Centennial Crud

[BLTsandwedge1]

....now about that 1894 that followed me home a month ago.....as I put together the necessary kit to begin casting and reloading for it, I also began cleaning the rifle. Hmmmm.....smoky bore. After 1/2 hour of vigorous scrubbing with a brass brush and Hoppe's fouling remover (black lable, just like Johnny Walker and tastes exactly the same) the bore is a bit better but the lands are still smoky. A dry patch does show traces of rust. Any suggestions on brightening the bore? The crud in there contains 100+ years of shooting.

Thanks and regards............

[Buckshot]

.............BLTsandwedge1, 1st suggestion would be to lay in a package of ChoreBoy brass wool scouring pads. If you find an 'off' brand of copper or brass looking pads, check them for magnetism when you get home! I sucked it up once and went into the 99 Cent store with Donna and they had some copper looking pads. Hecho en Mexico and said "Safe copper pads". So hokay it didn't say solid copper anywhere and being the non-trusting soul I am ( I still change my own oil!) I tried a magnet. It stuck.

Copper is decidedly non-magnetic so these were copper plated ferrous stuff. Had-ta-be. So get ChoreBoy if possible, or test. I use an old pair of scissors to cut off a square and wrap it on a bristle brush. A nylon one I think is best as it stands up better to the back and forth and is just carrying the brass scrubber. Use whichever you have tho'.

Second is 3-0 or 4-0 steel wool. While a bit more aggressive it is still very mild steel. Even your old Winchester used a tough nickel steel alloy for the barrel and the steel wool shouldn't be a concern. However there remains that mental hurdle of STEEL wool and putting it in the barrel, eh? [smilie=l: . I've used the later several times, and let me tell you on a couple Turk Mausers it just brought the bores up to a nice shine and pulled layers of crud out.

To be honest though, I found a place that carried the ChoreBoys and I bought 4 boxes of 2 pads each. Lifetime supply for my needs and I use it without any mental anguish:-P. You can load it up with J-B and/or I like IOSSO bore paste as I can pick it up locally. Same stuff I think. The paste will turn as black as soot. Then I'll patch with carb cleaner, dry and flush the bristle brush and more paste. When the paste is coming out faint gray I go to the paste on a patch & jag.

You can get the barrel so clean a dry tight patch will just squeek and squeal as you push it through. Sould be the only time you have to go through that routine if shooting only cast.

..............Buckshot

PS: Thanks to Maven for the ChoreBoy idea!

[Bass Ackward]

....now about that 1894 that followed me home a month ago.....as I put together the necessary kit to begin casting and reloading for it, I also began cleaning the rifle. Hmmmm.....smoky bore. After 1/2 hour of vigorous scrubbing with a brass brush and Hoppe's fouling remover (black lable, just like Johnny Walker and tastes exactly the same) the bore is a bit better but the lands are still smoky. A dry patch does show traces of rust. Any suggestions on brightening the bore? The crud in there contains 100+ years of shooting.

Thanks and regards............

BLT,

Rick laid it out for ya by hand.

But I am lazy, so I'd cheat. Take about 20 hard bullets and lube them with JB bore paste. 6 - 7 grains of Unique and some TP. Pull the trigger. If 20 don't get it try 20 more.

Even lead polishes a bore. So you could just shoot light loads and clean between outings for awhile and one day look in and wala.

I favor this method because the real problem is not what you see, but the drive side of the lands. And .... you can't get to them by hand without causing some rounding of the lands. Besides, some guys believe that the bore will hold more lube if you don't remove that finish. So I would try shooting it first. You already softened it up with the other cleaners anyway
Just one more approach.

[felix]

Yes, I like BA's approach best, not only because it works, because it is a fun process. I hate to clean guns, and won't do it unless absolutely mandatory for utmost accuracy. And, even that, utmost accuracy, is getting lower on the totum pole as time goes on. In other words, if it ain't fun, I won't do it.

So, make chaser boolits with high antimony, and very, very low tin. These are the most abrasive boolits. Lube them as normal, but shoot them as slow as possible, like with just enough energy to hit 50 foot away tin cans. Load and shoot at least 5 rounds per every 25 or so heavy duty honkers. ... felix

[BLTsandwedge1]

Thankya gents, as always. When trolling for best practices in a business or sport environment, the ultimate best practice is the one that contains elements of each offered. To the hardware store and the range we go........

......many thanks and regards...............