Indians For Guns

MoA wrote:z375:

While a number of barrels have been damaged by improper cleaning I would love to hear how many barrels have you actually gone through? I typically will go through at least one a year.

I care enough for my guns to not have to throw them away, so carving a notch in your stock every year after tossing a barrel doesnt impress me MoA.

Hoppes No 9 and CR10: give me a break. These are proven not to really work. Check out KG 12 for copper removal or Robala Solo Mil, and KG 1 for carbon. In any case the only way to really see what is happening in a barrel is with a borescope. Kerosene and even lighter fluid are great for removing carbon. Boiling hot water is still great for removing residue from BP and corrosive primers. And the reason for boiling water is simply that it dries quicker on metal heated by it.

The reason I cited Hoppe's No. 9 and Barnes Cr-10 as examples, is because they immediately came to mind and would be well-known to enthusiasts on this forum. You tend to get carried away sometimes and keep forgetting that here its (like I've mentioned on a previous thread) not about getting what you like, its liking what you get, so unfortunately most of us here are not spoilt for choice. I am not endorsing any of Hoppe's or Barnes products here and neither am I getting any green to care to mention them. I am fully aware that a borescope is the only way to closely inspect a barrel's condition show you whether the solvent's really working or your cleaning technique needs to be spruced up, but apart from the 1000$ plus price tag I'm sure all of us here would need a real good reason to want to own one, most of us here tend to keep our barrels on for life (I'f we can help it) Also any schoolboy would know that boiling water is depleted of oxygen thus diminishing its capability to cause corrosion, oh and yes, its dries faster too!!

Given that the 240 Apex was actually popular-ish about 60 years or more ago, what metalurgical advances are you talking about?

Well, if you're going through a-barrel-a-year, you are probably doing something wrong here! Metallurgy, and this applies to barrel-making is way more advanced today than it was even a decade ago, let alone a half-century. I could elaborate about this, but we could have a separate thread on the subject.

My .22-250 has worn out its barrel in 800 rounds, and will not group sub .5 inches any longer. And I am only pushing about 29xx fps.

.5" eh?? At a 100 I could consider that bad from the .22-250 but the way you put it sounds like its shooting minute-of-barn-door! What are you waiting for!! Change that barrel before the year ends!!

.220 swift? How much experience do you have with the caliber?

The .240 H&H Apex is not the same round as the .244 H&H Magnum. The .240 Apex is on a belted case of 12mm head/belt size,

with a 100 grain bullet at 2900 0r 3000 fps. That makes it the equivalent of the .243 Winchester or .244/6 mm Remington. It also came in a flanged version. It is no more a barrel burner than the .243 Winchester.

Thanks Two Rivers, I hope someone here reads this

The .244 H&H Magnum, on the other hand, is based on a full-length H&H belted magnum case. It was introduced in 1955, or thereabouts. Same 100 grain bullet at 3500 fps. This one I would consider impractical, and a barrel burner. Though what would be a barrel burner for a target shooter, would not be so much for a hunter. In any case, it did not catch on.

Ah! The fine art of splitting hairs!!

And to Ashar, congratulations! You found a gem. Cheers.

z375 wrote:

MoA wrote:z375:

I care enough for my guns to not have to throw them away, so carving a notch in your stock every year after tossing a barrel doesnt impress me MoA.


Well, if you're going through a-barrel-a-year, you are probably doing something wrong here! Metallurgy, and this applies to barrel-making is way more advanced today than it was even a decade ago, let alone a half-century. I could elaborate about this, but we could have a separate thread on the subject.

.5" eh?? At a 100 I could consider that bad from the .22-250 but the way you put it sounds like its shooting minute-of-barn-door! What are you waiting for!! Change that barrel before the year ends!!


None. I don't intend to gather any. Caliber-wise, I don't personally like pea-shooters..and I don't dig peas either..