Boyd Allen
Active member
The other day, I was at the range, repeatedly loading three well used 6PPC cases. I was getting frustrated. The results from a previous session were not repeating, and I could not figure out why. It is not that my groups were huge, but just that they were not what they had been. At one point, puzzled as to why, after FL sizing, the load with one case had a tight bolt close even though the bump had been set to .001, and they all had been FL sized, I checked the cases for length, and although none were over the chamber length specification (1.515) the one that was tighter was way too close. At that point I got out my Possum Hollow trimmer, and Holland VLD chamfer tool and got busy. I wish that I could say that my groups showed the difference. I left the range somewhat puzzled, and more than a little frustrated. Later, thinking over what the problem could have been, it occurred to me that I might be fighting an unusual deposit of powder fouling in the inside corner at the end of the neck part of the chamber. I had been experimenting with three different powders, and although my cleaning method had passed borescope inspection when using 133, perhaps the fouling from the other powders was more resistant. This brings up two questions. Can I get around the problem by simply trimming my cases shorter than I have been without sacrificing accuracy, and how do I get the stuff out without hurting the barrel? (This assumes that there is something there in the first place. I am going to do a normal cleaning and the n pull the barrel and look for anything that it missed in this area.)
Some years back, Mr. Boyer recommended using a nylon brush loaded with IOSSO to clean carbon from the throat and first 8-10" of the breech end of the barrel. The problem with this approach, for me. is that for those of us that buy barrels one at a time, and need to get more than 800 rounds of service life, cleaning with an abrasive every time may not be an attractive option, and given that different powders may have different fouling characteristics, may not be necessary. (old T compared to 133). Another option would be to use the same type of brush and abrasive, but use a brush one caliber larger and only work to the end of the chamber, by feel. (I think that Speedy wrote about this.) A third approach would be to wrap an old bronze brush (at the end of a chamber rod) with some 0000 steel wool, apply some light oil or Hoppes #9, and twist the rod in the chamber while applying some forward pressure. I first read that 0000 on a brush wouldn't hurt a barrel in a post by Mickey Coleman. I have tried it, and did not see any evidence of damage when I bore scoped afterwords.
Have any of you any experience in this area? Do you do anything in your normal cleaning to address this area?
Thanks
Some years back, Mr. Boyer recommended using a nylon brush loaded with IOSSO to clean carbon from the throat and first 8-10" of the breech end of the barrel. The problem with this approach, for me. is that for those of us that buy barrels one at a time, and need to get more than 800 rounds of service life, cleaning with an abrasive every time may not be an attractive option, and given that different powders may have different fouling characteristics, may not be necessary. (old T compared to 133). Another option would be to use the same type of brush and abrasive, but use a brush one caliber larger and only work to the end of the chamber, by feel. (I think that Speedy wrote about this.) A third approach would be to wrap an old bronze brush (at the end of a chamber rod) with some 0000 steel wool, apply some light oil or Hoppes #9, and twist the rod in the chamber while applying some forward pressure. I first read that 0000 on a brush wouldn't hurt a barrel in a post by Mickey Coleman. I have tried it, and did not see any evidence of damage when I bore scoped afterwords.
Have any of you any experience in this area? Do you do anything in your normal cleaning to address this area?
Thanks