Cleaning bloop tube/tuner

[RByars]

Curious as to how often people clean their bloop tube/tuner? After cleaning does it take a few shots for the rifle to settle back down? If so how many shots does it take?

[Tim S]

I clean mine between sessions. I've never noticed any settling in period. I'm not sure why an extension tube would need fouling shots after careful cleaning; barrels yes, but not tubes as the bullet doesn't contact the bore. I understand that heavy fouling in a tube can generate turbulence, which can affect accuracy. But removing the fouling shouldn't cause a temporary loss of/change in accuracy. I suppose partial cleaning might make things worse.

You might need a click or two on the sights if the tube doesn't locate in exactly the same spot, but that's easily accommodated on the sighter.

[jhmartin]

When I clean the tubes I use a shotgun brass brush (either 10 or 12ga depending on the size of the tube) mounted to 1 or 2 shotgun rods and then inserted into a battery operated drill.

Inside a tall trash can to keep the crud from flying around a few passes thru the tube while spinning the brush w the drill clean these things out.
I then pass a wadded up dry tissue or paper towel thru the tube for a final wipe.

We have tubes on many of our club guns so I like something that is fast and easy to do.

[Tim S]

When I clean the tubes I use a shotgun brass brush... inserted into a battery operated drill.

Blimey, those must be some cruddy tubes. For my own tubes, one or two strokes with a12 bore brush is enough for a proper clean. A wad of tissue is often enough if I clean straight after shooting. I shouldn't be so surprised about club rifles though, as I've cleaned more than my share.

[RByars]

Thanks for everyone’s input. I was just curious. I clean mine every time I clean the rifle using a 12 gauge bore snake. Three passes and it’s clean.

[jhmartin]

When I clean the tubes I use a shotgun brass brush... inserted into a battery operated drill.

....... I shouldn't be so surprised about club rifles though, as I've cleaned more than my share.

It's not so much as for a cruddy tube as for the time it takes to clean. Don't want the kids taking off the tubes ... 50% of the time they take off the whole assy and then it's "Oh, C__p". On some of our guns we have the old Medesha tubes with a pinned barrel ... those the kids can get back on right (most of the time :-) )

[Tim S]

It's not so much as for a cruddy tube as for the time it takes to clean. Don't want the kids taking off the tubes ... 50% of the time they take off the whole assy and then it's "Oh, C__p". On some of our guns we have the old Medesha tubes with a pinned barrel ... those the kids can get back on right (most of the time :-) )

Gotcha. I prefer to keep the newbies at my club away from Allen keys too.

[Bryan996]

It's important to clean the barrel crown where it fits inside the tube. A dirty crown will have more effect on accuracy than a dirty tube but the residue is corrosive so needs to be removed from both. I clean both after every session by passing an old oily cloth through the tube and wiping the barrel.

[jhmartin]

Agree ..... #1 reason to remove tube is to clean that muzzle crown

[MarkTrew]

New post to a very old thread.

I clean the Starik after every shooting event. I do it a bit different than others have posted. I have a BoreTech rod about 20” long and one of their 20 ga. Shotgun jags. I put about 4 drops of cleaning fluid on a double patch.

After shooting just 60-80 shots I am amazed with the thickness of the carbon crud on the patch.

I suggest, with a couple dozen attempts, failure to clean the tube does change the Starik tune.

FWIW, obviously, limited to only 43 attempts so far. No need to repeat failures, thus I clean.

MarkTrew

[MarkTrew]

Oh, regarding the ability to muck up the screws. On high school rifles and the Medesha style tubes, I put security screws with a pin on the collar for the barrel side. Then we still have regular screws for Allen Wrenches for the tube. The shooters can still remove the tubes.

That solved almost all of the “oh, crap” issues.

MarkTrew

[Moore]

I use a tuner cleaner on the bloop tube, It takes three or four large shotgun patches to get it tight enough, Add enough gun scrubber or brake cleaner to dampen the patches . Just push in and twist, Its the crown clean as well as the tube and I dont have to remove the tube.

[Mike Carter]

Just don't be facing into the wind on the first pass with your cleaning brush.

[Anschutz]

Funny there Mike.
Mine cannot be cleaned with a bore or hard brush.
An Olympic Shooter (Arkansas) told me to make sure that it's fouled good before a match.
Odie R.

[Tim S]

Funny there Mike.
Mine cannot be cleaned with a bore or hard brush.
An Olympic Shooter (Arkansas) told me to make sure that it's fouled good before a match.
Odie R.

What would pre-fouling a tube accomplish? I get the idea of fouling the barrel bore, to ensure it's lubricated, and possibly any uneveness/wear/slop is filled in. But there is no contact between the bullet and the bore of the tube (if there is contact, you have bigger problems than fouling). Fouling will reduce the bore diameter of the tube, and would alter gas flow, but given most tubes are considerably larger than a .22 bullet, how much pre-fouling is required to have any effect?

Didn't see any humour in Mike Carter's post, just a sensible health warning to stay clear of lead dust. I wouldn't put a bronze brush down a carbon fibre tube, but it hasn't hurt my aluminium tubes.