Air Rifle Maintenance Questions

[Ramsy 0]

Hey all! I own a QB 78 air rifle, shooting pointed .22 lead pellets. I maintain the exterior with silicone gun oil, but I seem to have lost the gun oil that I used to "lube" the barrel! I am just wondering how important it is to oil the barrel? I regularly use a cleaning kit to remove dirt from the barrel, but is that enough?

 

Thanks!

[camies 1]

Most barrels are self cleaning due to the wipe they get from the pellets. Usually after a hunt I run a slightly oiled very soft synthetic patch (old optical cloth) through the barrel but that's about it. Long term storage I run a damp but not dripping gun oil patch down the barrel and store it muzzle DOWN.

 

Airgun barrels are surprisingly soft and even coarse cotton jags will score them.

Pull throughs eventually make the muzzle oval and then watch the pellets fly erratically!

If you really feel you MUST brush the barrel out, use brass jags only and even then on a plastic coated cleaning rod. think on the lines of everytime you scratch that barrel, you are opening more gaps to collect even more crud.

Damage the muzzle crown and you will need to look for a new barrel!

 

Felt cleaning pellets used to be the rage and should not be used in a spring-piston (including air ram) gun. They do not cushion the piston sufficiently, and it is akin to dry-firing. You can use them in just about every other gun so your CO2 should be ok. If you do use them, pack in enough pellets to provide some resistance but if they feel abrasive to the touch forget it!

 

Pellet lube is popular in some circles as preventing buildup of lead swipe but too much is harmful and can lead to the very build up of crud you are trying to avoid.

 

Don't use WD40. It's % kerosine, evaporates and leaves your barrel unprotected!

 

To end, good quality gun oil, softest lint free cloth , plastic coated rod set, and as a last resort brass brushes.

[jamie g 17]

i wouldnt clean the barrel of a air rifle if anything it will me more accurate with lead in it.

[Ramsy 0]

Ahh, I have been using the furry cleaning attachment on my bisley cleaning kit. Not very regularly, probably 3 or 4 times, just in and out to drag out any crud. http://www.targetairweapons.co.uk/acatalog/Bisley-Kit-1A.jpg

 

^^ that's the kit I use, the furry attachment. I think I'll stop using it now then!

 

Thanks for the replies.

[Guest air gunner]

Not being funny but how in hell did you get crud in the barrel!!??

[Sterry 0]

think they mean like dust, lead from the pellet and lead oxide from the pellets as well it rubs off as it goin through the barrel.

[Ramsy 0]

Not being funny but how in hell did you get crud in the barrel!!??

 

I don't know that there's crud in the barrel, I just would've guessed. After holding the lead pellets, I have lead all over my fingers, I presumed you wouldn't want that in your barrel!

[Guest air gunner]

Surly lead creates a good smooth surface for the pellets to run on? This is the big question other than .177 or .22 does a lining of lead help or ruin?