Can you ever get the bore really clean?

After struggling with MMPs thinnest sabot in my tight Triumph's bore, I took Grouse's advice and polished the bore 100 strokes with JB Paste and flushed it with boiling water before and afterwards. But after running clean patches thru the bore with light oil, I cannot get the patches to come out clean looking - they're always still dirty.

When I used Triple 7 in my MK85, I would suction pull the hot soapy water up and down in the bore and afterwards, the final patches came out reasonably clean. Is this just the nature of steel barrels or am I still not getting it perfectly clean? Thanks.

I can get white patches, but it takes more patches than most guys are willing to use.

How dirty are the patches? I have some barrels, usually older rifles, that even after brushing, bore cleaner and multiple patches there is still the occasional trace of grey. On these rifles I usually go with best is the enemy of good enough, and once I reach diminishing returns I call it good.

IMHO there's a distinct difference between a rifle that is clean and ready for the safe and a rifle that is white glove "clean".

Getting a bore really clean.... Bronze or copper bristle brush! Hit with a really good cleaner, cleaner not lube! Allow to sit a bit, like 5-10 minutes for cleaner to work and then bronze/copper brush several strokes. Then dry patches. Repeat as necessary. Ask any military vet if you can get a bore clean, you better or you'll never get a pass to town. I use the aggressive formula (with acetone and no lanolin) of "Ed's Red" for bore cleaning. Then use the mild formula (no acetone but with lanolin) for lube and preservation. Google the Ed's Red for the formula, it is super cheap and makes a plenty so I usually give quite a bit away. Be aware that the acetone formula will eat plastic containers some faster than others. W

If the barrel was not abused, pitted, etc ... yes I can get the bore clean. White patch clean. But it does take some effort. Some hunters who claim they clean their rifles with five patches, amaze me. Not saying it can not be done. Just not by me.

A fouled barrel is brought in the house and broke down. First thing I do is soap and water patches, EXCEPT THEN I SHOOT BLACKHORN 209. After some wet patches to get the bulk out, I run a dry patch or two. Now some would call that clean. But I still like to run some solvent or alcohol patches through the barrel. If they show gray, then they get a CLEAN nylon brush and solvent. After that a solvent patch or two, then dry patch the devil out of it. Normally I will then get a white patch, dry that is clean. Then I put the gun oil to them.

Good quality barrels will clean up faster than cheaper ones that might have chatter marks or barrels that have been neglected with small pits, etc..

cayuga said:

........... Some hunters who claim they clean their rifles with five patches, amaze me. Not saying it can not be done. Just not by me...........

Click to expand...

:lol: After shooting 20 or 30 rounds, shooting T7, I brought mine to the bench and took a video of cleaning it. I didn't pay attention to the settings on the camera, so it was taken in HD and the file is HUGE. I haven't figured out how to upload that large a file unfortunately.
Yup, it would amaze you how easy an Ultimate cleans up. :wink:

Could some of what you are seeing on the patches be coming off the jag?

ENCORE50A said:

cayuga said:

........... Some hunters who claim they clean their rifles with five patches, amaze me. Not saying it can not be done. Just not by me...........

Click to expand...

:lol: After shooting 20 or 30 rounds, shooting T7, I brought mine to the bench and took a video of cleaning it. I didn't pay attention to the settings on the camera, so it was taken in HD and the file is HUGE. I haven't figured out how to upload that large a file unfortunately.
Yup, it would amaze you how easy an Ultimate cleans up. :wink:

Click to expand...

Hey ENCORE...Can you download it to You Tube then provide us with a link?

:yeah:

I'll shoot maybe 15 to 20 rounds with my .58 cal with 70 to 80 grains of OE and by the 7th or 8th patch they come out white. I use Windex when I have time at the range to clean it but if now I use hot soapy water at home and a few patches. Either way it's less then 8.

Ray................ :yeah:

Even with Black, I don't use many patches.
With these in-lines I've found Disinfecting Wipes very handy - must be the alcohol?

Keep it simple. Buy an inline ML.

My dad always says when you think its clean. clean it again and I always clean my gun this way and get clean patches every time he is X army

halloflin said:

ENCORE50A said:

cayuga said:

........... Some hunters who claim they clean their rifles with five patches, amaze me. Not saying it can not be done. Just not by me...........

Click to expand...

:lol: After shooting 20 or 30 rounds, shooting T7, I brought mine to the bench and took a video of cleaning it. I didn't pay attention to the settings on the camera, so it was taken in HD and the file is HUGE. I haven't figured out how to upload that large a file unfortunately.
Yup, it would amaze you how easy an Ultimate cleans up. :wink:

Click to expand...

Hey ENCORE...Can you download it to You Tube then provide us with a link?

Click to expand...

I don't have a clue how to load to YouTube and all I know about YouTube is watching videos or music. Do you have to set up an account or is it like joining a forum? I checked the size of the video I did and its a 1.1G video. I don't know if I can even email it to someone with an account, or the ability to reduce the size and share it????? If someone has the ability to reduce it or post it, I believe it would fit on a CD (?) and I could mail it to someone. But I'd be happy to share it.

OH, I eventually found out how to change the video settings on that camera......

ShawnT said:

Could some of what you are seeing on the patches be coming off the jag?

Click to expand...

I think that happens. Dry patches come out really clean, then you put a light coat of oil on a fresh patch and run it through, it comes out looking as if the barrel is still a tiny bit dirty. I think it sucks some of the crud back off the jag. That is about the only thing I can attribute it to.