What is the best cleaner for cleaning barrels, I shoot only cast bullets, thanks

[donald duck]

I cast my own cast bullets and shoot only low velocity loads. What is the best liquid cleaner out there?? Thanks

[Bazoo]

Best is subjective to personal preference and technique but I like hoppes 9. It will dissolve lead if given some time. I normally scrub the barrel with a bronze brush and hoppes, then wipe with a clean patch, then a dry patch, an oil patch, then another dry patch. I like 3in1 oil or hoppes gun oil. I like singer sewing machine oil too.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A super good and the very best of all time barrel cleaner is...

...depends on what you need to clean off :holysheep

[Winger Ed.]

I'm a big Hoppe's #9 fan too, and buy it by the quart.

It's kind of slow, I put it on, and let it soak awhile, and do it again.
It gives me the perfect excuse to get out of the house and hang out more in the garage.
Some of the hot rod quickie solvents have warnings about leaving it on too long, I stay away from those.

For storage after cleaning, I use 5-20 motor oil.
If it can do a good job in a car engine for extended periods, I don't see why it wouldn't work well on firearms.

[Outpost75]

Ed's Red is THE cast boolit cleaner!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?258080-Ed-s-Red-Formula

[wv109323]

There is a cleaner and IIRC the name is Shooters Choice. I like it better than Hoppes but it is 2X the price.

[GregLaROCHE]

Maybe I’m not a purest, but after I shoot black powder and lead boolits out of my .45/70, I shoot one or two smokeless jacked bullets and then swab out with Ballistol twice. So far I haven’t seen any negative effects in the barrel or action.

[phonejack]

After I learned Kroil is a penetrating oil (expensive ) I bought a cheap penetrating oil and use that.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Hoppes #9 for me. Sweets works good on copper, but I shoot cast. Hoppes gun oil, and hoppes grease. For a good scrubbing, jb bore paste and kroil

[Petrol & Powder]

A patch saturated with Kroil. A cleaning rod with an eye on the end is used to push the patch through the bore.

Let it sit for a few minutes (good time to clean other parts, like maybe with that first patch)

A clean patch on a jag that fits the bore is then pushed through the bore. It sometimes takes more than one pass.

Most of the time that will do the trick.

[Petrol & Powder]

The ammonia based cleaners, like Hoppes #9, are great when dealing with jacketed bullets. The ammonia attacks the copper fouling.

The ammonia based cleaners will work as a basic cleaning agent when cleaning barrels that had lead bullets shot through them but, the ammonia does nothing to dissolve lead. There's no advantage to using an ammonia based cleaner when there is no copper fouling present.

[jonp]

Like most I've tried a bunch and made my own Ed's Red. All seem to work ok but I like the smell of Ballistol so use that but Hoppes #9 does just as good. Lead might take a soak and Copper Chore Boy but that's not a big deal to me.

The ammonia based cleaners, like Hoppes #9,

Hoppes has ammonia in it but I don't think it's "ammonia based". Kerosine based if anything I think.

[PowPow]

I normally use Hoppe's #9 and a copper chore boy. I also use Montana X-treme Cowboy Blend (http://www.montanaxtreme.com/products/?id=5&product=CowboyBlend). I think it does a better job than Hoppe's, and I can often skip the chore boy when I'm able to use it. My wife doesn't like the smell, so I need to use it when she's out spending money.

[johniv]

Eds Red works well for me.

[richhodg66]

Eds Red works well for me.

Just about all I use anymore. I hardly ever shoot anything but cast, and the Ed's Red works fine for me. Cheap too.

[Wayne Smith]

Elbow grease! What you put on the patch is variable depending on what you need to clean off your bore.

[Wild Bill 7]

I use a brass brush with a small amount of Copper Chor Boy wrapped around it. Then Fire Clean to swab out the barrel and clean the rest of the gun. Used to take hours to clean guns after a day out but now about five to ten minutes per gun. Used to use Hoppes, MPro 7, and a couple of others but settled with Fire Clean only now. JMO.

[poppy42]

I use frog lube system. It works great as long as you follow the directions and don’t use too much . If you use too much and cold weather you can gum up the works ! Especially on a striker fired pistol !

[RU shooter]

Normally use hoppes 9 This past year in my rifle barrels I tried just a patch or two with plain old 3:1 oil , I don't have any leading to deal so I'm just dealing with powder fouling and the 3:1 oil seems to remove it just as well at smelly #9 , says on the bottle "cleans lubes and protects so I gave it a try .

[gumbo333]

That Truly Incredible cleaner that Midway sells should take out almost anything. Sure takes your breath away when you open the jar. But most of the time I just use Ballistol. Anything that smells like your grandkids puke should be pretty good, dontcha think?

[Petrol & Powder]

253539

There's nothing wrong with the cleaners that contain ammonia but the ammonia is of no value unless you're trying to remove copper fouling. When you are dealing with copper fouling, Hoppes #9, works beautifully.

I've seen guns that made it through a lifetime with noting more than kerosene (as a solvent) and 3 in 1 oil (as a lubricant). There's a huge tendency to over-think cleaning and lubrication of guns. It really isn't rocket science.

During times of my life when money was tight, ATF served as my universal gun oil. It works just fine.

For cleaning after shooting cast bullets, Kroil is my choice, but frankly; lots of products will get the job done. When dealing with lead fouling, it's more of a mechanical operation than a chemical one. Just about any light oil will help.

Like most gun enthusiasts, I have a shelf full of oils, greases, cleaners and other gun care products. However, for about 90% of my needs I can get by with 4 products: Kroil, Hoppes#9, Clenzoil and RIG. Lubriplate and Ballistol will round out the supplies needed for just about everything else.



Kroil - My first line cleaner when cleaning guns used with cast lead projectiles. I'm sure Ed's Red would be an excellent substitute.

Hoppes #9 - If you're dealing with copper fouling you need some type of solvent than contains ammonia. Hoppes #9 is as good as any. I've used all of the others (Sweets 7.62, Shooters Choice, etc. ) and I see no need to leave Hoppes #9.

Clenzoil - this is a bit of a regional thing but if I was restricted to only one cleaning/lubricating/preservative [CLP] product -Clenzoil would be my choice. It is an outstanding product.

RIG - For long term storage of ferrous metals RIG has never failed me.

Lubriplate - a basic white Lithium grease for sliding surfaces under load (sears mostly)
Ballistol - doesn't harm wood or leather. Useful when dealing with black powder cleaning chores.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Ballistol is all i use

[nelsonted1]

Do all of you clean lead out of your barrels every time you shoot? Unless the responders are the ones doing it. I tend to not touch the inside of my barrels unless I have to. I always wonder if I'm abusing my rifles but wonder about why if nothing is wrong as in getting them wet out hunting.

[John Boy]

JB Bore Cleaner and Eezox ... used in combination

JB ... https://www.amazon.com/Non-Embedding-Bore-Cleaning-Compound-Limited/dp/B07NSYS1LH
Eezox ... https://www.amazon.com/Eezox-Premium-Synthetic-Gun-Care/dp/B07FCRVTDL
I buy Eezox by the quart - been through 9 quarts and working on the 10th :-P

[Lloyd Smale]

theres the right answer. Bottom line to much of it if you ask me. So if the bore has a slight graying I don't even worry about cleaning it and if its worse then that I fix whats causing it. Ive got guns that have shot thousands of rounds of lead and have never seen a brush. About my only cleaning routine with lead is at the end of the day I shoot one or two jacketed bullets down the bore but even that is usually just a waste of jacketed bullets but old habbits are hard to break. If I scrubbed all my barrels whistle clean after every shooting id be spending more time cleaning then shooting.
Elbow grease! What you put on the patch is variable depending on what you need to clean off your bore.

[Froogal]

I like Hoppe's, but an easier way, that I have found to actually work, is to spray Rem Oil into the bore, let it set for awhile and then run HOT water through the bore. Finish up with a couple of passes with a bore snake. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of this method, but it does work.

[waksupi]

Ed's Red. It takes out the powder fouling fine. If you are getting lead in the bore, you are doing something wrong.

[pworley1]

Ed's Red will do everything you need to do for cast. If you size right and use gas checks when needed, all you will need to do is wipe the outside and clean the soot out of your barrel every now and then.

[robg]

00-9/Butch's bore shine/outers nitro solvent .the trick is to wet the bore go have a coffee/tea then quick brush through then dry patches till they come out clean .give time for the cleaners to work.

[wnc435]

It starts at your shoulder and ends with them things that we also type with. I have always had the best luck using what God gave us. I have had no luck training either X-wife or the dogs.

[country gent]

My cleaning depends on what Ive been shooting and also how much. One thing not mentioned is the number of rounds fired between cleanings, 5-10 rds is as big a chore as 100 rds. I normally use a 50 50 mix of shooters choice benchrest and kroil for most cleaning. After jacketed bullets and smokeless powders. Balistol mixed 20-1 with water for black powder lead or PP rounds. THese I clean every 10-15 rds to moniter fouling control as I go. Windex at the range for cleaning between strings with BP.

JB bore cleaner also has a place on my bench for badly fouled bores.

AS mentioned above the chemicals type cleaners need some time to soak and work. The mechanical cleaners Rem clean, JB bore cleaner soaking does little they need the scrubbing to work. I also use a appropriate vise for holding supporting the firearm while cleaning, this makes keeping the rod centered and pushing thru much easier. As does a rod guide to keep rod centered

[stubshaft]

Just about all I use anymore. I hardly ever shoot anything but cast, and the Ed's Red works fine for me. Cheap too.

What he said!

[Gewehr-Guy]

For cleaning a new old rifle I use a good fitting brass brush and Kroil,give it a few strokes and let it soak a while. After a a couple of cleaning sessions with the brush, I dry the bore with patches till they look acceptably clean.

To preserve the bore I use Bens Liquid Lube, or thinned liquid Alox on a bore mop or patch. Also use BLL as a rust preventer on the outside of the firearm, but if you use to much it can get a bit tacky, but will protect it well.

[Butler Ford]

Properly sized bullets, Ed's Red and Shooters Choice Lead Remover (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1014882435?pid=398676)

[redhawk0]

If you are getting a lot of lead build up...it's the cause you should addressed first. Either you have a rough bore (try a scrub with JB bore paste)....or you have inadequate lube, or undersized boolits.

OK...now that's out of the way.....I use Shooter's Choice Lead remover (I haven't needed to use it since I switched to Powder Coating)...and I also use Ed's Red for normal rifle cleaning....and a 50/50 mix of ATF/Kerosene as a protective gun oil.

redhawk

[FLINTNFIRE]

Eds red , without a doubt has what is needed and does a fine job , I also switched from lube to powder coat and it does make cleaning a quicker job .

[Rich/WIS]

I don't have leading issues in my rifles or 1911 and find any solvent that removes powder fouling does a good job. However my loads are all light target loads and the rifle bullets are all gas checked.

[Mike H]

Ed’s Red,push a patch soaked in it through the barrel,then another patch back and foward,leave till next shooting session,push a dry patch through and shoot.

[megasupermagnum]

I've tried all kinds of products from Shooter Choice to Kroil to the fancy Wipe out cleaners.

Hoppe's #9 and water is all a guy needs to clean any gun. There are a few cat pee smelling ammonia cleaners that get copper out better, but you better keep a close eye while using them. I've purposefully pushed too soft bullets too hard to find where the limits are. I've had barrels where the grooves where completely filled. Hoppe's #9, and a bore brush wrapped in chore boy is all it takes. Leading is so easy to clean I don't know why people get so scared of it. For your normal loads that leave next to no lead, you don't even need the chore boy. A dry patch usually gets it all out. A dry patch works better than one soaked in cleaner. Use cotton patches, not the paper thin junk. Old T shirts, especially thick work shirts are the best of the best.

[barrabruce]

When hot I apply a wet patch and soak the bore with Ed’s red .
Pack up my stuff then put another wet patch through working back and forth along the barrell.
When I get home.
1/2 hr or more soaking a patch or two and it comes out clean.
It seems to take the same amount of trouble if I shoot a few or a hundred.
If my bore goes sour I will run a brush with some bronze wool on it to scour out any offending material.

I run a patch through the next day to make sure everything is clean.

I once was getting some paper patch fouling that the overnight soak showed up.
I have changed papers but it could have been acidic maybe or embedding the bore.

I don’t get that now.

I can’t even a 22lr sit without a patch through it.
The humidity here and powder residue most likely turns to some form of nitric acid or some such.

[tankgunner59]

+1 more for Hoppes #9. In using it after shooting lead I usually use a soaked patch and a bronze brush, then I let it soak for a while, some I have let soak overnight. Then I come back with another wet patch and then I run dry patches til they come out clean. Then I run an oil patch and a dry one. It has always worked for me.

[JWFilips]

I have Tried a lot of Lead bullet cleaners over the years: Gunzilla is pretty amazing! you run a few wet patches in the bore...& a few hours later you push a tight patch through the bore! If you have leading.... this stuff gets under it and lifts it!
And BTW I have tried almost everything here that has been recommended.... over the years! My choice is Gunzilla....I don't know what it is but I know what it does!

[lotech]

Lots of good answers here, but it all comes down to the real fact that just about anything works well if you're only shooting cast bullets. Many products, regardless of cost will probably equal the results obtained with Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red, but I doubt any will do a better job.

[alamogunr]

Yet another discussion of bore cleaners. It seems that nostalgia plays a big part. Before I wrote the preceding sentence, I looked up the definition of nostalgia. It means "good memories". In other words remembering what works.

I mainly use Ed's Red or an equivalent named Steve's Squeeze. I've got the remains of a gallon can of each in the shop and refill a pint can of either when the smaller can is empty. I especially like the post that said the best bore cleaner for cast is fitting the boolit, but we all mess up occasionally and have to scrub out some leading.