Gun cleaning question

[dburkhead]

Being new to the field of gun ownership, I did an online search to try to find instructions on how to properly clean my guns. The procedure I more-or-less settled on was from (IIRC) guns magazine:

- Run 2-3 patches with solvent through the bore and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. (While it's sitting, I use the time to scrub the bolt and the inside of the receiver with a toothbrush and more solvent--using Hoppes #9 Bench Rest at the moment.)

- Run a brush through the bore several times

- Run patches through the bore, alternating wet (with solvent) and dry. When the dry patch comes out clean, you're done. If after several times it's still coming out dirty, go back to the beginning and start over.

I've modified that to running 2 or three dry patches after each wet one since the first dry patch _always_ come out with solvent on it making it hard to tell if it's also picking up residue.

Since, following those directions, I always end up going back to the beginning at least twice, I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

Advice?