Can't get my mosin clean

[toolz568]

I have a m28/30 and the first thing I did was clean the bore, and clean the bore and this has been goning on for a while. The bore is strong and shines, but the patches still come out dark. Is it that common for the groves to hold dirt like that and be that difficult to remove or do I just have a very dirty bore? This is my first military rifle.

[leadman]

Not uncommon for an old mil-surp rifle. There are several methods to get these clean.

Put some paint thinner in a large coffee can and insert the muzzle below the surface of the thinner. With a tight fitting patch run the rod up and down. This will suck the thinner into the bore.

Use the purple soap available from Walmart or auto parts stores and do the same thing. This is a strong alkali so don't get it on aluminum or anodized parts.

Use a foaming bore cleaner.

Let it soak overnight with Hoppe's #9. May take several times to get it clean.

I'm sure others will chime in here. Also there should be alot of posts on this subject so do a search.

[milsurp mike]

Best to fire it between cleaning.It helps to break it loose.Dried Cosmolene can be tough to clean.I have had barrels to shot great but never really ever got clean.Shoot and clean then shoot again.Good excuse to go shoot,Mike

PS I noticed you said this is your first Milsurp.I promise it want be your last.I have a terrible disease called Mosinitus.No real cure only Temporary relief that comes From new purchases.

[happyret65]

Try an over sized brush (8mm) and when that wears down wrap some brass wool around it. Keep scrubbing as there is a lot of carbon in there, but it will come clean. Also wipe your rod with a paper towel when you are done scrubbing it with the brush. Helps to use some acetone or mineral spirits on the brush tip.

[daengmei]

I think the new milsurp owner (actually all shooters) should also know that using an oversize brush is ok as long as you don't try pulling it back and forth in the bore. Most new brushes are tight enough that they should be pushed or pulled one way till they are loose (at the muzzle or chamber). Reversing an oversized brush while tight in the bore will almost always cause it to stick; further movement often breaks the rod, especially when using aluminum or brass sections. Nothing like the hassle that comes from sticking a brush in the bore. This alone turns off some new milsurp owners to new purchases. I can't blame em. Really frustrating to get those stuck brushes out.

[Ed in North Texas]

I think the new milsurp owner (actually all shooters) should also know that using an oversize brush is ok as long as you don't try pulling it back and forth in the bore. Most new brushes are tight enough that they should be pushed or pulled one way till they are loose (at the muzzle or chamber). Reversing an oversized brush while tight in the bore will almost always cause it to stick; further movement often breaks the rod, especially when using aluminum or brass sections. Nothing like the hassle that comes from sticking a brush in the bore. This alone turns off some new milsurp owners to new purchases. I can't blame em. Really frustrating to get those stuck brushes out.

Thanks. That is one bit of advice, I have to admit, I never would have thought of. I just never considered trying to reverse any brush while still in the bore. And it obviously applies to all firearms and metal brushes, not just milsurp. I haven't tried it, but I suspect I could get away with reversing a nylon bristle brush. I use more of those than bronze since ammonia based cleaners (e.g. Sweet's) will not "eat" them. But "new to me" firearms with really gruddy bores see the use of bronze brushes when I first get them (or get a Round Tuit and finally get to cleaning them).

Ed

[ubetcha]

Try some Ed's Red.Has cleaned several guns that were very dirty.Will not clean copper fouling but does an outstanding job on carbon/powder build-up.According to Ed Harris ( the thinker-upper) it should clean plastic build-up from shotguns and has had reports of reduced carbon and metal build-up with prolonged use of Ed's Red.Do a Yahoo or Google search for Ed's Red

[bob208]

i have had some luck with cleaning right after firing while the bore is still warm.

[Hardcast416taylor]

i have had some luck with cleaning right after firing while the bore is still warm.


What Bob just said! Give this a try.Robert

[Gtek]

First thing I always have done. Strip weapon for full inspection and if a new to you- get to know session. Stand rec/barrel assy vertical (strapped or tied will free up hands) muzzle down with (restriction- not plug) of some kind in muzzle. Find funnel that will fit into chamber area, slowly pour full rolling boil tea kettle full through. Let level come up past locking lug area, usually full of wonderful stuff. Will be to hot to bare hand, glove up and move to table, by the time you get there water will have evaporated. Place on something stable and push Kroil or Hoppes wet ones, while still hot wipe all exterior surfaces and locking lug areas. Put rifle back together and push bore every day with solvent till you get it to range or it quits making color. I also like to push bore with a nice wet one after string at range and let cool. " This is my first military rifle" - I bet you have not thought about what the next one is going to be, HE-HE. Be Safe. Gtek

[gew98]

I have used Kroil and an M16 chamber brush on 30 caliberish bores with great results. I always start from the chamber and never pull it back through the muzzle. Rinse with RBC or Kroil , flush the bore with same and do over.
My best results have been using a small funnel with a rubber hose salvaged from an old coffee pot to insert in chamber end and pour a pint or more of boiling hot water down the bore first off after degreased. Then I go the scrubbing way. Amazing what that boiling water will dislodge when the pores of the metal open up a tad.

[corvette8n]

I used a homemade electronic bore cleaner on an old Carcano, you should have seen the junk come out of the bbl, it helped alot.

[zomby woof]

Kroil/Jb bore paste maybe a little JB bore brite

[canyon-ghost]

Mineral Spirits paint thinner from the lumber yard, nice oily stuff that's like kerosene, and a brush. I used Hoppe's until I discovered that the mineral spirits cleans even better on cast bullet shooters with the various lubes. It's better than it sounds!

And I can use as much as it takes!

[troy_mclure]

when i got my last mosin it was wrapped in paper and still packed solid with cosmoline.

i found an old shallow tray just big enough to lat the barrel/action and bolt in. then i filled the tray with gasoline.
i let it sit(outside) overnight.
next morning the cosmoline was so loose and sloppy it came right off.

[Hiaboo]

I have a gal. jug of Kroil so what I do, is I plug the end of the bbl and just fill up the barrel with kroil, let it sit for however long as I please then dump the thing and run a brush thru a few times and fill it up overnight and brush then patch, its ungodly clean after this, at least with my experience.

[troy_mclure]

Also MEK(if your state allows it) will strip it right off.

[legend]

They are all wrong, it will never come clean !!

Because i am a nice man i will take it off your hands,just send it to me tomorrow,

and i will dispose of it in the proper manner for you !

Think nothing of it, it's the least i can do for you, i will split the shipping with you..... if you kick in a few norma brass.

Feel free to contact me for my shipping address.

[Pigslayer]

Been sticking with good old Hoppe's #9. Been getting a patch sopping wet with it and mopping the bore and then leaving over nite. The next day I scrub it with a bronze brush then run a dry patch through it. Still getting all kinds of black on the patch but the bore is getting real shiny. I love Hoppe's cologne!

[Donor8x56r]

I use hot tap water ( or boiling if bore is really bad) thru barrel,dry it with patches and Hoppe's 9 while bore is still warm to touch.

Repeat as many times as necessary.Usually 3-4 does the trick .

[jonk]

Heat is your freind. Pour a quart of boiling water through the bore to open up the pores, then run some solvent into it. Use a stainless steel brush.

If this doesn't do it, try paper patching, cuts the crud right out and burnishes the lands lightly.

[MtGun44]

SS brush can scratch the bore. Do what you want, but I wouldn't use it except as a
last resort.

Plating cleaners are often required on milsurps, and the crud comes off in layers. Deplate,
light goes out - done, right? NO, scrub out the black guck, clean with MEK or acetone to
get it water wettable again, and deplate one more time. These things can be like
an archeological dig.

Bill

[Buckshot]

............Don't know if it's been posted before but it's worked great on several milsurps that wouldn't EVER seem to come clean. That was to wrap steel wool tightly on a bristle brush. You can use ATF, Hoppe's, paint thinner, or most any other penetrating type oil-solvent you like. I wouldn't use steel wool on a 22RF barrel unless you KNEW it was made of sterner stuff then 12L14 or 1137. However it absolutely will not harm the bore of any HP centerfire rifle, and it WILL get the barrel clean.

Run the brush back and forth re-dipping in solvent as you feel necessary. When the brush becomes easy to pass back and forth run a few solvent soaked patches, then dry patches through. If still dirty appearing get a new brush, wrap new steel wool on it and begin again. One or 2 tries will generally get the job done.

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

[dualsport]

All good advice above. My two cents is...don't give up. I have resurrected a few milsurps that really looked bad, I mean dark dark and crud coming out for weeks! Wouldn't recognize them now.

[BT Sniper]

No one mentioned any of the foaming bore cleaners? Don't know what everyone's opinioin is on them but I actually tried the wipe out brand with the accelerator and I must say I am impressed with it's abbility to remove copper fouling. I know the post might not have been about copper fouling but it has made my life much easier. It doesn't seem to remove the carbon or powder residue but after the copper is removed getting a clean barrel is much easier for me! Used it on a pitted enfiled barrel... the first patch came out navy blue, then it was a quick bore brush with any of the good bore cleaners and 3-4 patches and I was getting clean patches.

I would be interested to hear other's opinion on the foam...... I like it!

Good Shooting

BT

[Ed in North Texas]

BT - Better than Sweet's?

Ed

[leadman]

I use the foeming cleaners at times. It does work better than Sweet's. So easy it is hard to believe it has actually cleaned the bore.

[BT Sniper]

BT - Better than Sweet's?

Ed

My cleaning expertise is limited to Hoppes #9 and Barnes CR-10 so I'm no expert but I could scrub an hour with either of them with brush and swabs still trying to get copper/brass fouling out of barrel. I have not used Sweet's so I don't know? Maybe?

With the WipeOut I simply run a patch of the WipeOut accelerator then spray the foam in the barrel as instructed (read up the reviews on the wipe out if you are curious, I use a different tip on the can rather then the one provided)...... let it sit for an hour while rotating the barrel every 15 minutes or so as I have found that it tends to settel. An hour later one patch to clean out the foam...... you will be SUPPRISED! It will be BLUE! then follow with any of the orginal bore cleaners with a quick brush scrub and wet patch followed by dry patches till clean. Usually only takes 5-10 patches at most and everything is clean with very little effort on my part. Maybe 10 minutes of my time total. I come back with some oil threw the bore and I'm good to go in my opinion.

I just started using this foam cleaner in the last couple months but I'm convinced. I have allready cleaned out all my barrels. One in piticular I rememember.... a Stevens 300 WM thin barrel that I had shot hot with some of my brass bullets, I spent an hour using traditional methods with barnes, scrub and brush etc........ I could still see the brass build up in the barrel with my naked eye. Two treatments of the wipe out as mentioned above and it was GONE! I'm a believer :) Best part is the can is only like $10 and the accelerator about the same! I bought 3 cans. It will last I while I think.

I was impressed enough that I took a picture of the first patch after an hour long treatment. I think this was from one of the 1917 enfields I recently picked up that was said to have a "bright and shiny" bore.

http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1060933.jpg

Not trying to convert any one but I have found what I like.

Good shooting

BT