j b paste

[ReedG]

Boyd:

You know "the jury is still out" on using t-d as no one really has definitive proof of pluses or minuses. In this shooting game sometimes you just have to do what seems logical to you, regardless of other peoples acceptance or approval. For me, Kroil/J-Bs is one of those and t-d is another.

I really enjoyed the "Daily Bulletin" piece a little while back about the life of a barrel actually being measured in seconds. To my old Vermont farmer mentality it just makes sense to me that if I can put something between the bullet and the barrel that offers some (probably immeasurable) reduction in friction and will withstand extreme temperatures, it has to be better for the barrel. Is t-d some magical formula that will put every bullet in the same hole? Not that I can see. Does t-d add to the useful lifetime of a barrel? I'm convinced it does. Coating bullets is a pain, but so is truing primer pockets, turning necks, weighing charges, etc. It's what we do ...

P.S. Please, let's not turn this thread into a t-d discussion. I promise to be good from now on! I only mentioned it because I think that in the discussion of Kroil/J-Bs, all the "evidence" should be provided.

 

[BoydAllen]

Thanks Reed,
One more thing about my experience with abrasives. In the past, I have tried various things to remove lapping compound from scope rings, and come to the conclusion that for a first step that a light oil works best. The reason that I mention this is that your combination of Kroil and JB would seem to have something in common, with the Kroil keeping the JB more on the surface, working as a slurry, and helping by getting under the fouling. Also, by rubbing JB into a patch, it would seem that the pressure on the bore would be reduced as compared with other ways that it has been used.
Boyd

 

[arpythehun]

I use a brush all the time. How does the brush damage the bore and where? Is not copper softer than steel so will not scratch the barrel? And the bullets traveling down the barrel are made of alloyed copper yet it causes little or no damage. Is it in the way that the brush is used? When I use a brush, I make sure that it totally exits the barrel before changing direction and are gentle when reinserting the brush. I always use a liquid cleaner when using a brush. I can't see a problem in using a brush.

When using JB, I push it through. I never reinsert from the muzzle due to the concern that the crown will be effected. So, I think I'm safe judging from what has been posted. I prefer to run a patch of Hoppe's #9 then run a dry patch to finish.

I found it interesting that too polished a barrel would foul faster. My would presume that the lack of course scratches in the barrel limits the barrel's ability to hold a light film of lubricant. The question about what is best product to leave in the bore.

I am certainly not trying to contradict any of the learned and respected folks quoted above, but I think there is some heresy and old wives tales included in some of the information.

J-B bore cleaner, the one in a white jar with blue writing, is an excellent product. One would have to work real hard to damage the bore of a barrel with a paste with a small amount of 1200 grit compound in it. Rub some J-Bs between thumb and finger and it turns into a harmless liquid without enough grit to shine a penny. A person who would stroke anything back and forth through his barrel for 20-40 strokes should have his head examined. A well-known gunsmith once told me that more people wear out a barrel brushing it than they do shooting it. Bronze brushes have ruined a thousand times more barrels than J-Bs could ever hope to. Some of those chemicals marketed as bore cleaners are needless health hazards that should only be used outdoors.

Over the last 12 years I have fired over 12,000 rounds of handloads through a variety of target/varmint rifles in .223, 6 BR, 30 BR, .308, 22 BR and .223 AI. I have a shelf full of the chemical junk I've bought because so-and-so recommended it. Once I tried Kroil and J-B, I've used nothing else. Simply a patch well soaked in Kroil, followed by a patch with J-Bs rubbed into it and short-stroked once down the barrel, another patch with Kroil and two dry patches have cleaned any and everything that has ever been in a barrel. Two of the 6 BR barrels had over 2,800 rounds through them and were retired simply because I could no longer seat to the lands and they were 1:14 twist and wouldn't shoot the longer heavier bullets. The .223 AI has 2,700 rounds through it and will group 1/2" at 200 yards with a couple of different loads. All have been cleaned after every use with Kroil and J-Bs.

Compared to the friction and abrasiveness of a single bullet being shoved down your barrel by 60,000 or so pounds of pressure at temperatures that would vaporize almost anything, a cleaning with Kroil and J-Bs is a sweet caress.
[

 

[SnakeEye]

That is basically that's how I clean altho I use a little Montana extreme first to knock some of the powder and copper out. When I started useing JB on a regular basies, I stopped getting the carbon ring. I hate brushes, period. Works fer me.... ;D