My Experience with Kano Kroil in the Bore

[Bayou52]

Hi, All -

I have two Ruger revolvers in 357 - Security Six and Redhawk. Upon cleaning and brushing each bore with Hoppes, I noticed some residual deposits in each bore. Appeared to be residual small, but numerous, amounts/deposits of lead fouling. I started researching for a good lead solvent to purchase but came across a couple of reports of folks using Kano Kroil to remove lead fouling. Since I had some Kroil in the garage, I gave it a try.

Sprayed some Kroil in each bore and let them set for 20 minutes. Followed by about 10 strokes of a bronze brush followed by a dry patch. In each case, the dry patch came out pretty dirty on the first push, then after that, nothing more.

So, I then used a bore light to examine each bore carefully. The result - absolutely spotless, shiny and bright bores. Couldn't be better.

I've read that Kroil is not a solvent, but rather a penetrant that loosens the deposits so as to allow the brush and patch to remove them.

In any event, the Kano Kroil I had on hand in the garage worked real well for me. Didn't have to buy anything more to do the job.............

All the Best -

Bayou52

[mckyboy]

Kroil is good stuff, use it at work and home all the time.

[Jb326]

We use copper solvent in conjunction with Kroil to clean our precision rifles at my work... I don't know of anything that works better, faster. It has become my favorite gun cleaning friend by far.

[Walter Laich]

through great skill and determination I was able to lead my Marlin 45 Colt bore for about 3 inches ahead of the chamber. To cut to the chase, I finally ran a sopping wet patch through and let it sit horizontally for the night. Got a bunch out but needed to do it again. After two tries barrel was back to 'clean.'

Heard some stories that after a number of months all the junk came out. Kroil is penetrating oil and needs time to get under the leading or 'coppering' in the barrel.

I'm sold on it too

[aquarist]

I've been wondering about this stuff. Just haven't had a chance to try it out. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[williamwaco]

Will other penetrating oils work the same way?

[mdi]

I haven't tried other penetrating oils on leaded barrels, but on rusty stuff; nuts, screws, etc.. Kroil in the same situation seems to work better, but I have not done any side by side testing. Kroil has worked for me on most leading as the other members describe. I've read that it "penetrates" below the lead, between the lead and steel of the barrel and is loosened. Seems to work that way for me...

[44man]

I use it everywhere and am always low on it---GREAT STUFF.

[Four-Sixty]

Speaking of the oil that creeps...

I think it was funny when they would use "Kano Pete" (a doll) in their literature. Now he was creepy!

[Outpost75]

Will other penetrating oils work the same way?

ATF and acetone mixed 50-50 comes really close and is lots cheaper. But must be used with adequate ventilation. Kroil is SAFER!

[Scharfschuetze]

A good inexpensive solvent is Tops Engine Cleaner and about 20% Kroil. My normal solvent, but a bit more expensive, is Shooter's Choice mixed with about 10% Kroil.

[cainttype]

I buy KROIL by the gallon to save... Refillable small containers are scattered at home, in the workshop, toolboxes, and range kits... Spray bottles take care of any duties the aerosol cans would be needed for.
I like it a lot.

[bilco]

Where's the best place to buy? I'm always looking to make my life easier when it comes to cleaning barrels and feel like I've tried just about everything and might as well give KROIL a go.

[Hickory]

I buy KROIL by the gallon to save...

Where do you get Kroil by the gallon?

[Geezer in NH]

https://websecure.cnchost.com/kanolabs.com/orders/order.shtml

[opos]

I have used Kroil for years in another hobby I'm involved with...I restore antique farm engines (the big flywheel kind that "hit and miss")...they are often frozen up solid from many years of laying in a ditch or being buried when uncovered...I've tried every kind of product and process to loosen stuck parts and Kroil is far and away the best...be careful of one thing...since it "creeps" it is better if you can pull the wooden parts off as Kroil can sort of work it's way under and into the wood and stain it....I've not had it harm any metal parts but am not certain about aluminum... First pic...as it came out of the ground..second pic after much Kroil and lots of labor to restore.

169792

169793

[Walter Laich]

Wow, that is amazing. How long did it take you to get it in this shape?

[fg-machine]

my experience with kroil

i bought a gallon can 20 odd years ago and sort of forgot about it . quite a few years later i found the empty can while cleaning up around the shop .
it does such a good job of wicking into tiny spaces it wicked itself threw the soldered seam of the can .

i learned my lesson , i poured the replacement can into a seamless container

[opos]

Off and on about 5-6 months ...at "hobby speed"...they are really pretty simple...just got to not force things...lots of Kroil, some heat...tapping and more tapping....The current "thing" is to not paint and "as new restore"..just to get them running and leave them as they were found .... but sometimes, as with this one things were so badly broken and missing and stuck it had to have paint..all in the eye of the beholder...sort of like a really old gun...is it best left alone and made to function or is it better with the wood parts cleaned up and re finished and the metal cleaned ,polished and reblued.....I got some youtubes of some of them running if you want to look (only a few there)... the subject is Zigmond Dorfman

[WHITETAIL]

Yes, I am a retired Tool Maker and I second the motion.
Great stuff.[smilie=p:

[mdi]

Hey opos. I recognize that engine. My dad had one that was on a cement mixer. The spark could be adjusted to fire every revolution or every 6th or 7th. Fun to spin the flywheel with my foot fast enough to get it to start and it would run forever. I seem to remember pouring gas into a resevoir somewhere on the engine, not into a tank...

[Bayou52]

Guys -

Thanks for all of your comments. Very interesting to hear them.

Since my original post where I reported on cleaning the bores of 2 revolvers with Kroil, I'm now in the process of cleanining the bores of all of my firearms. So far, out of the barrel of a Rem 700 30-06, much black gunk/residue has been removed along with tiny copper particles that were visible on the patch.

And this is after this bore was brushed and swiped with Hoppes.

Kroil really does a great job in cleaning these barrels.......it's now going to be a part of my regular cleaning routine.....

Bayou52

[DerekP Houston]

Guys -

Thanks for all of your comments. Very interesting to uear them.

Since my original post where I reported on cleaning the bores of 2 revolvers with Kroil, I' mow in the process of cleanining the bores of all of my firearms. So far, out of the barrel of a Rem 700 30-06, much black gunk/residue has been removed along with tiny copper particles thar were visible on the patch.

And this is after this bore was brushed and swiped with Hoppes.

Kroil really does a great job in cleaning these barrels.......it's now going to be a part of my regular cleaning routine.....

Bayou52

Interesting to hear, I haven't given it a try yet but it may be on my next order! Thanks for the review.

[opos]

I'll not suggest this with barrels that are "nice ones" but if you got an old sewer pipe Mosin or Mauser, etc...I found that using Kroil and scrubbing with a stainless steel "tornado" brush was amazing...The Tornado brush is the one with the bristles all folded back on themselves in a spiral pattern..they are for sale on e bay all the time....Don't know that I'd use one on my tack driver's but on the old milsurps that are in really bad condition it works great...I've also used the Smith and Wesson bore gel but the Kroil is the hot ticket for me.

[CPL Lou]

I mix Kroil with Hoppes #9, 50/50 to clean all my smokeless firearms.
Works like magic on all kinds of fouling problems.
My usual post shooting routine is to dry patch once, then dip my bore brush into the mixture and make about a dozen passes through the bore.
Then I let it sit for an hour or so then I run one dry and 2 wet patches through and then another dry.
I check to see if anything is left, usually there isn't. If there is, I repeat the wet brushing until its all gone.
I've only had to go through a second brushing if the barrel is badly leaded.
I use Shooters Choice #7 for copper fouling.

CPL Lou

[Andy]

I mix kroil 50/50 with shooter's choice and it works a million times better than the hoppes, which was all I knew of before trying this.

Nothing magic, but it certainly saves cleaning time/patches over hoppe's. The only other things I use are SC lead remover for real leading (works great for that) and sweet's for copper fouling.

[mdi]

FWIW and kinda an aside; I keep a container of my "soak" on my bench which consists of mineral spirits, ATF and Kroil. I soak my dies in it and often I'll drop a barrel in it after a shooting session (I have also soaked my revolvers, just remove grips and "field strip). If the part or gun is really dirty/fouled I'll use a wire brush in the bore or a brass brush on the gunky parts. Don't have to disassemble my gun other than a "field strip" as the residue/left over oil isn't thick and doesn't collect dirt/dust. After a soaking/cleaning a light wipe with a rag and a light film of oil stays on the part to resist corrosion. Of course with leading or copper fouling, I'll use regular cleaning methods. Works great on dies...

[cainttype]

https://websecure.cnchost.com/kanolabs.com/orders/order.shtml

Kano Labs sells KROIL in various sized containers, including gallons.... They offer a wide assortment of goodies, and are well worth getting to know

[rwadley]

Kano Labs sells KROIL in various sized containers, including gallons.... They offer a wide assortment of goodies, and are well worth getting to know
Kano Labs is less than 2 miles from my house.

[GaryN]

Kano Labs sells KROIL in various sized containers, including gallons.... They offer a wide assortment of goodies, and are well worth getting to know

I like the 55 gal. for 2000 dollars.

[Spruce]

Sounds like a group buy is needed for Kano Kroil. My first experience with it was on a power plant and I thought it was amazing.

[chumly2071]

For a good light gun oil, use their Microil. It's pretty decent, and supposed to have a little bit of corrosion inhibitor in it for use on instruments. A friend of mine is a chemist in an oil components company (they make additives packages for the players like Exxon Mobil, etc), and it is what he recommended for me to use. He originally was going to formulate some magic gun elixir, but the Microil already did what he/we wanted it to do, so he didn't proceed any farther after trying the stuff. YMMV.

[.22-10-45]

Just a heads up about Kroil..had a Colt SAA backstrap soaking completly submerged in Kroil..got busy and forgot about it for nearly a year..this was in a dry basement. When I finally inspected backstrap..metal completly covered in fine pitting. This was to be re-finished anyway..so no harm done, but I won't use it for long-term bore protection.