Bore Cleaners?

[McCandless]

I picked up an antique gun that had been left to rot.  While I was in the shop scrubbing out this thing, with what's left of its original blue finish.  I got to thinking...

I'm using Butch's Bore Shine, J-B Bore Cleaning Compound, I've got Remington Bore Cleaner, Hoppes, Ballistol, One Shot, and that's just what I can remember right now, hanging around...

While I'm scrubbing out this mess, what's your favorite heavy-duty bore cleaner?

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Kroil for rust - plug barrel and let sit overnight.   Even rusty patches in the blue can be removed without hurting blue if you use Kroil and bronze wool.   The remaining bronze color will rub off with a rag.

Or Ed's Red mix about the same.

 

J-B Bore Compound for heavy hard fouling.

 

And I'd do that in that order.  Get most of everything out with rust cleaner, then go after the hard fouling for as long as you are not harming the rifling.

 

(Nothing that harsh for normal cleaning, though.  J-B especially - limit to stuff that bore cleaners and bronze brushes won't remove)

 

Good luck, GJ

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

There's 2 grades of JB.

I use the coarser and a 'wad' of 4/0 steel wool on real leaded/fouled bores.

Be very cautious of any cleaner with Ammonia in it.

OLG

[Yusta B.]

J-B Bore Paste & Black powder   ...

[Russ The Red]

You need to consider the material in the barrel. I never gave it much thought until someone pointed out that there are generally alternating metal deposits, polymers,  and carbon. What is best for lead may not get the best cleaning for copper. Think about the types of bullets that go down the barrel and what gets taken off in coatings and deeper interiors of the bullet, and then finally the carbon comes down the barrel. Plus heat is dramatically different along the barrel such that metals and salts can be in different molecular combinations.

 

Just some things people have taught me about cleaning barrels. I use Break Free (BCF) and then Hoppes #9 with brass brush followed with swabs. I then place a drop of oil on a clean swab and run it down the barrel just encase the gun stays in the safe longer than I had planned.

[Warden Callaway]

How bad is the bore?  You think just dirty?  If it's pitted beyond use, you may need to try more drastic measures.  Here is my old Marlin project gun.   The bore was pretty rotted out. I made some homemade fire lapping bullets and fired through it.  It seemed to help. I had our resident cowboy gunsmith reline the bore.

 

 

[largo casey #19191]

I've been using In-Force By BG products.Works well for me.

Working on an old 76 that was BAD.Took a lot of rust out of the bore,gonna have to have it re-lined after get action working rite.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Largo

[Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943]

I use Blue Wonder - had good results with it.

[Lunger Dan]

Depends what Im cleaning..is it a modern firearm or is it an old shooter, or an old collector?
I scrub my cowboy guns...not really concerned about what a brush will do to the rifling. My Swiss 96/11 will not see a brush while it is ever in my possession-irreplaceable (to me anyway) .  A 10/22, I don't care what gets used in it-my old Sears model 25 -gets kid gloves (it has too much sentimental value and is too mint for a brush to touch the rifling. AKM-use sandpaper for all it cares!
Something beat and rusty like a Mosin Nagant, etc....home made foul out system.
Lead or copper plated or FMJ? Makes a difference what I use...there is no "one wonder drug" as far as Im concerned

 

 

[Ramblin Gambler]

On 7/16/2019 at 9:02 AM, Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 said:

I use Blue Wonder - had good results with it.

 

That's what I use too for heavy cleaning.  Been using it since it was called RB-17 and I actually still have some of the RB-17 left because I use it so rarely.  I bought blue wonder and used it once to make sure it was the same stuff.