Air Gun Home :: View topic - Need some newbie help with my new air rifle

slusk · New Member

Hi all. I just bought my first air rifle, a Crosman Phantom 1000, and I have a few questions. I've read many posts on barrel cleaning and there seems to be many differing opinions on this subject. FIrst, do I need to run a clean patch through to remove any manufacturing debris and preservation oil? second, do I ever really need to clean the barrel and if so with what? Crosman says to only use RMCOIL, others say,clean patch only, and some still say, leave it alone unless your groups widen out. Crosman also says to put a drop of RMCOIL in the compression chamber and alot of people seem to say NOOOOO!! LOL

ANy help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Steve

fritz · Silver Status Member

Welcome to AGH.

Most people agree over one thing. Patches only. For simplicity, I won't go into my uses of bore brushes.

Use a non-petroleum based lubricant/cleaner on a clean patch. The use of a COATED (nylon, plastic, what have you) ram rod, or a pull through (such as weed whacker line with a ball on the end, use a lighter). Ammonia, Windex, Pellgun Oil. All good to use. Should only require one or two drops on the patch. Push/pull through, use a clean patch every time.

I would pull about 5 patches through with oil, then a dry one to see how much crap is left in the barrel (shades of grey). Continue cleaning till patches come out white.

Use silicone (non aerosol, to avoid petroleum products) in the chamber. Wait until you have gone through at least 1,000 pellets to lube the chamber.

AirGunEric · Site Admin

To expand on Fritz's comment, RMCOIL is silicone oil, and only for use in the chamber, not to lube joints, clean the barrel, etc. (you can use it for this, but it's pricey and regular 3-In-1 oil will work). You might as well lube the chamber with the silicone oil (just a drop or two) after cleaning the barrel- it won't hurt anything and you never know what might be going on inside the rifle.

Slavia · Moderator

Welcome to the forum!

packrat · Senior Member

Slusk--

glad you found us.....I would say when in doubt, follow the manufacturer's recommendations>>..ONE THING for sure...always clean a Crosman barrel (the bore) before firing pellets through it!! I have bought several new Crosman pistols and rifles and every one of them without exception, was filthy dirty.....

slusk · New Member

Great, thanks for all the info! I do have a couple more questions now. I read the link to the other post and one person said to clean from breech to muzzle, and teh other said to pull from muzzle to breech. Which is better? LOL also, do you have to buy patches made specifically for a .177 cal airgun or can you buy other cleaning cloth and trim it to size?

Thanks again!

Steve

donec · Senior Member

Steve, if you use the weed eater plastic line and a patch then it will not matter which direction you go other than if you go from muzzle to breach then there is a chance of getting debris in the mechanism. So with that method I feel the best would be to clean from breach to muzzle. If you use a cleaning rod then you must be careful not to damage the muzzle if you start from the muzzle so again it seems to me that starting from the breach is best again. Some air guns can not be cleaned from the breach with a cleaning rod since the access to the breach is too tight to allow the insertion of the cleaning rod those type guns must be cleaned either with a flexible line and patch from either end or from the muzzle using a cleaning rod. You can buy other cloth and trim to size if you want to put out the effort but the patches are so inexpensive I find it easier to buy them. I guess I'm just lazy.

fritz · Silver Status Member

Why is this even being debated? Dead Horse

Always clean from breech to muzzle. Unless otherwise unfeasible.

Bore brushes: No... except in special cases when a NYLON brush may be used. Of course, with a NYLON or otherwise plastic covered ramrod.

The best way is already posted, weed eater line from breech to muzzle. That would mean putting the pull-through in first from the breech.

Mr. Green

donec · Senior Member

It's not being debated it's being explained to someone new.

fritz · Silver Status Member

My apologies. I was a little overly "enthusiastic".

So many times has this been asked (even just in my time on the forum). Maybe a basic springer-care guide could be posted and made a sticky? *nudge nudge Eric*

AirGunEric · Site Admin

fritz · Silver Status Member

I'll try to get one written up. MagicMan