CLEANING PCP AIRGUNS

Airgun barrels need cleaning from time to time. The number of shots before needing cleaning is individual to each gun. When you notice accuracy falling off its time to clean! Choked barrels sometimes foul more quickly at the muzzle. The two main points are not to damage the barrel and don’t get dirt into the guns action. For guns up to .25 cal. I use a pull through line made of 50# monofilament doubled to form a big loop. The knotted end where it is joined will hold the patch. The size of the knot is determined by the caliber and is used to fill out the patch for a snug fit. Pull the patch from breech to muzzle. A DRINKING STRAW can be inserted through shroud baffles to keep dirt out and the patch from dropping off in the baffles which could create damage when shot. For a solvent I recommend a 50/50 mix of Kano Kroil and Shooters Choice bore cleaner. I use a recycled Visine bottle to cleanly dispense the solution to the patch and avoid spills. I have read many times on the internet that bore cleaner would destroy o-rings in airguns. Most o- rings state they are chemical resistant. I put a few Buna N o-rings in a bottle of bore cleaner and 6 months later they were still ok. Using a cleaning rod from the muzzle could damage the critical crown. If you must use a rod from the muzzle it must have a good quality “crown saver” bushing to prevent rod contact with the crown. Shooting does not wear out barrels, improper cleaning can. On big calibers I use a pull through patch holder tied to the line to fill out the patch for proper fit.