user06

New barrels... some of are great and will shoot right out of the box and a lot of them are shot right out of the box but I would recommend exactly what you are thinking clean it.

The process I would use for cleaning does change a little bit if it a blued barrel because they have a tendenacy to flash rust but this flash rust can be managed if the work is completed quickly.

I would remove the barrel from the stock, remove the breech plug and run some very lightly oiled patches in and out of the barrel get as much of the factory gunk out as you can.

Then with a JB's bore paste or a similar type product work the length of the barrel. Oil a patch apply the JB's then run a 100 stokes back and forth in the barrel. Then clean the barrel, I just use regular windex applied to patches. It will probably take you 6/7 patches to come out with a patchthat might look like a sorta clean patch. When you get a fairly clean patch, apply a lightly oiled patch to the barrel, then get a bronze brush and work the barrel with the brush for several stokes. Then re-patch with damp, and again I use regular windex, patch and get as much of the black stuff out as you can. I do not try to get it perfectly clean because I move to another step.

My next step is to wash the barrel in hot water water. I use to use Terry's regular old liquid dish soap, but I found a bottle of "Zep Citrus Cleaner and Degreaser" under her sink that is simply and amzing product. Anyway pour some of this and do not be tight use plenty in a bucket - 2-3 onces) the I head to the shower. Fill the bucket with very hot water. Put the breech plug back in the barrel with your fingers, place the barrel breech plug down in the bucket then start paching water in and out of the barrel with a range rod and patch. This pumping action will move a lot of gunk out of the barrel. When done rinse the barrel in hot water... if it is a blued barrel "KEEP THE BORE WET" The final water step is to pour boiling water down the barrel this will suck all the oils out of the pours in the barrel. Actually the temp of the water will cause leeching and clean the barrel really deep. I take a metal clothes hanger and make a hook feed it into a ram-rod ferrule to hold the barrel it is going to get hot. After you finsihed this step get it into a cradle and dry the barrel as fast as possible with clean dry patches... this is especially important if it is a blued barrel get it dry quick, if it is a stainless you do not need to be as quick. Dry the outside of the barrel also, I just use a simple towel.

Now this is the step that is the problem...but I truly beleive in it and have been doing it forever. I put bore butter on a bore swab (not a patch)and while the barrel is hot really hot and DRY push that back into the barrel. I will do this a couple of times. You will see that the bore actually sucks the stuff right off the swab it will come out dry. Now, let the barrel cool to room temp. When cooled, patch the barrel with clean patches and get as much BB back out of the barrel as you can. At this point the barrel should be as smooth as a babies butt. If you want to check it take the BP out and push a cotton ball through it. If when you look in the barrel you have pieces of cotton hung up in there you still have some burrs...

Believe it or not the "Final Step" - use a quality gun oil to lubricate and protect the barrel. There are a lot of good oils out there. I used to use "Sheath" but the name has been changed to Barricade... good stuff. Put everything back together and go shoot....

The last thing I will mention is that I know longer use BB or sheath. There is a new product out there call "Slip 2000" It is an oiless oil created for the miltary to replace the oils they have been using. So now where I mentioned BB I use Slip and when I apply oild to the barrel I use Slip also. I really think it is a better mouse trap...

Sorry for the length, but that is what I do. I actually do this process each time I strip clean the gun minus the JB's and bronze brush steps. I feel that I do not get enough fouling to justify the JB's or brush treatment. By applying the BB or now Slip 2000 in the hot barrel there is nothing for fouling to stick to. Plus it keeps it from hardening. - JUST my theory and YES I have been wrong but it works for me...