new guy with question

[pickupporter]

Hello all!

I just picked up an Eddystone model 1917 with a barrel marked 11-18, serial number 265XXX, and am excited to own a piece of history. I would like to shoot it sometime in the near future. The history is that it was a ceremonial rifle and shot blanks for 30 years and then sat in a closet / safe at a Vets Post for another 30 years.

I am afraid of the carbon buildup in barrel. My question is, What's the best way to clean the barrel before I shoot it? What else should I do?

Thanks, Dave

Information

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[CINDERS]

Welcome to milsurps I should imagine a good bore clean would be in order to start with I use Bore tech Eliminator bore cleaner on my rifles as well as Pro shot, Hoppes No.9 and for really stubborn copper Montana copper killer.
Patch the bore out with dry patches first to get the loose carbon/gunk out have a look down there get some one to indirectly light the bore from the breech end with a torch and get a view of it from the muzzle ensuring the wepon is safe. I am not being silly just some things that happen with firearms that should never happen there is plenty of stuff on utube of irriots with guns.

You can then boil up a good couple of liters of water pour that down a funnel into the chamber end so it goes through the bore. Patch out whilst still wet with a couple of patches the heat will then dry the rest of the moisture, wait till the barrel cools a fair bit then get some solvent in there with a patch then while it is still wet nylon brush it patching out & repeating. If you suspect it still has carbon use Iosso paste to get to grips with the carbon same process wet the bore paste on the brush say a 1/4 of the brush with paste on it then nylon brush as before. Then if your nice and close get a gunsmith to check the rifle over and bore scope it.

[browningautorifle]

get a gunsmith to check the rifle over and bore scope it.

Like he says...because it could be eroded from black powder or corrosive primers. Depends what the blanks had.

[oldfoneguy]

Those blanks can be brutal to a bore. It more than likely was never cleaned in the 30 years it was used as a ceremony rifle and the additional 30 years of the corrosive salts eating into the steel hasn't helped matters at all. An intensive bore cleaning should give you an idea of what's left of the bore. You can patch it out and then perhaps get a chamber plug and soak the bore for a couple of days. Don't shoot it if there is severe pitting in the bore. I have heard stories of bullets getting stuck in a severely corroded barrel. Best of luck with it. Bill

[Chuckindenver]

hot soapy water...good 35 cal brush,,,

[RC20]

I have bad news for you. The bore is probably totally gone.

My brother bought one of those, gun looked great, nice spirals and all, bullet tumbled sideways though a target at 50 yds.

We got it to shoot 4 inch groups at 50 with a 220 gran flat base bullet as down around 2200 fps

You can try but I don't hold out any hope.

As noted, Bore Tech Eliminator is your best to clean up, Carbon Killer 2000 is good on just carbon.

Those are modern chemical cleaners that are not toxic and do not smell.

[oldfoneguy]

If worst case is you have to have it rebarreled you really do have an excellent candidate for that. Odds are with a serial number that high and a barrel date that late it may have never been issued. Fully complete, probably all matching and it wasn't retired for fatigue reasons. You can still find unused WWII era replacement barrels new in the wrapper and I believe new barrels are made for the 1917. With a new barrel that is properly bedded you will have a rifle that will shoot like a laser beam and will be a prime example of the renowned accuracy of the US Model 1917. Bill

[jamie5070]

I would consider 265XXX to be an early production eddystone, since they made 1.3 million rifles. An 11-18 dated barrel would be way out of the serial range. I too had one of those rifles and ended up having it rebarreled.
Plug the end and pour in the hot soapy water. That is one of the best cleaners for black powder residue

[pickupporter]

Thanks for all the info, looks like I have a lot of cleaning and inspection to do...

[cipherk98]

Jamie may be on to something, as my gun is in the very early 1 million range and has an 8-18 dated barrel. If it has been rebarreled carefully inspect the front of the receiver for cracks, it has been known to happen when changing out barrels on the Eddystones in partticular