Choke tube carbon removal

I imagine it would be okay. When I clean a shotgun though the choke stays in the barrel and as such the inside of the choke gets clean. I occasionally remove chokes and re-lube the threads and by occasionally mean maybe once a year. I’ve never seen carbon build-up on any of my chokes.

No need for that; a simple solvent; if inside the choke, let the solvent sit for a minute then chuck a brush on a rod and use a cordless drill and go back and forth for a few seconds and clean.......if on the outside, it should simply wipe off with a cloth and solvent. The question then becomes, however, why are you getting carbon on the outside of the tube as that would indicate a poor skirt seal.

George P said:

The question then becomes, however, why are you getting carbon on the outside of the tube as that would indicate a poor skirt seal.

Click to expand...

Which is what I was wondering too.

I use....

https://www.slip2000.com/slip2000_CTC.php

Milkmaster said:

Sometimes when I come across a used shotgun and go to cleaning it up. I find a layer of carbon inside the choke that is tough to dissolve and clean up. My own chokes are usually cleaned before they get too bad. For the most part the question was rhetorical as in "what would be the harm in using it". I have no idea if it would harm the bluing and would not try it on the rest of the shotgun not knowing.

Click to expand...

Gotcha. I don’t think it would hurt anything if the oven cleaner was completely removed from the choke before re-insertion. I keep brake cleaner on hand for serious cleaning and don’t see how oven cleaner could be any harsher.

Milkmaster said:

I just ordered some Carlson chokes last night. To make enough for free shipping I added their choke cleaner. I thought it kinda looked like oven cleaner in the bottle. That was another reason I asked. We use Sodium Hydroxide at my work. I am going to take the Carlson's choke cleaner I ordered to work with me and have it analyzed. A high PH and chemical analysis may reveal a simple recipe.

Click to expand...

I like extended chokes and buy Carlson’s and Trulock. Which brand I buy is determined by availability. Carlson’s are excellent IMO. An added bonus is their customer service. I’ve had customer service as good but never better than Carlson’s.

Milkmaster said:

have it analyzed

Click to expand...

I use a shot gun brush on a drill.

Ks5shooter said:

I use....

https://www.slip2000.com/slip2000_CTC.php

Click to expand...

This. Also good on stubborn carbon deposits on AR parts.

entropy said:

This. Also good on stubborn carbon deposits on AR parts.

Click to expand...

Yep good for lotsa small parts.

cdb1 said:

Gotcha. I don’t think it would hurt anything if the oven cleaner was completely removed from the choke before re-insertion. I keep brake cleaner on hand for serious cleaning and don’t see how oven cleaner could be any harsher.

Click to expand...

I used to use brake cleaner for cleaning until a friend of mine had some back splash into his eye and it messed up his vision to the point he stopped shooting shotgun.
Even Simple green will do the job, as will Slip 2000 or any other solvent, even WD-40 can be used.

George P said:

No need for that; a simple solvent; if inside the choke, let the solvent sit for a minute then chuck a brush on a rod and use a cordless drill and go back and forth for a few seconds and clean.......if on the outside, it should simply wipe off with a cloth and solvent. The question then becomes, however, why are you getting carbon on the outside of the tube as that would indicate a poor skirt seal.

Click to expand...

Carburetor cleaner with a copper/stainless/similar via a cordless drill.

As stated, let the chokes soak for a bit and go for it.

Throw it in some vinegar. Cleans the lead and carbon off my suppressors.

dcloco said:

Carburetor cleaner with a copper/stainless/similar via a cordless drill.

As stated, let the chokes soak for a bit and go for it.

Click to expand...

Watch your eyes with carb cleaner; it's as dangerous as brake cleaner

greyling22 said:

Throw it in some vinegar. Cleans the lead and carbon off my suppressors.

Click to expand...

You can buy 30% vinegar now but be careful - that acetic acid can also be dangerous if mishandled

i put them in a small container with left over lawn mower gas, out side for half an hour and then use the drill -brush. carbon-plastic comes out easy. but i don,t let it build up.

G-96 will clean bores and chokes without wood or metal finish damage. Just sit the barrel in a garbage can on paper then spray down the barrels from the chamber end, let it sit for two hours, pull a bore snake through the bore, put the gun back together. Every once in a while take the choke tubes out, spray the barrel threads and use a choke bronze brush on a 90 degree bore/chamber wrench. G-96 cleans out the barrel carbon and the plastic from shot cups. It will also clean the carbon off the piston on Berettas. If you get in a hurry on a Beretta just use Premium Starter fluid, it is ether and flows carbon right off.

There is no magic solvent. Most of the crud in a choke tube is actually plastic residue from the wads. The only thing that really works is grease.

As in elbow grease. Though brush in a drill does diminish the amount of elbow grease required.