Question on cleaning your rifle barrel

[Muddyboots]

I will say that after intense carbon cleaning with bronze brush wrapped with patch (hand Dewey rod and only no power tools at all); JB and Butch's, I now see some surface scratches in bore that I did not have before. These are Sinclaire brushes so not El Cheapo's and I was appalled by what I had done to the bore. But I had no other choice than using the brush/patch JB to get the carbon out. This barrel is near end of life with about 1200 rounds through it but it does have life; shoots well or I thought it did. I plan on taking my best load to range and see WTH happens. This made me sick to my stomach seeing the scratches. I had tried a nylon brush wrapped with patch and JB and got nowhere and then switched to bronze which I now am wondering what to do next carbon clean. Maybe after each range session now. I hate carbon

 

[Mc Fraser]

Since I discovered the wipe-out I never used anything other than a rod with a patch and bore cleaner when I'm at the range, because the wipeout needs hours to clean a barrel.
https://sharpshootr.com/wipe-out/

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I would venture to say that it would reduce velocity.
A rough example of this would be to belt sand your skis laterally vs front to back.

 

[halfmile]

Wipe-Out or other good foaming bore cleaner. No brush necessary. I use Pro-Shot in the field when shooting Pdogs, about every 50 shots.

HM

 

[Muddyboots]

I use to use Wipeout until my local gunshop closed and the box stores don't carry it of course. I kind of forgot how good it worked until this thread reminded me of it. Midway has it on sale right now so I am ordering several cans of it!! Thx for the reminder on this stuff, I can attest it worked great for me. I guess I was too lazy to order it...

 

[BK.60]

What kind of barrel would you put on a 257 wby to shoot 131 gr. Blackjack bullets

 

[hammer111]

Here's a question that just popped into my head.

Ok if you have carbon in your barrel. A little or a lot , and you fire a bullet down said barrel with carbon.

What does that do to a barrel.

 

[Wedgy]

Since I discovered the wipe-out I never used anything other than a rod with a patch and bore cleaner when I'm at the range, because the wipeout needs hours to clean a barrel.
https://sharpshootr.com/wipe-out/

The accelerator speeds it up.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014880873

 

[arch408]

Look down the bore with a borescope that was "cleaned" with the drill. I have bought used rifles that had good "eyeballed" barrels that had a huge amount of horizontal scratches that showed on the borescope. None of them shot well and they fouled excessively. Also a friend swears that oven cleaner works to clean out carbon in barrels. Haven't tried it yet. I'll wait until I have a worn out barrel that I'm rebarreling.

 

[nicholasjohn]

Look down the bore with a borescope that was "cleaned" with the drill. I have bought used rifles that had good "eyeballed" barrels that had a huge amount of horizontal scratches that showed on the borescope. None of them shot well and they fouled excessively. Also a friend swears that oven cleaner works to clean out carbon in barrels. Haven't tried it yet. I'll wait until I have a worn out barrel that I'm rebarreling.

I was wondering if oven cleaner might be worth a try for carbon. Please post your results if/when you try that. I don't know if baked-on food spillage in an oven is anything like the carbon deposits that plague rifle shooters, but it's surely worth a try. When Wipe-Out first came on the scene, guys liked it to oven cleaner - at least, conceptually. Maybe you're onto a good idea here ……...

 

[arch408]

Sorry, I don't have a barrel that I want to try oven cleaner on, but 40 years ago, I did try Mercury and it seemed to clean the barrel really well. I don't know if it was worth the risk and besides that, I have no idea where any one could get Mercury.

 

[Mram10us]

Gm top engine cleaner (blue stuff) works very well. I put a patch in a couple inches in front of the throat and filled it just beyond the shoulder. Let it soak for an hour and spun a brush with a 3" patch. No more carbon ring. I'll find a bad one and video since it's too windy to shoot

 

[Vol1975]

I have a Freind that shoots a lot of rifles plus muzzle loaders. What he does is go to Walmart and buy a $5.00 cleaning rod takes it home and cuts handle off of it. Then puts it in his battery Black / Decker drill chuck and cleans the bore out of his guns with Hopps bore cleaner. Runs brush through only about 3 times and he is good. Then swaps out 1 trip through barrel. He has done this for 30 plus years , every since battery operated drills. Appears no ill effects on the barrel ..... you guys see any issue doing this for me ? I know , I know don't say I need a gun cleaning vice etc. He has one , I have one.
I watch him clean a muzzleloader last weekend. Man it's slick. Takes less time , less mess for location we have that we clean guns. Thanks. MD

Hmm not sure on this cleaning method. No experience. personally don't clean but maybe every 200-400 shots or if i notice its not shooting right. Usually after hunting season I'll just wipe it out and run a light oil patch down it.
as far as cleaning. I use the right bore guide, good cleaning solution, good coated rod and a none metal brush. I ruined a gun barrel 20 plus years ago with a metal steel brush. Can't explain how but it literal messed the gun lands up. Well it could be that it was just it's time. with that being said I don't shoot completion but I burn a lot of lead because its a hobby to get me and the kids out of the house.

 

[J E Custom]

After reading some of the suggestions I got cold chills. The circular cleaning of a shotgun (Smooth bore) Is the best way and does a god job as long as it is not over done and the proper tools are used.

This is absolutely the worst way to clean a rifled barrel. The rifling and groves of a rifle barrel Run lengthwise, and if properly lapped the finish runs parallel with the rifling. The purpose of lapping and barrel break in it to align the finish with the rifling and to remove any tool marks to minimize the copper fouling.

Running any abrasive or brush in a circular motion will only add more defects to grab copper fouling And ultimately ruin the accuracy or the barrel life. if you have a bore scope look at the barrel first and then look at it after this process is used, you will see the problem. Note: don't try It on a good barrel though.

There are many different ways and solvents used to clean a barrel. But if the wrong tools, solvents, procedures and just plain lack of common sense are not used, don't expect a lot from your barrel.

J E CUSTOM