The perpetual fountain of crud...

[Smokey Joe]

Re: Ed's Red

DB Tanker--Re: cleaning when warm from firing: No. She was warm from the hot-water treatment when I started the other stuff, yesterday evening, but never when freshly fired. Have heard this suggestion before--Does it really help?

Re: Ed's Red: Have heard good things abt. it; however, I now have more different bore cleaners than I can shake a stick at; they seem to accumulate faster than I can use 'em up. Have not been moved to mix up a gallon of one more bore cleaner. Then there's the acetone--Had experience with that building plastic airplane models as a kid; found it to be kind of nasty. My mother didn't like my playing with it then, my wife probably wouldn't like my playing with it now.

Can anyone with experience of ER honestly say that it is notably better than commercial bore cleaners on the market today?

I should add, thx to everybody responding, for yr continued and helpful interest.

 

[db_tanker]

I have been lucky enough to only have one barrel that was/is in even close shape to yours. And I swab it out and get it clean relatively quick and easy after a shooting session there at the range.

Please note though...after this, the accuracy falls off until the barrel was re-fouled again. That was already mentioned though, so beware.

I have used some of ER that someone else made...the stuff is great with lead fouling (which is what I needed it for in a Model 94 30 WCF)

 

[ctgmi]

I have a barrel that has this same problem. I would clean it and it appeared entirely clean and shinny and was so puzzled by dirty patches that I had my gunsmith inspect the barrel. He said that there is slight bit rust and nothing could be done to it within reason but he mentioned if it accurate enough (and it is) just shoot it as is.

 

[gengarnett]

I got my recipe from ed

just the basics on a piece of paper, thanks for the extra info

 

[2RCO]

What about Birchwood's Gun Scrubber--The stuff is potent.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Costly...

2RCO--

What about Birchwood's Gun Scrubber--The stuff is potent.

That, as I understand it, is an EXPENSIVE version of plain old non-chlorinated brake cleaner, which is much cheaper at Wally World or yr local farm supply store.

Granted--it's good @ what it does, namely dissolving oily/greasy crud and rinsing same away, and dries w/no residue, so no post-clean-up. But the brake cleaner does precisely the same thing, for less $.

And both smell horrid, yr wife objects to their use in the basement, and you shouldn't breathe a lot of the vapors of either.

Some chemist--correct me, please, if I am in error as to the composition of the 2 products. As to their effect, there ain't no difference there, by gum!

 

[rocketfish]

I think the black stuff might actually be from your bronze brushes. Not from dirt on the brush but the actual material from the bronze bristles. You would think that this would look like coppery or gold, but no, it comes out looking black. You can take a perfectly clean barrel, push a bronze brush though, then run a patch and it will come out with black stuff. I am not making this up.

 

[Sunray]

1.5" with factory ammo isn't exactly horrible for a bubba'd milsurp. However, plug the muzzle and fill the barrel with regular solvent and leave it for 24 hours. Then clean as per normal. No dumping the dirty solvent down any drain.

 

[stubbicatt]

Years ago I mixed up Ed's Red. It worked OK.

Then I discovered Mpro7 which works really well with no odor at all. No going back.

 

[scythefwd]

You could give Biodiesel a try. It is a very (repeat about 15 times) strong solvent. B100 will run about 3.50 a gallon. Have you tried using a penetrating oil like wd40 or clp? On my M16, I could get the patch to pull clean even with clp on it, but wait a few days and I could get more carbon out of her. Could it be slight oxidation from the steel bore itself? Try glycerhol (alcohol and glycerin, the byproducts of biodiesel production, will clean up anything even brake dust where nothing else I have tried will but it stinks a bit) if you know anyone making biod. It is the black "crud" they dispose of after reaction but before washing the final product.

 

[BornAgainBullseye]

Un screw barrel. Throw away barrel. Buy Adams&Bennett short chambered barrell. screw on new barrel. Finish ream chamber. Wallah. No more crud. Is the only way. Shoot the heck out of it before you give up. Sounds like it is accurate enough for hunting.