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Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:02 am
by topclass
Am in the "10-day cooling off period" waiting to acquire my first stainless steel barreled rifle. Anything unique or different I should do for its care and maintenance?

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:12 pm
by OldRanger
Yeah they are pretty particular. They need constant shooting or they will rot away.

Wow, a cooling off period for a long gun? You must be in California.

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:02 pm
by topclass
Unfortunately that is where I am...between the political and environmental climates, I question the wisdom of letting my wife talk me into moving from Washington to be close to grandkids. It was so much easier to ship her off on Southwest for a few days of grandbaby time...

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:25 pm
by Another Dang 9
Now the wifey can't get jealous when you hug your guns! :-bd =))

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:59 am
by topclass
Good point. I have a tolerant wife that is happy for me to have a hobby that keeps me busy. She let's me wash brass from my wet rotary tumbler in the kitchen sink, spend evenings at the reloading bench, ... things like that. I may just keep her!

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 12:55 pm
by Jim Beckley
I always use the 20 break in method. Shoot one, clean x5, shoot 2, clean x2, shoot 3, clean x2, shoot 5, clean done, don't know if it actually helps break in a barrel or not but every barrel that I've done it on, cleaned up nice after that. By the way, that Tikka that you sold really shoots! Thanks.

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:06 pm
by Jerry G
I am with you on that 'break-in' for a new barrel JB. Once it is broke -in you can 'over clean' the thing. That's not good. Clean the thin when you see the group opening up but don't scrub it to death and always use a bore guide..

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:06 pm
by topclass
glad you are enjoying the Tikka, Jim!

Re: Stainless Steel barrel care and maintenance

Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:42 am
by Snake
I use the 'sweets' method of break in. Push a couple patches through before shooting to clean out any machining debris. Then shoot 1 clean out the debris followed by sweets and check for blue (copper fouling) if its blue continue sweets until it stops bluing then neutralize the sweets dry and fire 1 more repeat the clean and sweets. If no blue then shoot 2-3 clean and sweet, if blue sweet until blue is gone neutralize repeat 2-3 until no blue. Then 5 shots, clean sweet etc until no blue. With a good barrel this should do it....if not ...well continue until there's no blue after 5 shots.....If there's no blue check after 10 shots. That should do it even in a new factory barrel. I have had Shilen burnish after 3 shots, Pac-Nors after 5 or so, ditto for Hart and Kriegers always make sure your chamber remains dry. I have found that a 50-50 mix of marine oil and lighter fluid after clean helps eliminate copper fouling. I check with sweets after 100 or so. sweets removes copper fouling but you must neutralize it via solvent or the 'mix'. Do not use a bronze brush with sweets...for obvious reasons (it will impart copper...duh....it dissolves the brush). Use gloves when handling all solvents...solvents penetrate metal and your skin :-o