Cleaning Black Carbon

[imntxs554]

On 1 of my Carbines I shoot a lot it was starting to act up so I took it all down cleaned and replace the OS Sping as it was worn. I also took off the gas nut and piston and clean the port. The problem is I can't get that Black Carbon off the Piston that's baked on it. I was reading a good way to clean Baked on Black Carbon is to use copper. Before I use this will this cause any damage to the piston. I have several cleaners here that nothing has worked. I don't want to change it out cause the piston is marked and want to keep it on my Carbine. Any ideas. TIA

Frank

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[imntxs554]

Why this posted twice I don't know

[bonnie]

I use brass bristle cleaning brushes. Wet it in solvent, brush, wet, brush. Comes off easy.
A bore brush would work also.

[ed skeels]

I put my M1A piston in my lathe and use steel wool to clean it. A drill will do the same job.
Ed

[deldriver]

I believe the general rule of thumb is to leave the gas piston and nut alone unless in extreme cases. If the nut is already lose then go for it if you have to, but generally just let it be unless you want a series of problems that can possibly lead up to stripping the threads out of the inside of the gas cylinder and potentially messing up your barrel for good.

[imntxs554]

Thanks for your advice deldriver, but when it started acting up I put a new OS Spring and was told to check the gas port by a member here that fixes and build firearms to clean it out cause it was clogged. I did with the bit he mentioned and luckily got the Black Carbon off the piston as it was marked. I put it back and used my tool to tighten it like he said. I already shot it at noon time. I check the nut when I took it down and the nut is fine and the piston is moving freely. There is still something going on, so we're going to check out another possible reason why it's doing what it's doing.

[U44]

There is still something going on, so we're going to check out another possible reason why it's doing what it's doing.

Frank, you said it was still acting up. What is it still doing?

Jim