What's the best bore cleaner for old dirty surplus
- Thread starter Weeedoggie
- Start date
I use hoppes 9 for all gun cleaning needs. I find if you dip a bore brush in hoppes and pull it through a couple time it helps a lot. Then use a bore jag instead of a looped patch holder. Push that through a bunch of times until clean. I now swear by the bore jag.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I wish I knew of some magic juice to resolve 50 or 75 years of mistreatment, but I don't. As above, I use WipeOut. Give bore a shot - 12 hour soak. One patch through, then scrub with correct brass/bronze wire brush - then one more patch. Then another shot of WipeOut. Repeat. My record so far is father-in-law's M1917 conversion by BSA - acquired by him in 1950's - he admitted he never cleaned the bore - took me 20 odd cycles (10 or maybe 12 days) before I got a clean patch going through. First several came out dark blue (copper). Then tarry black (powder residue, I presume) - then got some blue again, then back to black - and so on. I would like to know a "magic" shortcut to get those old bores clean - and I do check with a bore scope, so I think I now know what "clean" looks like...
Whatever you do start with full kettle (or two if needed) of boiling water down the bore.
It will loosen up and wash out most of loose stuff in the bore.It will also wash out all dried up cosmo,grease and oil stuck in there.
Cleaning barrel afterwards will be a lot easier on you and bore brushes.
It will loosen up and wash out most of loose stuff in the bore.It will also wash out all dried up cosmo,grease and oil stuck in there.
Cleaning barrel afterwards will be a lot easier on you and bore brushes.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
WipeOut
G96 Bore Solvent does a pretty good job of getting copper and powder fouling out. Haven't had a chance to try WipeOut, so can't comment on how the two stack up against each other.
I also hear electrolysis does a great job of cleaning, it just requires a little more knowledge.
I also hear electrolysis does a great job of cleaning, it just requires a little more knowledge.
OP, frosting is pitting, just not deep and it comes from corrosive primed ammo or ammunition loaded with Cordite type propellants to name a few.
Deep pitting comes from not cleaning properly after shooting such ammo and can happen even with modern non corrosive ammunition when proper cleaning and storage isn't done. I've seen firearms with dead insects in the bores and pitting shows up where the bodies were.
I've seen some specimens in pretty rough shape, including a couple of garage finds that were stored wrapped in blankets, on the rafters since WWI. They were brought back to very decent condition.
First, I would take them down completely, make sure the bedding isn't soaked in oil/crud etc and check for pitting on the metal in touch with the wood.
If you find anything you don't like, fix it. The wood will clean up very nicely with detergents such as liquid dish washing soap. Don't sand it down. Maybe steam out some of the dents. Clean the checkering with hard gunsmith type tooth brushes, usually available at your local gun shop for a buck. Use the same detergent when using the brush. This provides a bit of lubricant, to keep edges sharp and it is also a very mild degreaser.
If you don't have a large container to hold enough Diesel, soak an old towel or paper towels, then wrap them in a green plastic garbage bag overnight. This will loosen most of the crud and make any pitting readily visible.
Once this is done, time to go after the bore.
You don't give a lot of information, other than there is some frosting. Have you cleaned it to ascertain it's frosting or dust???
Then there might be jacket fouling left behind as well. As mentioned, Wipe Out will remove most, if not all of it overnight.
Depending on the type of fouling it is , such as that from cupro nickel jackets, you may need to go to a stronger solvent such as Sweets 303. Be careful with these solvents. They can do some serious damage to stocks.
It's not a difficult job but it can be tedious and time consuming.
If you're only worried about the bore, Wipe Out will likely do the job.
Deep pitting comes from not cleaning properly after shooting such ammo and can happen even with modern non corrosive ammunition when proper cleaning and storage isn't done. I've seen firearms with dead insects in the bores and pitting shows up where the bodies were.
I've seen some specimens in pretty rough shape, including a couple of garage finds that were stored wrapped in blankets, on the rafters since WWI. They were brought back to very decent condition.
First, I would take them down completely, make sure the bedding isn't soaked in oil/crud etc and check for pitting on the metal in touch with the wood.
If you find anything you don't like, fix it. The wood will clean up very nicely with detergents such as liquid dish washing soap. Don't sand it down. Maybe steam out some of the dents. Clean the checkering with hard gunsmith type tooth brushes, usually available at your local gun shop for a buck. Use the same detergent when using the brush. This provides a bit of lubricant, to keep edges sharp and it is also a very mild degreaser.
If you don't have a large container to hold enough Diesel, soak an old towel or paper towels, then wrap them in a green plastic garbage bag overnight. This will loosen most of the crud and make any pitting readily visible.
Once this is done, time to go after the bore.
You don't give a lot of information, other than there is some frosting. Have you cleaned it to ascertain it's frosting or dust???
Then there might be jacket fouling left behind as well. As mentioned, Wipe Out will remove most, if not all of it overnight.
Depending on the type of fouling it is , such as that from cupro nickel jackets, you may need to go to a stronger solvent such as Sweets 303. Be careful with these solvents. They can do some serious damage to stocks.
It's not a difficult job but it can be tedious and time consuming.
If you're only worried about the bore, Wipe Out will likely do the job.
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
Bearhunter, Potashminer and donor have excellent advice.
In the early stages I also like varsol and bronze bore brush.
Sweet's 762 is heavy duty ammonia for dissolving copper.
For the final bit I use J-B non embedding compound from Brownell's on VFG Weaponcare felt pellets.
J-B can be likened to an ultra fine lapping compound.
I used the above to bring a 1914 pattern Enfield (Eddystone) from 5 MOA to near 2.
In the early stages I also like varsol and bronze bore brush.
Sweet's 762 is heavy duty ammonia for dissolving copper.
For the final bit I use J-B non embedding compound from Brownell's on VFG Weaponcare felt pellets.
J-B can be likened to an ultra fine lapping compound.
I used the above to bring a 1914 pattern Enfield (Eddystone) from 5 MOA to near 2.
Yeah I've cleaned it quite thoroughly here's some picView attachment 294658View attachment 294657 the best I can get any ways
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Umm - your first picture - focus on the grooves - is that really shiny clean?? Looks like a lot of stuff still in there. And a view with a bore scope would be shocking!!
- Location
- Western Manitoba
There is a line of thinking that suggests a few shots might push some crap out of a badly fouled bore - the idea is to use long bullets - like 175 gr. in 7mm or 215 gr. in 303 bores. I have never tried that. I have read, and do believe from my muzzle loader, that paper patched bullets usually create super shiny bores - I can not yet recommend that as a cleaning regime, but I have a couple bores over 100 years old that are very much tempting me to try that, since I just do not appear to be able to get them cleaned, despite Wipeout, overnight soaks in 50/50 Acetone/ATF with muzzle plugged, boiling water flushes, and so on. Really hoping someone has the "magic" answer ...
