First time cleaning?

[98 SNAKE EATER]

OK, I've put around 1500 mixed pellets through my Whisper and have been putting off cleaning cause I didn't have a cleaning rod (ordered from Gamo last week)


Well, today the cleaning kit arrived along with some Gamo oil, but without any instructions....

I figured it would be straight forward, but just to be on the safe side, I'd rather not take any chances by guessing, so here are some rather elementary cleaning questions:



1) Does it matter which end I stick the cleaning rod in? (kinda worried about the fins in the MuzzleBrake)

2) Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise turning? (if it matters)

3) What exactly is the jag stud used for? (came with the kit)

4) How often should I clean?

5) Where to I put the oil?







cheers


Rick

[Big_Bill]

Hello Rick,

You will find all the information that you need in our Library:

http://www.airgunexpress.com/Tech%20Articles/techarticlecleaningtheairgun.htm

I hope this helps !

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Thanx Bill  

Still a little confused thanx to Gamo's crappy instructions...

The Library page says to lightly coat the barrel with oil, however, Gamo's instructions says to never put any oil in the barrel or chamber :0

Rick, since you've already got the cleaning kit, this may not help you, but you might want to check out the review that Bob and Gene did on the Whisper:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4092&mid=28077#M28077

There's an place or two in there where Bob mentions using the pull-through weedeater line method (I think) and using a drinking straw in the muzzle bore area to help guide the weedeater line through the baffles without catching on them. I've read several places that it's better to introduce any cleaning apparatus from the chamber end of the barrel, rather than going in from the muzzle end where the crown of the barrel is vulnerable to damage (this goes for powder-burners as well as airguns). Also I've read here that using a metal cleaning rod and/or metal jags can easily damage the rifling in an airgun barrel due to the relatively soft metal used.

That's one reason why I have only used the weedeater line/Goo--Gone cleaning procedure, which you can find elswhere on GTA, when I first get a new airgun (haven't shot any of them enough to require a follow up cleaning, and probably won't anytime soon). Make the cleaning line from a 3 foot length of orange weedeater line and melt a little ball at the end with a lighter or soldering pencil, trimming it to fit loosely in a .177 bore, and cut a sharp point on the other end. For .177 I use a single 1" square patch and for .22 I used two 1" square patches- the sharp end of the line pierces the center of the patches. I soak the patch down with the Goo-Gone, run the sharp end of the line from the chamber end out through the muzzle end, then pull the line and patches through. I replace the dirty patches with new ones and repeat with the Goo-Gone till there is no more (or at least, very little) rust/gunk showing up on the patches. After the patches start coming through clean, I repeat the process a time or two without using Goo-Gone till the patches are completely dry. Then start shooting the hades out of it again. I haven't used any oil of any kind on the bore of any of my rifles or pistols, though others might (I do use a little on the gun's exterior metal parts for a wipe-down). I haven't seen any indication of rust throughout the humid summer.

Hope that helps.

Bryan