Removing carbon from a barrel
- Thread starter Joe R
- Start date
Considering people soak soft metals like brass fittings from carburetors and aluminum carburetor bodies in the stuff for hours on end I highly doubt it would harm barrel steel. It will however completely de grease it and it will flash rust very quickly after you take it out. Another safer method I use to de carbon revolver cylinders is I soak them overnight in a tin can with Sea Foam. Sea Foam won't strip all the oils, but it was designed to melt carbon on intake valves in engines.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Put it in an ultrasonic cleaner and itll just melt the carbon away
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
I appreciate all the input guys. I don't have a ultrasonic cleaner that will hold a 30" barrel. So that's not a viable option.
The barrel I have is .308 Bartlein HV 1:10 twist with only 1,821 rounds through it. I have since learned from Ben Steinsholt ( ShootDots) that I was only doing about 1/10th of the Iosso polishing that I needed to do. So I think this barrel would be a good candidate for plugging it and letting it soak for a couple of days and then some scrubbing and cleaning, then I'll see what happens. I have nothing to loose. If it returns to shooting like it used great!! I will have learned from my mistakes and won't make it again.
I usually run a wet patch of Kroil down the barrel as the last thing after cleaning it, that way my first shot is down a cold but not a dry bore. That has worked well for me in the past.
Thanks,
Joe
The barrel I have is .308 Bartlein HV 1:10 twist with only 1,821 rounds through it. I have since learned from Ben Steinsholt ( ShootDots) that I was only doing about 1/10th of the Iosso polishing that I needed to do. So I think this barrel would be a good candidate for plugging it and letting it soak for a couple of days and then some scrubbing and cleaning, then I'll see what happens. I have nothing to loose. If it returns to shooting like it used great!! I will have learned from my mistakes and won't make it again.
I usually run a wet patch of Kroil down the barrel as the last thing after cleaning it, that way my first shot is down a cold but not a dry bore. That has worked well for me in the past.
Thanks,
Joe
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Bore Tech C-4 Carbon Cleaner. It works for me and has become part of my general cleaning operation for all guns the have little to no copper issue. No ammonia and prevents rust so at times, that's all you need.
ab_bentley
I fix stuff, sometimes....
I'll second Seafoam.
Adam
Adam
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
I use Bore Tech Eliminator as my cleaner, it is supposed to take care of carbon and copper. I use my borescope to check its cleanliness after each cleaning. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize the carbon ring when I saw it. I attributed the "fuzziness" and change in color to the high temp/pressure in the throat area. Alas, I was totally wrong. I was seeing the carbon ring but didn't recognize it as such until a friend explained it to me.
I also used only 4-6 strokes for the Iosso bore paste, and since I felt the patch gliding down the barrel I thought I was doing everything right. Wrong again. Oh well, live and learn...
Thanks for the tip on Seafoam. But I don't understand how do you use it? As a regular cleaner or as dip?
Joe
I use the Bore Tech after getting the powder fouling out with Hoppe's. I find the Bore Tech to work really well against jacket fouling after you get the powder fouling reduced. Bore tech doesn't work as aggressively against powder fouling as #9. It is better against jacket fouling.
I don't let my barrel to carbon to start with. Hopp brush in and out . Ever third time Jb
Never had a problem. Larry
Never had a problem. Larry
Push a patch through with Bore Tech Carbon on. Let soak, push another through, let soak. Repeat this for a day or so. This will help to soften and loosen carbon. Wrap a patch around a worn out brush. Apply Iosso to the wrapped patch. It needs to fit tight. Do a bunch of short strokes (40 or so) of back and forth in the first 6 inches. Then short stroke it one time through the barrel. If it has hard carbon it needs mechanical to get it out. It is baked and compressed from shooting and might take a day or two to get out. You might have to repeat again. It is easiest to keep it out. Matt
Joe R
Gold $$ Contributor
Matt,
I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm a short on time and don't want to spend two days to rehabilitate a $650 barrel that has 2/3 of its life already spent. It just isn't worth it to me. I already have a new barrel, so for all practical purposes I have already written it this one off. I'm going to test this Berrymen Chem-Dip just to see if it works. If it does work it will be another good tool to have available in my toolbox. If it doesn't work I'm only out $20 and 30 minutes of effort.
Kindest regards,
Joe
I've never used it to dip a barrel, only the cylinder from my Blackhawk revolver. I have used it as a pre cleaner for rifles by putting some in a spray bottle and with the rifle pointed downward sprayed it into the chamber. When it runs out the muzzle I put the rig in the cleaning rest and let it soak. This stuff works OK but best when the barrel is still warm from shooting. An hour or so later I give it a few strokes with a brush and patch it out. It only works on powder fouling though. No doubt not the best thing to use. I used it because it was cheaper to buy a can of it for use as a soaking fluid for my revolver. You'll probably do better using a top quality firearm dedicated bore cleaner. I have found Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber to be relatively inexpensive and work pretty good on just about any type of fouling.
You might want to just pour a little of the Chem Dip into the bore and let it run through vs trying to soak the entire barrel. I'm sure it will cut any carbon. If not completely melt it away it will soften it to where you could brush it out pretty easily. I'm anxious to hear your results from it. Maybe I'll buy a can of it to dip my pistols
shoot4fun
Gold $$ Contributor
What action does it fit? If it fits something I have then just forget about it and donate it to me. I have lots of time.
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