CLR and Chrome Moly Barrels

[Bob Wright]

Vinegar will absolutely neutralize caustic soda, which may not be an acid idk, but caustic soda will eat your flesh right down to your bones if you don't neutralize it and vinegar does a great job at doing that.

It's alkaline and caustic soda is another one that just isn't used in rifles. It's usually used to etch or clean materials prior to other processes like plating, etc.
The operative word is "etch".
A mixture of water and baking soda will neutralize.

 

[MW204]

It's alkaline and caustic soda is another one that just isn't used in rifles. It's usually used to etch or clean materials prior to other processes like plating, etc.
The operative word is "etch".
A mixture of water and baking soda will neutralize.

Knowing what I know about caustic soda I would NEVER use it on a rifle.

 

[Tac-O]

I did on a ss barrel. I noticed odd white spots that wouldn't go away. Quit using it.

 

[Far North Hunter]

I've used CLR for quite some time, only on stainless bbls. I do not let it soak in a bbl for any extended period of time. I find using It shortly after shooting CLR takes carbon very easily. I only run two patches, using a o ring bore guide, then immediately patch out the CLR with alcohol. If copper is present, you'll easily see it following the alcoho patches, I'll use Eliminator. If no copper I run Kroil on a patch. I never experienced any white spots in the bbl, but I never leave CLR in the bore for extended periods of time.

 

[dennisinaz]

Vinegar is acetic acid, it won't " neutralize" any other acids. To neutralize an acid you need something with a high pH like ammonia or some type of carbonate. As for using CLR, if you use it, clean and shoot you won't have all this drama. Those of you who clean every 20 shots are idiots. How do you get any practice in? Unless you are shooting a 300 RUM case necked down to 6mm, 80-100 rounds should be no issue.

This is a bore scope photo of a barrel that soaked too long. It still shoots 1 ¼ moa

 

[IHFarmer07]

Vinegar is acetic acid, it won't " neutralize" any other acids. To neutralize an acid you need something with a high pH like ammonia or some type of carbonate. As for using CLR, if you use it, clean and shoot you won't have all this drama. Those of you who clean every 20 shots are idiots. How do you get any practice in? Unless you are shooting a 300 RUM case necked down to 6mm, 80-100 rounds should be no issue.

This is a bore scope photo of a barrel that soaked too long. It still shoots 1 ¼ moaView attachment 394485

I use vinegar to clean fine electronics, battery connections and it works to use a rusty nut buster. My dad always loves to use it for rusty nut busting! Vinegar will discolor concrete if if left there too long.

Using an acid to "drown"out other acidics will only add to the corrosiveness or cause a chemical reaction!

I use clr on SS and it don't stay in there very long and then gets wet patched out with the common 91% alcohol then maybe kroil, sometimes nothing as I clean thoroughly the chamber and such.

 

[dennisinaz]

This is likely the best stuff you will find. I use it to clean fuel injection nozzles on aircraft. I soak for an hour and wash it off with hot water. Takes it to bare bronze every time. I've tried typical " carbon removers" they take 2 days and still need a nylon brush to do what this stuff does in an hour. Will not hurt any metal no matter how long left on. It's a very thick liquid and stays put.
Hope you liked the Remington barrel that soaked in salt water too long

 

[mnoland30]

Vinegar neutralizes caustic soda because caustic soda is an alkailai. Acid or alkaili will burn you if strong enough.

 

[Teri Anne]

CLP is different, it actually seems to work okay.

The thread is about CLR...the stuff made to clean shower heads and toilets.

CLR should never be used in a rifle. It does nothing to help clean the barrel. CLP however comes in many different brands and formulations. While I never did like it, the military grade that came in the OD bottle seemed to work OK. Some of the other types are questionable as to the formulation as everybody jumped on the bandwagon but if I remembered right had to be careful about patent issues. I still like Hoppe's #9 and RemOil. Tried and proven over and over for many years.

 

[MW204]

My conclusion on CLR and cleaning.
I will start with Free All to get most of the carbon out while the barrel is hot. Then use Hoppes foam for the copper and let it sit for a while since I'm not shooting competition. Once the copper is out I'll use Kroil or Free All to get a little more carbon out and then a wet patch of alcohol. 2 dry patches, then 2 wet patches of CLR on a slot, and let it sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes 2 wet patches of 91% alcohol then 2-3 dry patches. Clean the chamber and then 1 oil patch for the barrel followed by one dry patch and I'm finished.
After starting this thread and reading all the comments it seems to me that CLR is an excellent cleaner to get carbon out of a SS barrel, but I will never use it on a CM barrel again. I will attach a pic of my last cleaning and let you decide. Before anyone jumps on that I have a huge carbon ring in the back of the pic that is just a shadow, nothing more, the entire barrel looks like what is lit up well.

 

[dennisinaz]

Carbon off works so well there is no point in using anything else. Won't hurt metal of any flavor

 

[cowboy]

Carbon off works so well there is no point in using anything else. Won't hurt metal of any flavor

Where would you go to get some of this? Automotive store???

I'd never heard of it - thanks for the tip.

 

[dennisinaz]

I bought mine on Amazon

 

[josh_127]

Vinegar will absolutely neutralize caustic soda, which may not be an acid idk, but caustic soda will eat your flesh right down to your bones if you don't neutralize it and vinegar does a great job at doing that.

Caustic soda is alkaline...we use it to raise ph.