I see a lot of posts and manuals talking about weapons damaged by improper cleaning. Can anyone give some examples of what would result in damage?

I use aluminum or coated steel cleaning rods. First I run a patch saturated with sheath or hoppes#9 through the barrel a few times. Then a nylon brush dipped in the same sovent a few times. On rare occasions I use a bronze brush. Then I follow with patches until they're clean. One patch with CLP, then a dry one. My bores all look okay, am I doing it right? How are bores damaged by improper cleaning? I know it seems basic, but I think there are probably other newbies like me who wonder. Thanks

I use a Teflon coated rod and never found the need to use a brush.  I just use Eezox and run enough .22cal patches and cut up paper towels (they fits tighter) until they come out clean.  And mine is an SS barrel, not chromed.  

Never "dip" your brush into the solvent as it contaminates it, pour the solvent onto the bore brush and both of ya need to get ya Sweets 7.62 bore cleaner, especially for stainless steel bores. (aluminum and steel rods are not preferred either)

Coated rods like those sold by Dewey are probably the most popular.

As to "damage" this most commonly refers to cleaning from the muzzle in which damage to the "crown" of the muzzle can occur. A small nick in the crown can affect accuracy which is why one should always clean from the breach if possible.

There can also be chamber and lead damage mostly resulting from NOT using a bore guide. ALWAYS use a bore guide, if the rifle is designed for one, as M1s and certain rifles require a different method.

There is also some that claim and I agree that "over-cleaning" can be a problem, as in break-in procedures that call for "shoot a round/clean, shoot a round/clean, shoot a round/clean, etc...." is NOT GOOD on your bore.

As to breakin..... You'll hear everything from "just shoot it" to what I just described.

Here's what I was taught to do regarding "break-in" NO matter the barrel, $300+ Kriegers or $99 chrome-lined or chrome-moly which seems to result in the easiest clean-up of all barrel types after 200-300 rounds.

FIRST, I run a clean patch or patches to be certain bore is clean FIRST!

Products Used in this Process:
Sweets 7.62, bore cleaner
SuperTech 2000, (non-methanol, fnd @ Walmart)
CLP, (break-free or similar)
Dewey Rod
Ray Vin bore guide
Only "NYLON" bore brushes
JAG (your choice, varys w/ cal. of rifle for me)

Shoot rifle 10-20 rnds.

(Cover your optic/scope with a towel or similar unless ya want it ruined!, as Sweets on the glass and it's FUBAR)

With a "warm" NOT HOT barrel (as nylon melts) preferably after the 10-20 rounds,

Clean w/ Sweets till all copper is gone.

This is done by seating bore guide and placing nylon bore brush in chamber, pour Sweets into muzzle, hold finger over muzzle, pump bore brush to end 2-3 times, w/ finger over end of muzzle to make certain Sweets is soaked in good.

With one down an back (never letting but a portion or about 1/2" of the brush exit the bore, placing a towel over bore-guide to stop the stroke helps) counting as one-stroke, vigorously put 40-50 strokes on bore. Sweets will normally make a nice greenish-blue (this is the copper) froth and even darker if rounds are moly. Remove rod and bore brush.

Rinse bore w/ ST2000, run a dry patch, ya normally see green and cheamber crap on this patch.

Repeat this Sweets step until froth is white, you'll know by the froth whether it's clean, for most part after this intial cleaning process is completed, I never have to do this more than twice, but as "stock barrels" are not the same as "customs" this may VARY.

Run dry patches, (no lube necessary, simply let the ST 2000 eveaporate a few minutes)

NEXT: Shoot 20-40 rnds more.

Repeat above Swets cleaning process, cleaning the rifle bore well again, IF your done shooting for the day, lube the bore w/ one soaked patch of CLP, otherwise go back on to shooting w/ no lube, but always clean the bore on it's initial firing. Run one or two patches to remove some of the CLP (this prevent the bore from attracting too much dust while PROPERLY stored away)

Breakin is over, from now on clean rifle when done shooting and store lightly lubed.

Always run 1 dry patch before shooting.

Note: Sweets 7.62 is not some mabby pammby cleaner, it is SERIOUS bore cleaner and WILL ruin the bore on your rifle IF left setting for long periods of time, (10-15 min is longest we ever let it set, for dirty bored rifles). The ST2000 is for rinsing away ALL residue of the Sweets, and I even use it w/ the red-tube to spray out the gas-tube on my ARs, after cleaning and rinsing the bore, lest it gets up in there as i'm brushing the bore.

Don't get any of it on your stock and try to keep it outta your action if at all possible, if ya do, hose it down with the ST2000.

That's it, this was how I was instructed to do it by our old gunsmith and long range shooter whose burned up more barrels (thru actual use) than anyone I know and it has worked for me for quite sometime in all manner of barrels. Rifle bores after 200-300 rounds always seem to clean up quick and alot of the time (w/ my chrome-lined ARs) I wonder why I even wasted doing the second Sweets bushing session as bores are almost always clean after first go round...., but I do the second just to see the white froth, to be sure!

YMMV, but this method works for us and our bores.

Mike

Quoted: Never "dip" your brush into the solvent as it contaminates it, pour the solvent onto the bore brush and both of ya need to get ya Sweets 7.62 bore cleaner, especially for stainless steel bores. (aluminum and steel rods are not preferred either)

I agree, but it's difficult not to dip, so I buy a giant bottle of Hoppe #9, etc..., and a tiny bottle of Hoppe #9, etc....
I use the little bottle and dip, and when it gets close to empty, I shake it up and pour it out.  
Then reload with fresh.

RIP AND DIP!