Carbon Ring in Chamber

[General RE LEE]

I've got two Tikkas (308 and 6.5 Creedmoor) with over 1K rounds down the bore. They are shooting well and I enjoy cleaning rifles so I have never let them get too dirty but I bore scoped the chamber and found the carbon rings. I decided to clean them up and I will say, it's not easy. Hoppe's, Butch's Bore Shine, Kroil, JB Bore Paste and I was able to get some of the carbon out but not all of it. Anyone have a rig with a carbon ring that's not having issues?

6.5 CM Tikka UPR Before:




After:




308 after a lot of work

 

[Article 4]

Assuming it is a 4130 stock bbl?

A carbon ring before the rifling is not a huge deal...unless you are starting to see pressure signs and lack of accuracy.
It can be cleaned and there are a 100 ways to clean it. When I have seen it in the past, we use a brass based "steel" wool in fine grade. Wrap it around a large bore brush or the like and gently turn it with some solvent or other cleaner. Let it soak into the carbon and then use a patch to clean out the residue...rinse and repeat. Go slow and easy. It may not clean up 100% but it will clean up to 80% or sometimes a bit better.

 

[General RE LEE]

Assuming it is a 4130 stock bbl?

A carbon ring before the rifling is not a huge deal...unless you are starting to see pressure signs and lack of accuracy.
It can be cleaned and there are a 100 ways to clean it. When I have seen it in the past, we use a brass based "steel" wool in fine grade. Wrap it around a large bore brush or the like and gently turn it with some solvent or other cleaner. Let it soak into the carbon and then use a patch to clean out the residue...rinse and repeat. Go slow and easy. It may not clean up 100% but it will clean up to 80% or sometimes a bit better.

Yep stock barrels. Yes they are before the rifling and I havent had any pressure signs or wonky velocity readings I am aware of.

 

[Dmoua]

Use an oversized bronze brush to get the carbon ring out.

 

[rayporter]

step son had problems with a custom barrel and took it to his smith. the smith took a look and put some scotch Brite on a short cleaning rod and chucked it in a drill. he almost panicked when the drill was inserted in the chamber but in a few seconds the ring was gone.
another experimenter with an under ground range has used a drill and a bronze brush. this does worry me, but ya got to do what ya got to do.

i use a plastic bristle brush and iosso frequently [ every 40 rounds] to keep it out. insert the bush into the throat and twist by hand as well as run a few patches down the bore.

 

[deadwolf]

Clean like this and you’ll never worry about a carbon ring again.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BBob]

Iosso with an oversized Iosso plastic brush twisted in the neck.

 

[sveltri]

I've been using Thoro Clean with a 30 cal Iosso brush in my 6.5 PRC. I've had the most carbon ring issues in my overbore cartridges and this has proven to work best for me. Letting the ring soak in some Boretech carbon solvent has also been effective, just a slower process.

 

[JohnJohnson]

 

[Mike D Texas]

Iosso with an oversized Iosso plastic brush twisted in the neck.

This method has worked well for me on several barrels of varying chamberings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[General RE LEE]

Carbon ring no mo in my 6.5 CM

Before:



After:

 

[Johnc427]

Getting a bore scope is one of my best/worst decisions. It makes you overthink it. If you're getting pressure and or accuracy issues then you should clean it. If you don't, keep shooting it.

I've used CLR and that took it right out. Just need to be sure you clean it out right after. Like less than a couple minutes.

Brass Chamber brushes also work well since they're oversize (Made for AR-10s I think)

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I havnt cleaned a rifle (other than my 22s I shoot suppressed) for years. I should probably clean one of them.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I've used CLR and that took it right out. Just need to be sure you clean it out right after. Like less than a couple minutes.

Why do you need to clean the CLR out right away? I’ve seen many videos of people soaking their stainless suppressor baffles in CLR for 24 hours or more with zero issues.

Why would a fan of it in a barrel be such a big deal?

 

[Johnc427]

Why do you need to clean the CLR out right away? I’ve seen many videos of people soaking their stainless suppressor baffles in CLR for 24 hours or more with zero issues.

Why would a fan of it in a barrel be such a big deal?

I've just read it can be hard on stainless. Plus it takes the carbon ring out in that amount of time anyway, so why let it soak and risk it? I'm not going to risk messing up accuracy in a given custom barrel when it does the same job if i soak it for 2 minutes or 2 days...

 

[Weldor]

Easy way, Breakthrough pro carbon cleaner. pull a patch just forward of the chamber leave it. used a bore mop sized up to chamber and let it soak about 20 minutes. turn a nylon brush in there t's gone. No drills steel wool nada. Easiest stuff I have ever seen, cleans suppressor baffles too. I know there's a million ways to do it , but this was to easy.

 

[Johnc427]

Easy way, Breakthrough pro carbon cleaner. pull a patch just forward of the chamber leave it. used a bore mop sized up to chamber and let it soak about 20 minutes. turn a nylon brush in ther it's gone. No drills steel wool nada. Easiest stuff I have ever seen, cleanssuppressor baffles too. I know there's a million ways to do it , but this was to easy.

Nice. I ordered a small bottle to try

 

[Lawnboi]

Easy way, Breakthrough pro carbon cleaner. pull a patch just forward of the chamber leave it. used a bore mop sized up to chamber and let it soak about 20 minutes. turn a nylon brush in ther it's gone. No drills steel wool nada. Easiest stuff I have ever seen, cleanssuppressor baffles too. I know there's a million ways to do it , but this was to easy.

I do similar with c4. Nylon brush with a patch just into the freebore. Overnight soak.

 

[wind gypsy]

Why do you need to clean the CLR out right away? I’ve seen many videos of people soaking their stainless suppressor baffles in CLR for 24 hours or more with zero issues.

Why would a fan of it in a barrel be such a big deal?

I'd be less concerned about suppressor baffle finish having some etching on it than a rifle bore.

Lots of arguments back and forth on this on the internets. I've not let chambers/barrels get beyond the point where boretech works but could see carefully using CLR if it were necessary.