I recently seen on youtube a video of a guy cleaning his victory with a bore snake suggesting not to remove the barrel when cleaning because if your using a red dot it will need recalibrating. I always removed the barrel to clean my Victory but I'm using a rod. What your thoughts on the subject?

I don't know how your red dot is mounted. If it's to the barrel, it shouldn't change a thing. Even if it's not mounted to the barrel, I doubt it will change much, if at all.

But speaking of .22's in general, I once read a quote that more .22's were worn out from cleaning than from shooting. My first .22 is a Browning Challenger (original, not the later II or III), and when I was actively shooting it, I would clean it once a year. By active, I'm talking maybe 1,000 to 1,500 rounds. When I slacked off shooting it, to where I was only putting 1 or 2 hundred a year through it, I would let it go a few years between cleaning. I know, some anal retentive folks out there are throwing up, but other than the wear on the gun from handling, it has suffered no damage. The bore is as good as the day I bought it, and actually functions better as time goes by. I used to have a periodic feeding jam or failure of the slide to lock back, but that's been thousands of rounds and decades ago. This cleaning included removing the barrel to clean, removing the grips and spraying the innards with solvent, then air blowing, then Rem oil. I have only removed the firing pin and spring twice, maybe three times for cleaning.

And if I do my part, it will hit a beer can at 100 yards at least half the time out of 10 shots.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I'm going to give it a try. I have a snake now and haven't broken down the pistol after two sessions now. I spray with brake cleaner and use Q-tips to daub out the chamber and run the snake through a couple of times. I finish by putting a patch soaked with "Strike Hard" through it.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Be careful using cleaners like brake cleaner as they may cause damage to finishes and/or plastic parts.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Here is my cleaning method after 500 rds. using clean CCI "copper plated" ammo.
Pretreat bore snake cloth with Hoppes, CLR etc. Run thru 2x.
Pretreat cotton swab and clean inside slide.
After 2,000 rds, breakdown complete assembly and clean thoroughly.

A bore snake is a great cleaning tool at the range.

I have had good results with "non-chlorinated" brake parts cleaner. I have been using it on my Cowboy guns and everything else without finish damage.

Yep. "non-chlorinated" is what to look for.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

So what is the consensus, do you remove barrel and clean it the usual method (cleaning rod) or leave barrel attached and use a bore snake?

I use a bore snake on all my guns till it is time to field strip for a good cleaning. I even use the snake when I have the barrel out as long as it does a good job.

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

I have hundreds of rounds through my new Steel Challenge competition gun. I have not removed the barrel. I do not plan on removing the barrel. Unless I get the idea of buying one of the Volquartsen replacement barrels.


Bore snake is what I use.

Leave it attached and solvent patch, brush, patch until clean and one lightly oiled patch to finish. Clean receiver and bolt in similar fashion. Molo every brick.


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It's all personal preference. Sometimes I take the barrel off, sometimes I don't.

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I have been taking my barrel off. Makes it easier for me to get a good cleaning of the receiver.

Do you have a red dot on it? According to the video if you take off the barrel the red dot could go out of adjustment, why I don't know because it's not on the barrel.

Because the barrel and whatever the red dot is mounted two are two separate pieces, there's always a chance the two won't line up in exactly the same place in relationship to each other.

But to put this in the proper prospective, the same thing is true when mounting a red dot (or any other sight) on a part of the gun that isn't the barrel or part of the barrel. For instance, mounting a red dot or even the factory sight on the slide means you are depending on the slide to come back into the exact same position every time in order for it to be in proper alignment with the barrel. Most of the time, it's close enough not to make a difference, and in many cases, mounting directly to the barrel is impossible, such as the case with any 1911.

As long as you are careful to make sure the contact surface of the barrel is clean, and you re-torque the barrel screw to the same value, you shouldn't have any problems.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I dont at this time, maybe down the road I will but a red dot on it and then Ill rethink taking the barrel off each time.