Did I just find a great Carbon Cleaner?

[gunsandgunsmithing]

A couple of decades back, I started brushing after short stroking several solvent laden patches through the bore. The idea is to only use the brush for what a patch will not remove, and thereby significantly reduce the amount of abrasive particles carried by the bristles as they do their work. When I am finished brushing, I draw that rod, and the brush mounted on it through a wadded up paper towel to remove residue from both. It actually works pretty well. It takes off of most of the solvent which contributes to brush life. After brushing I run a couple of more solvent patches, and then let the barrel sit wet for a while, before running another pair, and then drying.

Many people rinse the brush frequently, either in a bottle of something like paint thinner or acetone, or spray it off with brake cleaner. Same end result being to clean the brush. Rinsing the brush has the added benefit of longer brush life, as copper solvents really eat at cleaning brushes. Keep in mind, if you have copper cleaner in the bore or on the brush, it will look like copper on a patch.

 

[butchlambert]

Many people rinse the brush frequently, either in a bottle of something like paint thinner or acetone, or spray it off with brake cleaner. Same end result being to clean the brush. Rinsing the brush has the added benefit of longer brush life, as copper solvents really eat at cleaning brushes. Keep in mind, if you have copper cleaner in the bore or on the brush, it will look like copper on a patch.

Mike, brushes are cheap. Probably spend more money on brake clean.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Mike, brushes are cheap. Probably spend more money on brake clean.

True!!

 

[Raptor]

A good automotive carb cleaner works well to clean carbon. A "Carbon ring" in your throat is as hard as a damn diamond. I would love to have some of the old Bendix Injector cleaner they used to have when I was a diesel mechanic. That stuff would clean fired on carbon off an injector and make it look like new again. Had a buddy who put a carb in it and it started to eat it up. I am sure the EPA put it on the hit list years ago.....

 

[Brians356]

When I am finished brushing, I draw that rod, and the brush mounted on it through a wadded up paper towel to remove residue from both. It actually works pretty well. It takes off of most of the solvent which contributes to brush life. After brushing I run a couple of more solvent patches, and then let the barrel sit wet for a while, before running another pair, and then drying.

When you brush, do you stroke both directions?

I only push brush from breech through muzzle, then remove the brush before withdrawing the rod though the breech again, wiping the rod clean as it come back out, attach brush, push .. etc. Just wondering if others do the same.
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[gunsandgunsmithing]

When you brush, do you stroke both directions?

I only push brush from breech through muzzle, then remove the brush before withdrawing the rod though the breech again, wiping the rod clean as it come back out, attach brush, push .. etc. Just wondering if others do the same.
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Not me...I push it all the way through and then pull it back. FWIW, I have seen crown damage as a result. It was simply a dulled crown but was on a 30 Major or 30BR and had SEVERAL thousand rounds down the barrel. It still shot good though. That said, I do my own work and it's a simple job to freshen the crown after a while. With a 30, I like to shoot them for about 2000 rounds then freshen up the crown and the chamber anyway. Not so much that it brings it back from the dead...at this point, most 30's are still shooting great. It's more a combination of not wanting to let it get to far along before setting it back and that I can do it myself, pretty easily.

 

[sofarfrome]

Not to hi-jack the thread but wanted to share an excellent way of removing carbon, including the carbon ring. Kroil is a fantastic carbon remover. Just need to let it soak long enough. I literally discovered this by accident. After putting about 200 rounds down the bore of one of my bench barrels I ran a loose fitting patch through the chamber and barrel. I left it for a couple of days as I was busy doing work stuff for a while. I ran a patch of Butch's Bore Shine through the chamber and barrel and all of the carbon came out the business end of the barrel. Actually came out in chunks, including parts of the carbon ring built up in the end of the chamber. I wish I had taken some pics with a borescope before and after but I was amazed. I am sure many already knew this but I did not.

 

[Steve Ladino]

When you brush, do you stroke both directions?

I only push brush from breech through muzzle, then remove the brush before withdrawing the rod though the breech again, wiping the rod clean as it come back out, attach brush, push .. etc. Just wondering if others do the same.
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Way I do it too

 

[Brians356]

Not to hi-jack the thread but wanted to share an excellent way of removing carbon, including the carbon ring. Kroil is a fantastic carbon remover. Just need to let it soak long enough.

For decades now I have used (on advice of benchrest shooters in the early days of online forums) a mixture of Kroil and Shooter's Choice. Lately I have added Wipe-Out for copper removal, but I still do the initial bore swabbing to muck out most of the carbon with the Kroil/S.C. mixture.
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[butchlambert]

Kroil will not touch hard carbon.

 

[Markk9]

What do you use to remove hard carbon?

 

[butchlambert]

What do you use to remove hard carbon?

I try not to let it accumulate. A good reason for a borescope. It will keep you out of trouble.