Novice with question on cleaning my handgun

[cmcwhorter42]

I am brand new to shooting, so I purchased a new Sig p226 9mm which I would like to keep it top condition. The cleaning instructions that came with the gun are very general, so I would like to make sure I am cleaning it correctly. When it comes to cleaning the inside of the barrel, how clean will it get? I have run through patches and a brass brush, then patches again, and the patch comes out clean, but when I look inside, there still seems to be residue of some kind between the rifling. I have only used factory loaded FMJ bullets and have shot a total of around 700 rounds throught this brand new gun so I am concerned I am not taking care of it. Any help would be appreciated, and if there is a detailed book I could buy that would help as well.

 

[PinnedAndRecessed]

When it comes to cleaning the inside of the barrel, how clean will it get? I have run through patches and a brass brush, then patches again, and the patch comes out clean, but when I look inside, there still seems to be residue of some kind between the rifling.

If you can get patches to come through clean, that's pretty clean. Personally, I cannot get a patch to come through any of my guns without some residue.

The "residue" you're seeing might simply be imperfections in the material in the barrel. Hard to say without seeing it.

If you're concerned, repeat the process a couple times. If the residue remains and the barrel still "looks" dirty, I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

BTW, a gun that's a little dirty isn't going to ruin your life. It hasn't mine, anyway.

 

[Dfariswheel]

The key to cleaning a barrel is to give the bore solvent time to work.

I use a brush and solvent to brush the bore about 20 passes, then I run two wet patches through.
(Buy your brushes in bulk, they don't last long).

I allow the bore to soak while I clean the rest of the gun AND the magazine.

After allowing the bore to soak, I wet one clean patch and run it through the bore in one smooth pass.
When it comes out the end, check it for blue or green stains.

The presence of these stains indicates there's still copper bullet jacket material in the bore.
I allow it to soak longer, and do another patch in an hour or so.
Continue until there are no blue or green stains, then dry the bore with clean patches and examine it closely with a strong light.

If you see deposits, this isn't critical in handguns, but should be removed by additional soaking.

If you want to speed things up, buy some JB Bore Paste from Brownell's.
This is a special, non-embedding, super-fine material that will remove all fouling without harming the bore.

In most cases, this only needs to be done on an occasional basis.