35 Whelen clean up (pic)

wisconsinteacher · Jan 29, 2015

There are the first 6 patches with the cleaning compound. Between each scrub with the compound I push a clean patch down the barrel to get out the left over. They come out looking the same. I guess I need to keep going.

SJB358 · Jan 29, 2015

Yup, it'll lighten up eventually. Seems like your cutting through it pretty decently.

DrMike · Jan 29, 2015

There can be a surprising accumulation of C, Cu and Pb built up, in addition to other residues from the burning powder in a rifle barrel. For this reason, it is a good practise to keep them clean on an ongoing basis.

wisconsinteacher · Jan 29, 2015

Just did a few more and they are the same.

How many times do you think I will have to do this???

DrMike · Jan 29, 2015

Hard to guess since we don't know how many rounds have passed through the barrel sans cleaning. I have spent hours on a rifle that was less than three months old. In one particular case, the owner had shot perhaps four hundred rounds through the 243 WSSM, shooting it hot and putting it away wet. It was a mess, but it did clean up eventually.

truck driver · Jan 29, 2015

wisconsinteacher":2hsga55u said:
There are the first 6 patches with the cleaning compound. Between each scrub with the compound I push a clean patch down the barrel to get out the left over. They come out looking the same. I guess I need to keep going.

Boy that sure is a mess. Good luck cleaning it up.

JD338 · Jan 29, 2015

Hard to say. Keep at it and eventually you will get the bore clean.

JD338

Wis65x55 · Jan 29, 2015

Just a thought/ idea, would it be a wise idea to plug the barrel then secure the rifle with the muzzle down and fill cleaning solution up to the rifle chamber for a few hours?
Keith

SJB358 · Jan 30, 2015

I would do as Keith mentioned with Kroil. Let it sit for a day or two then continue with the Iosso scrubbing as well. Mikes findings with the 243WSSM are sort of the norm for alot of folks in regards to their rifles, so every shot puts down a layer of copper and carbon, so it'll take quite alot of cleaning to get to the metal.

truck driver · Jan 30, 2015

+1 on the soaking with kroil. find a rubber plug that will fit the chamber fill with Kroil and soak over night.

wvchevy3 · Jan 30, 2015

Kroil is great stuff, it just works slowly. So let it soak a day or two.Lee

PJGunner · Jan 30, 2015

Something just struck my mind. Are you using JB Bore Paste? If so, no matter how many patches you rub, they will always come out black. It the nature of the beast. Clean it out with regular solvent the run a copper cleaning solvent through the bore. Do use a nylon brush as a bronze brush will always show blue. If you're not getting blue from the copper solvent you're done. Oil as normal and go enjoy a beer. :wink:
If not JB, but another abrasive paste, then it might do the same thing. I've always used JB personally.
Paul B.

cloverleaf · Jan 30, 2015

+1 on the JB bore paste, it will always be black. Wipe out works for me, but I am not a "clean to bare metal every time" guy. There is a school of thought that says some build up of copper/ carbon fills in the imperfections in the rifling. I am by no means knowledgeable in this regard. I do know that Dad spent 1/2 a can of wipe out trying to get the carbon and copper out of his 7-Mag before it was "good enough" for him. He never had a chance to shoot it after he "finished". Point is it can take a lot of work. Never used it myself but Kroil has a good reputation. CL

sask boy · Jan 30, 2015

I have never personally had to clean a bore that was that dirty. Wipeout has always done the job for me. I have left wipe out in the barrel for 36 hours then used a brush on it for a couple of hours. I have taken DrMike's advice using nylon brushes!!
Good luck on getting that bore cleaned up.
I can't wait for your range report with photos of course :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

wisconsinteacher · Jan 31, 2015

I am using Iosso paste. I personally don't think this rifle was ever cleaned. The only good thing about the Packers not playing in the Super Bowl is that I have all day tomorrow to clean guns.

SJB358 · Jan 31, 2015

I'd try hitting the barrel with your copper solvent WT. You've probably gotten a lot of the carbon out. See what you turn up with a few copper solvent soaked patches. Might tell you where your at.

The black will keep coming with IOSSO. It will lessen to a degree, but your mostly after the copper that is being laid down.

tim629 · Jan 31, 2015

I would second dan's use of the wipeout, does a lot of the work for you overnight. I havn't tried the others but with the reviews from others sure they are doing the trick too.

I'm lazy so i'd rater let the chemical do the majority of the work so I can run a few patches in the end

Osprey78 · Jan 31, 2015

wisconsinteacher- how many rounds do you figure it took to get like that? That's a lot of crud there.

Wyo7200 · Jan 31, 2015

Another technique idea for you. I use kg cleaner products- and for their bore paste I wrap a patch around a 1-2 caliber size smaller brush, squirt some of the kg1 cleaner to wet the patch, then smear on the bore paste into the patch. The wrapped brush keeps good pressure with more surface area along the bore. Gunk tends to fill the spaces between the patch and bristles. Scrub-a-dub-dub, it cuts the crud. Rinse with brake cleaner and continue as necessary until I get a clean patch.

wisconsinteacher · Feb 1, 2015

I have no clue how many rounds were fired. I just got it and broke it down to clean it. I will try some wipe out next.

Well I am 17 patches into the barrel with IOSSO and I am finally seeing some change in the carbon build up. I'm guessing the project is about 1/2 done. The best results are a soaked patch with #9 and IOSSO followed by a brush dipped in #9 followed by a few clean dry patches to get it out one layer at a time.