Tried the SnipeX Treatment...

[watercam]

Well, bit the bullet (every pun intended) and spent the $35 to obtain and try the SnipeX barrel bore improvement treatment. For those of you who remember when Otis carried something similar, this is a one-part ceramic bore coating (instead of the Otis three-part) that one applies via bullets fired while coated with the product as well as the walls of the bore.
I had a .223 factory barrel with a horrible throat cracking issue. Beyond the usual moon craters and cracking there were a couple of places with cracks ACROSS the lands and grooves (!). One in an X shape. I can only conclude that those were manufacturing or installation issues (it is a CZ 527 factory barrel - would have asked for a new one but that I did not have my bore scope at that time and it shot well in spite of it).
Applied the SnipeX as directed (not great instructions by the way, they need someone with better English skills to re-write them) which involves coating bore and bullet and firing same thirty times. I initially was concerned about pressure problems from having a gel substance in the bore and on the bullet but had no issues at all with normal handloads. In the end it did have a positive effect. The cracks and scratches were filled in to a degree with a brass colored coating that did not clean out with Sweet's 7.62. The bore was smoother and accuracy was every bit as good as ever. Time will tell how long it will last. The company says "at least 3000 rounds" but also says "reapply no less than once a year". No idea. I won't be using it on my match rifle barrels but for sporters I think it is worth your time to try it.
No, I have no connection with the company in any way.
Mike T.

 

[JRS]

Another snake oil ;D According to the "snake" that peddles this stuff, it will repair worn rifling ??? Really :

 

[amlevin]

Kind of sounds a little like those "Pills" you could add to the gas tank that would "Restore" your worn out engine 8)



Personally, No Thanks.

 

[watercam]

I only report my experience with it. Seemed to me to be a band-aid for a throat heading towards the end of it's life. I don't sell the stuff. The company that does also sells Engine Restoration compounds as well so there's your answer. They don't know anything about what they are selling, marketers only.

 

[jonbearman]

Keep us updated with your findings despite the nay sayers that have disposable income to keep buying new barrels.If it works,it may work on a worn tube I have to restore the accuaracy that is lost.Please keep updating this. I have a few classic rifles and replacing the barrel would destroy the value.

 

[watercam]

Will do, though there is definitely a limit as to what this stuff can do. It will not recreate rifling lost to erosion. It does seem to fill in cracks and cratering enough to smooth the bore out so bullets are less deformed.
Will let you know!

 

[lpreddick]

i'll try it. i have a barrel that can't be hurt...a 22-250 that has been shot A LOT! may be a waste but won't be my first. i have been using Dynamic Finishes Companies ultra bore coating ceramic coating and am impressed that it does what they claim...reduces cleaning time. this product is claimed to be .025 micron particles of a ceramic product that "coats" the bore and reduces powder residue and copper from adhering, thereby reducing cleaning time. being "ceramic", which suggest a glass origin the stuff is supposedly "cured" by the heat of bullet friction and lays down a glass-like coating. i will swear that my cleaning time is way less that half! powder residue is gone in just a few patches and copper the same. i hated shooting some guns due to the cleaning time...not now. i look forward to trying this stuff and will report my findings.

 

[amlevin]

i will swear that my cleaning time is way less that half! powder residue is gone in just a few patches and copper the same. i hated shooting some guns due to the cleaning time...not now. i look forward to trying this stuff and will report my findings.

Is it this product's super capabilities or are you seeing the "placebo effect". Kind of like where the "doc" gives you a sugar pill, telling you it's a fantastic cure for your ailment, and the next day you swear you feel better.

I recently started using CFE223 in my .308. I KNOW that it works because I can't find as much copper in the barrel as I used to. Of course I'm looking closer and more often now so I wonder if that makes a difference 8)

 

[lpreddick]

have yet to try the Snipex coating. it seems to fill in and leave a visible color in the cracks. the Dynamic Finishes stuff i have used does not. i was skeptical that it did anything, so i counted and photographed the number of patches to get all powder residue out the the number to get all copper...12-15 patches each! coated the bore as per instructions (very clear), shot a few, cleaned as before and started counting dirty patches...less than half and after a couple sessions...even less, esp copper. my hardest to clean gun is a pleasure to shoot now. i, however, have one barrel that refuses to respond. it shot funny in the beginning...really dirty and really copper fouled! could not tell any difference after bore coating, so i polished it clean with jb and recoated, still without a noticeable reduction in cleaning time and the copper remains. about to replace it but may try the Snipex but for some reason i suspect this barrel is a problem. i could have it rechambered to a known accurate cartridge and see if it will shoot then. i think i'll use the Snipex and if it is still a pita, turn it into a tomato stake.

 

[lpreddick]

well, i did it. the first few inches of my 22 BRX felt like sandpaper and the borescope confirmed firecracking for 6+inches. loaded 20+ 80 gr smks (long bearing surface) and coated the bore and bullets and felt a little concern also but they shot safely. cleaned after each shot but learned one is supposed to just shoot them all without cleaning, so i did it again. cleaned the bore and it felt different...smooth. borescoped and WOW! the freebore and lands were so shiney i thought there was still some solvent, so i ran several patches of denatured alcohol and drys and looked again...the glass-like bore is real! i could see the circular light of the borescope clearly. the barrel is a 9 twist and would not shoot the 69 gr bullets i had hoped it would. it showed favor with 73 and 75 bergers, so i loaded some 73s with n 540 and i thought they were blowing up since 4 shots didn't enlarge the hole, but the 5th blackened the edge. cleaned and again...smooth as glass. repeated this combo and the hool remains very small and velocity is 3419 fps! i think i know what is happening, but i don't care. i was ready to pull this barrel, but the gun shoots like a laser! snipex says at least another 2000-3000 rounds. i still have half a tube of the stuff, so i must try it on my favorite 22-250 whose bore is hurting, which is why i built the 22 BRX, not knowing it was a barrel burner.

 

[mac86951]

Of course I'm looking closer and more often now so I wonder if that makes a difference 8)

The nice part of the looking more often, and closer is that you should expect to see more. Not less of what you are looking for...

-Mac

 

[watercam]

Mirrors my results, seems to help fire cracked throats.

 

[jonbearman]

This discussion reminds me of another product that the nay sayers is something that will ruin your barrel.I know this isnt snipex but it is tubbs final finish.I have heard all the suppositions that it will ruin a good bore even though the one of the winningest shooters use's the product,so I tried it in a near new savage 30 inch .308 barrel with chatter marks in it.So I loaded up and went to the range and shot and cleaned and shot etc using the final finnish.The gun went from being not much better than a cheap sporter accuracy,over an inch to all 5 touching.So yes some of these products really work.

 

[BigDMT]

Good info. Wish I'd have known about it a couple months ago. I would have gave it a shot on a badly fire cracked 6.5mm barrel I had. I already changed the barrel out though. I will definitely keep snipeX in mind for my varmint rifles in the future.