Plastic Solvent

[Danva]

Hey all,

My Remy 1100CM gets really fouled up in the forcing cone area of the barrel. It looks to be fouling from the plastic wad. Shooters choice and Hoppes do not seem to cut this stuff.

Can anybody suggest a solvent that will cut this? It may not matter as to weapon function but it looks trashy looking down the barrel.

Thanks

Dan C

[TCK]

kroil

[smokshwn]

Bug spray with Deet in it.

Brownells sells a solvent specifically for plastic residue in shotguns as well.

[HSMITH]

Take the barrel off, make sure everything is off of it, take it OUTSIDE and shoot some chlorinated brake cleaner through it. The plastic will melt out very easily. DO pay attention where it goes, it will kill the grass, damage paint, wreck stock finishes, and things like that. At $1 per can if you watch the sales it can't be beat though, a clean barrel in just seconds using it. Be sure to run an oiled patch through and over the barrel after, it strips the oil out of anything it touches.

[Chris Keen]

NOW he tells me about the grass ......... ........ Just finished laying down some new greass seed because of that very reason!

Still can't beat that stuff.

[BillL223]

I have used the Brownells solvent and it works well. Don't spill it on any surface that is finished with polyurethane. I have found that after the bore gets polished from use that the plastic issue tends to go away.

[George]

Old chunk of cleaning rod chucked up in a drill with a ball of steel wool threaded into a big jag , or wrapped around a bore brush and sopped with Kroil. That'll do it.

Myself, once I figured out what a PITA it is to get that crap out, I just decided to leave it there and shoot the sumb&%$

Seriously, I just push a Tico Tool sopped with Kroil through the bbl after I clean the action and throw it into the safe. I only bother keeping the gas system and receiver/chamber clean and forget the bbl except for lubing. I think it has been over 5k since I last took the inside of the bbl back down to metal and it's shoots the same now as it did then, slugs included.

Maybe I will find a point where this does build up a bit, but not so far.

[P.E. Kelley]

I too am a fan of the drill, rod, brush and wool method but I just run it dry.

The best wool I have found is offered by www.big45metalcleaner.com

I have been using this stuff for years. It rubs away rust and gunk over bluing without scratching and cuts lead and plastic build up like magic.

Patrick

[AlamoShooter]

The best thing for a barrel is to have the forcing cone lengthend and polished. = that will do more to speed up recovery and lessen recoil than porting or a comp

It will allso make the buildup a non exsitent thing. The only thing you will end up with plastic in is the chokes.

Its the best $$ you can spend on a shotgun

But I may not know nothing

[RePete]

After soaking with solvent, try a Hoppe's Tornado Brush.

[Chills1994]

I'm thinking that copper brillo pad sold at the grocery market might do the same thing. Libman, IIRC, is one brand.

Just stand over the trash can when you cut the pad w/ scissors. Cut more than a pinch off, wrap around the bore brush and go at it, drill or otherwise should work well either way.

Kroil and the automotive brake cleaner will do it too.

[bpowe]

Back when I shot a lot of Trap and Sporting Clays, I used a home made solvent called "Ed's Red". IIRC it consisted of equal parts of Kerosene, Aliphatic mineral spirits, Dextron II Trany fluid, and Acetone. Lanolin was an optional ingredient to make it easier on your hands I usually made a gallon at a time. It worked very well, the Dextron left a protective coating in the barrel and the acetone cut the plastic pretty well (didn't really dissolve it, but broke it loose from choke tubes so it could be brushed out easily).

Bill

[Stumpnav]

Ed's Red

As a general bore cleaner, plastic wad remover, and carbon solvent the following formula, a creation of C.E Harris, and dubbed "Ed's Red" works quite well. In fact many folks claim it is better than anything they've tried. The original formula is:

1 part Dexron II, IIe or III Automatic Transmission Fluid - GM Spec D20265 or later

1 part K1 Kerosene

1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits federal spec TT-T-2981F (CAS# 64741-49-9) or Stodard Solvent/Varsol

(CAS#8052-41-1)

1 part Acetone (CAS#67-64-1)

Formula Addendum

It has been reported that methyethylketone/MEK (CAS#78-93-3) can be satisfactorily substituted for the acetone if desired.

It has been reported that Turpentine can be satisfactorily substituted for the Mineral Spirits if desired. The original Frankfort Arsenal formula upon which Ed's Red is based used turpentine rather than mineral spirits which were substituted for lower cost.

It has been reported that Kroil penetrating oil can be satisfactorily substituted for the kerosene if desired.

It has been reported that Goo-Gone (a commercial citrus based solvent) can be satisfactorily substituted for the mineral spirits if desired.

It has been reported that commercial automotive "engine flush" can be substituted for the ATF (but you lose the red color).

For each gallon of Ed's Red produced you can also add 1 pound of anhydrous lanolin (CAS#8006-54-0), which helps to neutralize fingerprints but it's really not necessary. You can also leave out the acetone but then it doesn't remove plastic wad fouling as well. Store in airtight chemical-proof containers as the acetone, if used, will evaporate. Two sources for bulk anhydrous lanolin are http://www.selectoils.com/item--Lanolin--SO-Lanolin.html and http://www.thesage.com/ .

According to Ed, "Ed's Red" will flow at -65oF and won't carbonize at 600oF. It has seen use by both the FBI and the Army Marksmanship Training Units.

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS

Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal, or chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA approved plastic gasoline storage containers are also OK. Do NOT use high density polyethelyne (HDPE), which is breathable, because the acetone will evaporate. The acetone in ER will also attack HDPE in about 6 months, making a heck of a mess! A possible online source for metal 1 pint and 1 quart screw top metal containers suitable for storing Ed's Red is http://www.taxidermy.com . This site appears to be some sort of frames based design that does not allow you to link directly to containers, but you can find them via the following site links Products | Molding and Casting | Containers, Cups and Tools.

Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the other components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the lanolin into the mixture, melt it in a hot water bath (lanolin melts at about 107 degrees F), or use a double boiler and avoid exposing to open flames. Pour the melted lanolin it into the larger container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and stirring until it is all dissolved. (It will also, but slowly, dissolve in mineral spirits if you want to avoid using heat.)

You can divert a small quantity, up to 4 ounces per quart of the 50-50 ATF/kerosene mix for use as an "Ed's Red-compatible" gun oil. This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the mix.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING

a) Insure that the firearm is unloaded and that all magazines are removed. Cleaning is most effective when done while the barrel is still warm to the touch from firing. Saturate a cotton patch with Ed's Red, wrap or impale on a jag and push it through the bore from breech to muzzle. The patch should be a snug fit. Let the first patch fall off and do not pull it back into the bore.

Wet a second patch, and similarly start it into the bore from the breech, this time scrubbing from the throat area forward in 4-5" strokes and gradually advancing until the patch emerges out the muzzle. Waiting approximately 1 minute to let the bore cleaner soak will improve its action.

c. For pitted, heavily carbon-fouled "rattle battle" guns, leaded revolvers or neglected bores a bronze brush wet with bore cleaner may be used to remove stubborn deposits. This is unnecessary for smooth, target-grade barrels in routine use.

d) Use a final wet patch pushed straight through the bore to flush out loosened residue dissolved by Ed's Red. Let the patch fall off the jag without pulling it back into the bore. If you are finished firing, leaving the bore wet will protect it from rust for up to 30 days. If the lanolin is incorporated into the mixture, it will protect the firearm from rust for up to two years.

e) Wipe spilled Ed's Red from exterior surfaces before storing the gun. While Ed's Red is harmless to blue and nickel finishes, the acetone it contains is harmful to most wood finishes and it could damage some plastics if left in prolonged contact.

f) Before firing again, push two dry patches through the bore and dry the chamber, using a patch wrapped around a suitably sized brush or jag. First shot point of impact usually will not be disturbed by Ed's Red if the bore is cleaned as described.

It has been reported that when Ed's Red is used exclusively and thoroughly, that hot water cleaning is unnecessary after use of Pyrodex or military chlorate primers. However, if bores are not wiped between shots and are heavily caked from black powder fouling, hot water cleaning is recommended first to break up heavy fouling deposits. Water cleaning should be followed by a thorough flush with Ed's Red to prevent after-rusting which could result from residual moisture. It is ALWAYS good practice to clean twice, two days apart, whenever using chlorate primed ammunition, just to make sure you get all the residue out.

Thanks to Jim Dodd for the above instructions

An unusual use for Ed's Red. Several correspondents report that an application of ER to an ant hill, especially fire ants, kills 'em dead.

[Hank Ellis]

My method is a combination of some of the above.

Procure a copper scrub pad. Local brand name is Chore Boy. Cut a 1" x 6" strip and wrap around one of those long fuzzy bore brushes. A couple minutes and the fouling is gone. Just do it outside as it will make a mess.

For chokes chuck up a bronze bore brush in a drill and 10 seconds later it will be clean.

A couple passes with a bore snake, then a bit of oil and your done.

[Chills1994]

If you got a ticker problem, or you just don't want to have heart problems in the future, I'd say stick away from MEK (methyl ethyl ketone).

IIRC, it is used a lot in furniture finish strippers. If used w/o adequate ventilation, it has sent some people to hospital, if not the morgue.

Goo-gone, I think, is actually a solvent called xylene. Yes,it will eat some plastics. DAMHIKT!

So does lacquer thinner. Although lacquer thinner seems to be the "hotter" of the two, and easily vaporizes and most likely floats around to the floor, ya know, where the pilot light is for the water heater or the furnace.

So you'd want to do that outdoors too. Otherwise, KABOOM!

You'll want to wear gloves for all this stuff and safety glasses. Xylene and lacquer thinner will be absorbed through the skin. Given enough exposure it will go to your liver and kidneys first, and then your brain.

As far as fumes go for all this stuff, I'd say, do it all outside. Think of coke addicts, one of the quicker ways to get something into your system is to inhale it.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Chills1994

[Cosby]

P. E. Kelley-Thanks for the tip on the wool from big45metalcleaner.com. I want to try it in choke tubes as well. I shoot skeet also and you get a lot of plastic buildup from the wads in the choke tubes. This seems to be IMO more with the smaller guages such as 28 and .410.

I also want to try on the chrome work on my boat. I have had good results with brass wool but this sounds even better.

[revchuck]

Folks - If you want to try a smaller amount of Ed's Red, Brownell's sells it already made up. It'd take a long time to go through that gallon plus of stuff, especially if you decided you didn't like it!

Edited April 10, 2007 by revchuck