Make up some Ed's Red and let your barrel soak in it overnight.
I usually plug the muzzle and fill the bore to appx halfway up in the chamber when doing rifle bores.
With handgun barrels, if it's a semi auto, I just pull the barrel and submerge in ER.
With revolver barrels, I usually just sumberge the whole thing, minus the grips of course. This loosens up the lead splatter around the cylinder and on the frame, as well as anything in the bore.
There are a couple of formulaes out there for Ed's Red, this is one of them
CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner
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1 part Dexron ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.
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1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1
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1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits
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CAS #64741-49-9, or substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or equivalent.
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1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.
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(Optional 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, or OK to substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store)
MIXING INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal, chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA approved plastic gasoline storage containers are OK. Do NOT use HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will slowly evaporate. Acetone in ER will attack HDPE over time, causing the container to collapse, making a heck of a mess!
Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the otherainer to measure the other components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin it into a larger container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and stirring until it is all dissolved. I recommend diverting up to 4 ozs. per quart of the 50-50 ATF/kerosene mix to use as "ER-compatible" gun oil. This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining mix. Label and safety warnings follow: