Rifled Hastings barrel with horrible fouling.

[Barry54]

I “won” this barrel in an online auction years ago. The seller didn’t disclose it was fouled, or with what. Over the years I’ve made some attempts at cleaning it. The last attempt was copper chore boy and a wooden dowel.

I’m currently thinking about a soak in a homemade concoction. ATF and acetone...

Looking for thoughts for a cheap soaking vessel that will withstand acetone. I’ve been looking for a piece of 4” steel pipe in the scrap pile of various places in my travels. Any other thoughts?

Thanks

[HWooldridge]

Glass would work but I'm not sure how long the barrel is. A long glass container might be hard to find and would also be subject to breakage.

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - steel pipe should verk Just Fine! !!
Great idea......

[BK7saum]

Why cant you plug the barrel and fill it up?

[Barry54]

Why cant you plug the barrel and fill it up?

I’m not opposed to that method. What would I cork a 12 gauge barrel with that stands up to atf/acetone?

[BK7saum]

I would probably just make a cork from a dowel or use a wine cork.

Rubber is likely to degrade and fail. Anything more chemical resistant would be hard to source and expensive for a one time use.

[BK7saum]

Set the end of the barrel in a metal can or other chemical resistant container to catch any seeping or leak.

[JDHasty]

Piece of wood dowel a little to large in diameter sanded and knocked in. Probably lead and plastic. Those barrels shoot well when clean, my buddy has one.

I use a copper chore boy and a solid steel rod and an aluminum jag and put most of my weight on the barrel with the handle of the cleaning rod on a concrete floor to force it through. It’s really tough getting it out the first time if it’s really fouled. Once it’s cleaned out it’s a cake walk keeping it clean so long as you don’t let it build up again.

Our Deerslayers and H&R Ultra Slugs shoot very tight groups when clean.

[Barry54]

I would probably just make a cork from a dowel or use a wine cork.

Rubber is likely to degrade and fail. Anything more chemical resistant would be hard to source and expensive for a one time use.

Perfect excuse! I’ll see if the wife wants to soak some sliced strawberries in red wine. Then go sit in the hot tub...

Get right on the barrel cleaning then

[John Taylor]

If it is rust I would start with naval jelly. Be careful, it will take the bluing off. Steel wool can also be used if it is a modern barrel, not an old black powder barrel.

[Barry54]

The subject barrel is a Hastings 12 gauge rifled barrel. I suspect the fouling is a combination of lead and plastic. It is well adhered. So well attached, I looked up the price of a new identical barrel. (Wow!) I’m back on the plan to clean it again.

[725]

Lots of ways to attack your problem. Ed's Red soak followed by a wire brush. Chore Boy. Steel wool. Lots of elbow grease! Also, firing lapping. I have fire lapped several barrels in various conditions and have always been happy with the results. For the 12 ga., I'd find a round ball and cover it with a lapping compound, patch it with a patch covered with a lapping compound and fire it out. Don't need a "hot" load, but rather a load the will clear the barrel easily. Hand lapping with a tight patch + lapping compound also does the job. Far cheaper than a new barrel! Once you get it straight, you'll love the Hasting. Have several and they are top shelf.

[Delkal]

Swab the bore with Hoppes 9 and leave it saturated. Then let it sit for a while followed by a brass brush and patches. Then repeat a few times a day for a few days. Hoppes is great for plastic but not so good for lead. Once the plastic and crud start breaking up put some Kroil in the rotation. Maybe even plug the ends of the barrel so it doesn't dry out.

If this doesn't work you might have to use the nuclear option and use Acetic peroxide (Mix of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide). This quickly dissolves lead but you get a toxic lead solution to deal with and some people claim it will pit a barrel.

[JDHasty]

If it were mine, I would pour it full of mercury. Don't know anyone else with access to that much mercury though. I know a guy who works in aeronautics and they use it it in the anemometers and barometers in the wind tunnels. Gets the lead out.

[Shawlerbrook]

Plug, soak, scrub and repeat.

[armoredman]

Hey, whatever it is that works, will ya let us know, just in case we run into the same thing?

[Barry54]

Of course I’ll let y’all know.

I would have walked away from it, if I had seen it in person first.

[Mk42gunner]

Maybe use a Foul Out type system to remove what metal fouling you can get, then a thorough acetone soak and scrub for the plastic? This may or may not take several applications.

The only real problem I can see is if the barrel is for a gas operated gun like a Remington Model 1100. For a non vented barrel you should be fine.

It may also be easier to stand the barrel muzzle up and plug the chamber, since there shouldn't be any fouling for the first 2 3/4 or 3".

Also stop using a wooden dowel for a cleaning rod. I got one stuck when it broke in a 12 ga barrel sometime in 1988. I still have flashbacks to the PITA it was to get out.

Robert

[stubshaft]

Plastic golf club tube and a cork to seal the end, then use your atf/acetone.

[Barry54]

Well, yesterday’s wine cork had expanded enough to seal the chamber end this afternoon. Y’all saw how crusty the muzzle was. Tonight’s test soak is some used industrial oil. I know it’s probably the least effective option, but I learned it took about a half pint to fill the barrel. It’s soaking muzzle up inside a plastic 5 gallon bucket in the garage. If/when it leaks out, it’ll be contained and won’t stink up the garage.

I’d still prefer to submerge the whole thing inside a real vessel that will withstand acetone, instead of this cork the end method. But who knows. Maybe this will help a little bit?
To be continued..,