Soaking A Carbon Ring?
- Thread starter Brux
- Start date
Kroil oil sprayed in with muzzle hanging down for a couple days has worked more times than I can remember. Softens it up so other cleaners if even needed can get the job done.
I use a nylon brush that’s one caliber smaller, wrap it in a cotton patch, soak it in your carbon solvent of choice, and gently push/twist it into the throat area. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and clean the barrel like normal.
I generally do this as part of my normal 2-300 round cleaning so I can stay on top of any carbon. I prefer Bore Tech solvents. If it gets really bad CLR is the ticket, but make sure to follow with alcohol patches and oil. Don’t let the CLR sit for a long period of time.
I generally do this as part of my normal 2-300 round cleaning so I can stay on top of any carbon. I prefer Bore Tech solvents. If it gets really bad CLR is the ticket, but make sure to follow with alcohol patches and oil. Don’t let the CLR sit for a long period of time.
I'm surprised CLR was not in the first reply.
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/clr-vs-carbon.6967701/
https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/clr-vs-carbon.6967701/
I soak a patch in boretech and insert it until you first feel resistance of the throat and let it sit. Maybe give an extra small squirt of boretech down the boreguide to make sure it stays soaked, tilt the muzzle down so it doesn’t run out of the chamber. Then I’ll spin a brush on it for a bit, nylon or brass doesn’t mat
Letting CLR dwell/soak is okay on stainless steel, but if the barrel is made of carbon steel, it'll cause corrosion.
Don't get me wrong, I've used CLR to remove carbon from carbon steel barrels, but I certainly don't let it spend a lot of time there.
I’ve soaked wipe out plus patch out for a couple 12 hour sessions and it got rid of my carbon ring or whatever was giving me high pressure signs
Unless you can take off your eye and squeeze it though the bore in order to get a clear view haha.
Yeah you definitely need one in order to be able to positively confirm what is in there. There are signs that can help diagnose whether you have a carbon ring, but with the borescope you'll be certain.
I had some pressure issues a while back. Blowing and piercing primers as well as very erratic fliers and groups. I gave my throat a very good cleaning and things got better but I'll never know if it was really a carbon ring because I don't have a bore scope.
Still on my list to purchase soon.
That's the one I'll be purchasing. Seems like everyone is liking theirs.
Thanks for all the reply's. I got the teslong the other day and that's when I relized that I not only had a carbon ring buy the rifling in the barrel had a heavy deposit of carbon in them as well. I have been using KG products for a while now and they seemed to be doing a good job. I used the KG1 on this project and it removed a lot of the carbon but would not remove all the carbon ring or the carbon in the barrel so I tried some sweet's and it removed some more but not all of it. I had a bottle of Remington 40x cleaner sitting there and have never used it. Got on the internet and did some research on it to see if it was safe for barrel's and found a lot of good reviews on it and read where Frank Bartlein use's it also. So I went for it and it cleaned the carbon ring out and the barrel up great. I will be looking for a different cleaner now so this won't happen again. The 40x did a great job but I probably won't use it as a maintenance cleaner.
I bought the teslong with the stainless rod not the flexible one.
I bought the teslong with the stainless rod not the flexible one.
not that its uber fast but have had pretty good luck soaking my muzzel break in an old coffee cup with slip 2000 carbon killer a couple of hours and a lot of rubbing with wooden dows and cleaning brushes and it comes off semi quick not sure how large this ring is or how much build up you got . Good luck on what ever product you use .
After trying various methods and cleaners and using a bore scope to check progress, I have determined this is probably the best method to get a ring out. I have the best success by soaking the patch with brake cleaner. Also, "cotton patch" doesn't mean the little cotton squares from Hoppes, it means break out the old t-shirt and start cutting strips.
works great!!!
I've soaked my ar15 bolt in KG1 overnight
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did the same with break cleaner, no good
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I use a couple passes of a bore snake every 150-250 rounds with MPro7 gel on the brush portion for my bolt guns and never seem to have this "carbon ring" issue. Even when using the rather dirty Reloder 16.
It doesn't get it all the way clean. It maintains a partially dirty condition.
It doesn't get it all the way clean. It maintains a partially dirty condition.
Hopefully it doesn't sound too stupid and if it is let me know lol. I play with older engines. I used to keep a long tub and would will with diesel fuel and let piston/connecting rod soak for a bit. Im not talking a massive amount less than a gallon or so.
I've done it with a few garands I've gotten from the CMP to help get rid of the cosmoline. Pop all the wood off and let the barreled action sit for a day or so and the cosmoline melted off. Might make it easier if the carbon ring is submerged and soaking for a bit. I've probably had the problem before and was too inexperienced to notice.
I've done it with a few garands I've gotten from the CMP to help get rid of the cosmoline. Pop all the wood off and let the barreled action sit for a day or so and the cosmoline melted off. Might make it easier if the carbon ring is submerged and soaking for a bit. I've probably had the problem before and was too inexperienced to notice.
Getting bores totally clean can actually add to bore wear; because getting it all out requires the barrel to be fired repeatedly to get it properly fouled again before accuracy returns to an ideal state.
The main idea is to stay ahead of excessive carbon and copper fouling.
I use rods, but stick with Carbon fiber. Suggestions that carbon fiber can have embedded grit could well be true.
But metallic rods will eventually ALWAYS acquire a bend, which is guaranteed to do bore wear bigtime. I minimize the rod/gunk accumulation by always religiously wiping down my CF rods with an absorbent cloth every time they come out of the bore. That's been my practice since long before I switched to carbon; but using metal rods made that sorta pointless. Any rod needs a rod guide; and that guide must be matched to the rod diameter.
Greg
The main idea is to stay ahead of excessive carbon and copper fouling.
I use rods, but stick with Carbon fiber. Suggestions that carbon fiber can have embedded grit could well be true.
But metallic rods will eventually ALWAYS acquire a bend, which is guaranteed to do bore wear bigtime. I minimize the rod/gunk accumulation by always religiously wiping down my CF rods with an absorbent cloth every time they come out of the bore. That's been my practice since long before I switched to carbon; but using metal rods made that sorta pointless. Any rod needs a rod guide; and that guide must be matched to the rod diameter.
Greg
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Run two wet patches down the bore, followed by 10 one way strokes of a bronze brush. Do 5 cycles. Your carbon ring will be gone.
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I use gunslick foaming bore cleaner, leave it over night, boresnake it out. About every 300rds. Haven't had carbon issues since.
I use "old version" GM top end engine cleaner.....put some on a mop, push mop into hole then put a little extra in the window of the bore guide to let it sit overnight....I have no idea if this really works as I do not own a borescope but I am now over 2000 rounds on my Dasher barrel and it still shoots lights out.....those lights may be a couple inches apart though
I used to use patch out wipe out with the accelerator, but had a carbon ring on a barrel that the patches were coming out white. Used some CLR and the first patch was black. Switched to Bore Tech elimonator, C4, nylon brushes, and their proof positive jags, and I haven't had to use CLR since. Picked up the Teslong, so I can really see what is going on too.
Here’s what’s left of a carbon ring in the freebore of my 6gt. I brushed a lot of it out and still have some work to do to get the barrel back to like new shape.
For comparison, the other pic is a .22br with 173rnds in it. Notice the freebore is much cleaner.
For comparison, the other pic is a .22br with 173rnds in it. Notice the freebore is much cleaner.
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Never needed to do it, but talking to others that have, this is probably the best first step. Plug the muzzle, fill 'er up w/ wipeout, let sit for 12-24 hours, scrub and see where that gets you. CLR seems to always work, but its much harsher and can damage the bore, so better served as a last resort.
Was around 525 when small problems started showing at a match and 650 when I stopped shooting due to heavy bolt lift. I’ll be changing my cleaning (from basically never, to after every match). But from other barrels I have scoped, this one is noticeably dirtier.
Yep, bartlein.
My theory is I may have turned necks a little too much. I usually go for .005-.006” clearance.
If I have something like .007 or .008, maybe the necks open a little more on ignition and more carbon is built up around the throat instead of being pushed further and being distributed further down the barrel.
That’s just a half ass theory. I won’t be testing to see if true as I’ll be cleaning more often now and using Borescope to verify.
