Barrel cleaning, carbon and copper

seokladuckin

Beginner
Mar 21, 2021
198
2
Let's share our procedures.

Here's mine.

I bought a used 6.5 - 284 Norma, shot pretty good not great, I didn't scope barrel just loaded up and started working up load. Never got to what I thought it should, for some reason I ran a dry patch through it

Well it felt funny, I scoped it and there was carbon just forward of chamber pretty bad and some copper, keep in mind this is a Douglas stainless barrel.

I used wet patches of xtream copper killer , be careful with this stuff it's dangerous... brushing with 30 cal brush . Then wet patch checking for color,,,, then dry patch .

Next wet patch with CLR ,let set for 30 minutes, check color (black) , brush 20+ strokes, check patch ..

Use foam ear plug in muzzle, fill barrel with CLR, let set 4 hours .

Repeat brushing and patch till color is GONE.

Checked with scope , was very pleased, one of the best barrels I have ever looked at , mirror finish , no scratches, very minimum fire cracking .

Products I use

45 buck bore scope off Amazon
Quality bore guides and rods from Sinclair .

I use .22 patch tip and use 2 patches for. 264 bore , fits TIGHT.

Xtream copper killer (dangerous stuff)

CLR yes CLR , cheap buy at Walmart.

Gunsmith friend looked at barrel and he said DAMN good cleaning didn't know CLR did that .
He was impressed at Quality of barrel as well.

Let this wind lay down and I'll see what difference that carbon made , I suspect he wasn't getting load hot enough to be efficient enough

Share your procedures on cleaning


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ozarkpugs":kc0eb9f1 said:
Be careful with clr and blue guns . It will remove bluing .

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I've heard that, that why I stated stainless
Some say it's hard on cerracoat

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I have a few different procedures depending on the gun / load. No bore-scope though, so I can't confirm outside of what the targets and patches say (and we all know they lie).

When I'm using an anti-copper powder like IMR 4451; I'm doing basic fouling maintenance with Hoppes #9 or Ballistol, every 20-50 rounds. Wet patch or two with a few passes (generally 6-12), and I let sit overnight with Hoppes or a week with Ballistol before drying... Goal is to not get the copper out, but make sure the carbon is flushed out and not starting to harden. (Barrel in my 280AI and 30-06 will remind me of a black powder gun after a morning excursion - its not nearly as bad, but it does brings to mind...)

Every couple hundred rounds (150ish-200+) I do a bit deeper cleaning with Patch-Out or other non-ammonia based copper solvent (Patch-Out doesn't work well on all bullets / gilding materials, so I have about 4 other types I use if it isn't a good match). Around 200-400 rounds I like to do a bit of brushing (routine depends on what I see) to make sure nothing is encrusted in the lands or to ensure that a carbon ring isn't forming.

I have used patches soaked in CLR which didn't get much of anything out of my rifles fouling this procedure and the anti-copper powders... CLR has done good work soaking inside suppressors with the earplug in the exhaust end. Creakote didn't seem to be impacted from the soaks I've done and TBAC recommends it.

If I'm not using an anti-copper powder, than I prefer not to use Hoppes and I'll just go straight Ballistol or Patch-Out (or other copper solvent) at the 20-50 round mark. If I'm using Ballistol, I'll use my copper solvent around 75-100 rounds and brush at or shortly there-after.

I use the Tipton carbonfiber rods, Possum Hollow guides, tips / jags and patches very based on the caliber but I do use metal and plastic.
 
Nimrod84":dpb0dbzp said:
I have a few different procedures depending on the gun / load. No bore-scope though, so I can't confirm outside of what the targets and patches say (and we all know they lie).

When I'm using an anti-copper powder like IMR 4451; I'm doing basic fouling maintenance with Hoppes #9 or Ballistol, every 20-50 rounds. Wet patch or two with a few passes (generally 6-12), and I let sit overnight with Hoppes or a week with Ballistol before drying... Goal is to not get the copper out, but make sure the carbon is flushed out and not starting to harden. (Barrel in my 280AI and 30-06 will remind me of a black powder gun after a morning excursion - its not nearly as bad, but it does brings to mind...)

Every couple hundred rounds (150ish-200+) I do a bit deeper cleaning with Patch-Out or other non-ammonia based copper solvent (Patch-Out doesn't work well on all bullets / gilding materials, so I have about 4 other types I use if it isn't a good match). Around 200-400 rounds I like to do a bit of brushing (routine depends on what I see) to make sure nothing is encrusted in the lands or to ensure that a carbon ring isn't forming.

I have used patches soaked in CLR which didn't get much of anything out of my rifles fouling this procedure and the anti-copper powders... CLR has done good work soaking inside suppressors with the earplug in the exhaust end. Creakote didn't seem to be impacted from the soaks I've done and TBAC recommends it.

If I'm not using an anti-copper powder, than I prefer not to use Hoppes and I'll just go straight Ballistol or Patch-Out (or other copper solvent) at the 20-50 round mark. If I'm using Ballistol, I'll use my copper solvent around 75-100 rounds and brush at or shortly there-after.

I use the Tipton carbonfiber rods, Possum Hollow guides, tips / jags and patches very based on the caliber but I do use metal and plastic.
CLR imo has to soak , then brush , I think it softens the carbon , then soak again,

Hard layered carbon is the most problematic fouling to remove from a barrel .

Getting a scope is a very enlightening,
And for 45 bucks and far superior to the Lyman I've used . And you can take pics or video for future reference if you want

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I strictly use bore tech products. Rods, patches, bore guides and solvents. Oh and they have this tool that can clean the lug recess, can’t believe the crud that collects there.
 
I seldom clean a rifle barrel until groups start to open up which takes a lot of shooting . I do run a bore snake through it every now and again .

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