Barrel Cleaning Troubles

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bullzeye8

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I got a wards western field rifle in .308 built on an FN mauser 98 action back in January. I have spent many hours since trying to clean the barrel and I have not yet got it completely clean. I am using wipeout to remove copper and now all copper fouling is gone. I am now using hoppes #9 and a brush and I will scrub with the brush and hoppes then send on patch down and it comes out filthy but if I send a second patch down it comes out almost clean until I go down with a brush again. I have spent hours doing that process and it still isn't getting completely clean. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to get it clean or what it is? The rifle is 40 or 50 years old so that dirt could have been sitting there for 40 years. Could that make it harder?

Included I have a bad picture of the front of the barrel. It isn't great but it is the best I could get. The raised portion is shiny silver color with black stripes going horizontally or against the rifling. The lower portion is a dull gray with a few patches of a dull black. I also have a picture of the patches is it helps you figure out what it is. The left patch is with hoppes and the right one is with a dry barrel but running the bore brush through first.
 

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Is it possible that this brush is leaving tailings behind? I have seen this before with well-worn or old brushes that have seen a lot of use. Even though it is brass, they accumulate gunk that makes the tailings from the brush look gray or black.

Try running a new brush down it a couple of times and see what color your patches are after that.
 
A good brush helps a lot. Brownell's has some Double-Tuff bore brushes that work very well. For leading copper "Chore-Boy" wrapped around an old .22 caliber brass brush works well also.
 
When I'm cleaning a barrel, I usually alternate copper solvents & patching with nitro solvent and brushing. It can take awhile to get a dirty barrel all the way clean.

The first patch after a vigorous brushing will always look dirty, in my experience.
 
And keep in mind, copper solvent also eats bronze bore brushes at the same rate it eats copper bore fouling.

I use a nylon brush to avoid confusion & dirty patches when using copper solvent.

rc
 
All good advice above.

You could also run a patch really sopping with Hoppes through the barrel a few times and let sit overnite. Then begin the cleaning process with a new bronze brush again.

Another trick is squirt the bejabbers out of the bore with WD-40 or CLP and let sit overnite. Etc.
 
I have spent many hours since trying to clean the barrel and I have not yet got it completely clean.
Click to expand...
Over cleaning will ruin a barrel. Shoot it, see if its accuate. Then clean by keeping the bore wet with Hoppes for a week. Let the chemical work.
 
Is it possible that this brush is leaving tailings behind? I have seen this before with well-worn or old brushes that have seen a lot of use. Even though it is brass, they accumulate gunk that makes the tailings from the brush look gray or black.

Try running a new brush down it a couple of times and see what color your patches are after that.
Click to expand...
The brush I am using now is pretty new. I will try cleaning it with water like suggested and If that doesn't work I guess I might try buying another new one but this is the 2nd i used on this barrel already.

Get a jar of JB Bore Paste, and follow the instructions!
Click to expand...
Back when I first got my rifle I borrowed that from somebody and It pulled out a lot of dirt but I still never got it clean. Maybe I will try it again.

Over cleaning will ruin a barrel. Shoot it, see if its accuate. Then clean by keeping the bore wet with Hoppes for a week. Let the chemical work.
Click to expand...
I have shot it and last time i took it out I got good groups for the first 15 maybe 20 shots and then using the same ammo accuracy fell off.
 
If you want to try an aggressive cleaner you can try Sweet's 7.62. Follow the directions. It can eat your barrel if left in too long.
 
And as I said, it can eat your bronze bore brush.

And give you mixed signals on when you get all the copper out of the bore on a clean patch.

rc
 
BoreTech, BoreTech, BoreTech; the stuff is great - no odor and super fast on copper/ fouling. I do not see must interest in the stuff on the gun boards which surprises the heck out of me - I am super impressed with the performance. I guess that since it is so new and is not sold in gun/ sporting goods stores (that I know of anyway/ net only), it is just not popular yet - great, great product!
 
You are probably leaving bronze residue and picking it up with the patch. Bronze residue will look black. i would be careful leaving a chemical bore cleaner in there for an extended period. Copper solvents are designed to dissolve metal, softer metals dissolve faster but given enough time it could damage your bore.
 
Wet down the barrel with some Hoppes, let it set for a 1/2 hr. or so. Then run a clean, dry patch through, if it comes out green, then you still have a good deal of fouling in there. just don't over do it. Over cleaning can have negative effects on accuracy, barrels need some copper in certain places, it's part of break in to fill the low spots and machining flaws.

GS
 
Something else to try that isn't as aggressive as JB Bore Paste is one of the foaming bore cleaners. I've had great success with gunslick's foaming bore cleaner on my surplus rifles that have had nasty bores. It won't get rid of frosting, but it will clean out copper and powder fouling quite nicely. If that doesn't work, move on to JBs.

Matt
 
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