ATTN: CLR users...

[Rope2horns]

works great in every SS match barrel I
have tried it in. don't let it leak into your trigger. plan to keep using it.

This^^

 

[BigBlueandGoldie]

For copper cleaning I now use a foaming bore cleaner. Getting the foam in the bore without also getting it everywhere else has been a problem, but I solved it by taking a cartridge brass from the gun being cleaned and drilling out the flash hole to tightly fit the vinyl tube on the can of cleaner. I fit the brass onto the tube, slide it in the chamber and give it a shot of foam. Works perfectly, especially with the gun oriented muzzle down, and I rinse the brass after use to prevent etching.

That's a good idea. The foam is definitely convenient, but a mess at times.

 

[TylerFromMS]

I use piston kleen on AR bolts and bcgs. Haven't tried it on a stainless barrel, but I doubt it would be an issue. And it's super cheap.

 

[Rustytigwire]

Someone here might use a delicate scale to measure weight of an object before and after being partially dissolved by CLR.
A clean empty cartridge before and after soaking for 24 or 36 hrs would surely show a difference of mass.
My good scale is in the shop.

 

[MikeMcCasland]

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Someone here might use a delicate scale to measure weight of an object before and after being partially dissolved by CLR.
A clean empty cartridge before and after soaking for 24 or 36 hrs would surely show a difference of mass.
My good scale is in the shop.

Brass is a different metal than barrel stainless. And etching a barrel beyond recognition may not remove weight from it

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

After reading this, I had to give it a little test. I soaked a bbl drop in clr overnight. It definitely changed the color and appeared to strip away any lubes to bare metal. Couldn't tell if its etched but looks like it may be, to some degree. Wish I had a microscope, as I think it would tell definitively.

 

[ridgeway]

I soaked some 304 and no visible change. I am thinking the carbon content that is in 416 is why the acid in CLR reacts with it?

 

[Hohn]

“Stainless steel” is not one material, but hundreds of different alloys. There’s a world of difference between standard 18/8(304) and 416, 316, 301, 321, 409, 347, 17-4ph, etc etc.
Be careful extrapolating from a mfg claim on “stainless “ to include 416 or 17-4ph.

 

[Hohn]

I soaked some 304 and no visible change. I am thinking the carbon content that is in 416 is why the acid in CLR reacts with it?

It’s not free carbon. It is in the form of carbides. Chromium carbide especially, but others by alloy.

 

[PRR1957]

CLR is a diluted acid, so any prolonged contact with metal will cause some chemical etching. Someone I know tried to remove some surface rust with CLR from a salt blued firearm and dissolved the the bluing, but didn’t do much to remove the rust. CLR though is great for dissolving calcium.

 

[johnnyi]

@FrankG what is your input regarding CLR? go or no go?

 

[spclark]

You guys are using this stuff to clean your rifle bores?

And here I thought I was doing something 'out of bounds' using ATF for barrel break-in & softening up carbon before the bronze brush went in....

 

[Intheshop]

I'll use Mobile 1 auto products on guns but,gonna have to just say no,on toilet bowl cleaners.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Should I quit using it on my stainless barrels and brakes?

 

[ridgeway]

Should I quit using it on my stainless barrels and brakes?

That is a decision you need to make. Do your own testing. I see what happed in my own very simple test on 416r. Obviously it contradicts advocates saying it's safe, lol. Would work well if you would like a matte finish on the OD of your barrel if you don't have a bead blaster. I'd suggest plugging the bore if you want the OD finished, lol

 

[jelenko]

Well, I've experimented with it in cleaning the bore specifically for a carbon ring.

After two different trials, my net is CLR is no better than Boretech C4 in getting carbon out of the barrel. CLR does nothing to a carbon ring.
CLR does get carbon off the area between where the neck ends and the freebore starts which C4 never touches.

For me, if CLR doesn't get the carbon ring, there's no need for it in cleaning the bore.

I could see cleaning brakes/suppressors especially because you get to simply dip the part in lots of the cleaner. I wouldn't want to 'waste' that much C4.

 

[SPQR70AD]

You guys are using this stuff to clean your rifle bores?

And here I thought I was doing something 'out of bounds' using ATF for barrel break-in & softening up carbon before the bronze brush went in....

barrels are not made of human skin. one round fired generates heat to around 1000 degrees. powder burns at around 5000 F then it forces a bullet down the bore dragging carbon, powder fouling and copper with it each shot. using some guys logic they would never fire their gun

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Heres the new bore tech cleaning rod for CLR

 

[PatMiles]

View attachment 1208529

Heres the new bore tech cleaning rod for CLR

Oh baby, OH baby, OH BABY!!!!!