omgb
03-18-2006, 03:20 AM
I decided to tear into my badly fouled Mosine Nagant tonight and see what I could do for the old gal. This is a very tired 1939 Soviet model with a basically good bore but a badly worn bolt stop and really loose barrel bands. I shot it last week using milsurp ammo and had cleaned it with hot soap and water but I wanted to really get at the copper fouling that was obviously built up. This gun came to me 20 years ago from a neighbor in Portland who didn't want it. Whether or not he ever cleaned it I don't know. Likewise, I have no idea of it's service record but it surely has been used.
Step one was a real going over with Sweets. I tried using a regular bronze jag but I just couldn't get the fouling out. Then I decided to switch to a plastic slotted tip and a very long and large patch. I drenched this in Sweets and pumped it back and forth 60 times. I then dried the bore and started over again. I did this 4 or 5 times. Then I hit it with patches soaked in Break Free. These brought up lots of black gunk but I couldn't seem to get to the end of it. Every patch came up black and gooy. So, I ran a long soping wet patch of Ed's Red down the bore and bingo, stuff started happening. Four patches and several dozen strokes on the rod and I finally got it all. Then I coated the bore with Break Free and set it aside for a couple of hours. A fresh white patch indicated more gunk. I went back to Sweets and sure enough, I got blue. More long patches, several passes with a stainless "Tornado" brush and more Ed's Red. I did the Break Free soak again and this time, no gunk, just clean white patch. Finally, the bore is clean. Now I can see some of the rough spots..I can actually feel them too. So, over Easter break (I'm a teacher) I'm going to fire lap the bore using my LBT kit.
What I got from all of this is this: Sweets is great for copper but not too great on powder. Break Free is Ok on powder and zip on copper. Ed's Red is the "bomb" on fouling and used in conjunction with Sweets, really cleans a bore. Break Free is a fair rust inhibiter and an OK solvent for regular powder fouling So I'll keep it. Sweets may get replaced by a 10% amonia solution sold at Ace Hardware, I'm not sure. I'm going to have to try it. Ed's Red is staying with me permanently. It works.
Step one was a real going over with Sweets. I tried using a regular bronze jag but I just couldn't get the fouling out. Then I decided to switch to a plastic slotted tip and a very long and large patch. I drenched this in Sweets and pumped it back and forth 60 times. I then dried the bore and started over again. I did this 4 or 5 times. Then I hit it with patches soaked in Break Free. These brought up lots of black gunk but I couldn't seem to get to the end of it. Every patch came up black and gooy. So, I ran a long soping wet patch of Ed's Red down the bore and bingo, stuff started happening. Four patches and several dozen strokes on the rod and I finally got it all. Then I coated the bore with Break Free and set it aside for a couple of hours. A fresh white patch indicated more gunk. I went back to Sweets and sure enough, I got blue. More long patches, several passes with a stainless "Tornado" brush and more Ed's Red. I did the Break Free soak again and this time, no gunk, just clean white patch. Finally, the bore is clean. Now I can see some of the rough spots..I can actually feel them too. So, over Easter break (I'm a teacher) I'm going to fire lap the bore using my LBT kit.
What I got from all of this is this: Sweets is great for copper but not too great on powder. Break Free is Ok on powder and zip on copper. Ed's Red is the "bomb" on fouling and used in conjunction with Sweets, really cleans a bore. Break Free is a fair rust inhibiter and an OK solvent for regular powder fouling So I'll keep it. Sweets may get replaced by a 10% amonia solution sold at Ace Hardware, I'm not sure. I'm going to have to try it. Ed's Red is staying with me permanently. It works.