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Who Uses Electronic Bore Cleaners?
givette
Member Posts: 10,886 ✭
Good reviews. Gonna buy one. I'm sold. But a problem...
...over one-half of my rifles are a gas operated system with a hole in the barrel. Does anybody know what is best to use for plugging the gas port? And what if you can't get to the gas port to plug it? (M16 gas impingement type, for instance). I can get to the barrel port on my M1, but not my AR/M1carb/M1A. Thanks. Joe
...over one-half of my rifles are a gas operated system with a hole in the barrel. Does anybody know what is best to use for plugging the gas port? And what if you can't get to the gas port to plug it? (M16 gas impingement type, for instance). I can get to the barrel port on my M1, but not my AR/M1carb/M1A. Thanks. Joe
Comments
quote:Good reviews. Gonna buy one. I'm sold. But a problem...
...over one-half of my rifles are a gas operated system with a hole in the barrel. Does anybody know what is best to use for plugging the gas port? And what if you can't get to the gas port to plug it? (M16 gas impingement type, for instance). I can get to the barrel port on my M1, but not my AR/M1carb/M1A. Thanks. Joe I can't answer your question regarding how to plug off the gas port on your weapons.
However, given that (as I recall....price may have dropped) these electronic bore cleaners cost $110+, why don't you just make one of them yourself. Essentially they are a bit like a plating operation.
I tried a couple different brands, but they proved inneffective in removing copper, and too slow. Not cost effective for what they do. Disregard the advertisements. A mild abrasive will accomplish much more and quicker.
Hope this helps.
....again, thanks. Joe
I wasn't going to say that electronic bore cleaners are a "bad idea". They probably do work to some extent; some people swear by them. But, I can't say for certain because I haven't tried one. Reason is: The effort to set them up, tear them down, clean them and the gun, etc. is more of an effort than I, personally, think they are worth.
There are two effective copper fouling removal strategies that I know of:
Go to the hardware store (Ace Hardware stores usually have it) and in the cleaning supplies aisle, look for "janitorial" or "industrial" strength ammonia. This stuff will be anywhere from 10% and up in strength as opposed to the 3% to 5% stuff you buy at the growcery store. The 10% is all you need; higher strengths can present a problem if they are not cleaned out of the bore properly. Plug off the chamber end of your bore and fill the bore with the high-strength ammonia. Don't spill it on your gun or on anything else, especially you. Leave it in there for ten or twelve minutes, then pour it out the muzzle end. Run a couple patches saturated with the ammonia through the bore. You may notice that they come out green or blue, which is the copper. Don't worry about the ammonia corroding your weapon; the ammonia itself does not corrode steel. The stuff, however does attract and hold water, which is corrosive. So you must clean the ammonia out of the gun very well immediately after the ammonia treatment.
This ammonia treatment works fine and does a better job than almost any commercial product on the market, save one. That one is a product called KG12 from a company called KG Coatings. They have a whole range of specialty cleaners, oils, etc. for guns. You can buy this stuff online from KG Coatings or Brownells.
If lead fouling is your problem the Lewis Lead Remover works well (online from Brownells), or another home-brew works, too. However, this home-brew has the potential to damge the blueing/finish on your gun. If you use it, be extremely careful. Mix a solution of half white vinegar and half regular old 3% drugstore-strength hydrogen peroxide. Plug off the chamber-end of the gun and drip this solution carefully down the bore. It could fizz up, so make sure it does not foam out of the bore onto your weapon's blued steel finish!! leave it sit for ten to fifteen minutes, but don't take your eyes off it!! Don't let it get on your blueing! After it's worked, pour the nasty stuff out the muzzle-end of your gun and clean the gun carefully and well.