Any tips or tricks to remove a ton of carbon?

[Crazymonkey]

Need to remove a ton of carbon build up in a old barrel any tips to make the job a little easier.

Thanks.

[cjl2010]

Stainless barrel?

[Crazymonkey]

Blued steel barrel .Probably has several years of carbon buildup.

[JSR]

you could plug up the muzzle and fill the bore with Hopps and let it soak a few days. Then take a brush to it.

[10Turkeys]

Boretech makes a carbon remover that works pretty good. Some of the internet guys are using CLR, but with stainless. I wouldn't use it for a blued barrel.

[Couesdeer]

I have used JB bore paste with good results.  However, I do like the idea of plugging the barrel and letting it soak in a mild solvent for a while to soften everything up.  

[Crazymonkey]

I've got a old blue barrel I could try the clr on .But as stated most of the barrels were stainless for that trick.I think ill try the plug and soak first and then. Try the paste .Its probably got 50 years of build up in it and I don't have enough time to replace the barrel so hopefully I can get it clean and shooting a decent group.

[cjl2010]

On stainless I’ll use CLR but probably not with anything that’s blued. I also use this stuff about every 100-150 rounds.

https://shop.otmtactical.com/thorroclean-bore-cleaning-system.html

 

[PRDATR]

GM Top Engine Cleaner amd mix some Kroil in with it.

[andyyy]

DCM/methylene chloride/dichloromethane/paint stripper (different names for same shoot) works really well. It's the main ingredient in commercial carbon cleaner as well.  In college I used it for experiments on solid hydrocarbons (soot molecules) to dissolve them. Works like a charm. 

It penetrates nitrile gloves in several seconds so be careful and take them off immediately for a fresh pair if it splatters on you.

[Dano562]

Clean barrel. tape end of barrel. Fill with kroil. Let sit 24 hours. Clean with jb bore paste and repeat till clean (don't have to wait 24 hours on repeat). When barrel is clean, clean gun like normal. 

[Couzer]

Sweets is the best I found if you can find it anymore, works on copper and carbon.

[merwin]

I have had good results with MPro7 and a nylon brush.  Get it wet and let it soak a while.

[AZHunter95]

CLR on stainless for me. Also, slip2000 Carbon Killer has worked well for me. 

[L Cazador]

Here's what you will need. I did an old Remington 03A3 it took several days. On a Chrome-Moly bore you should not let anything soak overnight. I don't recommend overnight soaking on Stainless steel either. It takes good old fashioned elbow grease. Here's what happens when a bullet goes down the bore. Bullet goes down the bore leaving copper residue. Behind that, powder fouling follows along with the primer fouling which is lead. With todays copper eraser powders you'll also get some fouling from that copper eraser in the form of a brown residue, a combination of burned copper, lead from the primer, and carbon from the powder. When you fire again the process is repeated. There is layer upon layer of the copper first followed by the carbon, copper, and lead. So here's what you will need to remove the first layer carbon and lead, C-4 carbon remover. Use the C4 on a phosphor bronze brush, then follow that with a few hundred strokes. C-4 will dissolve a plastic brush leaving a plastic brush residue that's difficult to remove( more work) Dry patch it before you go to the next step. Next run a few patches with Sweets and let that sit for a few minutes. Use a different phosphor bronze brush soaked with Bore Shine and do a few hundred strokes. Bore Shine and Sweets are compatible, C-4 is not. Whatever you do never mix chemicals. Next use a smaller phosphor brush with a patch wrapped around it and apply some bore paste to the patch. Short stroke it a few hundred times then follow with Bore Shine. Use a bore scope to monitor results. Don't forget to clean the chamber area carbon ring. Rigs that have severely neglected bores will also have a carbon ring that will adversely affect the cartridge performance. Kroil is a great bore conditioner but not a great bore cleaner. Finally don't forget to use a bore guide and don't forget to clean the bolt lugs and bolt lug recess. Dry the chamber too! Some other things that will need cleaning are the firing pin assembly and the trigger assembly. Use Brake Kleen to clean the brushes and firing pin assembly. The brushes you used to clean with Sweets throw away. Sweets will devour that brass brush! Remember there are several layers to be removed so you will have to repeat the process a number of times. That's where the bore scope will help as to how many times it will need to be done. That old " when the patch comes out clean" is very misleading. I just got a brand new Christiansen rifle in. The owner claimed bore was clean and fully broke in with nice clean patches coming out the other end. It was a copper mine and I doubt the bore ever got broke in. A break-in requires removal of all fouling to bare metal!