Target Sports

ON TEST: CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

Created on 14th May 2009

JULES WHICKER sets to work with the VFG rifle cleaning system - and finds it leaves his gun in pristine condition

SOME TIME ago I did a round-up of gun-cleaning accessories but, given the number of excellent products on the market, it was perhaps inevitable that there were some omissions. Foremost among these was a rifle cleaning system from VFG in Germany which was supplied for test here by Donald McIntosh of target-shooting specialist Edinkillie Sport Services.

Items received included a cleaning rod set for use with .177 air rifles and pistols, two boxes of cleaning felts in the same calibre, a container of bore cleaning compound, and a pot of Lupus Teflon grease.

Though I clean my firearms religiously after each outing I'd never taken the same kind of care with my airguns, merely giving them a wipe down before putting them back in the rack. However, now that I've used the VFG system, I really feel I've been missing a trick.

The key to VFG's approach is a fibrous, cylindrical pellet, which, since it's made of felted wool, is simply referred to as a felt. It contains no chemicals, just thousands of tiny natural fibres, whose ends act as super-fine bristles when the felt is compressed, giving the whole surface of the bore a thorough but gentle cleaning as the felt is passed along it. The felt is also special in that it is highly absorbent, allowing it to trap fouling particles in its matrix and remove them cleanly from the barrel. It can take up ample amounts of your chosen cleaner, solvent or lubricant and apply it generously to the whole bore surface.

For use, the felts are attached to a special jag with a threaded spike. This can be done by rolling the felt between thumb and fore-finger, but it's better to use VFG's dedicated felt-holder - a plastic block with a cylindrical recess into which the felt is inserted - as this holds the felt securely without deforming it while the jag is screwed in. It also makes it easier to centre the jag in the felt. Once inserted into the barrel the jag is screwed further into the felt (which compresses it and increases its diameter), until a tight but smooth fit is achieved. Then the rod is passed through the bore. Jags for larger calibres have a longer double-threaded spike that will take two felts at once. In this case, when the jag emerges from the end of the barrel, the second, more heavily-soiled felt drops off; the first felt, held in place by the larger screw thread, is drawn back through the bore, cleaning it in the other direction. Neat.

Two types of felt are available: normal and intensive. The latter has brass fibres embedded in the wool matrix, making them simultaneously abrasive, elastic and absorbent, and thus suitable for more heavily fouled bores. The former are made purely of wool and are designed for light cleaning, lubrication and degreasing.

Normal felts are £4.50 and intensive are £8 per box of 100. Felts are also available for larger calibres and the box price is the same. The 5.5mm felts are packed in boxes of 80 and 6.5mm, 7mm, and 7.5mm felts are available in boxes of 50. Packs of 500 are also available for 5.5mm and above. Depending on calibre, prices range from £12.50 - £15 for the normal felts and £26-£37 for the intensive ones.

For even more effective cleaning the felts can be used in conjunction with VFG's Bore Cleaning Compound (£5), a blue paste containing an ultra-fine polishing compound in an oil-soluble synthetic medium. Designed for cleaning, restoring and protecting bores, the paste effectively removes corrosion, copper and other types of fouling from the bore, yet won't go off or damage the steel of the barrel and is easily swabbed out using felts soaked in light oil.

Once I'd read the detailed instructions that came with the cleaning kit I pulled a few rifles from the rack and set to work. To say that the intensive felts and cleaning compound works is an understatement: I was horrified by the sheer amount of muck removed from the bore, yet delighted it was gone. Even allowing for the possibility that chemical activity in the cleaning compound was producing some of the discolouration there was still clearly plenty of work for it to do. However, once I'd got the bores really clean, subsequent cleaning sessions revealed a satisfyingly reduced amount of fouling, with far fewer felts required to do the job. With airguns, an additional level of barrel conditioning and protection can be achieved by treating the bore with VFG's Lupus Teflon Grease (£12). The grease is applied using a felt, left to cure for 30 minutes, then removed by passing a few clean felts through the barrel. It leaves behind a Teflon film that resists both fresh and salt water, protects against corrosion and reduces friction. Moreover, unlike the cleaning compound which should be kept away from blueing, Lupus grease can be used on any of the metal parts of a gun, external or internal.

VFG's special jags (£3) are available in a range of thread sizes to fit most cleaning rods. They also do their own three-section, two-section, and pistol-length rods, plus a dedicated cleaning rod set (£18), specifically designed for use with .177-calibre barrels, which I'd definitely recommend to airgunners.

The rod supplied with the set is made of white polymer and is in two sections. Only the front section fits into the barrel; the rear section is purely for support. Thus the length of the front section (49.5cm, including the barrel of the jag) determines the maximum length of barrel that can be cleaned. The rod fits into a green synthetic handle with a black grip and is secured by a white plastic screw. This allows the length of rod forward of the handle to be matched to the barrel. The forward edge of the handle acts as a stop when the felt reaches the end of the barrel.

Also supplied is a black plastic rod guide (for use with 15mm sleeved barrels) and a matching jag, complete with intensive felt. With the jag and felt attached, the guide is first used as a rod to clean the inside of the sleeve. Then the jag is removed and the rod reversed so that it can be inserted into the sleeve, handle first, as a guide for the white cleaning rod which is then used to clean the barrel itself. In this case the maximum length of barrel that can be swept is slightly reduced, at about 49cm.

When I first assembled the rod I feared it would be a bit flimsy, but it's stronger than it looks. The handle, with its close fit in the barrel itself, provides any additional support that may be needed.

Not tested here, but since added to the VFG line-up, are three products that make it even easier to take VFG's cleaning system into the field with you. The first is a version of its cleaning felts (£3.50 per 100) which don't require a rod as they're designed to be shot through airguns (.177 or .22) to give a quick clean before or after use. Ideal for PCPs, they can also be used in springers if a regular pellet is loaded behind them to provide resistance to the piston stroke.

Also handy are VFG's new pocket sets (£15). These come in two varieties: one designed for .177 airguns and the other for firearms. (Note: the full VFG range also includes products suitable for shotguns and firearms up to .45 calibre.) Both comprise a neat wire pull-through, with a clever slip-on metal handle that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. In addition, there is a storage tin which has room for a useful quantity of felts.

All in all I was very impressed by all of the products in the VFG range. They're not cheap, but they won't break the bank either. They deliver not only noticeable improvements in accuracy but also the satisfaction of knowing you're doing all you can to keep your favourite guns shooting better for longer.

Edinkillie Sport Services
T: 01324 771747
W: www.edinkillie.co.uk

VFG
T: +49 (0)7322 1440
W: www.weaponcare.com

ON TEST: CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

Related Links

GUN MAINTENANCE: KEEP IT CLEAN

GUN LUBRICANT: SLICK AND SMOOTH

SCOPE MOUNTING GUIDE: ALL SCOPED UP PART TWO

PRODUCT TEST: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

PELLET SIZE: A SENSE OF PROPORTION

FACTORY VISIT: STYLE AND STRENGTH

SPECIAL REPORT: LONDON CALLING

FACTORY VISIT: ABSOLUTE PRECISION

FACTORY VISIT: BUY BRITISH

FACTORY VISIT: A PASSION FOR PERFECTION

Get a copy of Sporting Rifle

ON TEST: CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

Related Links

Newsletter