Barrel cleaning question or poll?

[LHSmith]

My mentor claimed not to use alcohol in the bore as it devoids the bore steel of all traces of oil which has a negative effect in how the bore fouls- brake-cleen would even be worse.

 

[Martin52]

.... brake-cleen would even be worse.

Yes, it probably is but there's a key step between using brake-cleen and firing a shot - being the application of a light coat of lubricant in the bore - as above, I use Lock Ease after brake-cleen and before the first shot.

 

[cem]

I would not hesitate to use spray brake cleaner in a barrel provided it was handy and I thought it would do some good for whatever I was trying to do. This is more likely to be taking a firearm out of long term storage than routine cleaning. Vapor degreasers are nice for a gun that has been in Cosmoline for 40 years or Rig applied warm with a paintbrush.

My normal practice is to use name brand cleaners to do what they advertise and to soak with products that I know are safe to soak. I may rush to use some cleaner on a warm barrel but mostly I'll soak over hours or days to let the chemicals work. I prefer not to use JB or Iosso for cleaning given a choice and when I have time given that they can be used to remove metal for hard fitting. Field expedients and hurried cleaning in the field or at the range I'll use whatever is available. It does seem to me that short range bench rest shooters have used some odd combinations to get ready for the next relay under extreme time pressure. I do have a couple Hawkeye bore scopes with extra power lights.

But I surely would not mix chlorinated hydrocarbons with ammoniated copper solvents to get a war gas product.