Barrel clean

[Pablolig]

Hi all,

I would like to resurface a hot topic once more. Almost like opening a can of worms.
Can people shed some light on barrel cleaning procedure for high performance barrels….
Products used, stubborn carbon removal and last, but not least; the use of abrasives (Iosso or JB bore paste)

I am relatively new to the shooting community, however I already realised how much of an issue carbon build up is.
I have a Brux in 284 Win, that I was about to toss out with 1200 rounds fired; when I thought that perhaps a good scrub with Iosso will make a difference either way…
To my surprise, I have a new barrel again!!!
The grouping might not be the best for some of the hotshots in this forum, however for me was a mighty effort.
It is 5 shots group at 150 yards.

Opinions please !!!

Happy shooting!

[John23]

I am no expert on the topic .
I have tried various products , Nylon and bronze brushes .
Various engine cleaners ect.

In the end I settled for a home made solution based off the “Ed’s reds “ formula .
Essentially it’s acetone and kerosene with some dextron 3.

It is effective in the sense that it is cheap to make and cheap to use .
I use it liberty and found pretty good results .

I scrub the shit out of my barrels with 50+ strokes with a drip tray at the end of the barrel to monitor how much residual is being removed with each application of cleaning fluid .
When it’s running pretty clean I stop scrubbing and patch out .

It wasn’t until I purchased a bore scope though I learned what was really going on .
What I learnt was that my cleaning practices were pretty good and experimenting over the Xmas break I learnt that soaking barrels made little difference, various chemicals made little difference and it was simply the brush doing all the work .

To get a barrel spotless jb bore paste was necessary to remove every last bit stuck on the edge of the grooves .

Out of all of that ramble the only bit of that information there that you should pay attention to is to get a bore scope .
I lived for years without one , and it was a rubbish way to live my life .

That’s my 2 cents on the topic

[disb]

Watching a lot of YouTube.
Iosso comes up a lot.
Lou Murdica cleans with a brush in a cordless drill I think

[KHGS]

There has probably been more written on this subject on this forum than any other subject, you should be able to find it all in the archives!!!!
Keith H.

[Tim L]

I don't think there is a one size fits all for barrel cleaning. The only certainty is that, at some stage, the barrel will need cleaning and, at some stage, a good scrub with JB or similar will be necessary.
Some barrels like to be clean, some won't shoot clean. How clean , or how dirty s the proverbial piece of string. Unfortunately, if they go off, they go off in a hurry and can cost a comp.

One thing I have found is that using molly can give a reasonably predictable outcome on a barrel that is shot regularly. Shoot 300 and scrub with JB. Some can be prepared with a mollied patch, some take up to 12 rounds to settle in but once in they are (in my experience) they are good for another 300.

Mollying is a bit tedious but imo not as difficult as finding the correct cleaning regime for the barrel or the cleaning itself.

[CamoWhamo]

I've tried dozens of different solvents over the years and thought I was doing a good job.
Then I got a bore scope and let me tell you it's the best and worst purchase you'll ever make. The best because it really lets you see if your cleaning regimen works, and the worst because it introduces a whole new level of anxiety and the tendency becomes to want to over clean.

I realized that a lot of the solvents I had relied on for years were not doing anything to the hard carbon. I tried a bunch more products and the regimen that works for me now is to start with Bore tech Eliminator Carbon C4. It takes more carbon than anything else I have tried. It even takes away the dreaded carbon ring just in front of the case mouth. The C4 is a citric based product while most other products are hydrocarbon based.
I follow the C4 up with Bore Tech's regular eliminator solvent and it does a great job on the copper fouling. In fact I reckon the regular Eliminator does a better job on copper than Bore Tech's own dedicated copper solvent (Cu2).

Using the C4 & Eliminator has reduced the amount of times I have had to resort to the Iosso. I still use the Iosso as a third step for an extra thorough clean every 500 rounds or so but I haven't had to use it for the regular clean after every 100 rounds.

[Weairy]

Cleaning is definitely a huuuuuuge part of this sport.

Generally for us, it's Bore Tech, Bore Tech and more Bore Tech. They make some good stuff.

Eliminator, scrub it through with a bronze brush about 15 times, leave it for 15min. Patch out. Repeat.
Borescope and see what's left in there. If it's copper, out comes either the Boretech Copper Remover to soak overnight or the Sweets and use per bottle instructions.
Carbon? Slap that carbon remover down per the bottle instructions.
Paste/polish every now and again (Remington X40, Iosso, JB).
Blow off 8-10 rounds before trying to shoot a score again after polishing however, polishing always sends our rifles off for the first dozen.

[Pablolig]

Great insights guys.
Do you guys see any shortening in barrel life doing all processes right?

[AlanA]

For Maddco 1:12 .308 I clean at end of days shooting. Boiling water, Nulon upper Engine Cleaner with bronze brush for carbon, Boretech Eliminator for copper, JB paste every 200 rounds or so. X’s for sighters is not uncommon, even after JB. Doubt that this will shorten barrel life. For what it’s worth!

[DenisA]

The BEST thing you can do is to apply a liberal amount of elbow grease with a good solvent ASAP after every shoot. I have found that the only thing that makes barrels harder to clean than hard carbon is laziness. I still struggle with it, because its hard to find time and motivation after a long day at the range in the sun.

[Weairy]

The BEST thing you can do is to apply a liberal amount of elbow grease with a good solvent ASAP after every shoot..

100%! While they're still warm, I reckon it's 100 times easier to get the carbon and shite out.

[Ackley kid]

Not sure if it’s available in OZ but CLR works well on stainless barrels( unknown on blued barrels so use at your own risk ) . Guys at home ( Canada ) started using it and works great on Carbon . I believe some one in the US started this and passed it on.
Eric Cortina has a video on it as well on his channel , he does muzzle breaks ECT with it .

[KHGS]

CLR is acidic, it contains at least 2 acids. The manufactures state that it will etch metal surfaces. So my advice is to use it at your own peril. There is no doubt that it will remove carbon, but at what cost? Bear in mind that a microscopically etched bore surface will foul quicker and quicker. I will not use ammoniated solvents in stainless steel and I can assure you I would never use an acidic solution in any of my barrels. AlanA above has a time proven cleaning regime. Another thing to remember, never put cleaning your barrel off until tomorrow!!! It never ceases to amaze me how many rifles with filthy barrels come into my workshop. I have seen barrels ruined by using rods attached to electric drills. Barreles must be cleaned with a back and forth motion NOT a circular motion. Anyone who advocates this as a safe way to clean is having a lend of you!!!
Keith H.

[Ackley kid]

Thanks Keith
There is a thread over on accurate shooter on the CLR cleaning , and many share your beliefs ( Jim Borden ) and many others .
Guys have been doing torture tests leaving barrel stubs in CLR overnight and even days to try to illustrate the etching you speak of , think I actually saw a video on this after 2hr soak time if I recall .

I use as per directions (2-min ) and patch out with alcohol , as do most , then move on to whatever solvents you choose .
As everyone will have different opinions on this you can always test it on an old barrel and use a bore scope . I think when used with some judgement it’s quite effective at removing carbon .
I myself haven’t noticed any degradation of accuracy or barrel life from 284’s but have seen how much crap it pushes out .

Guys can view this discussion on accurate shooter , I believe thread is titled Att CLR users . Google CLR barrel cleaning and there is lots of info on it . If nothing else it’s an interesting read and may add to what you have already indicated . Happy New year to the folks of OZ !
Kevin H