Can Hoppes and Gun Oil be used on Airguns?

[Hal the Elder]

Gentlemen...

I have cleaning accessories for my .22 Rimfire, .223, .30-30, .30-06, and .357 magnum.  Can the cleaning solvent, cleaning rods, bore brushes, jags, patches, and gun oil be used on my new Airguns?

Thanks,
HAL

[BerkshireHunter]

Depends on gun and how you use it. Springers, I'm not as familiar with but hear they can diesel (bad.) If it's a pump gun, you could use a small bit on the pivot points on the pump arm linkage. But don't put any on the piston, don't want the oil getting in the valve (use pellgun oil or non det. 10w-30.)  If you want a rust inhibitor on bluing, go for it. But a sillicone gun cloth would probably be better. Again, I hear silicone is bad for getting into a spring guns power plant though. Pellgun oil can also be used on pivot points. Hope that helps some.

Stick away from Hoppes solvents, too abrasive. Use something like ballistol lightly on AG.s

[gandalfretlaw]

I think the issue is the residue left behind. No you don't want any of that stuff anywhere near your chamber or seals as it may well eat them and will probably cause dieseling issues. But for just cleaning the barrel itself I don't see any harm so long as you can do so without leaving any stuff in the barrel or getting it on the rubber seals (firearms generally don't have rubber seals). It's for this reason that goo gone ($1 at dollartree, available most anywhere really) is recommended. It's known to get gunk out of barrels and is not harmful to the gun. Most air rifles come from the factory with a ton of gunk in the barrel and it is expected that you'll clean it out with pellets over the first few hundred shots.

The rods may or may not be useful. Most rods are for 22 at the smallest. I have been using a 1/8" wood dowel and just pushing patches through. Many use weed whacker line or fishing line to pull patches through (this is better if your gun has baffles as your less prone to loose the patch). I don't see where a brush would really do any harm, but it's really not necessary.

In a firearm there is burning powder that leaves deposits and a high speed bullet that leaves copper or lead fouling. In an airgun there is air and the pellet which travels at speeds that don't really leave deposits (unless you have a monster air gun). Each pellet picks up the dust from the last pellet as it travels down the bore and wipes it out while leaving it's own trail of dust. So shot after shot the barrel maintains a set level of mild dirtiness.

It's because of this that most recommend cleaning an airgun barrel every 300 to 1000 shots. And a freshly cleaned barrel will need several seasoning shots to bring it back to normal. I have heard from people who have never cleaned their barrels and their guns shoot fine. I think it's important to clean the barrel very well when you first get the gun and perhaps every thousand shots after just as a re-set. Also if you start loosing accuracy, certainly give it a clean.

Oh, I've also heard that using JB NonEmbeding Bore Bright for an initial cleaning can be a good idea. It is a polishing compound and can smooth over rough edges left by the factory that might take thousands of rounds to work out. I'd clean the barrel thoroughly before and after using it. I haven't done this yet to any of my guns, but I might. I don't think it could hurt if carefully used once. I don't think it should be repeated unless the inside of the barrel is damaged by rust or something though.

[cactusrat]

Airguns do not foul the barrel like a powder burner. No need for PB cleaning products.

A little degreaser, like Simple Green, is all you need to clean the barrel.

I would not use a cleaning rod in any of my airguns. I don’t want to take the chance of damaging the crown. I use fishing line and pull cloth patches from the breech. First couple of patches are wetted with Simple Green, then followed by as many as it takes to get a clean patch pulled threw the barrel.

If not very careful, petroleum products can damage airgun seals and detonate (diesel) in the barrel or chamber.

Bottom line is that airgun barrels are light weight and thin compare to powder burners and need to be treated as so.

[Kailua]

Like Gandalfretlaw pointed out on the seasoning of the barrel.  You may find your new airguns shooting better as the lead tightens up the bore.  Also pointed out airgun barrels have softer metal and a brass brush might wear it out.  Could be why a new barrel is way cheaper than a PB (easier to machine).

Since you have a lot of questions.  You may look into the debate on cleaning and lubing pellets.  You may also want to use the search engine to go through old info and post to expand your knowledge of yours or any airgun info.

[RedFeather]

For most guns, a pull-through such as the Bore Snake is more than adequate.  If you use monofilament or weed-whacker line, be careful to use some sort of muzzle protector since those can actually erode the crown through abrasion.  Hoppes Number Nine is pretty volatile stuff.  You do not want any to accidentally get into the compression chamber or it will detonate.  Ditto gun oil.  I don't mind gun oil for pivot points, etc, but keep it away from the compression tube.  I don't even wipe my guns down with an oily rag.  Really, that's like 1930's technology, anyway.  Many a n old gun has been ruined by the over-generous application of oil, slowly migrating down the inside and out to settle in the open grain of the stock.  There are lots of good, modern metal preservatives such as Barricade, Break Free and the like.  Barricade (the old Sheath) has been proven by my many guns not to affect synthetic materials or stock finishes.  With any of these, less is more.  Just a drop or two on a patch can wipe down a whole rifle.  Get yourself a silicone treated gun sock for when you're ready to put it away.  Helps cut down on the dread safe dings, too.

[Hal the Elder]

 
Two of you mentioned "PB".

What's Dat?

I know that PB is lead on the Periodic Table of the Elements...is this what you meant?

HAL the INQUISITIVE

(Also...what's a "crown"?) 

[cactusrat]

PB is powder burner, a gun using gun powder to make the bullet to move down the barrel.

[haywire2]

I have used Hoppe's on my guns with good results, but for several years now, I have been using Ballistol exclusively. You can use it on the metal and the wood without harm to your gun or stock.

[Bullit]

Like the guys post, there's no need for brushes, or hard solvents.  Pulling patches with Citric based cleaners, is the easiest on the finer plating and rifling of airgun barrels.  I use plain old Outers oil to keep external joints, etc. free.   Keep the barrel and external steel finish oiled and wiped down, just as you would your other guns...same with the wood.

[Hal the Elder]

 
HEY GLENN,

Oh, so they use gunpowder to move the bullet down the barrel, do they?

I was never sure of that...thanks!
HAL

(Here's a shot of my ammo reloading bench:)

[robmints]

Hal, now I see you problem, you are way too organized.

[AmericanPsycho]

Careful. MANY firearm oils have petroleum in them which will dissolve synthetic parts used for air gun parts.

[oleman]

Policed the area before pic.   

[Gertrude]

Good one Hal,

PB is just the term that AG nuts use for all of the regular Firearms.
AG stands for Air Gun.
The Crown, is the muzzle end of the barrel, right where the rifling terminates. AG barrels are softer steel than PB barrels. This can result in a damaged, (albeit, EVER so slightly), Crown. The Crown, or Re-Crowning, is often a topic of discussion on the forum. Sometimes,  the crown is not perfectly concentric to the barrel,... meaning for example,... the rifling may be "uneven" in contact with the pellet,... as it leaves the muzzle. This can cause wobble in flight, which in turn causes a less than perfect grouping or consistency of POI. Even the slightest little scratch at the crown can effect the POI, so that is why it is so crucial.
 Get yourself a "Crown Saver" type of barrel cleaning "rod", (It's actually not a rod, but rather a string in a plastic tube with a handel), in other words, it a "pull through" rather than a "push through".

POI = Point of Impact.

AG shooters are generally much more anal or exacting about POI than "PB Only"shooters are. This is mainly because we are operating on lower velocities than PB guns are,.. with lighter projectiles,.. therefore, Shot Placement is MUCH more important when taking down game, pests,... as well as many here shoot competition FT (Field Target).
Since we do not have the same luxery as PB's in that we are not relying on "Massive Tissue Damage", generally "Fuse box" shots, are a much preferred shot placement, as opposed to a heart/lung shot.

Fuse Box = Brain Shot, and that basically "turns out the lights" on their quarry, with perfection being a single shot, no suffering, no follow-up shot.

 AG shooters are typically going for "One Hole Groups", or "Ragged Edged One Hole Groups".
 You will often see us speak of "Dime Sized Groups".
 Basically, that is what everyone is working towards. When you can post up pics of "Dime Sized Groups", it's sort of like bragging rights.
 Sort of like in the hunting gate is always happy to see a shot "Right between the eyes of a Nutter @ 50+ yds.", or a "Head shot on a Hosp at 65+ yds"

Nutter = Squirrel
C-rat = Oppossum
Hosp = House Sparrow
GH = Ground Hog
Digger = Gopher (or Ground Hog)
Black Chicken or Sky Rat = Crow
Yellow Beak = Starlings

and there are plenty more acronyms/nick names to learn too, Hahaha !
 Hope this helps,
Ron
also, check out the GTA Library, LOTS of good stuff there.

[bambazonke01]

  Sorry mistake.

[cactusrat]

You caan get a good airgun oil from Lowes or any of the bigger Hardware places. Its used for nailguns and air compressors.
jim

I’m not sure if it would be safe for airguns.

Nail guns and shop air compressors are low pressure. 200 psi or less. Airguns pressures are over 3000 psi for the most part.

If anybody gets the stuff from a box store, make sure it is not petroleum base.

[bambazonke01]

 

[bambazonke01]

I got another bottle of that oil from Lowes today and am sorry to report that it does diesel and fouls the barrel with a black soot. I'm sorry to have misled anyone.
Jim

[Bullit]

You can go back and erase the recommendation, and just put in a  face.