Most effective carbon solvent ?

[Nature Boy]

 

[D Coots]

Sweets changed their recipe at least 15 years ago or more. Not near as strong....smelling or acting from my experience. When I got my borescope I left sweets.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Maybe you can not smell it because, you were smelling it. I do not know if they changed it or not but it gets rid of the copper just fine for me. I use Hoppes and Kroil for carbon, soak, soak, soak.

 

[chop house]

just got some of this product. my barrel was as clean as i was going to get it, without jb or iosso, and then i did this:

the product smells and looks suspiciously like 'pb blaster'...

 

[Dgd6mm]

Wow chop house, that thing was filthy.

 

[Delfuego]

Crest with baking soda.

I prefer the Tarter Control, Try it on the hard to clean barrels. 4 out of 5 gunsmiths prefer it.

How do you use CLR?? Apply with a patch, brush? What methodology do you use?

Just patches. Let it sit for a while (10-30 minutes) and it will all patch out. If you want to see what it does, soak a nasty muzzle brake in it, you can clean with a q-tip after. It will discolor parkerizing, cerakote, nitride, but not stainless.

 

[drano38]

I get carbon out with Holland's Witch's Brew.
On my 6 BRA, I tried an old bottle of Carbout (plastic bottle) a few weeks ago. Didn't seem to do much. Maybe its my technique.
I normally start with Bortech Carbon Remover. Patch, nylon brush, soak 10-30 min, nylon brush, patch, bore scope, rinse and repeat. It gets a fair amount out, but only gets clean steel on middle 1/3 of the grooves and top of the lands. Can't seem to get the groove "corners" clean.
So after several applications, its on to the Witch's Brew, and its clean in 3 patches (~ 10 short strokes in the first 1/3 of barrel, and a couple the whole length).
I might try CLR on this barrel next spring, when I'll have the next barrel ready to spin on.

 

[MatthewsCarbineCo]

https://shop.kgcoatings.com/kg/product/kg-1-carbon-remover/
Work well

 

[jelenko]

Just ran two experiments with my new bottle of CLR.

First, ran a couple wet patches through a 223 bore with ~ 3000 rounds. The barrel had been cleaned using Boretech C4 and Copper Remover.
There was 0.0 black/brown on either of the patches with CLR.

Second. Cleaned a different 223 barrel that had just been shot in a match - 88 rounds.
First 20 patches all had CLR on them. Twice during the 20 patches, there was a 5-10 minute wait/soak time. After the 20th patch with CLR, pushed three dry patches through and started using Boretech Eliminator.
Through patch 12 or so, the patches came out solidly coated with black material. The 20th patch with CLR still had some brown/black stuff on it.
In using the Boretech eliminator, there was 5 or so minutes of wait time between sets of two patches. In addition to the blue, there were areas of black/brown that kept decreasing in width. After 7 sets of two patches with Eliminator [with one of the wait period a couple hours], there was no more black/brown stuff on either a wet or dry patch.
After there was no more black/brown stuff on the patches with Eliminator and three dry patches, passed two patches with CLR - no additional black/brown stuff.

My conclusions:

Using CLR can replace using a bronze brush in removing carbon [when I do use a bronze brush, I've found it takes ~ 15 strokes], but is not more effective at getting the carbon in the corners of the lands/grooves than Boretech Eliminator.
​

Bonus finding:

In the past, I've cleaned a couple barrels with Hoppes 9 - including brushing. Then run patches with Boretech C4. The patches with Boretech C4 came out almost completely covered in black. => Hoppes just isn't much of a bore cleaner.​

 

[varmintshooter]

I have read most of this thread and most guys say use a brush or at least patches, and that is fine for barrels BUT what about for a suppressor. They get pretty bad with carbon and you can't use a brush. I have been using an ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of white vinegar and water. I would like to find something better.

 

[DJB]

I have a muzzel brake on my Marvel 22 conversion ( for steel challenge) barrel which was getting carboned up. Filled a 5 oz cup with CLR. Let the brake soak in the CLR for a couple days, and it came out very clean. CLR really works. DJB

 

[moondog]

I have read most of this thread and most guys say use a brush or at least patches, and that is fine for barrels BUT what about for a suppressor. They get pretty bad with carbon and you can't use a brush. I have been using an ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of white vinegar and water. I would like to find something better.

CLR

 

[Delfuego]

I have read most of this thread and most guys say use a brush or at least patches, and that is fine for barrels BUT what about for a suppressor. They get pretty bad with carbon and you can't use a brush. I have been using an ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of white vinegar and water. I would like to find something better.

I think it depends on the suppressor. Thunder Beast say to use CLR on their "all titanium" cans, but it can/will effect the cerakote, so they recommend plugging it and filling the inside. They also provide free cleaning (shipping extra). I would reach out to the manufacturer and see what they specifically recommend.

 

[p-man]

I've had good results with Ed's Red soaking. However, I always soak my rifle bores with Kroil before leaving the range while they're still warm. If I can't get to them that night, cleaning later is MUCH easier.