How filthy?
 

Ok you master ML cleaners,

I just got into the sport last year when I purchased my brother-in-laws Omega. Only problem is that he wasn't the best at cleaning it. Needless to say, I chewed on him pretty good when I ran some patches through it the first time. It was dirty (major understatement). He put about 20 to 30 shots through it with pyrodex pellets and about 10 to 20 with T7. Not sure of how well he cleaning between shots, etc. But it's dirty!

Not to bore you, but here is a condensed version of my cleaning and there is still some crud in the barrel!.

In this order: Hoppes, Butches Bore Shine,Break-Free CLP, Ballistoil, Liquid Wrench, HOTHOT HOT Water with soap, T7 Foaming Bore Cleaner. Inbetween most of these solvent and patch runs, I woulduseabrass brush and the patches would come outflithy. I washed the barrellast night withhot water and soap andmost of the powder ring near the breech was removed, butalittle still remains. I have put at least 6 rounds of foaming bore cleaner in it today and everytime,the patchesstill come out filthy.

Should I continue thefoameruntilthey come outclean or repeat the water and soap? Or should I goover to my Bro-in-law and smack him silly!?The barrel looks night and day compared to when I first looked in it! I also have a bore-light and could not see any signs of pitting, so I guess I got to it quick enough? After I get it clean, I plan on having a gunsmith take a look at it to make sure it's fine.

Thanks much!

RE: How filthy?
 

#1, smack him silly.

#2, I am not sure you will ever get that barrel to look good. It may be permanently damaged from leaving all that crud in there...both Pyrodex and 777 are corrosive.

#3, I am a pretty big fan of the foaming bore cleaner. Let it soak good and long, then run multiple patches soaked in another cleaning agent. 777 fouling should come out fine with plain water.

RE: How filthy?
 

Get some JB Bore Paste. Then with water and soap clean the barrel with patches as best as possible. Then run dry patches through it. When you have it dry, run a patch with some quality gun oil on it. Now smear some of that JB Bore paste on a tight fitting patch and start scrubbing the barrel with that stuff. If anything is going to get down into the pores of that barrel and clean it, that stuff will.

After you have scrubbed that barrel with Bore Paste for a while, give the barrel a good water bath again. Then take a brass bore brush and dip that in solvent and scrub the barrel with a solvent brush for a while. After that run some solvent patches through the barrel.. Finally with dry patches wipe out all the stuff in the barrel as best you can. The barrel should shine at this point. You have taken it back to the metal base. So be sure to end the session with a patch and some quality gun oil and really swab the barrel good, working that oil into the pores of the barrel. You should be able to examine the bore of the rifle now for some damage.

If there is slight pitting, it might not be the end of the world. Take the rifle out, load 100 grains of Pyrodex RS loose powder and a 250 grain shockwave and see how it shoots for you at say... 50 yards. Go from there and work up some loads.

RE: How filthy?
 

Cayugad...can that bore paste be used on a new barrel to shorten the break in period?

RE: How filthy?
 

Yes, it is a good idea to use it on a new rifle. It will smooth out the ruff spots and take all the grease out of the pores. I do all my new rifles with it.

RE: How filthy?
 

By the way, the bore paste will have a light grey color on the patch but that does not denote dirt. Took me a while to catch on to it.

RE: How filthy?
 

Will a regular cleaning rod/jag work with the bore paste, or would a "spin tip" jag be better?

RE: How filthy?
 

Seems to me a spin jag would be the better of the two, since it will follow the rifling quite easily. Saves trying to let the rod rotate with the rifling.

RE: How filthy?
 

How muchcan you use JB bore paste before damaging the barrel or dulling the rifling?

RE: How filthy?
 

I would like to know that myself. If its during a heavy shooting month, I have been using it once a month. I don't use the paste every cleaning. I used it at the end of this last season cause I new I wouldn't be shooting for a while. I wanted to give a good cleaning before I put it up.