Interesting thread on carbon removal on another forum

[Longtrain]

This is a 223 barrel with 1500+ rounds. After Hoppes removed powder fouling, I soaked it overnight with Patch-out. Lands and grooves carboned were like someone took a black sharpie to them. Three 25 strokes with ThorroClean with their Flush between them and a bore scope check. I call this clean.

 

[LVLAaron]

This is a 223 barrel with 1500+ rounds. After Hoppes removed powder fouling, I soaked it overnight with Patch-out. Lands and grooves carboned were like someone took a black sharpie to them. Three 25 strokes with ThorroClean with their Flush between them and a bore scope check. I call this clean.

ThorroClean is just liquid Iosso, for what it's worth.

 

[ridgeway]

Hard to beat good old hoppes/kroil mix

 

[skeeljc]

Shooters Choice MC-7, let sit for 10 min, do this twice, bronze brush after 2nd soak. This removes 80 percent of the carbon. Then Bore Tech C4 will remove a bit more with bronze brushing. Losso will clean up the rest in the first 12" of the bore.

 

[Longtrain]

ThorroClean is just liquid Iosso, for what it's worth.

Yup, I believe so, it acts just like Iosso paste, just a little easier to manage out of a squirt bottle. I have tried most main stream “carbon remover” products. Most do little, IMO, I believe you need an abrasive to get rid of the carbon. I’ve used J-B, Iosso, and now Thorro Clean, they all work, pick one you like. CLR may do something, but some of the tests scare me a bit. What I have works and I’ve pretty much quit looking.

My current Dasher barrel, getting up in age, >2000 rounds, groups open as it gets fouled, copper has shown up. A cleaning and the accuracy come back for a while. I’ll nurse it for a while and the new one is already waiting in the wings.

 

[Ccrider]

Yup, I believe so, it acts just like Iosso paste, just a little easier to manage out of a squirt bottle. I have tried most main stream “carbon remover” products. Most do little, IMO, I believe you need an abrasive to get rid of the carbon. I’ve used J-B, Iosso, and now Thorro Clean, they all work, pick one you like. CLR may do something, but some of the tests scare me a bit. What I have works and I’ve pretty much quit looking.

My current Dasher barrel, getting up in age, >2000 rounds, groups open as it gets fouled, copper has shown up. A cleaning and the accuracy come back for a while. I’ll nurse it for a while and the new one is already waiting in the wings.

My thoughts also. I have some that I tried out for a while. I less work required. I. The end, I just soak with free all and brushes as needed. If I let things go, Iosso on a patch wrapped around a worn brush after soaking with free all makes shirt work of the ring.

Generally, good barrels don’t take much to keep them clean. Older worn barrels require more.

 

[257ack]

Back in the 80's, I discovered that the GM top engine cleaner did better than anything else. I bought up a stash of it because, like everything else, it might become unavailable. It has been discontinued because it was considered unsafe. Well, they have replaced it with safer ingredients, It was still sold in the same can but it is not the same. This stuff works for me and I have a small supply that will outlast me.

 

[DiffEQ]

Here is a pic of two stainless tuner brakes, both cleaned in a heated ultrasonic cleaner. One using water, a splash of vinegar and a squirt of dawn detergent, the other using a 50% solution of CLR for about 6-8 minutes. Guess which is which
View attachment 1379972

Well?

 

[Longtrain]

I’ve got Freeall too, like I said I was looking for the “Barrel Fountain of Youth”, it’s suppose to help dissolve the carbon, well maybe, but nothing earth shattering. I tried to find GM TEC, what I bought now doesn’t appear to do much, except taking Sharpie Marker off my old Berger boxes.

From my tests, Patch-out or Wipe-out appears to make the Thorro-clean work easier, less repeat scrubbings. I still use Hoppes, it’s cheap, a quart on Amazon is very reasonable, does the basic clean-up. The Patch-out attacks copper and may loosen the carbon. An abrasive of choice cleans up the left overs.

 

[D Coots]

While not trying to hijack, I'd like to comment on-
Carbon Tetrachloride.
That brings back a lot of memories. When I was young, you could buy it at the local drug store, no kidding. I had a 1954 Harley Pan Head, that leaked motor oil into the clutch pack. It would get so bad that when I tried to kick start the engine the clutches would slip, the engine wouldn't turnover, and you were done.
Out came the clutches into a bath of the Carbon Tetrachloride. A good soaking, and a little hand rubbing, (yes hand rubbing) and I was good to go again for awhile
At the local drug store no less. How times have changed.

Cool on the Pan..... just sold the 47 Knuck last year.

 

[Shooter13]

This is a 223 barrel with 1500+ rounds. After Hoppes removed powder fouling, I soaked it overnight with Patch-out. Lands and grooves carboned were like someone took a black sharpie to them. Three 25 strokes with ThorroClean with their Flush between them and a bore scope check. I call this clean.

I took ThorroClean to the last UBR match and told them to "try it" you'll like it. Some did after I explained how to use it, don't know if anyone purchased it but I had told them to go through their regular cleaning session then use the thorroClean. Very good stuff!

 

[DawidB]

Sir, would you mind sharing how you use the Thorroclean products in your barrels?
I guess I’m asking how many patch strokes and or brush and to when you use the flush in between the processes. Thanks.

So my process is fairly simple, I push a copper brush through immediately after my last shot for the day, no matter if it was 5 or 50 shots, wet with Ballistol, 2-3 times. When I have time, whenever that is, I would pass two patches of the bore flush , just to get rid of the Ballistol, and frankly quite a bit of sud/carbon comes out. Then, copper brush, wetted with thorroclean, 1-2 passes, one direction only. Next will be 1-3 passes with dry, clean patch, until they come out clean.
That is it, I verify, like most these days with borescope , perfectly clean, if its not perfect, one more pass with a patch wetted with thorroclean will leave it prestine.

I have been using this product for 8 months, after 35 years of however many wonder cures, I have no interest in using anything else ever again.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

can CLR be used on a blued steel barrel or only stainless-steel barrel ?

I use it on both and have since 2018 without any problems, I just don't leave it in the barrel for very long and don't let it sit on any bluing. I left two barrel stubs (one chrome one steel) in CLR for a couple days a while ago to see what it looks like after some people said it could damage steel and both stubs just goes a dull grey after a couple days, bluing on the steel stub got removed rather quickly.

Through a borescope I can't see any damage to any of my barrels that I would contribute to CLR. When im done with the CLR I just push a soaked rubbing alcohol patch through as I would do with any cleaning product before I change to another one

I have been using it like this since I saw that article years ago

Primal Rights

Primal Rights

www.primalrights.com

I push about 5 or so patches wet with CLR through the bore and a massive amount of carbon fouling will be removed. Next I put a VFG aggressive pellet soaked with CLR on the ProShot adapter and scrub the throat. The VFG pellet allows for a back-and-forth motion that allows you to really scrub it good. This demolishes a stubborn carbon ring in record time

If I see any carbon left down in the groves ill screw on a bronze brush and go after that with CLR on the brush. Its seems to work for me

 

[Bugs]

Well?

The brake that is etched a dark color is the one cleaned with CLR. I haven't tried to buff it or polish out the etching yet but I suppose it could be one. The shiny one was cleaned with plain water, dawn and a splash of vinegar.