el pres Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 A friend of mine started to shoot Precisions and got some minor leading and moly coating fouling. He tried everything and could not get the last streaks out so he used the 50% HydrogenPeroxide and 50% Vinegar mixture from the Precision website... I think he soaked it a little too long, he placed ear plugs in both ends and filled the barrel with the mixture, and left it for about 15 hours !!! When he dryed it out he found that the barrel was exceptionally clean but has dark bands where the earplugs were and some metal pitting also where the ear plugs were... Is this barrel safe to shoot ? Is it ruined ? XD-40 factory barrel... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighVelocity Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 It's probably safe to shoot but it probably won't shoot very well. A buddy of mine also totalled an XD barrel by leaving it submerged in the same mixture. His was pitted inside AND out. Whoops. He replaced the barrel. I also use the peroxide/vinegar solution to clean mine but I only let it soak about 15 minutes, not hours, minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 It's probably safe to shoot but it probably won't shoot very well. A buddy of mine also totalled an XD barrel by leaving it submerged in the same mixture. His was pitted inside AND out. Whoops. He replaced the barrel. I also use the peroxide/vinegar solution to clean mine but I only let it soak about 15 minutes, not hours, minutes. +1 an egg timer is cheaper than a barrel. I have since just loaded up a mag full of jacketed for the end of practice... I run them through before I leave the range and I don't have to mess with cleaning the barrel at all. I clean the chamber once in a great while, but that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV man Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I thought I was the only one who would do this. Springer will install a new barrell for $250.00. It's not cheaper than an aftermarket barrell, but maintains the warrenty. I did not feel it was safe to shoot because each pit creates a weak spot. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bergie Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I use Kroil in my barrel along with Butches Bore Shine and it gets out almost everythng from the Precision bullets without letting it soak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I use a couple of patches of Hoppes #9, what ever gets left behind just gets left behind, you'll do more wear and tear to a barrel worrying about a few moly or lead streaks than you ever will shooting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Whoops indeed !! I feel kind of bad for the guy since he missunderstood "my" advice to wreak his barrel. He does not shoot that much and was all up in a fuss about the leading. I told him that when mine are really bad I sometimes soak them in No9 overnight and it really takes out alot of buildup but not all of it, then you just go shoot.. He wanted it completely clean so I mentioned I saw something about the 50/50 mixture on the Precision website. He's not overly into shooting and I did'nt even think he would go through any trouble to make this mixture. Boy was I wrong... Oh well, live and learn, P.S. add a disclaimer next time !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjanglin Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I see a lot of talk on here about cleaning barrels= leading in the barrel is not a problem that should cause someone to soak a barrel in anything over night,I HAVE A 40 s&w CASPIAN WITH A SCHUEMANN BARREL IN IT, I have shot nothing but lead bullets and a lot of precision 200 grain bullets thrlough it and I have not ever put any thing through the barrel but an oily patch and maybe a couple times a year I pull lewis lead remover through it, if Im shooting lead"NOT WITH PRECISION BULLETS" It is just not necessary to drag all that stuff through your barrels!!! Both my 40's have well over 50,000 round through them and they will group 1 inch or less at any target we shoot in USPSA . At a 50 yard target they will group about 1.5 inch or less all day(benched) with my load . Jim Sailors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckS Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I see a lot of talk on here about cleaning barrels= leading in the barrel is not a problem that should cause someone to soak a barrel in anything over night,I HAVE A 40 s&w CASPIAN WITH A SCHUEMANN BARREL IN IT, I have shot nothing but lead bullets and a lot of precision 200 grain bullets thrlough it and I have not ever put any thing through the barrel but an oily patch and maybe a couple times a year I pull lewis lead remover through it, if Im shooting lead"NOT WITH PRECISION BULLETS" It is just not necessary to drag all that stuff through your barrels!!! Both my 40's have well over 50,000 round through them and they will group 1 inch or less at any target we shoot in USPSA . At a 50 yard target they will group about 1.5 inch or less all day(benched) with my load . Jim Sailors This article by Wil Schuemann makes for some interesting reading... Later, Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I see a lot of talk on here about cleaning barrels= leading in the barrel is not a problem that should cause someone to soak a barrel in anything over night,I HAVE A 40 s&w CASPIAN WITH A SCHUEMANN BARREL IN IT, I have shot nothing but lead bullets and a lot of precision 200 grain bullets thrlough it and I have not ever put any thing through the barrel but an oily patch and maybe a couple times a year I pull lewis lead remover through it, if Im shooting lead"NOT WITH PRECISION BULLETS" It is just not necessary to drag all that stuff through your barrels!!! Both my 40's have well over 50,000 round through them and they will group 1 inch or less at any target we shoot in USPSA . At a 50 yard target they will group about 1.5 inch or less all day(benched) with my load . Jim Sailors Same story from me......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfinney Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) I've shot a lot of the Precision and Masterblaster moly stuff, and the 50/50 mixture that you mentioned is supposed to be a soak for 20 MINUTES, and only on stainless barrels. It will eat up moly barrels (and even stainless if soaked to long). I just mix it up by the jar and drop the whole barrel in. You can reuse the solution over and over, the junk settles to the bottom. But it DOES work like a charm to loosen up that black sludge (not leading per se) that the moly bullets leave. Just a few quick wipes with some dry patches and the bore is shiny new. Edited July 22, 2008 by sfinney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cking Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Shoot the barrel, I seen pitted rifle barrels shoot just fine. It will get dirty but use JB bore paste on it. Still got thousands of rounds of life in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Watson Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 has dark bands where the earplugs were and some metal pitting also where the ear plugs were... Many substances are more corrosive at the air-to-liquid interface, and the foam earplugs still likely had some cells with air. Which is why he sees the bands and pits at the plug locations. Cking is right. It will likely shoot well enough for his purposes. Might do better with jacketed bullets. The only source of trouble I can think of is if the breech end foam plug caused enough pitting in the chamber to prevent reliable extraction. Nothing to do but try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKSNIPER Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 " I've seen many more barrels damaged through improper cleaning than by shooting" Charlie Milazzo Custom gunsmith and inventor of the Milazzo Kreiger trigger for the AR-15 You CAN leave Hoppes #9 in your barrel overnight and probably for a couple days with no ill effects. My solvent of choice is Hoppes. Not too aggressive and smells good too. Let it soak in the barrel and let the chemical do its job. Go reload or shoot another weapon while this one is soaking. Shooters Choice....should NOT be left in a barrel overnight. Its more aggressive a solvent than Hoppes. If you put it in your barrel let it soak in for around 20 minutes-30 minutes tops. Sweets 7.62 or any copper solvent the time left in a barrel should be measured in minutes not hours. Also clean the barrel out with gunscrubber or similar chemical PRIOR to introducing another solvent/copper cleaner. Just like you should not mix powders when reloading you should not mix solvents. If you mix Shooters Choice and Sweets you form an acid that WILL etch your bore. JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cas Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I have barrels like old sewer pipes, with huge pits so large sections of rifling are missing. They still shoot rather nicely. Those pits aren't going to hurt anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 You guys are right ! He gave it to me today to shoot and without overly trying I did a 1.5" group freehand at 15yd and a 2.5" at 25yd. I think it's gonna be alright... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin D Wolverton Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Wow... I shoot lead in my .45 and fmj in my 9. Cleaning is the same for both. Wet patch with hoppes no 9, a couple strokes with a brush, another wet patch, then dry patch. I do this every time I shoot. When the season is over, I run lead remover or copper remover (as appropriate) thru after the above, then dry completely. I never have liked the idea of "soaking" a berrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I shoot the s#it out of my barrels. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmon Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 (edited) I shoot the s#it out of my barrels. Jim the only thing that goes down my barrel is bullets. Harmon Edited August 10, 2008 by Harmon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry cazes Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 I have been following this one for a while and I suspect that the hazards of overcleaning are greatly overstated. Prove me wrong. Has anyone ruined a barrel by overcleaning only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKSNIPER Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Larry, I know for a fact that a top gunsmith from Wisconsin (Charlie Milazzo) stated that the #1 reason for barrels going bad was overcleaning or improper cleaning methods using either mixed up solvents or improper equipment to clean barrels. This info was passed onto to us snipers at a lecture from Charlie on cleaning and maintenance at the North American Sniper Summit. He showed us examples of 2 barrels brought into his shop. One he had cut into sections. Each section looked like the guy had cleaned it with diamond rocks. Absolutely NO rifling visable at all and what appeared to be grooves cut into the steel with no discernable pattern to them . The cause? The customer was quoted as saying he used a stainless steel brush to "really get it clean." The second barrel (cut straight down the middle) went south on the owner. When Charlie checked the bore it had NO rifling in the middle of the barrel. The customer was using patches too big for his barrel because he wanted to make sure the patches got into all the lands and grooves of the barrel. This caused too much pressure to have to be used on the cleaning rod to push the patch through the barrel. This resistance form the patch coupled with the push from the rear caused the rod to bow in the middle and scrape/abrade the rifling away in the middle of the bore. Good presentation from Charlie. Charlie's favorite cleaning solvent? Hoppes. Charlie liked it because you can leave it in a barrel for extended periods of time without damaging the barrel and its not an "agressive" solvent. His advice to us all was when cleaning ....have patience. Wet down the dirty parts with hoppes and then let the chemicals do their job. Go shoot another rifle/pistol while you let the stuff soak through the powder fouling. And NEVER mix chemicals to "speed things up". JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmon Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 the famous wil schuemann says not to clean them, so i dont. rifles burn alot more powder down a (generally) smaller bore and generally shoot a lot faster velocity...thus cleaning one of them might be more important. my 9mm has 30000 major rounds through it and probably 10000 minor rounds..never has it seen a bore brush, bore snake or even a patch. its cleaning rod is a montana gold bullet. Harmon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolguy Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Two different people I know personally have cleaned the rifling out of their custom PPC guns in a short time with JB Bore Cleaning Compound. The only fix is a new barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlbob Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 We built a new power house right on Lake Michigan a couple of years ago. They had miles of stainless steel pipe in it. From what I recall and heard through the local building trades grapevine someone was ignorant of the salt in the lake water (it could not have been much in a fresh water lake, and where does that come from?) and it caused a lot of cracking in the pipe. Never thought of its relationship to stainless barrels and cleaning products until now. I used little pieces of stainless drill press droppings bought from Brownells I think for cleaning the barrels. I suppose that has gone out of fashion, if it ever was in. earl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmc1974 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I have since just loaded up a mag full of jacketed for the end of practice... I run them through before I leave the range and I don't have to mess with cleaning the barrel at all. +1 but I do, do a general cleaning and a boresnake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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