Dirty barrel

[Dinosaur1]

Last fall I gifted myself with a new Mossberg 930 as a duck/turkey gun. I like it. Shoots great with whatever I feed it. But, to date I have been unable to get a patch to come out of the barrel clean. I have run into this once before on an old Stevens 311. I was the local gun guy where I worked and a guy came to me and asked if I would clean his gun and I agreed. I used everything but battery acid on that 311 and finally gave it back to him still turning out black patches. Now I seem to be having the same deal with the Mossberg. Any body else ever run into this?

 

[1942bull]

I have never had that problem with any pistol I have ever owned or the shotgun and rifle I once owned. Applying a little down-home logic to the situation you encounter All I can say is this. If the patches come out dirty you are not cleaning correctly of the bore cleaner and tool you are using are the problem. After all, the residue is in the barrel not part of the barrel. If it got in there in can come out of there. Check your gear and cleaner. it is not the barrel's fault.

 

[Dinosaur1]

Okay, lets suppose, just for the sake of discussion, that over over the last 65 plus years of actual firearm use and ownership ( I'm older than that but those are the years I've been shooting), being in the military and law enforcement for 50 some of those years and cleaned literally thousands of barrels and having every type and make of cleaning stuff at hand, that I'm an idiot. I haven't ruled that out . Then what?

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

The only time I recall running into this is with rusted bores and brand-spankin-new ones.

One - or a few - were so finely pitted that it could not be seen with the naked eye but when I slid my bore-scope in it was quite apparent and explained many dozen rounds of trying to return a clean patch.

What I took from it was that even if the bore looks almost mirror-smooth - there might be a rust issue.

On an new gun - I would suspect the method and material used in the manufacturer's finishing technique.

Todd.

 

[Slamfire]

Okay, lets suppose, just for the sake of discussion, that over over the last 65 plus years of actual firearm use and ownership ( I'm older than that but those are the years I've been shooting), being in the military and law enforcement for 50 some of those years and cleaned literally thousands of barrels and having every type and make of cleaning stuff at hand, that I'm an idiot. I haven't ruled that out . Then what?

I clean barrels primarily to remove powder residue which attracts water and the subsequent rust creates pitting. If there are lumps of lead and copper I knock that out. Copper fouling in the throat of rifles will affect accuracy, but I have no proof it creates rust.

I suspect your shotgun barrel has so much embedded leading in the pores that you will never get the patch to come out white unless you use electrolysis. And this is a shotgun barrel, right? a smooth bore? I have no reason to assume that embedded lead will affect patterns or create rust. Might in fact, prevent rust.

All of us are affected by obsessive behaviors to some extent, and this may be one for you. Can you live with a barrel that will never be perfectly clean? If you can't, try electrolysis. I don't think it is worth the bother, but if you have an itch you can't scratch, electrolysis will remove everything.

 

[MEHavey]

OOC: What solvent is the OP using ?

 

[Dinosaur1]

Here's the problem, the gun was brand new. Only test fired at the plant I guess, or not. Anyways, when I got it I scrubbed it. Primarily Hoppes, CLP and maybe some mil stuff if I recall. Shouldn't have been lead fouled at that point. I have another Moss 500 Youth for the kids and it cleans right up. I couldn't get this 12 to come clean so I reverted to the old 10 ga. brush and a drill attached to the cleaning rod. I've used that before on some minor rust and difficult spots and it works, but nope. But here's a thought, I think I'll try a bucket of hot water with soap and a mop. Don't know why I didn't try that before. Just that I've only encountered it twice.

 

[Olon]

You said the patches are coming out black though, right? If the barrel was leaded, I would think they'd be gray. What solvent are you using? Have you tried soaking overnight.

If it were me, I would try patches soaked in diesel fuel or straight kerosene and let it sit overnight.

Edit: looks like @MEHarvey beat me to the punch and OP already answered

 

[MEHavey]

Just make sure to quickly oil it down after that hot soap/water.... like ASAP.
Flash rust (on that now super-clean metal) will give you a false reading,

To be honest -- at that point I'd just shoot it.

Otherwise constant cleaning breeds.......
...constant cleaning.

 

[Olon]

Agreed, I should rephrase: if it were me, I wouldn't bother because I can't even remember the last time I cleaned a shotgun. That being said, if you told your buddy you're going to clean it then I suppose you're right to be persistent. That or give up and buy him a 30-rack.

 

[George P]

Spray a good solvent in the barrel; even WD-40 works. Rotate the barrel so all surfaces get wet and wait a minute or two. chuck an old cleaning rod with a bronze brush in a cordless drill and work it back and forth 5-6 times. Take your good cleaning rod with a jag and enough patches to make it a tight fit, put some solvent on them and push them through the barrel; repeat if necessary

 

[243winxb]

Primarily Hoppes, CLP and maybe some mil stuff if I recall.

Try a solvent that removes plastic. Hoppes Benchrest solvent. Maybe a proof load ironed in some crud? My wild guess.

 

[Ethan sherman]

My guess is maby some paint or other Finnish got in the barrel at the factory I would wrap a bore brush with a patch and soak it in gun scrubber or some other solvent that will eat anything less than steel than Chuck it in a drill and Polish it just shy of ultraviolence

 

[1942bull]

Here's the problem, the gun was brand new. Only test fired at the plant I guess, or not. Anyways, when I got it I scrubbed it. Primarily Hoppes, CLP and maybe some mil stuff if I recall. Shouldn't have been lead fouled at that point. I have another Moss 500 Youth for the kids and it cleans right up. I couldn't get this 12 to come clean so I reverted to the old 10 ga. brush and a drill attached to the cleaning rod. I've used that before on some minor rust and difficult spots and it works, but nope. But here's a thought, I think I'll try a bucket of hot water with soap and a mop. Don't know why I didn't try that before. Just that I've only encountered it twice.

Good move. Sometimes we cleaned out M14s with soapy water. It really cleans. You need to rise with plenty of fresh water.