Barrel carboned up - thoughts on Gumout Regane?

[26Reload]

Thanks for all the suggestions, it really helps when trying to correct a problem that was self inflicted! The C4 arrives tomorrow but I picked up the Seafoam spray and plan on soaking the barrel for a while with it. I also plan on soaking the barrel overnight with Kroil as a possibility it will"creep" into the carbon coating. The local GM dealership did not have the top engine carbon cleaner in stock so I tried the Seafoam for now plus waiting for C4. I guess from what I am seeing in the barrel and read is likely I have bonded the carbon to the steel which makes it the toughest to remove. It seems almost like a ceramic coating being so impervious to so many different cleaners including JB with bronze brush! What a life lesson that is painful since I had just purchased the Magpul 700 stock which fits great and allows me to use slightly longer COAL with the box magazine.

I was hoping to use this rifle this fall for elk/mule deer but may have to use old reliable Sendero in 300WM (better shooter but weighs in quite a bit heavier) which is OK.

My basement smells like a refinery right now and have egress window open, candle burning and my ozonics running....Wife ain't happy about that at all....

Easy to fix.....get a new wife....oh..i mean rifle....

 

[Muddyboots]

I am 39 years with my wife so much easier to get new rifle...much harder to train new wife...

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I have C4 ordered but won't be here for couple days.

You have C4 (Bore Tech I'm guessing)on the way? Just wait for it. Bore Tech products are great.

 

[crkckr]

My vote goes to either the BoreTech carbon cleaner or the Slip 2000 carbon cutter. Both work very well cleaning the stubborn carbon off AR bolts & such. JB non-embedding bore cleaner also works but usually takes a minimum of 50 strokes to get it started. I use a bore guide and put a piece of tape on the rod as a marker so that the patch makes it to the muzzle but doesn't actually go out. Stroke in, stroke out = 1 full stroke. Once the barrel is clean I used JB Bore Bright which is the same as the bore cleaner but a finer grit, more like a polish. Maybe 25 full strokes or until patch is black. Once the patch (which has to be tight fitting... your cleaning rod should twist with the rifling) is black it's time for a new patch and more JB. I then run a patch with alcohol thru to get all the JB out, then run a patch of Kroil or WD40, then something like Rem Oil or synthetic motor oil thru the bore for corrosion protection. I suppose you could use Flitz or some other fine polish (metalglo, etc.) but I have no experience using it in the bore. The use of a bore scope is HIGHLY recommended! You can find things down there that will scare the beejeesus out of you!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[TwoMore]

Now I love and use boretech but c4 wouldnt touch it in my rifles. been there done that . It will get the carbon that is fairly easy to get off but the attached carbon will be there. I shoot a few hot rods that carbon up quickly and the only thing I have been able to get it out with is scrubbing with JB or Isso wet with kroil. I am going to try Sheps way for sure now. good luck I hope you figure it out! keep us in the loop

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I've had good luck with PB Blaster

 

[The Oregonian]

I recently did a more through carbon clean based on advice from my gunsmith...wanted to make sure there was no carbon ring using this method.

https://alphamunitions.com/kaubers-corner-carbon-ring-build-up-resulting-problems-and-a-cure/

 

[Muddyboots]

Making headway with barrel. After trying C4 and Hoppes Elite foam, I went to an old reliable that I haven't used in a long time. I ran FLitz thru bore on a brush and was shocked at the amount of carbon it removed. I am almost back to clean bore but some more elbow grease and it will definitely be back. Bottom line is a bore carbonized as bad as this one was is only get clean with physical labor and right "polisher". But I see progress and it feels good to see improvement. I have basically tried most of the carbon cleaners even soaking overnight for about 18 hours and they really didn't get it done. On normal carbon cleaning after a bench session they will probably be ok. I also saw a huge difference in quality of bronze brushes. I found some Sinclaire brushes couple days ago in my bench and they really were tight to bore and that is when I also tried Flitz. I tried the carbon cleaners with these brushes and they still didn't blacken up a patch. Used Flitz and they were black as midnight. So some of y'all stated elbow grease is the only means and you were 100% correct. As I said before the cleaning is great PT for shoulder as well!!!! Thanks for all the suggestions!

I am pretty sure the bore got this way from 240 rounds thru it with RL16 which I know now to clean for carbon in future. Just normal cleaning only gets the powder residue but not the carbon from this powder. Still will use it since getting crazy low ES and SD.
Muddy

 

[ShtrRdy]

Which Flitz product did you use?

When you used the Flitz did you just work on the first 8" of the throat/rifling?

 

[Muddyboots]

I used their polish and not the bore cleaner. It isn't as "abrasive" but still does clean bore nicely. The patches were black as midnight even after just a couple strokes. Seeing that makes you continue with confidence you are getting it done.
https://www.flitz.com/flitz-polish-liquid/

I used it for entire bore. I could not feel any drag near throat so I am thinking it has taken care of that but only a bore scope will tell me for sure. I will get it scoped once I have gotten down to where I feel it is bare steel again. One way I found to feel the drag near the throat is to use an undersized jag and go slow thru the throat area. I have seem to have better feel of any resistance easier this way. A full size jag can impose its own drag which can be hard to discern between any build up in this area. AT least for me.

I am going to grab some of their bore cleaner as well since I was out of it and had this on bench so I tried it. I have a pal that uses their bore cleaner and swears by it and not at it! He mentioned it to me thus I remembered I had it on my shelf over my cleaning bench. I actually have a bench with shelves dedicated to just gun cleaning and minor smithing which makes it nice for this kind of work.

I also put this in my vibratory cleaner to help clean brass which it does help shorten time up quite a bit.

I did try JB but not sure how it was doing since it is touch to determine why the patch is dirty either from JB or bore. Maybe it was working, I am not sure but guess probably so. I just liked seeing a black patch and know it is from the bore itself.
Muddy

 

[Muddyboots]

Also, I had a NIB package Remington Brite Bore liquid from a XMAS stocking that I saw on my shelf and read the info and was surprised when it said dissolves carbon. So I just ran it down the bore and DANG it does remove carbon and now I have another cleaner that actually worked. Patches black as midnight after using this.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Also, I had a NIB package Remington Brite Bore liquid from a XMAS stocking that I saw on my shelf and read the info and was surprised when it said dissolves carbon. So I just ran it down the bore and DANG it does remove carbon and now I have another cleaner that actually worked. Patches black as midnight after using this.

I once found out after running numerous patches of abrasive polish down some newly nitrided barrels to clean out residue from the process, the black on my patches was actually steel from the bore. My smith scoped them and said they were the smoothest bores he had ever seen. Too smooth.

 

[Muddyboots]

Montana, totally agree on the probable result but its a trade off of getting rid of bad carbon fouling and then starting over to "break in" or season the barrel all over again. No choice, I failed to realize how bad the carbon was building up until pressure showed on a historical non pressure load (2 gr below max) which made me open my eyes and say &^%$^&. The real issue is will previous loads even remotely shoot like they did and will require some tweaking I am sure. Maybe my self inflicted problem will help others look at carbon especially for some of the really stable powders that seem to foster carbon buildup faster.

 

[Muddyboots]

Eureka! FINALLY! Back to clean steel bore. Just going to shoot it to see how it does.

Final tally:

• almost 250 patches used
• 8 bronze bore brushes (last 4 were Sinclairs which I believe made the difference)
• 4 nylon brushes trashed
• Almost full tub of JB
• 8 oz. Flitz polish used
• 8 oz. of Hoppes Elite foam
• C4 about 8 oz.
• full can of Kroil (basement still smells like refinery even with candles burning off to the side. Wife still PO'ed. I still have to get stuff from fridge in basement.
  
• 4 oz. of Remington Bore Brite
• est. 2 oz of Sweets
• est. 2 oz of Barnes CR10
• 8 oz. of Butches Bore Shine
• est. 1/2 16 oz. can of Gunslick foam
• 8 oz. of Ben Gay for shoulder
• 4 weeks without rifle just sitting in cradle being attacked with barrage of chemicals and physical effort.

Bottom line: Really tight fitting stiff bore brushes from Sinclairs with JB and or Flitz actually worked. The chemical attack I tried really didn't remove it at all. I soaked it overnight for 24 hours with all the carbon removers on multiple occasions and they did not loosen it up at all.

Lesson learned: if you shoot the so called temperature stable powders, be aware they might bite you with heavier carbon buildup at a much faster pace than you will anticipate. I will still use RL16 and RL26 but I will now clean for carbon after each session. I really like their performance so the extra care is worth the results.