amw_yo

i recently purchased the online deal from GM and i was wondering how to remove the breech plugs for cleaning so that they don't end up like the barrels which they are replacing. the instructions that came with them did not specify if they could be removed or not so i thought i would ask. also i was wondering if other than voiding the warranty is there any reason that these barrels couldn't be refinished to look more original. im not sure if stainless steel would even take blue or brown?

thanks for any help you can porvide
James

cayugad

James.. if you are refering to the stainless steel drop in barrels for the Hawkins and the Renegade rifle.. the breech plug does not come out and you should not try to remove it under and circumstances. Only a qualified gun smith would remove that, and that would have to be for reasons other then simple cleaning of the rifle.

Give the barrel a good HOT (and I mean hot)water bath with some dish soap after your done shooting. Be sure to take the nipple out and the bolster clean out screw out when you give them your bath. You can pump more water with more force through them that way. Also it keeps the bolster clean out screw from seizing up in the even you ever need to get it out.

After the hot water bath I like to pour a good solvent down the barrel. Then plug the end and the bolster clean out screw can be returned at this point.. and nipplehole and tip that barrel back and fourth letting thatsolvent coat the inside of the barrel. Then give it a good bore brush going over. After that some solvent patches.
To clean the inside cone of the barrel, take a .22 caliber cleaning rod and put a brush on it. Then wrap a big floppy cotton patch on that brush. I like to wrap a rubber band around the big part of the patch. Dip that in solvent and push that to the bottom of the breech and turn that patch in a clockwise rotation for about four turns. Then pull it out. If there is powder in the cone that the water did not flush (which I doubt) it will be on the patch. I only do this about once every four or five shoots. I can not remember the last time I got stuff on the patch, but better safe then sorry. And finally dry patches. They should come back out of the barrel nice and clean.

If the patches are dry fine, then oil the barrel up and put it away muzzle end down resting on some cotton patches. The excess oil will work its way out the muzzle and soak into the patches that you can use at a later date to wipe the outside of the barrel off.

As for changing the exterior of the barrel. I am not sure it could be done. I have two of them ordered and they should be here today.. I want to shoot them real bad!!!

roundball

IMO, you shouldgive anew factory barrel a long, thorough soaking & cleaning with steaming hot soapy water beforeyou shoot it, to leach out all the factory machining oils from the metal...dry patch it immediately to avoid flash rust, then after it's sat for a few minutes to get bone dry from the residual heat, slather it HEAVILY with some sort of non-petroleum bore butter lube like natural lube 1000...