Cleaning barrels...

[ShootMo]

Not to slow down the thread, but:
Thank you all for sharing your experience here. I've been shooting since I was surprisingly young. Needless to say, I've cleaned a lot of guns as a result. However, as with most other subjects covered here by some of you bright folks, I find LRH to be an absolute wealth of knowledge. So thank you all for taking yhe time to share.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

[Hugnot]

Bore Max Foam (overnight soak) better than discontinued Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. Attacks copper fouling & breaks up & softens black stuff in bore.

Nylon brush dipped in 5-30W synthetic motor oil (good surfacant) lots of thin wire in bronze to react with bore cleaner, 20-30 strokes w nylon brush

Carbon (king of elements) is unreactive with acids or alkalies and will react only at temps hot enough to damage rifle barrels. The black stuff in barrels might not be all carbon but a mixture of powder & primer residues & some carbon. Primers explosives usually contain lead compound.

I think bore guides are generally useless. Wipe cleaning rod off freqently. J-B to scrub off black stuff in bore when needed.

Buy whatever makes you happy.

 

[dfrahm]

Watch this by Speedy and Erik Cortina

 

[ShootMo]

I watched that video. Speedy is a hoot of a guy.

 

[ShootMo]

I believe it was Gavin from Ultimate Reloader who mentioned a penetrant product called Free All that I found at O'Reilly Auto Parts. It has a chemical in it that is a nitrocellulose solvent. I soaked the barrel for about four hours, then went through my standard cleaning process. I FINALLY got to perfectly clean patches.

Up to this point, I've been operating without a borescope. That will be changing in the next few days.

 

[dennisinaz]

You really don't need to clean your barrel to bare steel unless you are planning to apply some coating or similar (ultra bore coat). Most hunting rifles can easily go 100 rounds or more between cleaning. I've tried a lot of stuff and most work to some degree . Right now I'm using KG1 first, a few strokes with brush, then maybe 3 patches of BoreTech eliminater. My last patches with be a wet kroil, then 2 dry.

My first shot is usually in the group of i finish with kroil. If i have a problem barrel or carbon ring, I'll use Iosso.

A key trick is to hit the barrel with KG1 right after shooting rather than after it cools.

Typically i have a few smears of copper near the muzzle. It does not affect accuracy so i don't worry about it

 

[Mikecr]

Many factory guns copper foul out before 100 rounds.
That is, some step change to dog crap before then.
Also, I would not want to leave all the carbon and primer residue in my stored bore. I feel better to just keep it clean and dry pre-fouled.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Many factory guns copper foul out before 100 rounds.
That is, some step change to dog crap before then.
Also, I would not want to leave all the carbon and primer residue in my stored bore. I feel better to just keep it clean and dry pre-fouled.

After you clean the barrel do you put anything in the bore before storing?

 

[Mikecr]

After you clean the barrel do you put anything in the bore before storing?

Yes. I dry pre-foul with a burnishing of tungsten (WS2).
It seems a universal fouling

This solves some problems:
1. I don't have to burn out petroleum products and lay down a powder fouling for useful shooting. My 1st cold shot is always as good as any.
2. My shooting before copper fouling out is greatly extended.
3. By cleaning to white metal between uses, and pre-fouling with something easier to manage than carbon, I can be assured of expected accurate barrel life. I can sleep better knowing that there are no corrosive conditions working on my bore, even over months or years.
4. Storing a dry bore mitigates migration of wet cleaning products into the chamber/action/bedding.

 

[Hugnot]

Stainless steel - protective oxide layer - chromium oxide forms on the surface of stainless steel. Scrubbing the barrel to bare steel (white metal) is only temporary because the chromium in the steel likes O2 in the air & combines with it real quick to form chrome oxide that has color - like don't even have to shoot it. Removal of fouling will be just fine & accomplish task for fyne accuracy. This is with 416R stainless, about 12% chrome. Commion ordinary rubbing alcohol (91% isopropyl) does a nice job of cleaning petrolium based stuff from barrel insides & helps to relieve anxiety from that first shot & prevent dripping oil from getting into important parts like bolt insides & triggers & gumming up at cold temps.

 

[Old Rooster]

Yes. I dry pre-foul with a burnishing of tungsten (WS2).
It seems a universal fouling

This solves some problems:
1. I don't have to burn out petroleum products and lay down a powder fouling for useful shooting. My 1st cold shot is always as good as any.
2. My shooting before copper fouling out is greatly extended.
3. By cleaning to white metal between uses, and pre-fouling with something easier to manage than carbon, I can be assured of expected accurate barrel life. I can sleep better knowing that there are no corrosive conditions working on my bore, even over months or years.
4. Storing a dry bore mitigates migration of wet cleaning products into the chamber/action/bedding.

Mikecr how do you apply the WS2?
Alcohol and WS2 mixed?

 

[Mikecr]

After I clean, I run the best alcohol I can get through and let it dry.
I have a bore mop stored in a jag tube with BBs and WS2 powder. With this, I can squeeze the jag tube to screw the cleaning rod onto the bore mop. I insert a piece of brake line for a guide to chamber end, and push the bore mop in.
While in the bore I short stroke to burnish the powder in good.
Last, I run 2 dry patches through from chamber to muzzle to remove loose powder.

I have not used wet coating methods

 

[xsn10s]

1. Hoppes, Wipeout, and a discontinued copper cleaner by Outer's. But just about any copper cleaner when needed. JB cleaning compound. MPro7 if cleaning inside the house.

2. I use a boreguide unless I'm using an Otis cable.

3. A bronze brush that doesn't have a steel core. They were sold by Brownell's.
Edit: I use a plastic bore brush if scrubbing copper solvent in the bore.

 

[SargeantE5]

This post is for 65WSM. I don't have enough posts to PM you so I am addressing you at this (your most recent) post. I have noted your contributions regarding 6.5-06 IMP reloading data. I have a new 6.5-06 AI. 24 inch Bartlien 1-8" twist barrel. Using fireformed 270 Win SIG cases, F210M primers and am looking for more loads. I have ladder tested H1000 and H4831 both with 143 Hornady ELD-X bullets. Mixed results, so I am looking for more input... This is meant to be a Hunting rifle so I am pretty much set on those types of bullets. I have had really good success with the 143 ELD-X in 6.5 CM, 260 AI, and 6.5-284 so I would really like to stick with it. Any suggestions or QL data that you could provide would be greatly appreciated..... [email protected] (Mike) SargeantE5. Sorry about hi-jacking this thread. This is a really awesome site!!!