? About Barrel Cleaning?

[antelopedundee]

As a practical matter does it make any difference one way or tuther if the barrel is still hot when you start to clean it or is it preferred to let it cool? Thanks to Randy R., I've graduated to the accelerator cleaner in conjunction with the wipe out- patch out copper remover. Generally when out to the range, I try not to let the barrel get overly hot. For .25 and .26 calibers, I use the 1 1/8 patches for the loose patch and 1 3/4 for the tighter patches. Once I let the stuff work, i use a patch or 2 with hexane followed by a dry patch. I expect that xylol or toluene or even charcoal starter fluid from a metal can would work as well.

 

[retired]

heat is normally your friend in chemical reactions.

 

[R.G. Robinett]

As a practical matter does it make any difference one way or tuther if the barrel is still hot when you start to clean it or is it preferred to let it cool? Thanks to Randy R., I've graduated to the accelerator cleaner in conjunction with the wipe out- patch out copper remover. Generally when out to the range, I try not to let the barrel get overly hot. for .25 and .26 calibers, I use the 1 1/8 patches for the loose patch and 1 3/4 for the tighter patches. Once Ilet the stuff work, i use a patch or 2 with hexane followed by a dry patch. I expect that xylol or toluene or even charcoal starter fluid from a metal can would work as well.

Dundee - R the rifles shootin' any better following the bedding check? RG

 

[antelopedundee]

Dundee - R the rifles shootin' any better following the bedding check? RG

Have not really messed with the 6.5-06 Ackley.

Shot the.25-06 this morning. Looks like I'm getting close to a decent hunting load on the lower right. Will bump the charge up another half grain on the 2 right loads. Once I get that right, I'll move the group.

 

[brickeyee]

heat is normally your friend in chemical reactions.

Except it also will evaporate the typical cleaning chemicals faster.

Dissolving things is not exactly a "chemical reaction" but considered a 'change of state.
From solid to solute in the solvent.

Heat helps many things dissolve faster but at the penalty of losing more solvent.

 

[antelopedundee]

heat is normally your friend in chemical reactions.

Generally true, but I expect that this is more a situation of dissolution as opposed to a chemical reaction.

 

[retired]

I AM PRETTY SURE THE GREEN/BLUE color you see on patches is the result of a CHEMICAL reaction
with the copper in your bore.

Except it also will evaporate the typical cleaning chemicals faster.

Dissolving things is not exactly a "chemical reaction" but considered a 'change of state.
From solid to solute in the solvent.

Heat helps many things dissolve faster but at the penalty of losing more solvent.

 

[antelopedundee]

I AM PRETTY SURE THE GREEN/BLUE color you see on patches is the result of a CHEMICAL reaction
with the copper in your bore.

That would be correct. You are going from metallic copper oxidation state 0 to ionic copper oxidation state +2. There probably aren't any chemical reactions involving powder/primer residue removal tho. Application of modern analytical techniques for surfaces could provide insight.

 

[Zebra13]

Gents,

I've always tried to clean, if possible, when the barrel is warm because I "think" that when the fouling cools, it hardens, and adheres to the bore more than when it is still warm, and therefore becomes harder to remove. No scientific basis for this belief...just my observations having cleaned a few rifle barrels...and a few dishes.

Maybe an over-simplification, but when you cook something in a pan (barrel), the crusty stuff (fouling) stuck to the pan is softer and a lot easier to remove when the works is still warm.

Quite likely the first ever dishwashing analogy used in the history of Benchrest Central...

Justin

 

[antelopedundee]

Do the barrelmakers still coat the barrel blank with copper before running the rifling button through it?

 

[alinwa]

Gents,

I've always tried to clean, if possible, when the barrel is warm because I "think" that when the fouling cools, it hardens, and adheres to the bore more than when it is still warm, and therefore becomes harder to remove. No scientific basis for this belief...just my observations having cleaned a few rifle barrels...and a few dishes.

Maybe an over-simplification, but when you cook something in a pan (barrel), the crusty stuff (fouling) stuck to the pan is softer and a lot easier to remove when the works is still warm.

Quite likely the first ever dishwashing analogy used in the history of Benchrest Central...

Justin

I am solidly with Justin on this one...... SO MUCH SO that when I've had to bring a rifle home dirty I will actually go down to the range and shoot some groups EVEN IF IT'S DARK just so's I can clean it warm.

I don't know why, I have no theories A'tall, but just from 30yrs of shooting on my homerange and always cleaning as I go.... I've gotten a copper-free carbon-free regimen that gets all buggered up when I break it.

First time I really fought it, I was shooting my 17lb gun in both classes @ 600 and ended up with a late afternoon 'Heavy' relay and the gun was smokin'...... I shot slow (and like 13 sighters??) so the guys were basically (politely) tapping their feets before I wrapped up (I did win some chipboard ) and the line just freakin' EVAPORATED on me after my last shot. Next day I spent hours...... I thought I'd wrecked the gun.

I remembered my late night doggin'days and how we'd sometimes set up next morning, shoot enough to get warm, then start swapping/cleaning guns to get them back on track.

It happened again. And then, the third time I just stopped, shot the gun warm and then cleaned.

Maybe it's all in my head but according to ME and my Hawkeye cleaning warm is vital.

BTW I won't put a brush in my bores.


ever.

 

[vtmarmot]

I use accelerator and patch-out at the range, but then go to accelerator and the foam at home if still needed. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the foam cleans better.

After all the copper is gone, I find that in some bores, penetrating oil will still pull carbon out. I tend not to get concerned about that, because I know that many consecutive patches with J&B Bore Paste will come out completely black. Some think that J&B turns black all by itself.

 

[antelopedundee]

I use accelerator and patch-out at the range, but then go to accelerator and the foam at home if still needed. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the foam cleans better.

After all the copper is gone, I find that in some bores, penetrating oil will still pull carbon out. I tend not to get concerned about that, because I know that many consecutive patches with J&B Bore Paste will come out completely black. Some think that J&B turns black all by itself.

I'll do a couple accelerator wipe-out treatments at the range if I can and then a couple more at home. As for copper after reading Doug Shilen's comments [I assume they are his] about spending a lot of time cleaning out copper that just gets put back after a shot or 2, I've become less concerned about removing it all for a hunting rifle barrel.

Another question. Is there any real value in using oil in a stainless barrel?

 

[alinwa]

I'll do a couple accelerator wipe-out treatments at the range if I can and then a couple more at home. As for copper after reading Doug Shilen's comments [I assume they are his] about spending a lot of time cleaning out copper that just gets put back after a shot or 2, I've become less concerned about removing it all for a hunting rifle barrel.

Another question. Is there any real value in using oil in a stainless barrel?

I'd be scared to death about putting any sort of oil into a SS bbl. Especially after discussing with Skip Otto about his experiments with using tranny fluid in barrels and having seen barrels ironed/peened/expanded from a drop of water or a smear of cleaning fluid/oil/solvent.

Back in the day I did experiment with various "seasonings" and "coatings" and "Impregnations" like LockEEZes and Graphites and HexAbOrOchLoROnITRotiRates and Mz Molly et al...... always assiduously scrubbing out the excess.

I am an unbeliever, firmly in the snake oil camp.

 

[KC57]

"accelerator"?

What is "accelerator"?

 

[antelopedundee]

What is "accelerator"?

This stuff is what I use now. Both have sort of a soapy/foamy nature which means that they might contain detergents and possibly be water based. Whatever tho, they work. It's ok to use them together, but it is advised not to mix them. At the range I usually let the stuff work in the barrel for a few minutes, but at home it's oftentimes longer.

Another thing. I use the .410 size bore mops to clean the chamber and bolt lug raceways. When they get grungy you can put a couple drops of dish soap on them, work it in and rinse well with water. They dry out nice.

 

[Wilbur]

Just clean the rifle whenever you get time. Life's too short for all this "hubbub" about cleaning. So what if you have to brush it a few more strokes....

That "wipe out" is some pretty good stuff!

 

[antelopedundee]

You have that right, Wilbur.

He does.

 

[vtmarmot]

Frequently, after using a Wipe-out product, I find that there is still some carbon in the grooves. I use either the old Birchwood Casey Bore Solvent or Liquid Wrench for a few patches and that seems to work on the carbon. Either of those pretty much evaporates, so I don't worry about hurting a stainless barrel.

 

[antelopedundee]

Anyone ever tried plugging the bore with a cork and filling the barrel with say a mix of liquid wrench and charcoal starter fluid and letting it sit around to soak?