How do you clean a Lever Gun?

Bigahh · Post by **Bigahh** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:17 am

How do you guys clean your barrels? Do you run your patches from the muzzle, and let all the residue fall inside the receiver? Or is it easier to pull the patch out the bore?

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:22 am

I use a slotted jag to hold the patches, and a cone shaped brass muzzle protector and clean from the muzzle. I hold the rifle against my knee UPSIDE down and rarely ever get anything inside the action. You can also use one of those gun vises to hold the rifle as you clean it. I'll be doing that now since I have one.

When I shoot the 30 cals with their jacketed bullets I saturate the bore with Hoppes and turn it muzzle down on a thick folded rag for several hours. This loosens and removes much of the copper fouling.

Then I use a small double ended brush on the insides. The brush is available at almost all gun shows on the military surplus tables, or KleenBore sells them too.
I almost never take a lever gun apart to clean it.

Joe

shawn_c992001 · Post by **shawn_c992001** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:24 am

I clean from the breech to the muzzle with an Otis cleaning kit.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:27 am

I clean from the muzzle with a rod guide and hold the action so the top (open side) is down and no crud or solvent gets in the action. With jacketed bullets there isn't much crud to worry about.

For any junk that does get in the action, a toothbrush works fine to keep it cleaned out. The military gun cleaning toothbrushes are best, like Joe said. They have a wide and a thin end. Helps in getting in to tight spots. Works well keeping the outside of the gun dusted off as well.

Leverdude · Post by **Leverdude** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:38 am

If its a marlin I pull the bolt & put the gun in a vice, muzzle down over a bucket or rag. If its my Rossi I put it in the same vice upside down with the open action over the bucket or rag.
I do much prefer pushing out the muzzle tho.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:12 am

Winchesters: From the muzzle, breech open and upside down, brass muzzle protector, first couple of swipes with a plastic brush, depending on whether shooting lead or jacketed bullets, I'll swipe a wet patch with Sweet's for jacketed or Shooter's Choice Lead Remover for lead, dry patch until clean or repeat the process until all residue is removed. A patch or two with Hoppe's then removes any remaining impurities, dry patch, one or two swipes with a patch with RemOil or Hoppe's gun oil down the bore. I'm done, except for action cleaning ('bout once every four sessions) and wiping down exterior with RemOil.

Marlins: Same except for through the chamber end.

Borregos · Post by **Borregos** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:15 am

Clean all my Marlins by removing the bolt and cleaning from the breech.
Winchesters I usually run a bore snake thro' from the breech and then clean from the muzzle with a rod guide, I put a bit of cloth in the action to catch any stuff.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:25 am

I clean all my lever action rifles from the muzzle -- even the Marlins. I never take one apart except for mechanical repair if needed.

I only clean with a rod maybe once a year for heavy duty cleaning if needed. Otherwise, I use a Hoppes Bore Snake. Very effective.

cnjarvis · Post by **cnjarvis** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:35 am

I place mine upside down in a gun vise and clean from the muzzle end using a Dewey (teflon coated) rod and a brass jag. I use a cut-off cartridge case for a muzzle guide or a regular guide. For lead, I've had good success with shooter's choice lead remover, for copper I use Barnes CR-10 and for general powder fouling I use ed's red. I usually finish up with a little CLP. I only clean the action when necessary but I almost always wipe it out with a clean oily rag.

crawdaddyjim · Post by **crawdaddyjim** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:50 am

Bore snake with foam spray and a long applicator from the breech end. Spray and let sit for a minute then feed and pull out snake. All done in about 3min.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:58 am

From the muzzle, breech open and upside down, brass muzzle protector, first couple of swipes with a either plastic or stainless brush, depending on whether shooting lead or jacketed bullets, I'll swipe a wet patch with Hoppe's #9, then dry patches until clean or repeat the process until all residue is removed. A patch & one or two swipes soaded with RemOil or Hoppe's gun oil down the bore. I'm done, except for action cleaning ('bout once every six months) and wiping down exterior an oil soaked then dry rag.

I have recently purchased a "Bore Snake" to try this method, but haven't used it yet.

CaptainFinn · Post by **CaptainFinn** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:59 am

Fpr general cleaning after each shooting session I use bore foam, then clean from the breech with a boresnake. After getting the initial 'gunk' and bore foam residue out, I switch to another boresnake and do a couple of passes to clean the bore, then follow with a final pass with the clean boresnake, saturating the end of the snake with rem-oil. I wash the snakes in a mesh bag in a load of laundry.

About every five or six cleanings, I will disassemble my 92's (Not fun !) and scrub out the inside of the action with a M16 toothbrush and Hoppes. I completely scrub out the action, wipe dry, then lightly wipe with rem-oil. Bolt rails and the locking lug recesses get lubed with bearing grease before I reassemble the gun. Action works as smooth as glass with a little grease in the high-friction areas.

Outside of the gun gets wiped down with a light coat of rem-oil. If weather outside is really wet and rainy, I wipe the gun dry and give it a light rubdown with turtle wax before going hunting.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:20 pm

It's stainless,so I throw it in the dishwasher... Oh... wait... that's a secret...

Breech to crown with a snake unless I'm doing a full teardown.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:05 pm

I've lately gone to Ballistol for cleaning my bore....some brushing if there's a bit of lead. I take my buttstock off, clean with a Q-Tip around the breech and bolt rails. Then, I give it a spray of Rem Oil to coat the action interior. The weather can be very muggy here so I like to make sure all of that is coated. Let it drip dry for 2-3 days with butt stock off, tang down into a rag. Then I reassemble, put Hoppes on the major friction points, and once in a while will take out the Lever/Bolt screw which covers the pin that joins the 2....a couple drops of oil in there. I used to break down my old 94 all the time to the last part, but in my older age just have not seen a need.

cavebob · Post by **cavebob** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:30 pm

I also clean my Marlins by removing the bolt and cleaning from the breech.

For my Winchesters I am sold on the OTIS pull through system - enables me to attach patches brass or fibre brushes like a cleaning rod - also works on my Rossi pump.

Bob

Dastook · Post by **Dastook** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:47 pm

For my Marlins I remove lever and bolt and clean from breech. The Wins. I fill with bore scrubber and run a bore snake through about six times from the breech. This gets all the big stuff. Then brass cone and fine clean with patches through muzzle.

Bigahh · Post by **Bigahh** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 9:50 pm

It alway amazes me the good things you can learn just by asking the "Experts" Thanks guys, some fine ideas!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:01 pm

Place them in a Tipton gun-vise, upside down, and use a cleaning rod from the muzzle. Run a soaked patch down the barrel. Scrub with a bronze brush, follow with clean patches, repeat as necessary.

leverhunter · Post by **leverhunter** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:36 am

I clean my Winchesters from the muzzle, use a brass guard/guide. Afterwards, I turn it upside down and spray Breakfree into the action letting it drain out with any gunk and such. Scrub with one of those mil spec brushes and wipe it down. Then it drip dries/drains remaining Breakfree out of action. Dosen't take a whole lot of spray. You do have to take the furniture off though.

Post by **Old Savage** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:53 am

Carefully from the muzzle with a brass muzzle protector. I a gun vise or on a table.

w30wcf · Post by **w30wcf** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:16 pm

Can't add anything to the excellent advice given so far except that in the .30 cal I use a 7MM brush and wrap a patch around it (makes more contact with the bore).

I then add solvent to the patch and pass it back and forth through the bore about 3-4 times, then change to another patch. Repeat until the patches come out fairly clean.

w30wcf

El Chivo · Post by **El Chivo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:51 pm

The muzzle guides I've found don't seem to fit quite right and the rod moves around on me anyway.

I don't want to clean from the breech because I don't want to bugger the screws. I clean mine from the muzzle and my rods are coated with electrical tape. An exception is the Model 39 which comes apart easily. The 22 caliber size makes it impossible to coat the rod with tape. So that one I do from the breech.

I do like the the idea of pushing the carbon out from the breech to the muzzle, and here is what I did about that. Put a dry patch on your cleaning rod. Open the action and push the rod down until the patch is visible from the open bolt. Reverse the direction of the patch and apply cleaner to the patch while it is in the receiver. Then pull it out and most of the carbon will go forward, not backward.

Lately I have discovered an easier method for my .35 sized bores. A 1/4 " wooden dowel stick is the perfect size for pushing small .22 sized patches through. There is enough force on the patch for some actual scrubbing - I'm not just dragging a patch through. I'm going to get a smaller dowel for the .30 cal bores.

I now use a combination of these two methods for a thorough cleaning, or just the dowel stick method for a quick cleaning.