Carbon removal woes

[nofishbob]

I am shooting one of the most common calibers (.45 Auto) in one of the most common guns (Glock 21) then using the most popular gun cleaners (Hoppes #9), but I am having the most uncommon difficulty in getting the barrel clean!

I soak the bore with Hoppes and wet patches for an hour or so, brush with the Glock nylon brush and/or a bronze brush, and then soak again and brush again, etc etc! I have done this cycle 6 or seven times, and still there is fouling in the barrel. It looks like about 1/3 to 1/2 of the fouling is gone after this procedure. I just run out of ambition at this point, and put the gun back together.

From my searching on this and other forums, it seems that most people don't spend hours fighting with their bore after shooting 200 rounds.

There is black residue, I think carbon, starting just past the chamber and extending about an inch. I can scratch this material with a copper nail, but the solvents and brushes I have remove it very slowly. This fouling has a visible thickness to it: it is not just a scorch mark.

The only way I have ever gotten the barrel really clean was with Birchwood Casey Lead Remover cloths cut into patches. This was a lot of work.

I have also tried soaking the barrel in: Hoppes Benchrest solvent, Carb and choke cleaner, CLP, and mineral spirits with no improvement.

I am shooting reloads with jacketed bullets and mid range charges of W231 powder.

Am I hoping for too much to be able to soak the barrel in something that will actually dissolve this material or at least soften it so I can brush it out?

If solvents will not work, what is your opinion about mechanical removal, using a Lewis lead Remover or the Chore Boy method?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Bob

 

[rcmodel]

Probably jacket fouling.
Try some Copper Solvent and see what happens.

If it were just plain old powder fouling, Hoppes #9 would take it out in one or two patches.

It is really a surprize your Glock barrel is hard to clean though.
My only Glock experiance is with a Model 23 .40 S&W, and it just never gets dirty enough to require more then a couple of passes with a bronze bore brush and couple of solvent soaked patches. Even when shooting lead bullet reloads.

I'd try copper solvent and see.
Once you get it cleaned out, it should be very easy to keep it that way.

rc

 

[nofishbob]

Thanks, RC.

The Hoppe's Benchrest #9 I tried is supposed to be a copper solvent. It did not work very well for me.

Could it have lost effectiveness because it is 2 years old?

What copper solvent would you recommend?

Bob

 

[Uncle Mike]

What copper solvent would you recommend?

They all work fairly well, but like deodorant, everybody has their favorite brand.

If you do a search, someone here on THR did an in-depth experiment with copper jacketed bullets and several different copper solvents.

The one I have used for as long as I can remember is 'Sweets 7.62'...it works, and works good!

 

[gofastman]

Try some BC Bore Scrubber foaming gel, let it sit a a few hours (a few days is better)
should come clean with no problem.

It is odd that you're having that much trouble.
I just use soapy with the Glock brush, then a patch of CLP and its good.

 

[nofishbob]

Thanks, Guys-

I will get some other brands of copper solvent and see how it goes.

Bob

 

[Jim Watson]

Three days in a blend of Kroil and Shooter's choice makes my 1911 barrel easy to clean.
I have it in an olive jar, tall and skinny so as to not require a whole lot of solvent.

JB Bore Cleaner will remove fouling and polish the bore so it accumulates less the next time around.

 

[Jolly Rogers]

You aren't dipping the bristle brush in the Hoppes jar are you? Brass has copper in it and will convey contaminants into the jar and the solvents will be depleted before you get it into the barrel. Just 'sayin...
Joe

 

[nofishbob]

Thanks again for your replies!

Jim- I was really hoping not to have to soak it for three days....even the lead remover cloth patches were quicker than that (But more work, too).

Jolly- I was afraid that this contamination was occurring with my bottle of regular Hoppes #9, so I bought a new bottle a few weeks ago with no improvement.

Bob

 

[rcmodel]

O.K.

Quick & Dirty method to clean it is pick up a package of 0000 (Extra Fine) steel wool.
Wrap a tuft of it on a bronze bore brush and add solvent.

It will quickly take anything out that will come out, without harming the barrel in the slightest.

The Glock Tenefer bore is about 4 times harder then 0000 (Extra Fine) steel wool.

rc

 

[Publius1688]

+1 on the steel wool,
or, if that makes you nervous, "borrow" one of your wife's pure copper scouring pads, unravel a few strands, wrap it around a bore brush, and go to town.

 

[loadedround]

Don't forget your bronze bore brush when you order the copper solvent. It makes the job a lot easier than patchs alone.

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Brass has copper in it and will convey contaminants into the jar and the solvents will be depleted before you get it into the barrel. Just 'sayin...

Ain't true.

Most bronze brushes are "phosphor bronze" these days.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you are going to use a bronze brush, clean it after use and replace it frequently.
The copper remover will remove copper out of the bronze bristles just as fast as it will take it out of the barrel.

 

[straightshooter_la]

Are you using lead or copper bullets? I have used lead in my HK 45 which has polygon rifleing also and I recomend a very tight bronze brush and Eds Red or Outers Foul Out. The Foul Out for lead works very fast and in a pisol barrel its easy to work with. It looks like carbon becaus its black but it is lead. The Foul Out for copper works very well too.


oops just saw copper reloads. Did you fire any lead in it before? The old trick of fireing copper after lead to clean the crud out doesn't really work for me in the HK.

 

[nofishbob]

Thanks again for your replies.

I am going to try the mechanical methods of cleaning this barrel after this weekends shooting.

I will let you all know how this turns out.....

Bob

 

[nofishbob]

Well I tried the 0000 steel wool, and it was by far the best solution I have used.

It still took 100-150 or so strokes to work, so I am going to try some of the Chore Boy type copper pad material to see if I can cut down on the elbow grease.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Bob

 

[rcmodel]

100-150 or so strokes to work

Then you didn't put enough steel wool on the brush to make a good tight fit.

Chore Boy will not work nearly as fast as properly applied steel wool.

Anyway, I'm still thinking whatever the fouling was will not come back again, once you get it all out the first time.

Glock barrels, and .45 ACP barrels in general just don't foul like that normally, even with lead bullets.

rc

 

[Beaux Nehr]

Wait, steel wool inside the bore????

Wow.