I've never used the green flitz. Sounds like it may be ok. I had a bad experience using the blue flitz in a barrel around 20 years ago.
Cleaning Carbon from Barrel
- Thread starter Stan Malinky
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Stan Malinky
Well-Known Member
I want to thank everybody for their input to the carbon problem. All of the recommended products I found that Bore Tech Carbon remover worked best, but understand there was a lot of product put down that barrel. After removing approximately 90 to 95% of the carbon I used Flitz, as suggested, very sparingly, only 5 strokes and then cleaned it out. When I then scoped the barrel I could only find small specks of carbon but the barrel looked like it was polished.
It took me until now to get it to the range and sight it in. I had to pull the firing pin send it in for the recall and wait for them to return the replacement. As well as a weeks vacation and other projects. The group came down from 5 inches + to < 2 inches at a hundred yards.
This one was worth while saving!!!
It took me until now to get it to the range and sight it in. I had to pull the firing pin send it in for the recall and wait for them to return the replacement. As well as a weeks vacation and other projects. The group came down from 5 inches + to < 2 inches at a hundred yards.
This one was worth while saving!!!
Brand new barrel, 15" from the chamber. Looks like a carbon ring to me, but full disclosure, this is the first time I ever used a bore scope so I can't say for sure. btw, this is shots 15-20 on the new barrel.
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antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
A tight patch with rubbing alcohol [70% or 90%] every few rounds can clean some of the loose carbon out. You may need several patches.
I never tried alcohol, but for this cleaning since the last five shots I have used about 100 patches and it's still not clean. I used Free All for the carbon on a bronze brush until it came out clean with patches and then Bore Tech Cu+2 Copper remover, Sweets, JB, repeat, repeat, repeat, and then back to the Free All to get more carbon out, back to the Bore Tech Cu+2 Copper remover, Sweets, JB, repeat, repeat, repeat, and it still has both carbon and copper still in the bore. I tackled it again this morning for about an hour and shot 5 more rounds and then pulled the barrel to send to Shilen. They asked me to send it to them dirty.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a constriction in the bore maybe? I've plugged a muzzle with an earplug and soaked copper remover in a barrel once. Seemed fine after - sample size of one.
Let us know what Shilen says, I know several guys that swear by them.
Let us know what Shilen says, I know several guys that swear by them.
I put the mirror on the borescope and this very well could be the problem. The ridges in the rifling are collecting copper, these pics are after the barrel has been cleaned a lot and yet the copper is still embedded in the rifling.
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I meant to say that I've had really good luck in the past with Shilen, up until now I've never had any problems and they've been good shooters for me. But this one is a different animal altogether.
I will post what Shilen does.
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
I find it useful for some quick cleaning at the range every 5 rounds or so. Ronsonol does the same thing, but rubbing alcohol is more convenient.
I sent the barrel back to Shilen, they lapped the barrel and sent it back in pretty good time. It does NOT load up with copper like it did and it cleans out pretty easily. I'm guessing it was one of those that slipped past or was not checked correctly or lapped to begin with, but all is good now.
Like I said above I've always had good luck with Shilen in the past and this was the first barrel I've ever had to send back to them. Just with the break-in loads, it's shooting sub moa so I can't wait to see what it does when we put the good stuff through it.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
Well sucks that it snuck through but hopefully it's all good now!
I was really surprised, I've built some really good shooters from Shilen in the past so it caught me totally off guard when I had a problem. But they stepped up and took care of it.
MallardAddict
Well-Known Member
Boretech c4 for normal carbon removal, but if it's bad I've yet to see anything work as well as Thoroughclean from bullet central.com. It works very very well but it's pretty nasty stuff so make sure to get it all cleaned out afterwards
I just used CLR on a very very nasty carboned-up barrel (long story) and it cleaned it to a clean shine, but be warned if you have a blue barrel it will remove the bluing from it. I put grease on the last 6" of the barrel to keep it off of it and I didn't have any issues with it removing any bluing.
With that said I've never used the Thoroughclean so I may give it a try, it sounds pretty strong from what I've been reading. The CLR worked but it still took a while to do so, but I can't argue with the results.
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