Cleaning the M1A Bore..
Which is the best way to clean the bore, from the muzzle or from the
chamber? They both have their plus and minus sides. There are three
conditions that exist in a barrel bore as it relates to cleaning. You
have a concentric bore, a reverse taper bore, smaller at the muzzle
than at the origin, or the worse condition, a bore bigger at the muzzle
than the origin..
There is strong evidence that the reverse tapered barrel is the most accurate. If you accept that, cleaning from the chamber is not good.. If there is reverse taper it makes little difference if you clean it at all.
Shooting the rifle wears it at two points for the purpose of his Thread, the throat and the muzzle, there is little you can do to preserve the throat. You can however, control the muzzle wear. This is the most important area between the two, since the muzzle is the final area to effect the bullet,
When you clean the barrel I suggest you use a dry Nylon brush from the muzzle to chamber, 4 or 5 passes, remove brush at chamber end and reload it for each pass. This will remove much of the residue, anything that falls into the mag well, wipe it out. The rifle should be cleaned upside down with muzzle elevated, this prevents solvents from entering the gas hole and from flowing down on the receiver. If you have flowing you are using too much solvent. Which ever your method is from this point, start from the muzzle.
The argument for this method is: There is a condition known as the Residue Curser Wave. This is the residue build up on the forward portion of the patch. It is very abrasive, wet or dry. It is better to push this wave towards the throat where the bore dia. is getting larger, than to drive it across the muzzle, by the time it gets close to the muzzle there is a load of residue on the patch acting as an abrasive PLOW, The patch is getting tighter all the time. It will destroy the muzzle more than by a bumping of the rod from time to time.
I make my rods from .275" cold roll steel instead of .250", there is no flexing. If you have flexing cut you patches down. Load the solvent on to the patch using an eyedropper, wet the forward portion of the patch only. The remainder of the patch will act as a wipe, Never pull the wet patch back through the bore, Using clean patches to finish the job until satisfied.. Never dip the patch or brush into the container of solvent, it contaminates the remainder.
I am aware this is controversial, and there are arguments for the pull through method. I have not been convinced however. Maybe it would please the pull through enthusiast to use the pull through method as the final strokes of cleaning. That would be good.
By Art Luppino
There is strong evidence that the reverse tapered barrel is the most accurate. If you accept that, cleaning from the chamber is not good.. If there is reverse taper it makes little difference if you clean it at all.
Shooting the rifle wears it at two points for the purpose of his Thread, the throat and the muzzle, there is little you can do to preserve the throat. You can however, control the muzzle wear. This is the most important area between the two, since the muzzle is the final area to effect the bullet,
When you clean the barrel I suggest you use a dry Nylon brush from the muzzle to chamber, 4 or 5 passes, remove brush at chamber end and reload it for each pass. This will remove much of the residue, anything that falls into the mag well, wipe it out. The rifle should be cleaned upside down with muzzle elevated, this prevents solvents from entering the gas hole and from flowing down on the receiver. If you have flowing you are using too much solvent. Which ever your method is from this point, start from the muzzle.
The argument for this method is: There is a condition known as the Residue Curser Wave. This is the residue build up on the forward portion of the patch. It is very abrasive, wet or dry. It is better to push this wave towards the throat where the bore dia. is getting larger, than to drive it across the muzzle, by the time it gets close to the muzzle there is a load of residue on the patch acting as an abrasive PLOW, The patch is getting tighter all the time. It will destroy the muzzle more than by a bumping of the rod from time to time.
I make my rods from .275" cold roll steel instead of .250", there is no flexing. If you have flexing cut you patches down. Load the solvent on to the patch using an eyedropper, wet the forward portion of the patch only. The remainder of the patch will act as a wipe, Never pull the wet patch back through the bore, Using clean patches to finish the job until satisfied.. Never dip the patch or brush into the container of solvent, it contaminates the remainder.
I am aware this is controversial, and there are arguments for the pull through method. I have not been convinced however. Maybe it would please the pull through enthusiast to use the pull through method as the final strokes of cleaning. That would be good.
By Art Luppino
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