I've never seen a barrel like this.

[todd]

The only timeI really deep clean a gun is when I shoot BP through it. The patches have to come out nearly perfectly white before I am satisfied. Also when I buy a used gun I try to deep clean the barrel. I thought Mil Surps were bad until I tried to de-copper an 86 Winchester in .33 w.c.f.

My .22's get a patch of Ed's Red pushed through and call it good. The exterior gets a good wipe down with an old sock soaked in Ballistol, even the stainless, aluminum, wood, and plastic.

When I come in from a cast bullet center fire session I do the same thing, although I usually flip the patch over, run it through a second time, and finish with a dry patch. My Ed's has lanolin in it. The exterior gets the Ballistol sock.

I want to clean the Hi-Power but I also want to see what the barrel looks like after 100-200 rounds of cast through it. I'll clean the barrel over a white paper towel with a bronze brush to see if I get any lead flakes. The first time I shot it with cast about 3/4 years ago, I immediately pulled it down, looked through the barrel, then pushed a patch on a jag and got nothing after about 25 rounds. Sized .357", Ben's Red and BLL.

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

black gunk, cupronickel, black gunk, copper, black gunk, spirals, black gunk and some more black gunk came out of my 1898 spr armory for 6 or 7 days. did i mention black gunk?

i would spray some gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(about 3 or 4 times) and leave it sit overnite. then i would use sweets, shooters choice, sweets, shooters choice...for about 8 - 10 hours each day. (i did 6 or 7 days over 3 or 4 weeks) . by the time i got to bare steel, my arm was like arnold schwarzenegger!!!!

normally when i buy a milsurp its an overnite course of gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(3 or 4 times ) and then either sweets or shooters choice(2-4 hours) and then bare steel. ballistol or rem oil to finish it up.

i have 2000-2500 rounds out of my 30-40 krag(165gr RD .311") and its still clean.

 

[Charles Graff]

They are both useful tools when you use them properly in proper context.

Used incorrectly or by untrained observers.... Well operator head space problems co

They are both useful tools when you use them properly in proper context.

Used incorrectly or by untrained observers.... Well operator head space problems come to mind...

CW

Thank you for pointing that out. I will enroll in the next proper use of a chronograph class. I don't want to take my operator head space problem to my grave. Time to "get with it".

 

[Charles Graff]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

black gunk, cupronickel, black gunk, copper, black gunk, spirals, black gunk and some more black gunk came out of my 1898 spr armory for 6 or 7 days. did i mention black gunk?

i would spray some gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(about 3 or 4 times) and leave it sit overnite. then i would use sweets, shooters choice, sweets, shooters choice...for about 8 - 10 hours each day. (i did 6 or 7 days over 3 or 4 weeks) . by the time i got to bare steel, my arm was like arnold schwarzenegger!!!!

normally when i buy a milsurp its an overnite course of gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(3 or 4 times ) and then either sweets or shooters choice(2-4 hours) and then bare steel. ballistol or rem oil to finish it up.

i have 2000-2500 rounds out of my 30-40 krag(165gr RD .311") and its still clean.

Amen...cleaning a Krag barrel down to bare steel is the stuff of nightmares. A multi-layer laminate of cupronickle, powder fouling and gliding metal.

 

[RicinYakima]

And don't for get the mercuric chloride primer fouling! My understanding is that US military did not go to non-mercuric, but still corrosive, primers until about 1905.

 

[JWFilips]

One thing to pass along.... If you are cleaning BP or Chloride salts from a barrel...The best solvent is Soap and water! No Chemical cleaner works except maybe water based cleaners! That fouling is a different animal! No Magic modern cleaners works!

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I clean guns after I shoot them.

That practice was drilled into me during my youth (Repeatedly and with consequences for failure to obey) The practice is embedded deeply in me.
There were a few exceptions, mostly dealing with hunting situations and maybe .22 rimfires when target work was involved over more than one day. (And even that was a rare exception). For the most part, guns were cleaned the same day they were shot and for the rare exceptions when they were not cleaned (hunting), they were wiped down before being put up for the night and cleaned as soon as possible.

The idea of putting a dirty gun away makes me extremely uncomfortable. It would be like not standing and saluting the flag during the pledge of allegiance or national anthem. Or calling a judge by his first name when he’s on the bench – you just don’t do it.

 

[fiver]

I don't even wanna mention 500 rounds through an uncleaned rifle,,, with jacketed bullets.
it'll be more,,, and eventually I might/will? maybe lose some accuracy, but until then I ain't cleanin nuthin except maybe to wipe the receiver out and put a dab of some sort of oil where things rub together.

 

[RBHarter]

These threads are why I want for a 6×6×40 ultrasonic cleaner with an 8×8 pan in one end .

I did a 9mm barrel that was seriously gunked up in a ultrasonic cleaner . It took 3 trips , twice it looked like it was full of corn flakes .

 

[RicinYakima]

Ultrasonic clearers are great for multi-layers of dirt. They lift off because of the different density of material. However, they do nothing for chemical bonding, so have a finite limit for cleaning.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Ultrasonic clearers are great for multi-layers of dirt. They lift off because of the different density of material. However, they do nothing for chemical bonding, so have a finite limit for cleaning.

/\ Yep

There's a limit to what an ultrasonic cleaner can do. I was provided one and used it but I wasn't impressed enough to go out and purchase my own.
AND, there are different types of ultrasonic cleaners. The ones used for stainless steel diving equipment will take the finish off an H&K slide - something a co-worker found out much to his chagrin. Well actually, it sort of gives it a mottled appearance

 

[Bret4207]

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

black gunk, cupronickel, black gunk, copper, black gunk, spirals, black gunk and some more black gunk came out of my 1898 spr armory for 6 or 7 days. did i mention black gunk?

i would spray some gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(about 3 or 4 times) and leave it sit overnite. then i would use sweets, shooters choice, sweets, shooters choice...for about 8 - 10 hours each day. (i did 6 or 7 days over 3 or 4 weeks) . by the time i got to bare steel, my arm was like arnold schwarzenegger!!!!

normally when i buy a milsurp its an overnite course of gunslicks foaming bore cleaner(3 or 4 times ) and then either sweets or shooters choice(2-4 hours) and then bare steel. ballistol or rem oil to finish it up.

i have 2000-2500 rounds out of my 30-40 krag(165gr RD .311") and its still clean.

Dang man! I still have to go at my Krag and my '03. You don't exactly make it sound like much fun!

 

[todd]

Dang man! I still have to go at my Krag and my '03. You don't exactly make it sound like much fun!

i know the krag was my great grandfather's and it was sitting for 20+ years before it was my grandpap gave it to me, but jeez, give a guy a break!!!! i don't think it ever seen a copper solvent, just oil and maybe some hoppes powder solvent.

i have another dirty krag that i treated to evapo rust, it took two days of soaking, not only it got the rust off(and the blueing) but it got the inside of the barrel clean and shiny. then i tried brownell oxpho blue.

Amazon.com

 

[RBHarter]

Fortunately for me everything is blue or black parked/melonited except 2 barrels I don't see me worried about finish on .

That 9mm continued to collect a little lead on the severely imbedded copper on the push side of the lands . I could live with it , most of it brushes out with some Kroil or a soak in Hoppes . I gave up after many sets with Barnes and Birchwood Casey's copper solvents .

What's that phrase ? If it shoots well that way don't try to fix it .......or something like that .

 

[Charles Graff]

One thing to pass along.... If you are cleaning BP or Chloride salts from a barrel...The best solvent is Soap and water! No Chemical cleaner works except maybe water based cleaners! That fouling is a different animal! No Magic modern cleaners works!

The fabled USGI bore cleaner used by the military was mostly water.

 

[todd]

this is what it looked like........

i did the oxpho-blue on it. the small pieces and parts came out great, but the barrel, notsomuch. i was heating the krag with a hair drier and the barrel proved to be too much to heat. it was the first time i tried oxpho-blue.

 

[Bret4207]

I've used many, many applications of Oxpho. You were on the right track warming the metal. Degreasing is really important too, as in get it to where you worry about flash rust. Then warm it to where it is slightly hotter than comfortable to touch and then apply with an absolutely oil free section of 4/0 steel wool. Rinse in acetone or spray it down with ether. My theory is that the wool cuts into the slightly oxidized surface metal and lets the Oxpho penetrate more. Let her sit and dry, then polish with something those rough brown paper hand towels or even a paper bag. Then warm, reapply Oxpho with cotton swabs and polish until you get a nice even color. It won't be the equal of a well done hot blue, but it can surely dress up an ugly duckling.

The fabled USGI bore cleaner used by the military was mostly water.

Huh! What makes it smell so bad then? I thought there was a bunch of ammonia in it?

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I had gotten an prefit A&D barrel from Midway for a Savage 110 in 257 Roberts. We were fairly warned these barrels were rough. That thing shoots extremely well as in sub-minute groups. There's plenty of green goop using solvent. The only clue as to who made these barrels was a close out on the Green Mountain website. I go with the proof is in the shooting. No borescope on this one! My Chrony is down after a fall

 

[Charles Graff]

I've used many, many applications of Oxpho. You were on the right track warming the metal. Degreasing is really important too, as in get it to where you worry about flash rust. Then warm it to where it is slightly hotter than comfortable to touch and then apply with an absolutely oil free section of 4/0 steel wool. Rinse in acetone or spray it down with ether. My theory is that the wool cuts into the slightly oxidized surface metal and lets the Oxpho penetrate more. Let her sit and dry, then polish with something those rough brown paper hand towels or even a paper bag. Then warm, reapply Oxpho with cotton swabs and polish until you get a nice even color. It won't be the equal of a well done hot blue, but it can surely dress up an ugly duckling.


Huh! What makes it smell so bad then? I thought there was a bunch of ammonia in it?

I said mostly water, not all water. It has some stuff to deal with powder fouling. I have a full case of that stuff sitting on a shelf in my shop. I does stink something fierce.

 

[Charles Graff]

USGI rifle bore cleaner...I may have misspoke about the amount of water in it.


Chemical Name-Percent

Kerosene 18-22%

Hydrotreated Light Napthenic Distillate 1-3%

Oxygenated Hydrocarbons 1-3%

Dipropylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether 55-60%

1,2-Propanediol 4-6%

2-Aminoethanol 2-5%

9-Octadecanoic Acid 9-11%

 

[Ian]

Bret is absolutely right about the degreased steel wool and coarse carding material when doing a whole rifle with Oxpho Blue (I have used a scrap of old blue jean denim to good effect). Heat gun and keep the surface flooded with the paste via the lump of steel wool as it dries out quickly.