Which rifle bore cleaning solvent is best based on borescope inspection?

[Cassidy]

I saw a post somewhere where the poster was able to determine which bore cleaning solvents work best based on borescope examination after trying various solvents. However, he didn't say which cleaning solvent is best based on his borescope inspections. Anyone done this before. Which cleaning solvent or solvents work the best on rifle bores based on actual borescope inspections.

Cassidy

 

[mikecr]

If you're looking for snake oil, well I think you'll find that everyone is happy with theirs.
What you might consider searching for are the best combined METHODs, based on borescope review.

Afterall, there are methods for copper, methods for carbon, and storage or prefouling methods.
The best of these are very unlikely combined in a single bottle.

 

[fdshuster]

My favorites, proven with my Hawkeye Borescope:

Butch's Bore Shine, good for light copper fouling if left to soak overnight.
If heavy copper then Warthog 1134.
For carbon buildup, about every 150 to 200 rounds fired, JB Bore Paste with bronze brush (Sinclair).
Sinclair patch's. ProShot stab jags.
Bore Tech & Dewey coated one piece cleaning rods w/ Neil Jones & Sinclair rod guides.

As controlled by inspecting the bore with the Hawkeye, I never take the cleaning down to a perfectly squeekey clean bare metal bore, since it will then require anywhere from 5 to 15 shots to begin shooting again. A little copper & carbon left in the bore does not upset me, and there are no fouling shots (wasted ammo & barrel life) required.

And my disclaimer is: It works for me, whatever may work best for others.

 

[Phil3]

Considering that different barrels, powders, and bullets may lead to different kinds of fouling, and the sheer number of solvents, pastes, and foams, as well as the infinite number of ways to clean the bore (brush, patch, soak time), I would say the answer is....it depends. I am as puzzled as any on what I should be doing with my new Howa 223 factory barrel (says use "nitro" cleaner) or the Krieger on my AR-15. Given the cost of the boresceope, I don't have one, so guess, I am...guessing as to what is working, or not. I am not even sure how many rounds to fire before I should even look at cleaning.

Phil

 

[KMart]

For those that has used the Warthog 1134, could you describe it? Is it just a chemical or is it combined with an abraisive?

 

[fdshuster]

Clear liquid, looks like plain water, but by the smell ( don't get near it & take a deep breath), and the effectivness, more powerful than Sweets.

Do a search & checkout their website, available by mail order ( 3 day delivery) only.

 

[pburr]

Here is an interesting article I found on the subject a while back.

http://www.frfrogspad.com/cleaners.htm

 

[fdshuster]

Very good article. Thanks for posting.

 

[gmorganal]

First off, I'm a benchrest shooter, and I only say that to let you know that I seldom ever shoot more than 40 rounds before cleaning. I don't shoot much of anything but bolt action rifles. I have a Hawkeye borescope that I base my findings on. Most of the time I have time to let a solvent sit and work on the carbon and copper. With this background, I'll tell you that nothing works better than to push two wet patches of Hoppe's thru your bore, brush with a Hoppe's wetted bronze brush ten strokes or 12, push that mess out with another wet patch. Now you push one or two sloppy wet patches through the bore, piercing the patches slightly off center so that they fit looser and thus leave more solvent in the bore. At this point, let it sit anywhere from an hour or two to a day. Come back and push a clean patch through, and you will see how well Hoppe's dissolves carbon and copper. At this point the bore of your rifle will be clean but the inside of the bore will have a brown hue to the stainless. The only way I have found to make it have the right color is to use Iosso on a patch or a nylon brush. I put a dab of Iosso about half the size of a Number 2 pencil eraser on a patch and short stroke it through the bore, then with wet patches I clean out the black color that Iosso leaves in the bore. Not necessary to get every last streak out of the bore but most of it. Now you WILL have the shiniest smoothest bore that you can have. I have heard people say they don't like to use abrasive bore pastes in their rifle barrels, and they may well know something that I don't. BUT I have never seen Iosso hurt a bore, and the guy that told me to use it several years ago was Tony Boyer.

I'm sure other bore solvents work as well as Hoppe's, but none are as inexpensive and few have the pleasant odor. Also, I THINK that Hoppe's is less detrimental to your well being than a lot of bore solvents and does not have to be used in a place that is as well ventilated as some other solvents require.

 

[johara1]

+1 on what Donovan said. Wart Hog is the best i found, clean between relays no brushing most of the time. Two or three passes and unscrew at the muzzle if used. I don't want to wear out a barrel cleaning so the most effective cleaner is Wart Hog followed by a dry patch and a 50/50 mix of hoppe's and Kroil. When i'm ready to shoot i run a dry 1 1/8 patch down the bore to remove the excess Hoppe's and Kroil mix...... jim

 

[butchlambert]

I use my own home mix of GM Top Engine Cleaner(no longer available) plus white ammonia, and Kroil. Yes, I have a borescope. As expected you will get several opinions on whose favorite is best. Is mine best, I don't know but it cleans my rifle's bore.

 

[STP]

My view on this this is from shooting moly coated bullets only...and shooting as many as 23 matches a season without cleaning with a Savage in 6BR using the typical 107gr SMK over 30gr of Varget. I dont "clean" until the end of the match season. (November or December).

I have used a Hawkeye borescope at the end of the year and see no unusual evidence of harm either before or after using Butches Bore Shine. My focus with the borescope after using BBS is to view the throat, and note anything unusual...and have yet to see unusual wear. As long as the progression of "wear" is uniform and no eccentric wear of the lands is seen, I simply insure the OAL is still contacting the throat for the next season (by measurement) all is well...

A large part of the criticism of using moly coated bullets is from posters that do not mention their method of coating. I`ve seen on numerous occasions those that have used moly have not removed the excess from the bullets and report poor results. Hmmm!! That excess moly deposits in the throat region and creates it`s own problem, unknown and often unseen by the user w/o access to a borescope.

I wouldn`t pretend to suggest using moly coated bullets to those that are programmed to clean as often as possible, but it has worked for me quite well. And tho` I have to "deal" with the hunidity here in upstate NY as many others do, my "shoot all season before cleaning" seems to work for me.

YMMV

Regards,

Scott

 

[Old Navy]

Do all of you push the patch all the way out and drag the jag back through? Later! Frank

 

[5spd]

I shoot 7-12k rounds into p-dogs out of one gun and don't clean till the end of the shoot w/over 400 down my .223 bbl., all I ever use is wipeout liquid & foam spray along w/JB bore paste, bronze brush run the patch all the way out the bbl & back several times & more depending on what I ran through the gun.
Hawkeye bore scope shows it clean as new end to end.
I have butches 50 cal. solvents and it rates right in there w/ wipeouts, sweets is not that good IMO.

 

[jsthntn247]

You owe it to yourself to try kg-1 and kg-12. It can't possible get any better.

 

[wedgy]

Have used a couple of the ones listed but tried Wipeout for the 1st time. It foames up when you spray it in kind of like the expanding foam insulation stuff. In 3 seconds from when I sprayed it in it had expaneded and foamed out the crown blue(copper)....it was yellow/white when it went in. That's fast. Using a PH bore plug and sitting over night. Will send a patch down in the AM...sorry but I don't have a scope.

 

[rmr]

for high volume guns (.223, 6x45) that are used for P-dogs or beldings, I use Remington bore cleaner. this is nothing more than Isso or JB that has been mixed with some oil so its faster to apply and use. just apply to a bronze brush, and short stroke until clean. for long days of 300-500 rounds between cleanings sometimes it takes two applications. (the bore scope will tell you if another application is needed) even with heavy carbon, I can get a bolt gun squeaky in 10 minutes or less. I finally replaced the barrel on my primary short range P-dog gun about a month ago (button rifled 223) . it had over 10k rounds on it, and shot .3 -> .4moa for 9000+ using this cleaning method.

for large bore guns, (416barrett, 50bmg) I use Mpro7 and a bronze brush for the carbon. once patched out I switch to a mixture of dish soap (acts as a surfactant / foaming agent) and 28% aqua ammonia with a stainless brush. this is NASTY stuff to work with, but it will strip heavy copper very quickly. the stainless brush is almost a requirement when working with 28%, because the ammonia will eat the bronze brush in 1 or 2 cleanings. it works fast enough that you can clean a 50cal between record strings in a match. I have not observed any adverse effects with the 28%/stainless brush to date, other than the fact that if you get a good whiff of 28%, it will put you on the floor. its STRONG! :-O

 

[M14AMU]

Do all of you push the patch all the way out and drag the jag back through? Later! Frank

Dragging the jag back through....for me....is a BIG NO NO! Best way in the world to screw up a crown! And yes....the first couple of patches go all the way through! A few possibly get worked back and forth within the bore!

 

[fdshuster]

Same here: I never drag anything in reverse across the crown. Too many sharp, 90 degree square corners on the stab jags to come into contact with the crown. I have barrels that have been setback and re-chambered 2 times, ( over 3000 rounds fired), and the crowns have never been touched. No need, as seen with the borescope, they still look as good as when new.

 

[butchlambert]

I knew this would turn into a Chev, Ford, or Dodge thing. Has anybody learned anything here?