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How to get a clean barrel?

4K views 26 replies 24 participants last post by  MrSmithMSU 
#1 ·
-just checkin' . . . I find after lots of brush work with Hoppes and lots of patches, I still find that if I run a tight patch through the barrel it will come out soiled.

It is not a lot of stuff but the patch does not come out white. What's the trick to getting a clean white patch at the end?
 
#2 ·
Are you shooting jacketed, or lead?

In addition to Hoppes (which will not do much for either type of fouling, but it is a good powder residue solvent), you will need to use a bronze or phosphur brush and lead or copper solvent. Scrub the bore with the brush a few times, let sit a few minutes, and scrub again. Then go to your Hoppes patches. Patch until they come out clean.
 
#3 ·
I clean barrel with shooters choice. I let it soak while I clean the rest of the gun. Then I go back to the barrel. A little more scrubbing and then Hoppes quick clean lead removing rag. I cut small patches and run them thru the barrel. One patch (front and back of patch) then brass brush again. Then the second patch and brass brush again. The barrel will be spotless! A lot of work but I'm anal about it.
Can I use that word?
 
#7 ·
Make sure the gun is unloaded. Again, make sure the gun is unloaded. ALWAYS clean from the breach end to avoid damage to the crown of the barrel.

A. Spray Simple Green down the bore and swab with a patch soaked in Simple Green. Follow with a bronze brush soaked in simple green, followed by another Simple Green wet patch then a dry patch. This does wonders on the powder/carbon fouling but nothing for copper/lead fouling.

B. Spray Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber down the bore and put the barrel aside. I then clean the slide and frame.

C. After the slide and frame have been cleaned, I go back to the barrel. Run a patch wet with the Birchwood down the bore followed by a bronze brush wet with Birchwood down the bore. Wet patch, dry patch. That should take care of the copper fouling.

Lastly, I dampen a patch with Militec1 oil and run it down the bore several times. That's it.


Regards,
Frank
 
#8 ·
I'm not worried about getting my barrels spotless clean. My procedure is to get all the lead out (I shoot mostly lead) and then run a couple of patches through the barrel to get the chemicals out. I used to be concerned about the patches coming out clean, but I gave that up 20 odd years ago.

My feeling is that the first few shots dirties the barrel back up, and that over-cleaning has ruined more barrels than under-cleaning.

Am I'm off the mark?

Willing to be educated

Phil
 
#9 ·
I'm with you. A little lead left over in the barrel after a reasonable cleaning provides a protective coating, especially in any pits and scores, that might be more prone to rust if the barrel were squeaky clean steel. And the effort to get it perfectly clean every time is probably gone after the first shot next time, besides any accumulating wear that all that elbow grease might do. Many excellent bullseye shooters hardly ever clean their .22 target pistol barrels. I, too, stand to be corrected. Maybe I'm just a little lazy. I do clean the barrel, I just don't worry about getting a perfectly clean patch. And I finish with the boresnake and a visual inspection.
 
#11 ·
Gunny brings up a neat point about running a bore snake (or other cleaning tools) down the barrel while the gun is still warm. I have found that powder residue and other gunk in the barrel, on the breech face, etc. tends to have an oily consistency (I was told it was moisture from the air, but I don't know) that is much easier to remove BEFORE it has a chance to dry out, harden, and stick quite well. Whatever you can do to clean the gun before leaving the range will make final clean-up later to be much easier.

I usually run a bore snake through 3 or 4 times before leaving the range. One of the guys I shoot with will do a quick cleaning job with a bronze brush, some type of cleaner (Breakfree, I think), and some patches. His barrel with come clean in a couple of minutes whereas it takes me a lot longer if I wait until I get home.
 
#12 ·
Here is how I do it:
1. Make sure the gun is UNLOADED and doubly..no triple check if it is really UNLOADED.
2. Field strip and separate the barrel.
> The dirt in a barrel depends on the type of ammo you are using. But mainly the 'dirt' is of copper and lead..and some powder
3. Let it sit in a kerosene bath for about an hour. Dry it well. This takes care of the powder.
4. Seal one end of the barrel with a finger preferably from the front end. Tip the barrel and apply a generous amount of your favorite lead solvent in the inside of the barrel. Close the open side with another finger and shake the barrel well. Do this for about a few minutes...I do mine for 5. Then dry the barrel.
5. Now we remove the copper foul-ups. Copper and steel do not mix. Insert a copper brush(tornado style) inside the barrel and clean the barrel by completely passing the whole brush part out into the other end. retract it and again completely pass it through. Do it until you are satisfied.

"Ive experimented using ferric chloride and apply it just like a lead solvent. Ferric chloride it used primarily for etching printed circuit boards. It eats copper voraciously. "

6. The inside of the barrel should be fairly clean now. Apply a patch and viola....a clean barrel ready for the next round.....
 
#13 ·
The best way to get a patch to come through a barrel absolutely clean is to log on to www.brownells.com and order a new one by the manufacturer of your choice.


If that seems a little extreme, follow the advice given above (any or all of it).

------------------
"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind."
Humphrey Bogart
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups
 
#14 ·
Additionally,

I had tried a Wilson chamber cleaner S/S brush but found it pretty rough. Their claim for the need for this was that the standard .45 brushes were to small for proper cleaning of this larger diameter ....

Well, Brownells had a sale on copper brushes, so I ordered some in .45 And .50 ! The .50 fits much tighter and works well on the chamber, and down the bore once also seems to be beneficial ...

Just an idea ....

Regards
 
#15 ·
Originally posted by SouthGun:
Additionally,

I had tried a Wilson chamber cleaner S/S brush but found it pretty rough. Their claim for the need for this was that the standard .45 brushes were to small for proper cleaning of this larger diameter ....

Well, Brownells had a sale on copper brushes, so I ordered some in .45 And .50 ! The .50 fits much tighter and works well on the chamber, and down the bore once also seems to be beneficial ...

Just an idea ....

Regards
When I was picking Jim Garthwaite's brain on some gun info I asked him about what he uses to clean barrels. He told me that he'll always buy the next size up. He used 50 cal. brushes for 45s, 45 brushes for 40s, 40 for 9mms and so on and so on. These were copper brushes not Stainless.

That's how I've been cleaning mine ever since. I'll run the brush through with some bore solvent to get all the accumulated stuff and use my Outers Foul Out III to get the copper out.

Ross T.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I use the RemClean or Remington bore cleaner method. Works every time for lead or copper, rifle or handguns.

1: 1 patch of regular motor oil.

2: 1 RemClean soaked patch wrapped around a slightly undersized brass brush 5 stokes back and forth. Repeat if necessary.

3: 2 patches of Hoppes to push crud out.

Job done, put gun away until next time.
 
#17 ·
I can't get a truly clean barrel - preparing for either long-term storage, routine maintenance or match condition - without Kleen Bore's Lead Away cloth. A decent lube inside the barrel after cleaning helps keep it that way longer, too. After every 1,000 rounds of jacketed ammo or 500 rounds of lead at the very least - it is time for me to clean up the barrel. You may be able to "feel" when the barrel is fouled sufficiently to require cleaning - the drying patch will encouter slight resistence with a dirty barrel, none with a clean one.
 
#18 ·
Hi,

I have been having a problem lately with severe leading in my barrels. I think it is the powder I am using now. The old powder didn't leave near as much lead in the barrel as before.

I use two methods to get that stuff out. One is to use a tuft of copper scouring pad around an old bore brush to knock out the heavy stuff. Then I follow that with Kroil and a good brushing. This stuff left overnight literally dissolves the lead. I dry patch...follow with solvent and Breakfree.

Or I use a Lewis lead remover and then the Kroil treatment. Usually this requires the barrels being left overnight with Kroil in them to work fully.

The first method is the quickest by far.

Mike
 
#19 ·
AA, I usually scrub barrel a few times with a dry brush. Then scrub with a few patches moistened with a bore cleaner which contains some ammonia. The ammonia forms a complex with the copper and thereby removes it from the bore. Several companies market bore solvents which contain ammonia, Hoppes, Pro-Shot, Sweet's 7.62 etc. The Pro-shot cleaner seems to work well for me.
 
#20 ·
I feel like I know the directions to the Holy Grail and no one believes me: use automotive Chrome Polish as bore cleaner with a nylon bore brush. A light scrubbing takes out the nastiest crap you can put in a barrel. I swear. It even gets out the burned glaze ring in a revolver's cylinder.
 
#22 ·
Here's my philosophy on bore cleaning-I almost don't.Back when I shot alot of lead I scrubbed them with bronze brushes,use a lead scraper,all that stuff.The funny thing was as time went on they leaded worse-because I was ruining the bore.I've since switched to plated bullets,but.If the bore looks grungy (I mean REALLY filthy),I run 2 or 3 Hoppys patches through it,dry, and 2 or 3 copper solvent patches through it and dry.Done.It still isn't really clean,but it doesn't affect accuracy on what we're talking about-we're not shooting benchrest rifles at 1000 meters here.It does help quite a bit if the barrel is still warm from shooting though.
 
#23 ·
OK, please try this: after you've cleaned it the usual way and there is still fouling in the barrel.... get a nylon bore brush and some automotive chrome polish. Dip the tip of the brush in the polish and scrub the bore. Run patches through and then look at the bore... it will be CLEAN. I swear it. All my bronze cleaning tools are in the closet gathering dust... don't need them.
 
#26 ·
No one has mentioned using hydrogen peroxide and distilled white vinegar as a lead solvent.

Mix up a solution comsisting of 50% peroxide and 50% vinegar, and soak the barrel for 5-10 minutes. You will find that most, if not all, of the lead will be gone. Any that remains can be easily removed with a nylon or bronze brush.

Dawg23
 
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