Cleaning New Barrel Scum

[Nuthatch]

I recently picked up a new rifle and begun its cleaning process. Like another I picked up this year, the barrel was pretty dirty with an orange residue. I can swab this stuff over and over with various products but it just keeps coming out. The last one went through over 20 patches and is still one of my dirtiest rifles to shoot. I can eventually get the patches to come out clean with a few patches of WD40 but it practically grows in the barrel in just a few min with just soapy water.

This new one appears to be taking a similar property — orange crud that’s almost impossible to scrub out. I’ve used hot soapy water, WD40, Hoppes 9, rubbing alcohol and bear grease. Eventually, I just had to give up, run a few dry patches & call it quits.

With a rifle I had picked up used, I have zero issues cleaning it. But these two that were purchased with brand new barrels are a pain.

Any tips on cleaning new barrels to get this stuff squeaky clean before firing?

 

[necchi]

That packing grease is nasty stuff; It's petroleum based.
People will frown,,, this method is not for the meek of heart or idiots.
Disclaimer: I am not recommending this method, just relating what I do.

I use gasoline and the plunge/pump cleaning method with a synthetic rod.
I Do not use my wood rod.
Remove the barrel from the gun, go outside.
When Outside, all precautions taken! Including rubber gloves
* Just enough in a soup can to submerge the breech.
I follow up with Denatured Alcohol,
Then soap and water.
White patches come out white.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Brake cleaning fluid & a lot of patches. Just don't get it on any wood finish as it will eat thru it! Then Turtle Wax Chrome Polish on a patch. Scrub the bore with it using multiple patches until your arms get tired. Flush everything with alcohol, followed by a soap & water cleaning like you would normally clean. Go shoot, then repeat cleaning it that way (after you get the black powder fouling out with soap & water) after each shooting session two or three more times. Your bore will be a mirror! I don't "play" with gasoline!!! Just sayin'.

 

[Pete G]

Carburettor cleaner

 

[ZUG]

I will use acetone, brake cleaner, carb cleaner that I have on hand - all works for me.

 

[FishDFly]

Everything mentioned will get it out.

Folks complain abut getting the crud out of new Lymans's, they never read the instructions







in the box.

 

[LRSmoker]

FWIW. You might think about this. Being as the barrel is brand new you should probably do the 0000 steel wool and oil polishing anyways if you want a good shooter fast without shooting a couple of hundred shots. I would imagine that there’s not a product out there that could resist that approach plus you will have a polished bore that will be easy on the patches and easy to clean.
Smoke

 

[ohio ramrod]

For the light cosmoline used in many new guns I use carb cleaner,brake cleaner, or acetone. But Remember to protect all wood parts or you will damage the finish on the wood.

 

[rrebuck]

I don't think I've heard anyone try this, but has anyone tried a power washer to clean their blackpowder rifle? Seems like that could get majority of crud out fast.

 

[bubba.50]

At one point Idaholewis was useing a powerwasher to clean some of his barrels. Don't know if he's posted about it on this site but I've read his posts about it on another site where we were both "asked" to leave.

 

[#blackpowderbill]

Kerosene or diesel ,Eds Red and a white scotch brite pad cut patch to size. Plug the flash hole let it soak a few hours. Pour out , scrub with scotch Brite ,rinse with clean kerosene, or wd40 or crc power lube, brake cleaner pick something. Dry patches finish line with RIG or crc power line.

Been doing this for a few decades all my personal and customer guns

 

[TrapperDude]

I've been able to remove everything up to and including cosmoline from barrels with just a lot of patches and CLP or Frog Lube. Some may disagree with the approach, but if you use a quality cleaning rod and patches, as well as avoid pushing out past the muzzle, scrubbing back and forth with the oiled patches breaks up the cosmoline well and grabs more of it with a single patch. Just going one direction pushes the stuff in the one direction, leaving it thicker where it's all being pushed.

The scrubbing also dilutes the cosmoline with the chosen solvent. It's not as much about the solvent as the technique from the experience I've had with a lot of new guns.

 

[Danny Ross]

Take this for what it is worth (it's what I do). Wipe out as much of the cosmoline as you can with dry patches. Then take straight DAWN dish soap and pour down the barrel (No Water), enough so when you roll the barrel while lying it down the DAWN will coat the inside of the barrell. Use a tight cleaning patch so it will get into the rifling and soak it in DAWN, use your cleaning jag and work the patch up and down the barrel multiple times. Change patches soak with DAWN and go back at it again and then a third time. DAWN will cut crud oil, the DAWN will hold the cosmoline in suspension. Then take a bucket of HOT water and bilge clean/rinse the barrel, you may have to do it a couple of times to flush everything out. Then dry. Works for me. DANNY