Carbon removal

[TTE]

Looked up some old threads, but no clear answer was posted as to what works really well that is not abrasive.
I am old school, when I started shooting, all I heard was Hoppie #9, no bronze brushes and clean until patches come out clean. Well, now that I have learned more from this site (and others) I need to rethink my cleaning routine.

Seems like carbon is more important to attack than copper, as copper seems easier to remove.

I have used Carb Out with some good success, but have a safe full of rifles that will need to be cleaned more thoroughly.

One of the threads mentioned Sea Foam to remove the carbon, but no follow up on how or if it worked. I have used Sea Foam in my car and bike, but after some additional research, I found that this works better for injectors/fuel systems -


My question, has anyone tried this or another injector cleaner in their expensive barrel ... and does it work well at getting the carbon out ? This stuff is pretty affordable as well

I would appreciate any insight. Thanks.

 

[No manches"]

You have just opened a can of worms once again!...

But to answer your question,...yes many of us have with good to Average results.
But no matter how many people state DONT USE BRONZE BRUSHES..
YOU" need them.
This has been the very best for me...25 year tested.

 

[Bob3700]

Be careful with chemicals for carb cleaning as they contain solvents that are harmful to plastics and stock finishes. There are a host of dedicated products that are excellent at carbon removal.
SLIP 2000 carbon cutter is one of the best. You do have to use a brush to break the carbon loose. Brushes are a required item when dealing with carbon. Just my opinion based on bore scope evidence.

Get yourself a bore scope and you don't have to take anyone's word for what works to clean your bbls.

Bob

 

[TTE]

Be careful with chemicals for carb cleaning as they contain solvents that are harmful to plastics and stock finishes. There are a host of dedicated products that are excellent at carbon removal.
SLIP 2000 carbon cutter is one of the best. You do have to use a brush to break the carbon loose. Brushes are a required item when dealing with carbon. Just my opinion based on bore scope evidence.

Get yourself a bore scope and you don't have to take anyone's word for what works to clean your bbls.

Bob

I just got a bore scope. Was just wanting to know what works well. As I said, I have a safe full of rifles that will need the carbon removed I'm sure. Many are 20 years old, some older with only Hoppie being used, so I think I have a task ahead.

 

[HTSmith]

Based on some threads here, I've started using this and it seems to work as well as the BoreTech C4 I had been using. Still takes a lot of brushing. I'd suggest going ahead and getting some Iosso or JB and bone up on how to use it.

 

[LVLAaron]

BoreTech C4 / Iosso works great for me. No weird unknown chemicals required

However, berryman chem-dip works great on stuff like AR adjustable gas blocks that are seized up. (wear gloves and respirator, it'll kill ya dead.)

 

[Bill Norris]

Following Erik Cortina's advise from one of his videos I started using CLR and very happy with the results. Only use on stainless barrels per his instructions and follow up with alcohol to remove it from the barrel once it's carbon free. Unless you are using RL-15 just a few patches will get it out fairly quick.

 

[Mauser06]

Test everything you want.


I've tested a bunch. And bore scoped to verify.


Clean patches don't mean much from my testing.


My testing also revealed that chemicals won't touch hard carbon. At least nothing I tried. I even plugged a barrel and did long soaks.

Hard carbon comes out easily with mechanical means. Brushes or abrasives.


I use chemicals to remove loose fouling and maybe soften up the hard fouling a bit. But if I want to get the bore clean, I goto abrasives.

A few minutes with abrasives will have a bore spotless. I send way less strokes through my bore than I would if I was brushing or using various copper and carbon removers and brushes.

As a regular bore cleaning, I can have my bore clean in a pretty short amount of time.


Adding a bore scope taught me a lot. And has saved me a lot of money on chemicals and headaches from a fouled bore.

 

[Ned Ludd]

The best way to prevent the hard "volcanic glass" kind of carbon fouling is not to let it build up in the first place. Once present, it will be almost impossible to remove without the use of abrasives and vigorous mechanical action. I start with BoreTech C4 carbon remover, running patches until they come out almost clean. Then the barrel gets a few strokes (3-4) with a bronze brush wetted with some C4, and more patches with C4 until they're almost clean. I repeat the bronze brush step until no more carbon fouling is visible on the patches, usually a second treatment is sufficient, followed by 2 or 3 dry patches.

After the C4, I use the Bore Tech Cu+2 copper remover in a similar fashion, except that I run a couple wet patches of Cu+2, then let it sit in the bore for 15-20 minutes before running another wet patch. I usually let the Cu+2 treatment go for at least a couple hours, running wet patches through at intervals while I'm doing other things. Although no carbon fouling was present on the last patches from the C4 treatment, there will usually be more visible on subsequent patches with the Cu+2. At the end of the Cu+2 treatment, the barrel again gets a few more strokes with an older bronze brush (the copper removing agent will attack bronze to some extent), which I rinse well with hot water afterward. After the bronze brush, I follow up with a couple more wet Cu+2 patches, the first of which will be very blue from the bronze brush treatment, and 2-3 dry patches.

After the Cu+2 treatment, the barrel gets several patches of Kroil penetrating oil. At this point, I often let the barrel sit overnight if I don't feel like finishing the cleaning process at that time. Regardless, the barrel again gets a few more strokes with the bronze brush at the end, followed by a couple more patches of Kroil, then a couple dry patches. I finish up with a patch or two of gun oil, and three dry patches.

After switching to this procedure from a less rigorous approach, there is noticeably less carbon fouling in my barrels, even after 1000+ rounds. However, "less" does not necessarily mean "zero". Even with this treatment, it may be necessary during the typical life of a barrel to use an abrasive compound such as KG2 from time to time to completely remove every scrap of carbon fouling, as assessed by the use of a borescope.

 

[6bra1k]

i seldom use bronze brushes in any of my competition rifles.
better living thru better chemistry
the best was gm top engine cleaner TEC long formulated out of use
subaru has /had one it worked, sea foam works, clr works

but the big issue is DO NOT LET IT BUILD UP.
i had an ar10 with terrible build up, tec took it out period
clean every time you shoot, start with carbon removal
i design my reamers with very little area for carbon to build up
others can say what they want, i know what works

 

[jelenko]

The best way to prevent the hard "volcanic glass" kind of carbon fouling is not to let it build up in the first place. Once present, it will be almost impossible to remove without the use of abrasives and vigorous mechanical action. I start with BoreTech C4 carbon remover, running patches until they come out almost clean. Then the barrel gets a few strokes (3-4) with a bronze brush wetted with some C4, and more patches with C4 until they're almost clean. I repeat the bronze brush step until no more carbon fouling is visible on the patches, usually a second treatment is sufficient, followed by 2 or 3 dry patches.

After the C4, I use the Bore Tech Cu+2 copper remover in a similar fashion, except that I run a couple wet patches of Cu+2, then let it sit in the bore for 15-20 minutes before running another wet patch. I usually let the Cu+2 treatment go for at least a couple hours, running wet patches through at intervals while I'm doing other things. Although no carbon fouling was present on the last patches from the C4 treatment, there will usually be more visible on subsequent patches with the Cu+2. At the end of the Cu+2 treatment, the barrel again gets a few more strokes with an older bronze brush (the copper removing agent will attack bronze to some extent), which I rinse well with hot water afterward. After the bronze brush, I follow up with a couple more wet Cu+2 patches, the first of which will be very blue from the bronze brush treatment, and 2-3 dry patches.

After the Cu+2 treatment, the barrel gets several patches of Kroil penetrating oil. At this point, I often let the barrel sit overnight if I don't feel like finishing the cleaning process at that time. Regardless, the barrel again gets a few more strokes with the bronze brush at the end, followed by a couple more patches of Kroil, then a couple dry patches. I finish up with a patch or two of gun oil, and three dry patches.

After switching to this procedure from a less rigorous approach, there is noticeably less carbon fouling in my barrels, even after 1000+ rounds. However, "less" does not necessarily mean "zero". Even with this treatment, it may be necessary during the typical life of a barrel to use an abrasive compound such as KG2 from time to time to completely remove every scrap of carbon fouling, as assessed by the use of a borescope.

This is very similar to the 'process' I use.
I do start out with 20-25 strokes of the brass brush.
After cleaning out any residue, I've found that subsequent bushing brings out very little additional carbon - shows up as very light gray on the first patch through the barrel.
At the same time, a borescope will show a LOT of carbon left in the barrel.

 

[old codger]

I have tried plugging filling and soaking a barrel with the Berryman liquid carb/parts cleaner (the kind sold in what looks like a paint can). I let it set 24 hours. It did nothing to get the carbon out. I think the hard carbon in a rifle barrel is totally different from the carbon in a car engine.

 

[TTE]

Holy Smokes !
I best get busy !

 

[JEFFPPC]

Best advice above, don't let it build up. I have tried it all. I have settled on Hoppes/Kroil mix. Limited bronze brush ...out only. Sweets. Isso or JB every 100 rounds depending on what I see, or don't see. Number one item....soak time.

 

[ChrisNZ]

I'm afraid cleaning with (whatever) "til the patches come out clean" is no guarantee whatsoever you've really achieved the stated goal. Only a borescope will tell you. Ignorance is not bliss here..

I had to deal with a couple of horror stories recently and in the end, only mechanical effort with CLR got the carbon rings out.

 

[6BRA]

Following Erik Cortina's advise from one of his videos I started using CLR and very happy with the results. Only use on stainless barrels per his instructions and follow up with alcohol to remove it from the barrel once it's carbon free. Unless you are using RL-15 just a few patches will get it out fairly quick.

yea...reloader 15 will amaze you during the cleaning process...LOL

 

[Pawnee Bill]

Here's my .02. Holland's Witches Brew. Works good.

 

[Larry Koch]

CLR. Stainless steel barrels only.
no soaking no brushing.

 

[No manches"]

I have tried plugging filling and soaking a barrel with the Berryman liquid carb/parts cleaner (the kind sold in what looks like a paint can). I let it set 24 hours. It did nothing to get the carbon out. I think the hard carbon in a rifle barrel is totally different from the carbon in a car engine.

Now this is funny,..
That's like shoving a whole tube of tooh paste in your mouth over night and expecting to have bright clean teeth in the morning..


Even engine parts and components need mechanical cleaning and brushing to get clean..

Too funny!

 

[jpx2rk]

I have tried various solvents and methods as well. What I've settled on is to use the Bore Tech solvents to some extent (initial cleaning) and then I use a combo of Hoppe's #9 and Rem 40x bore cleaning. A couple drops of #9 on a clean patch and then some 40x on the same patch, short stroke it as needed, changing patches every 10 strokes or so. I only do the #9 & 40x routine when I've shot alot of rounds during the day, such as pdogs or rats, and it works to my satisfaction. I use a Teslong borescope to verify my progress.

If you want too long, it's gonna take you a long time to clean all the carbon out.