The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: nupe on October 28, 2008, 01:41:26 AM
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I recently aquired an old Enfield M1917 and on first glace it looked like a used but solid rifle, but after a closer look and with a brighter light I noticed that there was a massive amount of build up in the bore. I use Boretec: Eliminator solvent and after several passes with that on a swob and a brass brush and a foaming bore cleaner (that I barrowed from a friend) there is still more in the bore. I am sure that it is buildup and not pitting. Guess I was looking for some ideas from some of the more experienced on here.
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Keep scrubbing ;D If the rest of the metal is heavily coated with grease (cosmoline) then that is probably whats in the barrel as it is applied by dunking, scrub with mineral spirits, works on all metal parts but it may damage the wood.
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Yeah I might have to tare it down and try dunking it. It's not cosmoline, the gun have been used a fair amount and the previous owner has modified it. It's almost kind of sad.
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I recently aquired an old Enfield M1917 and on first glace it looked like a used but solid rifle, but after a closer look and with a brighter light I noticed that there was a massive amount of build up in the bore. I use Boretec: Eliminator solvent and after several passes with that on a swob and a brass brush and a foaming bore cleaner (that I barrowed from a friend) there is still more in the bore. I am sure that it is buildup and not pitting. Guess I was looking for some ideas from some of the more experienced on here.
Try plugging the barrel at the muzzle, stand the rifle on its muzzle, and fill the barrel with Kroil. Let it sit for a while, and clean it with a bronze brush. If necessary, repeat, letting it sit for a longer period depending on the amount removed the first time.
When clean, lightly oil and should be OK from there.
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Try plugging the barrel at the muzzle, stand the rifle on its muzzle, and fill the barrel with Kroil. Let it sit for a while, and clean it with a bronze brush. If necessary, repeat, letting it sit for a longer period depending on the amount removed the first time.
When clean, lightly oil and should be OK from there.
So after finding the kroil i soaked the bore twice, once for 1/2 hour then again for an hour. After each time the bore was brushed, swobbed, then ran through with bore snake. After that I repeated a process of swobbing with bore tech solvent, then bronze brush, then dry swob. After all of that I am still pulling out dirty swobs. I guess it's kind of bothering me since I haven't had this problem before, ofcourse I actually clean my guns on a regular basis, so this wont happen.
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An old GI trick may work if what is in the barrel is cosmoline. You can run boiling water down the barrel and swab with a bronze brush and cotton patches. My question about the previous owner is: Did he clean the barrel properly before he shot it?
Another problem, if the barrel was used to shoot lots of blanks you have lots of black powder residue in there. If that is the case boiling water is a good solution.
On my DCM 1903A3 50 years ago I used the boiling water to clean out the cosmoline and boiling water to clean out the corrosive primer salts after shooting GI WWII ammo. My bore shines like new to this day.
I have also used mineral spirits with good results for other than bore cleaning on my current CMP rifles.
Another thing you may want to try is brake cleaning spray. I have been using that some lately. It seems to work.
But nothing beats boiling water IMO. Even though I don't bother with it much anymore. Just lazy I guess.
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So after finding the kroil i soaked the bore twice, once for 1/2 hour then again for an hour. After each time the bore was brushed, swobbed, then ran through with bore snake. After that I repeated a process of swobbing with bore tech solvent, then bronze brush, then dry swob. After all of that I am still pulling out dirty swobs. I guess it's kind of bothering me since I haven't had this problem before, ofcourse I actually clean my guns on a regular basis, so this wont happen.
OK, I should have been more specific. Let it soak a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGG time. One rifle I had to let the Kroil soak for 3 - count' em 3 - weeks to clean it out effectively. Just keep topping it off.
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An old GI trick may work if what is in the barrel is cosmoline. You can run boiling water down the barrel and swab with a bronze brush and cotton patches. My question about the previous owner is: Did he clean the barrel properly before he shot it?
Another problem, if the barrel was used to shoot lots of blanks you have lots of black powder residue in there. If that is the case boiling water is a good solution.
On my DCM 1903A3 50 years ago I used the boiling water to clean out the cosmoline and boiling water to clean out the corrosive primer salts after shooting GI WWII ammo. My bore shines like new to this day.
I have also used mineral spirits with good results for other than bore cleaning on my current CMP rifles.
Another thing you may want to try is brake cleaning spray. I have been using that some lately. It seems to work.
But nothing beats boiling water IMO. Even though I don't bother with it much anymore. Just lazy I guess.
At Parris Island before final Inspection we cleaned our Rifles, then took them in the showers where the DI's had trash cans (new) of Boiling water we dunked our rifles and punched the bores then pulled them right out, water that hot evaporates immediately so no chance to rust.
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Tom,
I just knew and OLD Marine like you would know this trick too. :) 8)
Bill
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Parris Island being a humid climate and the finish on our M 16a1's being rough it was inevitable that one or 2 small rust spots would develop in little places you could not get to, learned to go over them with a pencil point, worked like a charm ;D
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Tom!
The sacred M16 rusts? Surely you jest! The M16 was supposed to be the miracle rifle that did not need maintenance. Or so McNamara's whiz kids told us. They would not have lied to us would they? They also told us the M16 did not need chrome chambers to prevent rust and jams. They were so smart.
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Do I detect a small amount of sarcasm ;D
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Not a small amount--A large amount. I think that the DOD of that era under McNamara was dishonest if not corrupt. And I think it started right at the top with Kennedy and Johnson. And the country still has not recovered IMO.
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I think there was more liberal stupidity than corruption at DOD, but basically I agree.
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Not a small amount--A large amount. I think that the DOD of that era under McNamara was dishonest if not corrupt. And I think it started right at the top with Kennedy and Johnson. And the country still has not recovered IMO.
McNamara was probably responsible for dozens if not hundereds of dead American GI's as a result of the early release of the M16 in the 60's. He definately influenced the contract, pressured the Pentagon and fed the nucklehead Kennedy brothers a line of crap! I seem to recall a pretty serious problem with the early ammunition for the rifle as well and they needed constant maintenance. The man should have spent time in Federal Prison! JMO...Any of you Marines or Army fellas have any comments, I'd be glad to hear your views on the subject!
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.223 is fun .30 is effective ;D
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Not surprisingly I agree with Tom on this. But I personally prefer 7mm.
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We may have highjacked this thread, I apologize.
I read sometime back that for every North Vietnamese casualty, there were approximatly 100,000 rounds of ammunition expended by U.S. troops...
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We may have highjacked this thread, I apologize.
I read sometime back that for every North Vietnamese casualty, there were approximatly 100,000 rounds of ammunition expended by U.S. troops...
Yes, and a lot of those "rounds" were 8 inches in diameter, in other words the "Weight of Iron" to kill one VC or NVA was about the same as his home town.
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.223 is fun .30 is effective ;D
YEP.. Interesting reading with this topic and bore cleaning.
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We're not REALLY hijacking this thread, we just gabbing while we wait for Nupe to get back . ;D
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"In October 1965, CDR Clarence W. Stoddard, Jr., Executive Officer of VA-25 "Fist of the Fleet", flying an A-1H Skyraider, NE/572 "Paper Tiger II" from Carrier Air Wing Two aboard USS Midway carried a special bomb to the North Vietnamese in commemoration of the 6-millionth pound of ordnance dropped. This bomb was unique because of the type... it was a toilet!"
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;D
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Bombing the crap out the the gooks. :)
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Been out of town, just saw this one. If you have access to a bore scope that would be the best way to determine what is in the bore. If you haven't succeeded yet, try JB Bore Brite Paste or JB Bore Paste. Using a bore brush, dampen a cotton patch, wrap it around the brush and apply some JB. Works pretty good. For copper fouling, run two or three patches wetted with BoreTech Eliminator and let soak for several hours. Then run bore brushes with Eliminator thru the barrel. Use dry patches to dry up the bore. Might have to do that several times.
If you let Eliminator soak for several hours, it will lift copper residue of a barrel. If you use a brass jag or patch holder, you will see blue right away. Eliminator is hell on copper but will not harm barrels. That is what I use now to clean my rifles and pistols. I have an use a bore scope so I can see what is really happening. Shining a light down a barrel does not really tell you anything.