How to clean a really dirty barrel

[Claven2]

Bore snakes are GREAT for the guns that aren't easily cleaned from the action end with a proper rod, think M1 Garand, M14, etc.

On a bolt gun, I tend to use a proper cleaning rod. My personal favorite is a graphite rod with brass fitting and a ball bearing rotating handle.

This is the one I use (ie, the last cleaning rod you'll ever buy):
http://sirmailorder.ca/show_prod.php...=105&PHPSESSID=

[Rapidrob]

I too have had bores that won't clean no matter what you do. I built my own Electronic Bore cleaner with outstanding results. What the bore cleaner is really doing is plating the metal deposits from the bore onto an anode. Basic electronics state that electricity flows Positive to Negative externaly, Negative to Positive internaly. This is a plus for us gun owners. I use an old computer power supply, 5 VDC is more than enough for what we need to do. I place a stainless steel rod with 2-3mm clearance from the bore of the rifle. I seal the breech with the rod going through a rubber cork stopper. The rod is insulated from touching the bore by using a small O-ring that is smaller than the bore to allow gas to escape. I place a short piece of plastic tubing on the muzzle and a funnel into this tubing to for a supply of cleaner. I use a mixture of 33% distilled H2o, White vineagar, and non-sudsy ammonia. The positive wire goes to the front sight, the other wire to the rod end that is out of the liquid in the funnel into dead air. As soon as the power is turned on, the bubbles start flowing up into the funnel. Fresh cleaner will flow downward and continue to clean. Lead,copper, metal gunk will flow from the grooves and "plate" onto the rod. The whole thing takes 20 minutes to do it's job. Your bore will be cleaner than you have ever seen it. On the down side, if the bore is pitted, you just opened the pores up for more fouling to gather in. If the bore is in good shape, it will be easy to keep the bore clean for then on. Never,ever leave the unit on and walk away. Any cleaning longer than one hour can damage the bore. Never use ammonia stronger than 11% stregnth. Never sudzy ammonia. Ammonia can remove bluing, be carful with spills.
I have used this device on most of my surplus rifles with results that have brought new life to these rifles. I hope this helps. It's easy to do.

[R005t3r]

I had an 1896 L.E.1 that looked like it spent its life in a barn. I tried hard core bore solvents; not good enough. I plugged the muzzle, poured in brake fluid and let it brew for 24 hours. Drained and scrubbed with an oversize bore brush, patched and voila; gunk be gone.

[ding]

I have filled the bore with stanisall avery good cleaning agent let soak for 3hours with the end of the barrel capped thean scrub out with over size bore brush and more stanisall ===ding

[Cantom]

I had an 1896 L.E.1 that looked like it spent its life in a barn. I tried hard core bore solvents; not good enough. I plugged the muzzle, poured in brake fluid and let it brew for 24 hours. Drained and scrubbed with an oversize bore brush, patched and voila; gunk be gone.

Interesting idea...could the brake fluid hurt the bluing or metal? It dissolved stuff nothing else would touch?

[Gibbs505]

I use Wipe Out. Spray it in and give it many hours to work, don't rush, wipe it out and repeat. I have a couple of wooden P-H rod guides around for Lee Enfield, if anyone wants numbers to make some copies let me know.

I use whipe out as well!

[ganderite]

Fouling is layers of powder fouling and metal fouling. An old Lee Enfield can have cupronickel fouling which is very difficult to remove.

I have cleaned purchases this way a number of times. It has sometimes taken a week.

Equipment needed:

Cleaning rod and patches
Abrasive cleaner (JB paste or Rem Clean)
Copper solvent (Hoppes Benchrest, Sweets 7.62, carb cleaner or KG 12)

The procedure is to stroke the barrel about 10 times with an abrasive patch. repeat.
Stroke barrel with wet patch with solvent.
Wipe with clean patch.
Stroke with wet patch and then leave rifle overnight, muzzle down on a paper towel.


The alternating cleaners remove power fouling and metal fouling. Repeat until the stain on the paper towel is clean. This may take a week. The nice thing is the most of the work is done by chemicals over time.

My favorite abrasive cleaner is RemClean. I use JB on a badly fouled rifle.
My favourite chemical cleaner is Hopes Benchrest on a good barrel and Sweets 7.62 on a rough barrel. Your local car parts store sells carb cleaner. This stuff seem to remove metal fouling quite well.

I just saw this test for a new cleaner KG 12

www.kgcoatings.com/KG-12%20test%20results.pdf

I will try that. It looks real aggressive.

Firearms should always be stored muzzle down, so the oil or cleaner does not run out of the barrel and into the action, trigger and under the bedding.

[RobSmith]

Try to find some break free bore cleaning foam if you can. Until I found this stuff I swore by Hoppes Elite bore gel, since then, well, the break free stuff WORKS (leave it overnight, to hell with the instructions on the can, repeat as necessary). The problem of course is that the can is damned near empty by now and I haven't found anymore of the stuff in Canada yet.

[bill1]

Hi Tom put a cork in the chamber fill the barrel with household ammonia put a piece of tape over the muzzel so the ammonia will not evaporate out. Stand rifle up overnite next day pour out ammonia and scrub bore with snug fitting bore brush, repeat as necessary. DON'T BREATH FUMES!!!!! I have recovered some terrible bores with this method. DON'T BREATH FUMES !!! Do it outside well ventilated!!

[justin_j_francis]

A recent discovery of mine is finding the line of m-pro 7 cleaners, use the bore gel to get the powder and lead out then follow up with the copper remover if needed AND they have no ammonia and are biodigradeable so its not so harsh on your bore.