World’s Dirtiest Gun

[Hikinghunter]

Bought a used rifle with a very dirty barrel. Trying to clean it out and see how it shoots. Proving to be a task.

I've been running patches soaked in Lucas bore solvent through it, with a brass/copper brush every 3rd patch to knock stuff loose. The solvent-soaked patches start dirty but come out clean by the 3rd run. After a pass with the brush, the next patch comes out almost solid black. The cycle goes on - clean by the 3rd patch, brush, then nasty solid black patch. The brush is brand new, so it shouldn't be adding gunk to the mix.

Keep going, or try something different? I've probably had 50 patches down the barrel. Still get a black patch after brushing. I'm not used to cleaning barrels this dirty…

 

[Rosebud]

Are you using a bronze brush, or nylon? Bronze will give you a false positive for copper fouling. Which will be black. Try this, run copper remover though, let it set for15/20 minutes. Then run nylon brush for 20 strokes. That's 40 passes through the barrel. Another wet copper remover patch. Wait then run dry patches. The black patches will turn blue if copper is present after they have set for a few. Repeat as needed. KG carbon remover is excellent.

 

[Hikinghunter]

Are you using a bronze brush, or nylon? Bronze will give you a false positive for copper fouling. Which will be black. Try this, run copper remover though, let it set for15/20 minutes. Then run nylon brush for 20 strokes. That's 40 passes through the barrel. Another wet copper remover patch. Wait then run dry patches. The black patches will turn blue if copper is present after they have set for a few. Repeat as needed. KG carbon remover is excellent.

Using a bronze brush, so I guess that could be the culprit. I figured that would just result in a small amount of black or blue on the patch, though. I'm getting almost solid black patches after brushing.

Will get a nylon brush and see how it goes..

 

[crashlanding]

I bought a rifle off of gunbroker cheap a few years ago, a 1957 husqvarna 30.06, it had pine needles jammed in the action. I went through what you are describing and it took 3 weeks of scrubbing and soaking with a variety of products before it eventually came clean, it's now an excellent shooter but I would never put a bore scope through it

 

[Rosebud]

Using a bronze brush, so I guess that could be the culprit. I figured that would just result in a small amount of black or blue on the patch, though. I'm getting almost solid black patches after brushing.

Will get a nylon brush and see how it goes..

Probably has a lot of carbon in it. The KG carbon remover is great.

 

[highfinblue]

My guess is carbon too. Several good carbon removers out there, my favorite is ThorroClean. I prefer nylon brushes, but a friend had a 243 that had a bad carbon ring in the throat of his chamber that was touching the bullets when he chambered a round and all I had was a bronze brush in that caliber. I scrubbed it good enough to get him through these next 12 days of doe rifle season here in Oklahoma and then we're going to put a ThorroClean deep clean on it lol.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

It's time for some Flitz or JB compound.

 

[Muddyboots]

Tough to scrub rifles like this. I prefer soak method with non aggressive solvent like good old Hoppes. Plug muzzle, fill and keep vertical for a week. Patience will win the day cleaning crudded up bores. Usually the solvent looks like poured out. JB like recommended afterwards will do wonders.

 

[Bang4theBuck]

I used to try the least invasive method using boretech products, wipe-out products, and things like that. I now resort fairly quickly to the Iosso bore paste. I wrap a patch around a tight fitting nylon bore brush and coat the patch with the compound. It is an amazing product. It has worked for me on everything from a war Era Mauser to old 742 30-06 to a 6mm CM that went too long between cleanings. It just plain works.

 

[lyotehunter]

CLR will get it all out very fast, just make sure you get it out after. 90% a alcohol

 

[Hikinghunter]

I used to try the least invasive method using boretech products, wipe-out products, and things like that. I now resort fairly quickly to the Iosso bore paste. I wrap a patch around a tight fitting nylon bore brush and coat the patch with the compound. It is an amazing product. It has worked for me on everything from a war Era Mauser to old 742 30-06 to a 6mm CM that went too long between cleanings. It just plain works.

I like the idea of a paste. Liquid solvents get everywhere.

Do you need to get the losso paste out of the bore after cleaning? (Run oil or something through afterwards), or can you just run a dry patch through afterward and call it a day?

Do you use the paste every time you clean, or just on heavily fouled barrels?

 

[Bang4theBuck]

I typically don't clean often. Most cartridges range between 100 and 200 rounds. I am not recommending that, that's just what I do. So, if I spe d the time to deep clean the bore, I usually end up woth the paste.
Once I am happy with the look of the bore (via bore scope) I will usually run a wet product through it (boretech) just to clean any residual, though I don't have any evidence of there being any residual after just 8 to 10 single pass dry patches.

 

[Chad Schmidt]

Many years ago a guy said his 870 would not fire. After dry firing it I could tell there was some hammer issue. Felt it move but heard no click. When I removed the trigger group the entire action was packed full and tightly with a mixture of unburned powder, cat tail fuz and was all stuck together with years of WD 40. There was a slot for the hammer to move but it could not make contact with the firing pin. Pulled out sugar cube size chunks on a screwdriver to begin the cleaning.

 

[Taylorbok]

JB bore paste. also grab a teslong bore camera to verify your cleaning.