MisterMister
08-03-2007, 12:58 PM
Seems to me that a lot of people don’t know how to clean their barrels. At least not if there is significant build up of paint/debris/dirt, and/or if said gunk is really old (e.g. stuck on real good). Here is a list of the different proper methods for cleaning your paintball barrel:
1) *For fresh breaks (1 day old or less), and low to medium dirt levels:*
Simply run your barrel under warm to hot running water (the hotter the better). Be sure to plug one end up to have the pressure force the water through the porting holes. Continue to do this until no longer necessary. Finish by wiping the exterior down and using a squeegee/swab on the interior
2) *For older gunk with low to high dirt levels:*
Get a tub or sink which can accommodate the length of your barrel. Run the water until it is as hot as the faucet will get then fill the sink/tub. Add some dishwashing liquid and stir to get the soap to dilute the water. After which place the barrel into the water and let it sit. Soak the barrel for 10 to 15 minutes. After the soaking is done, repeat the steps from method #1 (running warm/how running water through the barrel as needed then drying the whole thing when done).
3) *For old gung and/or SEVERLY bad soil levels (also good as scheduled maintained):*
Get a pot which can accommodate the length of your barrel. Wrap your barrel with a cloth (so the bare metal isn’t on the bottom of the pot) and put everything into the pot of water. Boil the water. From the point where the water starts to boil, you will want to keep the barrel in the water from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the soil level. Once done remove the towel and barrel with some tongs. Let the barrel either air dry or run luke warm water over it until its cool enough to touch by hand (it WILL be VERY hot when it's first removed from the boiling water so BE CAREFUL!).
DO NOT RUN THE BARREL UNDER COLD WATER OR STICK IT IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER!!!!
Once the barrel is cooled down, proceed to perform the steps from method #1.
There is NO need to buy barrel cleaning solution. It is a waste of money IMO. You can get the same and better results by using (mostly FREE) house hold items (as stated above). In the 13+ years of playing paintball, I haven’t encountered a single barrel which wasn’t cleanable with one of the methods mentioned above. Plus these methods won’t damage your barrel in any manner, unlike using some abrasive compounds to clean your barrel's bore which can damage the finish.
*One note: DO NOT use method #3 on carbon-fiber barrels. Besides, using method #2 is all you will need since pretty much every C-F barrel is coated with Teflon.
1) *For fresh breaks (1 day old or less), and low to medium dirt levels:*
Simply run your barrel under warm to hot running water (the hotter the better). Be sure to plug one end up to have the pressure force the water through the porting holes. Continue to do this until no longer necessary. Finish by wiping the exterior down and using a squeegee/swab on the interior
2) *For older gunk with low to high dirt levels:*
Get a tub or sink which can accommodate the length of your barrel. Run the water until it is as hot as the faucet will get then fill the sink/tub. Add some dishwashing liquid and stir to get the soap to dilute the water. After which place the barrel into the water and let it sit. Soak the barrel for 10 to 15 minutes. After the soaking is done, repeat the steps from method #1 (running warm/how running water through the barrel as needed then drying the whole thing when done).
3) *For old gung and/or SEVERLY bad soil levels (also good as scheduled maintained):*
Get a pot which can accommodate the length of your barrel. Wrap your barrel with a cloth (so the bare metal isn’t on the bottom of the pot) and put everything into the pot of water. Boil the water. From the point where the water starts to boil, you will want to keep the barrel in the water from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the soil level. Once done remove the towel and barrel with some tongs. Let the barrel either air dry or run luke warm water over it until its cool enough to touch by hand (it WILL be VERY hot when it's first removed from the boiling water so BE CAREFUL!).
DO NOT RUN THE BARREL UNDER COLD WATER OR STICK IT IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER!!!!
Once the barrel is cooled down, proceed to perform the steps from method #1.
There is NO need to buy barrel cleaning solution. It is a waste of money IMO. You can get the same and better results by using (mostly FREE) house hold items (as stated above). In the 13+ years of playing paintball, I haven’t encountered a single barrel which wasn’t cleanable with one of the methods mentioned above. Plus these methods won’t damage your barrel in any manner, unlike using some abrasive compounds to clean your barrel's bore which can damage the finish.
*One note: DO NOT use method #3 on carbon-fiber barrels. Besides, using method #2 is all you will need since pretty much every C-F barrel is coated with Teflon.