Cleaning Issues... HELP!

[CodeMonkey]

Went to clean my smokepole (CVA MR-X) today after a range session.

Everything was going normally, until I started getting into an infinite loop with the bore (I had previously pulled the normal amount of fouling out of it):
1. Wet patch => totally clean, maybe a small grey spot here/there. If I was being OCD, I'd keep cleaning, otherwise I'd be done.
2. Dry patch => looks moist and has light brown spots.
3. Dry patch => 95% dry and has medium/dark brown spots (see photo).

For the life of me I couldn't get the second dry patch to change/lighten up. I am shooting BH209 and cleaning with Thor products, which were recommended to me by muzzle-loaders.com.

I am wondering what could be causing the staining I'm seeing. I had to store the gun this way and I don't feel great about that. Should I try a different solvent? Get in there with a brush (nylon, or brass)? Can I rot my barrel out by leaving it this way?

Thanks in advance for the help, I'm pulling my hair out at the moment. My best theory is that I am picking up some anti-seize (I use the CVA branded stuff that is brown in color) during cleaning.

 

[Antares]

I have the same rifle. Have you tried scrubbing with a nylon brush and warm soapy water? Thats all I use. Then dry patches to finish. I’ve never experienced what you describe.

 

[ElDiablito]

Yeah, you may be going a little overboard.

Is the barrel nitrided? Nitriding leaves a persistent brown residue like that. Have you shot it before and cleaned it with the same method/products and seen different results?

BH209 fouling won’t corrode your barrel. I don’t know anything about Thor’s cleaning products. Most of us just use a standard oil-based solvent like Hoppes. Water-based solvents are not recommended for Bh209.

 

[ElDiablito]

As for the anti-seize, that could be it. I’d recommend some real nickel anti seize or some Teflon pipe tape and a little oil. (No need to spring for a CVA product.)

 

[CodeMonkey]

Gun has been shot about five times prior (~100 rounds total through the gun over those trips) and cleaned using the same method. Never experienced this issue. I always finish the bore with a rust prevent patch after it's spotless. Barrel is nitride and cerakote finished.

 

[FrontierGander]

Birchwood Casey 2 in 1 bore scrubber. Let it soak, scrub with a nylon brush.

Perhaps these brown spots you are seeing, is actually copper fouling that hasn't been removed.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Soap and hot water in a bucket. Barrel mop. Takes about 30 seconds. Easy peasy.

 

[FrontierGander]

soap and water isnt going to remove the copper, nor is the the greatest for blackhorn209 fouling.

 

[Antares]

I’m shooting White Hots pellets. What’s your opinion on soap and water for that fouling?

 

[ElDiablito]

soap and water isnt going to remove the copper, nor is the the greatest for blackhorn209 fouling.

Amen. Water ain’t gonna do squat for whatever is going on in that barrel.

I’d try some oil-based solvent patches and then go to JB paste if that doesn’t work.

That Thor solvent is water-based and not designed for Bh209. It is advertised for black or Pyrodex:

 

[farmermail]

Could the staining be coming from your cleaning jag?

 

[Wrench]

Can you fewl where it's picking it up? If so....it could be rust.

Copper is easy to rule out, any ammonia based cleaner will turn colir if it's copper.

 

[bowhunthard88]

https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-908-Gun-Solvents/dp/B01B1TBB92

Fill the barrel from the breech end, tip the barrel down and let sit for 30min-a few hours. Dry patch out and oil. This will drip out so place the muzzle over something, I usually use a bucket lid with some paper towels on it.

 

[FrontierGander]

I’m shooting White Hots pellets. What’s your opinion on soap and water for that fouling?

Warm soapy water works great for powder fouling with the Whitehots. Eventually, you'll have to follow up with a solvent to clean the lead, copper or plastic out of the bore.

 

[Wrench]

I'm not too savvy on this bh powder, but for what you pay for it and the struggles of feeding it.....I just don't understand the attraction.

Good ol swiss cleans up in 1 minute with water and produces velocities that will make you think your chronograph is broken because it is that close and every 8 oz of bh buys you 32oz of it.....letting you shoot a lot more.

 

[bowhunthard88]

The attraction is more the increase in velocity (by volume), the fact that it's non-hygroscopic, and the reduction of corrosive value... Another plus for me, was that I can clean with the same stuff as my smokeless pieces lol.

BH209 velocities run about 3fps SD for me, by volume (not weighed)...

 

[CorbLand]

I use the same anti seize and get the same brown stuff on patches. No matter what I have done, its always there. I figured its from picking the anti seize up when going across the threads. I haven't worried to much about it and had the same gun for 5 or so years. Doesn't seem to have hurt it.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Yeah, you may be going a little overboard.

Is the barrel nitrided? Nitriding leaves a persistent brown residue like that. Have you shot it before and cleaned it with the same method/products and seen different results?

BH209 fouling won’t corrode your barrel. I don’t know anything about Thor’s cleaning products. Most of us just use a standard oil-based solvent like Hoppes. Water-based solvents are not recommended for Bh209.

Bh209 will in fact make spots on a cva stainless barrel you can’t remove using normal methods. I don’t know if it was corrosion or not but I tried everything I could think of to remove them and couldn’t. That was on cleaning the next day after either a successful hunt or range trip.

 

[ElDiablito]

Bh209 will in fact make spots on a cva stainless barrel you can’t remove using normal methods. I don’t know if it was corrosion or not but I tried everything I could think of to remove them and couldn’t. That was on cleaning the next day after either a successful hunt or range trip.

Are you seeing those spots with a borescope?

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Are you seeing those spots with a borescope?

I don’t have a borescope and have since moved on to a smokeless muzzleloader. The spots in question were where the barrel is recessed a bit for easier loading. I never seen any pits. But it shouldn’t cause discoloration either. At least not in under a 24 hour period