Bore cleaning problem...

[Smokey Joe]

Hope I don't bore you with this.

Bo't a Bubba-ized Swedish Mauser last fall. Kilt a deer with it last season. (No comments on Bubba-izing a Swede, please--it was that way when I got it.) It shot Federal factory ammo satisfactorily, but I'm a reloader. Decided to try Barnes 130 grain TSX's in it--it spits 'em all over the target. Had read that the copper bullets want a very clean bore, so decided to give the Swede a serious cleaning. Hence my current problem.

Never have I had a gun of any type want such cleaning! I've been at it on & off now for THREE DAYS!! And the more crud I clean out of the bore, the more crud there seems to be to clean out. It's getting frustrating. It would seem that the last time this rifle was cleaned was in 1946 when the last Swedish Army PFC cleaned it before turning it in to the armory for storage.

I have used several different products, cleaning out each one as best I can before trying the next. So far, have used: 2 different brands of foaming bore cleaners, and Blue Wonder. Each of these got out lots of crud, the foamers turning pretty blue (copper fouling) in addition to the black. Currently I have Kroil sitting in the bbl, second application. The first Kroiling got out more black crud. :banghead: If the Kroil doesn't do the trick I'll try J-B Paste and Oil, following their directions, and at that point I'll be out of different products to try. Never had to use the J-B stuff before; usually any one of the above, plus patches, brushes, and elbow grease, has been highly sufficient to clean a bore.

So although I've been shooting for > 50 years, I'm willing to ask for help. What (short of reaming the 6.5mm bbl to .30 cal) can I do to clean this bore??? Am open to any & all suggestions.

 

[strat81]

the last time this rifle was cleaned was in 1946

Anything is possible.

You need to use brushes and nasty solvents. I thought I did a good job with 3 dozen patches, a boresnake, Hoppes #9, and CLP on my Garand. NOPE! I borrowed some Montana X-treme Copper Killer Bore Solvent from a buddy and that pulled out even more gunk. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=497834&t=11082005

That stuff is NASTY. It reeks to high heaven of ammonia. Imagine dabbing some concentrated ammonia underneath your nose. It made my eyes tear it was so bad. But, it got the bore much cleaner. It also discolored my brass cleaning rod instantly, so make sure you use a nylon brush with it, lest it eat your bronze brush.

I'd avoid attaching a brush to a drill, since you might heat the barrel up in some weird way.

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Is gunk green like its corroded?

 

[Smokey Joe]

Green Gunk

Bazooka Joe--No, thank goodness, no green; no corrosion. Blue from copper being oxidized by the copper solvents, plus black from ordinary combustion products.

When I bo't the rifle (@ a gun show) the bore looked smooth & shiny, no pitting, no rust. P'raps that was an illusion.

Anyhow, I'm heading downstairs now to scrub out the Kroil, and start on the J-B treatment if the Kroil hasn't done the job.

Strat 81--After the J-B, should that not do it, p'raps I'll go buy some Montana X-treme.

 

[strat81]

Never used J-B. Does it smell so bad that your wife, on another floor of the house, starts to yell at you to "stop it with the damn gun crap!"??? The Montana X-Treme is formulated for .50 BMG fouling, so it's pretty strong stuff. All the Midway comments are positive too.

If you have Hoppes #9, I'd try plugging the bore and letting it sit for a day or two, then scrub with a bronze brush.

 

[Pat McCoy]

Be good to your liver and kidneys, and swith to biodegradable cleaners.

"Carbon Killer" from Slip 2000 will get the all the carbon out (military now buys it by the barrel), and BoreTech's "Eliminator" takes care of the copper.

 

[Smokey Joe]

More info

Well, the oil & paste was USP, not J-B, FWIW. And I found a bottle of Sweet's 7.62, and a bottle of Butch's Bore-Shine, on my workbench.

The Sweet's in the bore turned the patches a blue that would have made Tom Gainsborough himself, proud. Several applications of that got the blue down to just a little on a patch. The USP oil & paste brought out a really nasty-looking gray-black patch, but since the paste itself is gray that should come as no surprise. Did several applications of that, too. The Butch's Bore-shine got out a little more brown-black crud, but you could tell that the source of crud was starting to get tired!!

So mebbe (I touch wood when I say it) I AM getting a handle on this. Left some Kroil (The Oil That Creeps) in the bore and will check it again later.

Strat 81 Sorry, can't tell you how J-B smells. The USP oil/paste doesn't smell at all. Smelliest of what I've tried is the Sweet's 7.62, which has so much ammonia it smells like janitorial toilet bowl cleaner. The Sweet's label says it will not harm steel, but it also says not to leave it in the bore for longer than 15 min. Blue Wonder also smells of ammonia, but not nearly as strongly as the Sweet's.

Pat McCoy--Thx for the tip re. "Carbon Killer" and "ELiminator."

 

[Smokey Joe]

Update

Progress report...Well, after vigorously cleaning the Swede with 2 brands of foaming bore cleaners, Butch's Bore Shine, Sweet's 7.62, Blue Wonder, and Kroil, by turns, using up uncounted patches, and wrecking 3 bore brushes, I THINK she's mostly clean.

Saturday I got it down to where a patch pushed through on a jag only came out with a light gray stain--Which I understand is from the steel of the bbl--and the foaming bore cleaner didn't produce any more blue on a patch. So I think that bbl is pretty close to where Senior Master CPO Elmo P. Stitt might grudgingly allow that it was almost not filthy.

Anyhow, took the Swede back to the range yesterday and shot some more Barnes TSX's with her, and now we are down from minute-of-pie-plate to 4" groups. In the process, I discovered that her stock's forend touches the bbl, so now I have some stock modification to do before expecting further improvement. The saga continues....