Pistol Barrel Cleaning - Gray Haze

[Spare Parts]

Cleaning a Glock 27. This is the first time I have looked at a barrel with an Opti-Visor, jeweler's loupe, and borescope - entirely my fault.

There is a stubborn gray haze in the grooves just beyond the leade. Also a lesser amount of haze at the muzzle. This is after Hoppe's 9 on a tight patch comes out clean. Have tried the copper chore-girl trick, also some JB bore paste and Kroil. That removed some of the haze, but it's tenacious. The amount of black gunk (steel? carbon? lead?) on the patch was a bit scary.

What is this stuff? The "Normal" dark area is bare steel. The "Gray Haze" is smeared along the length of the groove. The haze can be gently scraped off with a stainless dental pick - it's a black-ish powder.



Sorry about the focus, need a shorter 10mm focal-length borescope.

The barrel only shoots JHP and TMJ. No lead. Win231 and CFE-Pistol, 180gr @ 1000fps. At least a thousand rounds through it. The chamber/throat shows no heat cracks - very clean. The lands have copper on them. Barrel shoots straighter than I do. I'm fairly fastidious about cleaning the barrel after a range trip.


Looking for options. Ignore it? Clean it? Stop using a borescope - it only frightens people?

Thanks for looking everyone - the collective wisdom on THR is awesome. The cast-lead folks are probably laughing at me.

 

[Jim Watson]

Options 1 and 3.
If you want to keep messing with it, let time and chemistry do the work.
I have a tall skinny olive jar full of "benchrest blend" (Shooters Choice and Kroil 1:1) that will soak a 5" barrel as long as I like. Three days will soften a lot of stubborn fouling. I am sure other solvents will work, but be sure yours doesn't have a warning like Sweet's.

 

[Blue68f100]

I've used Butches bore cleaner in the past for stubborn spots. It comes in a glass gar and you should use gloves when using it. It cleans out what other cleaners leave behind. The Buthes Bore Shine will leave a gray film behind. Normally a good solvent removes it though.

 

[Project355]

Cant say for Glock, but Kahr have nickel plating on the whole barrel, inside n out. When you shoot them you get a grey, hazy, sometimes lumpy film inside. Just keep on shootin and you will shoot it out. Takes 400-500 rounds though

 

[wiscoaster]

1) Clean.
2) Shoot.
3) Goto #1.

Your attention to detail exceeds the average shooter by such an extraordinary degree that I would have no problem buying that gun from you sight unseen.

 

[Spare Parts]

Thanks for the ideas, guys - especially "ignore it". OCD is an occupational hazard for test design engineers.

 

[JRadice45]

1) Clean.
2) Shoot.
3) Goto #1.

Your attention to detail exceeds the average shooter by such an extraordinary degree that I would have no problem buying that gun from you sight unseen.

This, clean it well enough your chamber is good and continue shooting. Stay away from sharp metallic instruments in the bore, no good can come of it.

Have you brushed it? Get some brownells double tuff bore brushes and some carbon remover of your choice. Hoppes is a good general solvent but those gray streaks are mostly carbon.

Worry more about tearing out the bullseye at 25yds.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

After buying a borescope Ive learned Hoppes #9 is pretty much useless. Get yourself some Boretech cleaners and a nylon brush, I think a saturated nylon brush does a better job of coating the barrel than a jag does. Brush the barrel a few times, let it sit for say 30-60 mins. Run a few patches through, if need be run a bronze brush through a few times. That grayish junk is baked on carbon.
Cleaning that barrel shouldn't be hard or time consuming, just change the cleaners.