I have been reading several custom barrel websites. Most of them have a section on barrel break in and cleaning. One of the sites suggested using a solvent and then windex between shots during break in. They said that windex would not leave any film in the barrel so it would assure clean bare metal. Am I the only one who has never even thought of putting windex in a gun barrel?

It's basically like using alcohol, it dries fast. I wouldn't leave it that way since it will take any lubrication or moisture repellent out of the barrel. In between shots I guess would be ok, but I wouldn't use it and then leave it set unless you lived in very dry climate.

Paul

Windex or Windshield washer fluid in a 50/50 mix with Isopropal Alcohol is a standard for swabbing between shots with a muzzleloader to keep the barrel clean.

The Windex works great with muzzleloaders.

Yep use windex all the time in my smokepoles. Works great.

keylargo

I do use windex - the old fashioned windex with ammonia - the ammonia is a solvent and will remove light deposits of oil + it is a great bare metal cleaner - even starts the removal of copper build up - certainly not as well as a treatment of Bore Shine but it is an excellent metal cleaner. And of course the last thing ammonia evaporates in hurry and takes mositer with it...

The ammonia is so weak in that house hold product it is not harmful at all to your metal - just provides cleaning and stripping...

Here is a very good quote from a major barrel maker...

Them blackpowder guys know their stuff! That is the best forum on huntingnet. Thanks SL!

So, if a major league custom barrel maker says "no damage" and the makers of the product warn you to leave it in no longer than 5, 10, or 15 minutes at a time before swabbing out and repeating .... this makes me think the warnings about ammonia causing damage to the barrel is nothing more than hype and a way to get you to use up the ammonia based bore product faster.
Any other comments or observations about this?
I would find it hard to argue with Mr. Lilja.

I just broke in a Lilja barrel on my .243 AI using Butch's Bore Shine. Standard procedure used... series of one shot/clean, etc. After shooting four 5-shot groups out of it last week, I cleaned the barrel before I left the range. First patch with Butch's had powder residue and light traces of copper. Second wet patch had only a small amount of residue and nearly no blue. Dry patch. One more wet patch, nothing. Dried the bore and went home.
When you get results like this, (and this isn't the first gun this has worked this way for me with this) you gotta have the faith.
Sorry to have gotten off the subject, but I did want to pass my experiences along, for what it's worth...........

I use to run a patch of isopropyl after swabbing a barrel of a CF but now just run a oiled patch thenfollow withdry patches instead.In terms of a ml I have been using 50/50 solution for years as fouling is higher then a smokeless or bottleneck cart barrel between shots.