Cleaning dirty bores

[DeadWood]

I have a few olddd rifles i'm trying to clean up. Winchester 32-20 HighWall, Springfield trapdoor and a French-made Flobert.

Started with the highwall and i just can't seem to get it clean yet...i've been running Hoppes with a brush then patch. patch seems to come out rusty looking. I also tried a different solvent made for BP with same results. i'm starting to really see the rifleling so i'm making progress.

I know its going to take alot of elbow grease and time, but was curious if anyone could give me some direction to help get them as good as possible? Different solvents that i should try and methods.

these rifles have been sitting for more than 30yrs i believe and never been fired that we know of. Willing to bet the last time they were shot they weren't cleaned if ever.

thanks

[swheeler]

http://eightbits.home.att.net/copclean.html#TOP

Try this link. One of these foul out wannabes will take stuff out of your barrels that's been there for many years.

[257 Shooter]

If you have Kroil pour some in the barrel and let it sit barrel down for a couple of hours and then run a brush dipped in Kroil several times then follow with a patch. Should see a lot more rifeling.

[MtGun44]

Cleaning some old barrels is like an archeological dig. You remove layer after layer. I use
a Foul Out and had to clean one several times after removing the carbon gunk that was
between metallic layers. Some layers had rust, some had nasty smells, some had odd
colors in the fluid.

Bill

[koehn,jim]

A trick I use is chuck the cleaning in a hand drill and run it thru the bore saves a lot of elbow grease.

[koehn,jim]

Sorry meant cleaning rod.

[Beekeeper]

I have used the electronic bore cleaner on some bores that anyone else would have thrown away.
I use plain baking soda and water (1 tsp soda to1pint water) and only plug one end
Usually the chamber
I use a funnel stuck in the muzzle and held With electrical tape to make it waterproof.
for power I use a 3 volt wall rat power supply.
I use plain old mild steel rods that I buy from home depot instead if the stainless welding rods.
It takes a while (several days sometimes ) to get a barrel t where It doesn't get any cleaner but it does work.


Jim

[swheeler]

Interesting Jim! Does baking soda remove rust from the barrels? I am using the 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 ammonia, 1/2 distilled water solution and it is amazing at the sludge that comes out of an old, neglected barrel!

[DeadWood]

i can see this is going to take more than just elbow/back work, but if it comes out clean i will be more than happy.

[Cactus Farmer]

I am using the 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 ammonia, 1/2 distilled water solution

Ammonia is a base and vinegar is an acid.......come on chemists, Acidic hydroxide?
in the right proportions this mix is neutral Ph.
How would this clean?

[Maven]

Cactus Farmer, I had the same thought as you.

[swheeler]

How would this clean?

Very-very-very well!

[zomby woof]

Kroil and JB bore paste. You'll save lots of patches!!!!

[cwskirmisher]

Ammonia is a base and vinegar is an acid.......come on chemists, Acidic hydroxide?
in the right proportions this mix is neutral Ph.
How would this clean?


From my high school chemistry (ok, so it's been 33 years now..) I thought that when you mix an acid and a base, what you get is a SALT. And salts are corrosive, no?

[Cactus Farmer]

How would this clean?

Very-very-very well!

Sir;
Would you please share your exact formula? I have plenty of old bad bores that could use some of your magic sauce!

[Milsurp Junkie]

It is a salt, but it is a salt of a weak acid and a strong base forming ammonium acetate, which is a pretty good buffer (resists changes in pH).
It also dissolves copper by forming the complex tetraammonium copper (II) acetate.
Milsurp Junkie

[swheeler]

Sir;
Would you please share your exact formula? I have plenty of old bad bores that could use some of your magic sauce!

Go here http://eightbits.home.att.net/copclean.html#TOP
1 quart white vinegar 5%, 1 quart household ammonia 3%, 2 quarts distilled water makes the electrolyte for this home made foul out. I wish I would have taken a picture of the rod on an old mil surp I cleaned, copper plated top to bottom, had to rub the copper off with coarse steel wool. In this case the barrel(actually the copper inside the barrel) is the cathode and the ss tig rod is the anode, the acetate formed by the chemical reaction with copper provides the copper ions to deplate the barrel.
You also need to read Outers Foul Out directions, change the fluid out often and "read" color so you aren't using iron ion to deplated barrel metal, I dump it after 20 minutes. When it is blue I know I've still got copper. I only use this for neglected bores loaded with all kinds of fouling, usually something I've bought at a pawn shop or gun show, once cleaned like this I use my regular cleaning routine probably for the life of the rifle as I don't let them go forever like some.
YMMV Scot

[Beekeeper]

I have never tried the vinegar/ammonia before. I use straight vinegar ,or straight ammonia but have never mixed the two.
Will have to give it a try . I have a couple of 71/84 barrels that are destined to be tomato stakes and they will make good trial subjects.
Have a couple of other projects to complete first and maybe a day at the range if my daughter will oblige.

Jim

[Mk42gunner]

While I don't like it as a general purpose cleaner, plain old Breakfree CLP will penetrate fouling very well if you leave it wet and lket it set for a few days. When we would get back from the range late, I would wet punch the bores of M-14's and let them set overnight; cleanup the next morning was a lot easier.


Robert

[atr]

a mixture of hoppes #9 and household ammonia based cleaner + patience and time
sometimes I bump the process by using the electric bore cleaner,,,
just went through this process with my .303 British and it took a couple of weeks , off and on until the patches came out clean

[wistlepig1]

http://eightbits.home.att.net/copclean.html#TOP

Try this link. One of these foul out wannabes will take stuff out of your barrels that's been there for many years.

I have used the simple version (flashlight)of the one on the above site for about 4 years and it does work well. I like it for both coppered and leaded barrels--- this is one of those things "try it you will like it"

I never used the O rings on the bore rod in 22 cal's, couldn't find any small enough, Iuse a couple of wrapes of electric tape on them, o-rings on the rest. You can use any steel rod but get a 1/8" S.S. tig rod from a welding shop--- they wipe clean easy.:p

[wistlepig1]

Here is another site that may be of interest to you.
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm#Copper