Sometimes that can be helpful. But before doing so make sure that the bore is relatively clean because a bore which is constricted with excessive fouling or corrosion can elevate pressures to a dangerous level.
gotta vent a little, just wont come clean
- Thread starter uchi
- Start date
Sometimes that can be helpful. But before doing so make sure that the bore is relatively clean because a bore which is constricted with excessive fouling or corrosion can elevate pressures to a dangerous level.
does anyone have the diameter of the bullet handy? and what the bore should be while clean? ill hit it with my vernier tomorrow and see just how much crap is at the end of the barrel and itll give me an idea of the clearance ill have if i decide to shoot it clean.
then again i think myth busters proved that having a bunch of dirt and crap in a shotgun barrel didnt stop it from firing
then again i think myth busters proved that having a bunch of dirt and crap in a shotgun barrel didnt stop it from firing
No, but this has caused a lot of burst barrels.
The nominal bore diameter of a .303 barrel is .303, but there are variations from wear and manufacturing tolerances. Bullet dia can be .310-.312. Best way to measure a bore is to push thru a lead slug and then measure that. There are "how to do it" guides online.
Try slugging the bore. This might work, and you're going to have to do it anyway. I had an old enfield sporter that looked a little frosty on the inside. Pounded the first slug through and a bunch of crap came out. Sent another slug down the pipe, and cleaned with hoppes and a bronze brush, and it looked like a new bore
In case you don't know what i mean, slugging is swaging a piece of lead through the bore and measuring it to find the bore diameter. Use a lead fishing sinker (one of the teardrop ones) and a BRASS rod. Don't use a wood dowel...if it breaks, it'll jam up in the barrel and then you'll have another thread on how to get the wood out. I bought a 36" long 1/4" brass rod at home depot for 11 bucks, cut it into a 2", 4", 8", 16" pieces, and used them successively to pound the sinker through the bore. For the cost of 4 dowels, you have a rod that can be used forever.
In case you don't know what i mean, slugging is swaging a piece of lead through the bore and measuring it to find the bore diameter. Use a lead fishing sinker (one of the teardrop ones) and a BRASS rod. Don't use a wood dowel...if it breaks, it'll jam up in the barrel and then you'll have another thread on how to get the wood out. I bought a 36" long 1/4" brass rod at home depot for 11 bucks, cut it into a 2", 4", 8", 16" pieces, and used them successively to pound the sinker through the bore. For the cost of 4 dowels, you have a rod that can be used forever.
If you can look down the barrel and see strong rifling with both lands and grooves then you should have no problem shooting it clean. If it looks like a sewer pipe then I would clean it some more. For what its worth an electronic bore cleaner works awesome.
M pro-7 if you can get it. US military gobbles that stuff up. Had to get it from the states. Works 10x better than anything "holesail" sports sells. Not only does it clean all kinds of crap out of your barrel it also lubricates. Only use that on all my sturmgewerhes from now on. A little pricey but well worth it.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
Take it to the range and have a buddy shoot it for you. I bet after a dozen rounds that bore will look MUCH better.
Don't bother using a copper bore brush in a frosted and pitted bore that shot corrosive ammo.
Example using glass, this represents a brand new barrel.
This example represents a barrel that is frosted and has microscopic pitting that can develop into larger pits that will "eat" your bore brushes.
Below a severly pitted bore, do you think a bore brush is going to remove anything from this bore, "NO" the brush is just going to be eaten and get smaller.
Below foam bore cleaner that sat overnight, no scrubbing required and the bore was free of all copper.
Example using glass, this represents a brand new barrel.
This example represents a barrel that is frosted and has microscopic pitting that can develop into larger pits that will "eat" your bore brushes.
Below a severly pitted bore, do you think a bore brush is going to remove anything from this bore, "NO" the brush is just going to be eaten and get smaller.
Below foam bore cleaner that sat overnight, no scrubbing required and the bore was free of all copper.
i can see the rifling all the land, both lands and grooves. i just dont see the shine. i picked up some stuff from crappy tire today, i was in the area, had the wife drop me off, some crud buster and some bore cleaner that says itll get rid of lead copper etc, need that for my r700 anyways, and ive got some brake clean in the garage, so tomorrow is gonna be a get high while the wife is at work kind of day.
thanks for all the suggestions and ideas guys, ill use them all as i need them. if i could get my hands on one 303 round id just see if i could yank the bullet out and slide that down the tube, from the looks of it it shouldnt have an issue going, there isnt a heavy build up of crap in there, but i picked up some new bore brushes today too so tomorrow is hopefully gonna be a successful day
thanks for all the suggestions and ideas guys, ill use them all as i need them. if i could get my hands on one 303 round id just see if i could yank the bullet out and slide that down the tube, from the looks of it it shouldnt have an issue going, there isnt a heavy build up of crap in there, but i picked up some new bore brushes today too so tomorrow is hopefully gonna be a successful day
The blue stuff is copper residue that has been disolved from the barrel by the foaming bore cleaner
+1. The copper comes out a lighter shade of blue when you use an ammonia based cleaner as well.
Mark
Foam bore cleaner is white and looks like shaving cream, when it eats the copper it turns blue. The U.S. military even uses it on field pieces and I saw it at the military depot I worked at being used. That night I stopped after work and bought some and I would not use anything else.
Cleaning a tank barrel with Milfoam
Before
After
Or you can keep doing it the old fashioned way, boiling water down the bore and then break for tea.
Rifleman1911
CGN Regular
- Location
- Leduc county AB
Well I am in the same boat as you. I just recived two milsurps from a coworker who is moving to Australia. They were his grandfathers, and noboby in the family hunts. He tells me they havent been fired in 30-40 years.
One is a 1917 SMLE, and the other is an eddystone ( I think ) P14 with an aftermarket stock butchered to fit it. But the good news is that all of the steel bits are where they are supposed to be, so If I can desporterize them I am going to if I can. Not looking forward to there first cleaning on sat.
Rifleman1911.
P.S. anyone have any tips on the P14. Is there Full wood around or am I dreaming.
One is a 1917 SMLE, and the other is an eddystone ( I think ) P14 with an aftermarket stock butchered to fit it. But the good news is that all of the steel bits are where they are supposed to be, so If I can desporterize them I am going to if I can. Not looking forward to there first cleaning on sat.
Rifleman1911.
P.S. anyone have any tips on the P14. Is there Full wood around or am I dreaming.
something i found the other day, i popped open the storage in the butt plate to see if there were any goodies inside. there were. looks to me like a hunting tag from 1974, looks brand new aswell. my guess is someone bought it with the interntion of hunting and didnt get around to it and left it in there.
that bore cleaner looks fantastic. think ill a couple places that arent too far from me and see if they have any, and if not, online may have to work.
that bore cleaner looks fantastic. think ill a couple places that arent too far from me and see if they have any, and if not, online may have to work.
- Location
- Ottawa origanally Muskoka
If a gunstore isn't in your options then you could put a plug in the muzzle and spray some windex into the breech and let her sit for awhile to eat out the copper.
If you get brake cleaner on the wood it may remove the finish! Be careful. You may want to completely detail strip the gun any how so stock removal may be a good option.
Also if jb paste or Rem 40x abrasive gun cleaners are not available a patch with some BRASSO on it has worked for me. It is mildly abrasive (polish) and full of amonia so will atack the copper. As with any abrasive compound a little is better than a lot unless you want to rechamber the gun in a larger caliber lol.
Not sure but the black may also be inactive rust! Active Rust which is oarnge-brown turns black if it is neutralized with oil or a base solution (amonia)
If you get brake cleaner on the wood it may remove the finish! Be careful. You may want to completely detail strip the gun any how so stock removal may be a good option.
Also if jb paste or Rem 40x abrasive gun cleaners are not available a patch with some BRASSO on it has worked for me. It is mildly abrasive (polish) and full of amonia so will atack the copper. As with any abrasive compound a little is better than a lot unless you want to rechamber the gun in a larger caliber lol.
Not sure but the black may also be inactive rust! Active Rust which is oarnge-brown turns black if it is neutralized with oil or a base solution (amonia)
- Location
- Ottawa origanally Muskoka
Try slugging the bore. This might work, and you're going to have to do it anyway. I had an old enfield sporter that looked a little frosty on the inside. Pounded the first slug through and a bunch of crap came out. Sent another slug down the pipe, and cleaned with hoppes and a bronze brush, and it looked like a new bore
In case you don't know what i mean, slugging is swaging a piece of lead through the bore and measuring it to find the bore diameter. Use a lead fishing sinker (one of the teardrop ones) and a BRASS rod. Don't use a wood dowel...if it breaks, it'll jam up in the barrel and then you'll have another thread on how to get the wood out. I bought a 36" long 1/4" brass rod at home depot for 11 bucks, cut it into a 2", 4", 8", 16" pieces, and used them successively to pound the sinker through the bore. For the cost of 4 dowels, you have a rod that can be used forever.
Ya but Matt, I seem to remember the time YOU got a wood dowel stuck in the bore and when you were done pounding it out the wood had completely cleaned every bit of crud out of the bore. Lol
- Location
- Ottawa origanally Muskoka
Uchi:" if i could get my hands on one 303 round id just see if i could yank the bullet out and slide that down the tube, from the looks of it it shouldnt have an issue going,
"
Good luck trying to swage a jacketed bullet down the bore by hand! That's why a pure lead fishing weight works best. Even a cast wheel weight bullet can be difficult.
Is your lee-enfeild a 2,4,5 groove?
There are different specks on bore size and different methods required to measure said bore dia. For the different configurations of barrel.
"
Good luck trying to swage a jacketed bullet down the bore by hand! That's why a pure lead fishing weight works best. Even a cast wheel weight bullet can be difficult.
Is your lee-enfeild a 2,4,5 groove?
There are different specks on bore size and different methods required to measure said bore dia. For the different configurations of barrel.
thats good to know, i thought i needed to get her as clean as the bore in my r700, i guess as long as it looks smooth im good
