Help with cleaning barrel

[MagnumManiac]

It looks like that now.
It looked solid black before cleaning and could feel the friction while running the patch through. It smoothed out after cleaning but was still charcoal black. I also shoot 3 round test groups with ample cooling time. Lately with the heat, I'm only loading and shooting 6 rounds per range trip. My farm range is one mile away so I can run out there when I get a break during the day.

I would try some CLR in it if it looks like mine. Let it soak for 15 minutes then use a bronze brush…a nylon brush may shift some of it, but not all of it.
I have a CM barrel in 300WM that fouls horribly but shoots awesome, so I clean it regularly with CLR and JB Bore Paste.
This is what it looks like before cleaning.

 

[Roughrice]

I would try some CLR in it if it looks like mine. Let it soak for 15 minutes then use a bronze brush…a nylon brush may shift some of it, but not all of it.
I have a CM barrel in 300WM that fouls horribly but shoots awesome, so I clean it regularly with CLR and JB Bore Paste.
This is what it looks like before cleaning.

I may need to try some. I'm always concerned about the highly caustic cleaners but it may take that to cut this carbon.
I did run JB about 25-30 strokes after cleaning and patches came out completely black again... even a couple of #9 soaked patches came out black after JB.
Looks much better now...although not completely out, but glass smooth with final pass.
I tried to take a picture but my phone camera doesn't get it thru the eyepiece.

 

[MagnumManiac]

I may need to try some. I'm always concerned about the highly caustic cleaners but it may take that to cut this carbon.
I did run JB about 25-30 strokes after cleaning and patches came out completely black again... even a couple of #9 soaked patches came out black after JB.
Looks much better now...although not completely out, but glass smooth with final pass.
I tried to take a picture but my phone camera doesn't get it thru the eyepiece.

Even an unfired barrel will have black patches come out with JB, it cuts even the slightest left over crud/oil from when being cut/broached.
I find CLR and Brake clean or throttle body/carb cleaner to work best on heavy carbon fouling.
There is also the possibility that the black is residual oxide from the cutting of the rifling left behind after the barrel was lapped.
Sitting around in a rack can cause oxidation of some lapping compounds.

Cheers.

 

[ShootMo]

The best carbon cleaner that I've found is Free All penetrant at an auto parts store. O'Reilly auto parts, for me.
I heard about it on Ultimate Reloader. Gavin said he tried it because one of the solvents was specific to nitrocellulose.

I'll soak it for a few.minutes, then bronze brush it, then patch it out dry. Usually a few cycles like that and mine's good again. Prior to trying Free All, I was pulling my hair out with the carbon. I tried CLR and it worked well, but the bluing on my crown sure didn't get along with it.

P.S. The barrel above is a super rough factory barrel. Shoots good. Looks and fouls something awful.

 

[AZShooter]

Bumped into an older thread on cleaning barrels. If there was one thing I got from it, don't use a bore brush with any abrasive cleaner!!!!

The posters below consider JB, and Iosso to be abrasive.

Thread:

You are being redirected...

 

[Greyfox]

That is a hard carbon "slick" that can develop over time. While nowhere near as problematic as a carbon ring, it will eventually migrate to as much as +70% down the barrel. It can cause creeping velocity increases over time, and effect accuracy. The condition can be exacerbated with some of the newer high intensity, double based powders that have been gaining in popularity(R26, VV,N5xx). In my experience the best/easiest way to eliminate it is to prevent it in the first place by using a quality(ie. Dewey) bronze brush/carbon solvent when cleaning throughout the life of the barrel and keeping hard carbon build-up in check. For an existing carbon slick/ring, JB Bore Paste applied to a tight fitting patch will remove most/all of the slick. A few steaks are OK, you want to reduce the heavy black slick. It can take a bit of time, and some repetition. I have traditionally been loathe to use any bore paste, but changed my position a while back. While many believe this can be harmful to to barrel, I have not found this to be the case when using a proper bore guide and being mindful of the barrel crown. IMO, It works, and can restore original velocity and accuracy, and, can prolong the useful life of the barrel. The problem with the development of carbon slick/carbon ring is that cleaning patches will come out "Lilly White", giving the perception of a perfectly clean barrel. A bore scope will reveal a completely different story.

 

[Bearman375]

I have a custom Rock Creek barrel chambered in 7 SS. I'm using a Possum Hollow bore guide, Dewey coated rod and Patch out with Accellerator.

In the first 10 inches of the barrel is black in the bottom of the grooves. I have soaked and let sit and ran a bunch of patches to no avail. I do have to bend my rod just a little to get over the higher butt on my Alpine Hunter stock, but wouldn't think that the black is from my rod.

68 rounds down the barrel.

Ideas or thoughts?
Steve

I use CR-10 from Barnes, wet patch soak 10 minutes then dry patch….if still dirty then repeat.

 

[KS2506]

Have you tried plugging the barrel with a rubber plug, standing butt down and soaking for a few days with a good carbon remover such as Bore Tech?

 

[dblman]

My accuracy isn't effected by it, however, with borescope it definitely isn't "clean".

None of the liquid "bore cleaners" will get carbon out. Everyone worries about copper but carbon is the real culprit. JB used correctly with correct rod and patch is the only real answer for carbon.

 

[swampbug]

CLR on a patch in the throat to clean out carbon ring. Iosso bore paste on a nylon brush or nylon brush wrapped with a patch to clean out carbon in first 6-8 inches. Does a better job than JB I think. After this , a copper cleaner to remove remaining copper.

 

[stovepipe]

I bought a product called thoro clean from bullet central and it's definitely good stuff...I don't know if it would fix your issue but it does a good job on mine

 

[TheLongRanger83702]

I have a custom Rock Creek barrel chambered in 7 SS. I'm using a Possum Hollow bore guide, Dewey coated rod and Patch out with Accellerator.

In the first 10 inches of the barrel is black in the bottom of the grooves. I have soaked and let sit and ran a bunch of patches to no avail. I do have to bend my rod just a little to get over the higher butt on my Alpine Hunter stock, but wouldn't think that the black is from my rod.

68 rounds down the barrel.

Ideas or thoughts?
Steve

DON'T PULL ANY BRISTLE BRUSH BACK THROUGH THE MUZZLE. REMOVE IT BEFORE YOU PULL THE ROD BACK then reattach, repeat as needed to loosen fouling.

 

[brguide]

KG2 bore polish with the VFG bore pellets. Only 5 strokes through my 28 nosler will clean it up within minutes.

 

[Window]

I have a custom Rock Creek barrel chambered in 7 SS. I'm using a Possum Hollow bore guide, Dewey coated rod and Patch out with Accellerator.

In the first 10 inches of the barrel is black in the bottom of the grooves. I have soaked and let sit and ran a bunch of patches to no avail. I do have to bend my rod just a little to get over the higher butt on my Alpine Hunter stock, but wouldn't think that the black is from my rod.

68 rounds down the barrel.

Ideas or thoughts?
Steve

I've been there and have two barrels that have never seen a brush. On those two I just not use Pro-Shot copper solvent and when needed I'll use Flitz Bore Cleaner with patch and jag for the remaining stubborn stuff. It may take 15 to 30 cycles with Flitz but it mildly gets them back to bare metal. For carbon rings, I'll wrap a patch or two around a nylon brush apply Flitz and with a cordless drill with low RPM effectively remove the carbon ring. This also works well on polishing dies.