cleaning suggestions

[lhsako]

my .300 WM is clean of copper. there is short section just ahead of the throat that feels a little rough when I push a tight patch thru it.
used JB, brush,etc.still can notice it. any suggestions? it still shoots very accurately. I'm sure there's some erosion. if I wanted a 30-06 I would have bought one. I pay the price.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Sounds like a carbon ring... Let it could just be throat erosion (alligator skin)...

How many rounds through the barrel?

 

[lhsako]

Sounds like a carbon ring... Let it could just be throat erosion (alligator skin)...

How many rounds through the barrel?

only 300 hundred or so....it was used but this situation wasn't present when I bought it.
other than what I'm doing, any other ideas to eliminate the carbon ring?

 

[Charlie-NY]

I'd continue with the JB and see how things go.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

You'll ruin a barrel with all that scrubbing...

Use an engine cleaner designed for removing baked on carbon (extremely hard stuff)...

Seafoam for example..

Even lighter fluid (naphtha) would be better than all that abrasive scrubbing.

 

[Silent Sam]

"it still shoots very accurately" - then don't "fix' it.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

"it still shoots very accurately" - then don't "fix' it.

Normally I wouldn't argue with that at all... It is usually very good advice.

But if it is a carbon ring, it'll eventually start causing pressure spikes.

 

[Charlie-NY]

You'll ruin a barrel with all that scrubbing...

Hmmm - I've used JB periodically on all of my custom barrels and have yet to experience any problems, never mind "ruined barrels". If I remember correctly, JB is all Walt Berger used when he was shooting competitively. He never used brushes.

I guess it may all depend on your technique and whether you take cleaning to an extreme but there is nothing wrong with using JB to help eliminate stubborn fouling, at least not IMO.

 

[truck driver]

Kroil the oil that creeps, soak it over night leaving a patch in the barrel soaked with it in the tight spot.

 

[Divernhunter]

Kroil oil has worked for me. It has been better than all the scrubbing at times. Let it soak then hit it with a brush. SS brushes work well when stubborn stuff is the problem. Then a patch or more. Then soak again if needed.

 

[truck driver]

Kroil oil has worked for me. It has been better than all the scrubbing at times. Let it soak then hit it with a brush. SS brushes work well when stubborn stuff is the problem. Then a patch or more. Then soak again if needed.

The best way I know to ruin a rifle or pistol bore is to run Stainless Steel brushes threw it. The brushes will cut the rifling right out of the barrel since stainless is harder then chrome molly. Please never ever use stainless steel brushes in your barrels.

 

[Divernhunter]

Never ruined a barrel yet. Have done some very bad mil surplus barrels and made them good again. Some you could not hardly find rifling before I started. I do not use SS brushes all the time but there is a place where they are a good item to have.

What you know and what I know are two different thing I guess.

 

[truck driver]

Never ruined a barrel yet. Have done some very bad mil surplus barrels and made them good again. Some you could not hardly find rifling before I started. I do not use SS brushes all the time but there is a place where they are a good item to have.

What you know and what I know are two different thing I guess.

Just trying to be helpful. I used to shoot lots of PPC matches and had custom built S&W pistols. One I bought from a fellow shooter who had gotten a batch of pure lead bullets from a Vender by mistake these bullets leaded his barrels to the point that you couldn't see the rifling, he used stainless steel Hoppes brushes to clean the lead out till he got a Lewis lead remover and by then it was too late. We put the pistol in a machine rest to compare the targets fired from it when it was brand new to the present after all these cleanings and there was a huge difference in accuracy. The Pistol Smith had a bore scope and showed us the damage in the barrel and it was hard to believe what a stainless steel brush could do. Plus it kept leading worse even with good hard bullets because the bore was so rough. I have one stainless steel brush which is a tornado brush made by Hoppes that I use to clean the inside of my case necks before reloading. There are no brissels to cut the metal.
The only barrel I know of where a stainless brush is recommended by a manufacture to clean a barrel was Hammerlii and those barrels were so hard that a carbide cutter in a milling machine would hardly touch them and they were also chrome lined. I tried to have one fluted and ruined the Smith's cutter.
Sorry for being long winded but if you get a chance have your barrels scoped and you might change your mind. As I said before just trying to be helpful.

 

[lhsako]

appreciate your input. bought some sea foam deep creep. will give that a try and report back on results.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

That should soften it enough to get it out.... It will still take a fair amount of soaking though.

Let it soak 30 minutes or so.... Then push a good snug patch through, all wet patches (using the Seafoam)... Loose wet patch, soak 30, snug wet patch, loose wet patch, soak 30, snug wet patch.... Repeat until the ring is gone.


May well take several rounds.... Over the span of a couple of days, but it will come out that way.... And without any damage to the throat of your barrel.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

And once you get it out.... Don't let it build up in there again.

Remove the carbon after every range session.... Not the copper, just the carbon.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

A few words on scrubbing with abrasives....

I know some of the well known shooters/writers do it and recommend it...and I know it will do the job.

But I also know it is scrubbing away barrel life, especially if you're concentrating it in the throat area of the barrel.

Folks like Walt Berger can change barrels as easily as most of us change socks... He needed a quick fix to win a few matches then he'd toss that barrel, screw in another one and keep on going like nothing ever happened.

Myself, I try to make a barrel last as long as possible...I don't use brushes, ever.... I don't use abrasives, ever.

I can soak a barrel cleaner than you'll ever get one by scrubbing... But it takes longer.

That's OK, I got nothing but time, lol....


I do not mean to belittle anybody's suggestion of using abrasive cleaners, not at all... But I do truly believe soaking is the better option unless you're in a hurry for a match, and can replace barrels yourself.

If its a new factory rifle with a really rough bore, I don't see any harm in a careful fire lapping... But one must understand what he's doing when he decides to do that.....trying to improve an already bad situation.... And shortening the useful life of the barrel.


Carbon rings.... Even the best Kreiger barrel isn't immune to carbon rings... Its a powder thing, not a barrel thing... But your average blue collar shooter really shouldn't start scrubbing away with abrasive cleaners, unless they just have money to burn.

 

[lhsako]

A few words on scrubbing with abrasives....

I know some of the well known shooters/writers do it and recommend it...and I know it will do the job.

But I also know it is scrubbing away barrel life, especially if you're concentrating it in the throat area of the barrel.

Folks like Walt Berger can change barrels as easily as most of us change socks... He needed a quick fix to win a few matches then he'd toss that barrel, screw in another one and keep on going like nothing ever happened.

Myself, I try to make a barrel last as long as possible...I don't use brushes, ever.... I don't use abrasives, ever.

I can soak a barrel cleaner than you'll ever get one by scrubbing... But it takes longer.

That's OK, I got nothing but time, lol....


I do not mean to belittle anybody's suggestion of using abrasive cleaners, not at all... But I do truly believe soaking is the better option unless you're in a hurry for a match, and can replace barrels yourself.

If its a new factory rifle with a really rough bore, I don't see any harm in a careful fire lapping... But one must understand what he's doing when he decides to do that.....trying to improve an already bad situation.... And shortening the useful life of the barrel.


Carbon rings.... Even the best Kreiger barrel isn't immune to carbon rings... Its a powder thing, not a barrel thing... But your average blue collar shooter really shouldn't start scrubbing away with abrasive cleaners, unless they just have money to burn.

>>> I'm more toward ridgerunners side of the discussion. The seafoam deep creep worked.it will be my go to powder solvent from now on. heres the 411:
1) plugged muzzle w/ pencil stub
2) sprayed and let it soak 30 mins or so
3) patched out carbon
4) repeated same
exception is that I did use a bronze brush a few strokes as it naturally hastened the process.
the hardness of the bronze-phosphor brushes is softer than the bore. much like a bullet jacket.
copper solvents dissolve both. used a bore guide and keep brushing to a minimum. as a side note, some those harsh copper solvents promoted back in the 80's-early 90's were proved to be harmful to barrels if abused. my college education is the gift that keeps on giving apparently.. ; )
merry xmas everyone. thanks for your collective imput !!!!