Boretech C4

 

Try this Carb-Out Firearm Carbon Remover | Sharp Shoot R I've used it for a long time.

 

Most solvents will take carbon out...acetone, mineral spirits, etc. I use auto engine valve cleaner or fuel system cleaner (think seafoam, etc)...I'm currently using techron but have used berrymans B12 in the past. It is designed specifically to remove carbon, it is safe for any metal you find in a car engine...steel and aluminum and, it is cheap. I have used C4 before and it works well but, I don't think it works as well as valve cleaner and, it is crazy expensive.

 

Throttle body cleaners are designed to remove carbon and be somewhat plastic friendly but I would still suggest extreme caution on getting most automotive carbon removers and any plastics exposed to them.

Use with caution and with action out of the stock to avoid finish or other failures.

I personally use Break Clean and think Mineral Spirits would work equally well.


Ps

PB Blaster and Kriol is almost identical and PB Blaster is easier to find.

 

Kroil works well with the JB Bore Paste. I have been using MPro7 gun cleaner. It is one of the few that I've found that will get the front of a revolver cylinder clean without developing tennis elbow. They also make a CLP that is a good follow up to the cleaner and have a NSN so the military uses them. In fact I started using them because a friend who spent some time in Afghanistan turned me on to it. He said it worked wonders on guns that had been heavily fired.

 

It’s the JB that is actually doing it. I have yet to find a chemical that actually works for carbon. I flattened a piece of rifle brass for scraping bolts on ARs, and I put a piece of brazing rod in an electric engraver, for chiseling the carbon from my compensators

 

C4 and a nylon brush is an easy, nonabrasive requiring only a few short strokes in the throat. Centerfire can be a beast, but this is simple.

 

C4 has worked very well for me, and quite quickly too on rifles that had many decades of indifferent care of the chambers. It was expensive but I thought my stuff deserved some love.......
But the prev advice is sound, and I think using the 243/6mm brush that has the needed tip pressure to actually scrub the chamber may be as important as the solvent used.
No matter how you get the chamber clean if you diligently re-clean after any session of 'more than a few' it will Stay Clean.

 

C4
Gilbert

 

Another vote for Boretech C4 Bore Cleaner along with a .243 Bore Mop & Nylon Brush. Soak the bore mop with C4 and let it sit in the chamber for 10-20 minutes. Then run the nylon brush in/out of the chamber several times. Then a few dry patches.

 

C4. Take a .22 bore mop, bend it 90 degrees and soak tip with C4. Insert in chamber for 10-15 minutes, then a couple passes with a bronze bore brush. I gave up on the nylon brushes long ago, they just don't work.

 

According to internet sources all 22 rimfire rifles have a carbon ring. I lived for years with out that knowledge and didn’t have any problems. But after I was informed of its existence, I took the often given advice and now clean my chamber with C4 every two or three hundred rounds.
I’m not sure if it helps , but I don’t think it could hurt anything so I error on the side of caution.

 

C4.....

 

Any of the things suggested here will work for new/mild carbon ring. But for rings that have built up and hardened over time, my choice is penetrating oil. Unlike solvents, it doesn't start on the surface and gradually work its way down to the steel. It starts at the steel and breaks down the bonds between the steel and the carbon. Chunks of carbon will literally fall off after just a few minutes of soaking - without any amount of scrubbing.

I like to polish the chamber up with JB Bore Paste after getting the carbon removed. A shiny smooth chamber is very resistant to having carbon stick in the first place, so it doesn't build up.

I was looking for Kroil or Ballistol at my LGSs several years back and found that they were out. So I looked at the local auto parts store to see what they had for penetrating oil. I read the labels and decided on Deep Creep by Sea Foam. It says that guns are one of the things it's made for. I absolutely LOVE the stuff! It foams up to coat the entire chamber with a tiny squirt. It has become my gun cleaning CLP. And it has found many more wonderful uses around the shop and the house.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that. If I remember right, one of the things PB Blaster was recommended for years ago was cleaning firearms. I read that somewhere a few years ago.

 

I've tried them all including automotive carbon removers. PB Blaster and Deep Creep does nothing for me. As others have mentioned, C4 is by far the best if you want to dissolve the carbon ring. However, if you keep up with it a handful of strokes down and back with a new-ish Proshot 22 rimfire bronze brush like most RFBR shooters do will do the trick. I started doing a better job with the bronze brush on my match rifles last year and my big bottle of C4 hardly gets used anymore

 

Bore Tech C4 is as good as it gets. All you need is a rod, jag and cloth patch....no brush of any kind required.

Here's an example of a rifle with over 3500 rds through it. Today we decided to clean the chamber and throat area only. Up to this point a dry patch every once in a while is all that's been used.

I pushed one dry patch through the bore then wet a patch with C4 and put it in the chamber and throat area, let it set for 15 minutes then spun the patch about 20 times and pulled it out. I dried the chamber and throat with one dry patch and what you see are the results.


Before pics

After pics

 

This ☝

 

@charlesbest52151

What kind of old Annie do you have?

Reason I ask is, it's important to note that what we're showing in these last few posts are match rifles with tight match chambers. The carbon ring shows up much faster on this type of rifle than a lot of rifles with more common sporting chambers. My Anschutz sporter rifles have short and fairly tight chambers but the carbon build up takes a long time to develop. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen and signs of a carbon ring in my 1416 AV or 1712 but I also clean them regularly

 

@charlesbest52151

What kind of old Annie do you have?

Reason I ask is, it's important to note that what we're showing in these last few posts are match rifles with tight match chambers. The carbon ring shows up much faster on this type of rifle than a lot of rifles with more common sporting chambers. My Anschutz sporter rifles have short and fairly tight chambers but the carbon build up takes a long time to develop. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen and signs of a carbon ring in my 1416 AV or 1712 but I also clean them regularly

I don't see the rational between why a "match" bore would be more prone to a carbon ring buildup vs a general sporting .22 chamber ? Is this something you've experienced or read ?

 

CLR on a q tip

 

CLR does work but it's not safe to use on Chromoly steel. It's supposed to be ok to use on stainless but requires flushing. I've tested it on a SS match barrel and it does work well but decided I didn't like the risk of possibly pitting an expensive match barrel. So I went to C4

 

I run a PatchWorm with some MPro7 down the bore at the range while the barrel is still warm. No carbon rings here.

 

Boretech C4, put it on a patch and let it work for 20 minutes

 

Dare I say that post 19 is the best advise so far! Regular cleaning of the chamber area with almost ANY good solvent and brush will go a long way to keeping a carbon ring from forming. I use a slightly oversize brush for chamber work and a mix of Kroil and Hoppe's. I always check my chamber/barrels with a Hawkeye borescope to confirm what I am doing. I don't want a carbon/lead ring and do my best to keep them at bay. On CF firearms I also want to keep carbon deposits and copper fouling at bay. There is a relatively new bore cleaning product put out by Real Avid and so far it has given me good results. I personally don't care for foaming cleaning agents in any of my firearms because it always seems the foam has a way of getting away from you at times creating more work. I recently switched to TCS cleaning jags and patches and they have given me great results if used properly.

It seems everyone has their own way of cleaning a firearm and asking which is best is like asking on a motorcycle or car forum which oil is best. Most dedicated shooters will try almost anything to make cleaning their firearms easier while still doing a great job of cleaning. The guys that make me roll my eyes are the ones who shoot hundreds, perhaps thousands of .22 rounds in between cleanings and say they have no carbon or lead rings. I have one very good friend who shoots his .22's and never cleans them until there's a problem with them. So much for preventative maintenance. I, on the other hand, can't go to sleep at night knowing I have a dirty firearm that needs attention. I admit I have a problem in that regard.....

Rick H.

 

Kano , and nylon brush and brush with kano , 2 or 3 times let it set for 20 or 30 minutes and start over checking your clean out patches. Kano is good solvent for loosing rusted and stuck fittings and has worked for me. Great if you have borescope. There is another good one silikroil made by same company. Google for reference. Brownells, may have in stock. Buck

 

For 100% All Natural, Non-Toxic, Made in USA, I use Boar Products for most all of my cleaning. It does not stain or cause rashes and smells nice. For a good oil, bore paste option Look at TCS.

 

Bore Tech C4.

 

My opinion: clean while the barrel is still warm. Put a wet patch with Breakthrough Carbon Pro down the barrel to remove loose carbon. Put another wet patch into the barrel neck and let it soak while you’re putting away your gear or grabbing your targets.

I have a nylon brush I bent to 90 degrees and wet it with more Carbon Pro. I insert it into the barrel neck from the ejection port. I use the threaded end and rotate the brush up and down several times. Finish up the barrel cleaning with a bronze brush and dry the barrel.

I get home from the range, use my bore scope to verify and everything is always sparkling clean. I clean after every time I shoot.

 

Here’s one person’s view on the subject. Looks like a good approach. Video is 18 minutes. Cleaning My Precision Rimfire Rifle

 

I agree. …Boretech C-4. Stuff works well in my Tikka T1x 22lr. The thing is, not to be anal, but clean your gun a little more often, and you won’t have to worry about Carbon ring build up… wet a CB mop and stick it just into the action, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes… brush it 5-10 times then run dry patches until clean… nothing fancy. Just remember to use a bore guide so you don’t screw up your barrel.
Boretech is a little pricy, but definitely works well.
Good luck…