Weapon Care and Ammunition
Give your gun a good treat!
BRENNEKE recommendation
Clean your hunting rifle or shotgun after every use. The German test and research institute for hunting and sports firearms DEVA explicitly recommends a combination of mechanical and chemical barrel cleaning, because lands are more likely to be congested by metal residues and traces of powder. In addition, humidity imposes the risk of barrel corrosion. Not only might this affect the point of impact it can also lead to increased gas pressure, which has to be avoided by all means!
Barrel wear and tear due to Carbon Steel Ammunition?
Background: Due to the raw material shortages towards the end of World War II, German bullet jackets were made from plain, rough Carbon steel. Those bullets did in fact grind the barrel and ruin precision.
Today: BRENNEKE employs high quality, fine-pored Carbon steel with a plated coating for the production of TIG® and TUG®. The outside of the bullet is thinly coated with copper and nickel, which are firmly joined with the steel by means of a special treatment. This way, all TIG®, TUG® and TUG nature + bullets consist of barrel sparing Carbon steel jackets.
See for yourself:
Tombac jacket bullets BRENNEKE TIG®, TUG® oder TUG® nature +
- Shoot a larger series of tombac jacket bullets and look through the barrel afterwards. You will notice that it shows clear signs of abrasion which soon has to be removed with a barrel brush.
- After having fired the same amount of shots with TIG®, TUG® or TUG® nature +, your barrel will look completely different: thanks to excellent sliding properties of the CuNi plated steel jacket, the barrel stays as good as abrasion-free.
Barrel Fouling - BRENNEKE explains
What does Barrel Fouling mean?
Whether you shoot with lead-free or lead containing ammunition, the bullet is always pushed through the barrel with a spin. The difference between groove diameter and field caliber with caliber .30, for instance, is 0.2 millimeter. Depending on the caliber, the bullet is subject to a gas pressure between 3000 and 4400 bar. If and how much remains in the barrel depends on the bullet construction or the bullet's surface. Abrasion has to be removed regularly, otherwise it may have a negative impact on the weapon's precision. Attention: Depending on the type of ammunition, residues can narrow the diameter if the barrel is not cleaned regularly. This may cause a dangerous increase in gas pressure leading up to malfunction as well as to serious or fatal injuries due to an explosion.
Is Barrel Fouling a problem of lead-free rifle ammunition?
With or without lead, all rifle ammunition causes barrel fouling. Due to the construction of lead-containing jacket bullets, fouling is manageable. Tombak plated bullets may cause more fouling. However, we recommend a good, regular clean – especially with high shooting frequencies! Monolithicly built, lead-free bullets lack the core which may result in heavier fouling. Considering the multitude of the models in the market, various low quality constructions from less experienced manufacturers are being used, increasing the risk of enhanced barrel fouling. After only a few shots (approx. 20 – 30), the gas pressure may rise so sharply that it exceeds the legal limits.
