that you cannot get out without lapping the barrel. You can argue all you want. I have won national titles both NRA and USAShooting. But unless you want to ruin your rifle, clean it often.
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Fred Mannis
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Post by Fred Mannis »

wtf wrote:Its not a method to try. It damages the guns and causes lead build up that you cannot get out without lapping the barrel. You can argue all you want. I have won national titles both NRA and USAShooting. But unless you want to ruin your rifle, clean it often.
OK, I accept your statement. What specific cleaning method do you use?
wtf

Post by wtf »

I run hoppes soaked patches through it, about three. Then I run a brush through it, I do not pull the brush back through. For two reasons, its not good on the crown, and I dont want to bring all the junk back into the action. I run a couple more hoppes soaked patches through it util they come out clean. I then pull out the bore guide wipe out the entire action making sure it is dry so that no solvent gets through the holes and into the bedding. I then run about two or three dry patches through it. Depending on who you talk to you may want to leave just a little bit of hoppes in the bore. And I do mean just a little bit. Hart barrels recommends you leave the bore a little damp. And after a few cleanings I will take the rifle out of the stock and check the bedding to make sure there is no solvent there. I will also take out the loading plate and wipe that down, a lot of solvent will gather underneath it over time. Thats how I clean my rifle. Clean yours how you want but I have seen the results of cleaning mine this way. Oh and I use a dewey coated rod and a jag that was made to wrap the patch around.
TWP
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Post by TWP »

I know folks that clean their rifle before every match. They've won national titles and hold plenty of records.

I also know plenty that clean the barrel of their small bore rifle maybe once a year, if that often. They hold national records and have won titles to.

I test my daughter's rifle from a machine rest occasionally. It's been about 5,000 rounds since it was last cleaned with a brush and solvent, dry patches have been pushed down the bore a couple of times since it's last real cleaning. I haven't detected any drop off in accuracy. But using the machine rest I can prove that it takes a while, about 20-30 rounds or so in the case of her rifle, for the barrel to settle in and shoot it's best after an extensive bore cleaning using solvents and brushes. (I've seen other barrels take as many as 50 rounds) So I don't clean it real often.

That's not in my head. That's shooting a rifle out of a machine rest for a group, cleaning the barrel with solvents and patches, and then shooting groups again until they get as small as the original group.

If I do an extensive cleaning on the barrel I make sure that it's done long enough before a major match that she will get a couple practice sessions in.

There's lots of opinions on what works best for rimfire barrel cleaning. Try them out on your barrel and see what works the best for you.
AMUSHOOTER

Post by AMUSHOOTER »

Ok I have read the posts and the ones saying dont clean it are wrong. Being in the AMU we have access to the best gunsmiths in the world and anytime we need them. Ask any of them how often you should clean your rifle. Ask any of us on the team how often we clean ours. You can say that it takes the rifle 20 or 50 rounds to settle down after cleaning it all you want. But a dirty rifle is not a good thing. Its not good on the rifles to let them sit with all the priming and powder residue or the lead building up. You pay thousands of dollars for a rifle and you are just going to ruin it by not cleaning it. Doesnt make sense to me.

AMUSHOOTER
steve b

interesting

Post by steve b »

this is an interesting topic, and even after i covered it in detail in my new rimfire book, i see that there are still aspects that have yet to be nailed down.

i'm not gonna get into cleaning, that's what the book is for, but i will say that i find this issue generally is based on a few small points of data and not a wide range of testing. i have big plans for this topic in my next book.

personally, i clean each rifle differently. every barrel is unique to itself, and it requires a specific range of fouling for optimal performance. at this time, i do not feel that there is a standard that can be applied to all rimfire barrels.

s.
metermatch
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Gun cleaning

Post by metermatch »

Regarding the rifle needing 20-50 rounds after cleaning to settle down:

Having to foul the barrel anytime you start shooting is nothing new. Even with a dirty barrel. I was shooting my new Anschutz 2013 today in a match, and the barrel consistantly needed 5-7 rounds before it would print in group. Some guns need more, some less.

I am actually going to get some bottom of the line Lapua to use for fouling ammo, so I don't waste my "good stuff"

Jeff
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