CLR Who's Using It For Carbon Removal

[packer58]

Who's using CLR aka Calcium - Lime - Rust remover to remove the dreaded carbon ring and carbon build-up in their barrels. I gave it a go today in one my older 22-250 barrels that has a million rounds through it and it worked pretty damn well. Did not let it soak but a few minutes, scrubbed then flushed with alcohol.

Before




After

 

[CCooper]

I am trying it currently on a new barrel to see results long term. I have used it and a bronze brush only since break in. After barrel break in, I have only cleaned every 40 rounds or so, and haven’t seen a carbon ring yet. It’s a bartlien #13 carbon chambered in 300 PRC that has only seen N570. Edit: I am at 220 firings on the barrel

 

[jshelton2006]

I use it, also mainly with n570 in 300prc. It works very well. I’ve had several times where I’ll let regular bore cleaner soak then run to a clean patch, then I’ll go to CLR after and it will pull carbon out that regular bore tech won’t. Only downside is that it gets sticky after it dries, learned that the hard way after I spilled some down into my trigger assembly.

 

[rayporter]

darn
teslong dont lie.

 

[doverpack12]

I use it when needed and get great results. Just watch the blueing

 

[brushape]

I’m using it for my carbon ring as well and cleaning my muzzle brake is pretty fun to watch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[eoperator]

Winning in the wind, did a video about this his conclusion was do not use it.

 

[packer58]

Winning in the wind, did a video about this his conclusion was do not use it.

Iv'e watched countless videos and read just as many threads on the use of CLR for carbon removal. It seems that etching of the steel is the biggest concern, I'm not totally convinced that any barrel should get a steady diet of CLR but there is no doubt it is very effective on carbon.

I would like to see borescope pics of long term use in standard and SS barrels. @Broz over on LRO i believe did some testing with CLR, maybe he could chime in at some point with his finding.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

CLR is an excellent product! It quickly and effectively cleans calcium, lime, and rust from household surfaces with little effort. Whether it safely or effectively cleans carbon from a gun bore is another matter.

Did an informal observation test earlier this year using various products having a reputation to remove charred carbon deposits from hard metal surfaces. A few popular guns cleaners were included...nail polish remover (acetone)...CLR... others. The heads of dirty intake valves were soaked in jars of solution to determine cleaning abilities and whether harsh on the stainless steel valve metal.

Based on what was observed, would never put CLR in a steel rifle bore. 1) CLR was a marginal performer at dissolving charred carbon, and 2) it chemically etched the entire visible surface around the intake valve head.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Here's a photo to help show how the soaking valves were observed.



A comparison photo showing CLR vs Bore Tech C4 results, a new valve, what each valve looked like prior to soak. All fouled valves were identical with same odometer mileage prior to removal.

 

[packer58]

Here's a photo to help show how the soaking valves were observed.

View attachment 494954

A comparison photo showing CLR vs Bore Tech C4 results, a new valve, what each valve looked like prior to soak. All fouled valves were identical with same odometer mileage prior to removal.
View attachment 494955

Thanks for taking the time to post up your findings, yes .....the chemical etching is what is scaring me and is why i tried it in a pretty old barrel with a lot of rounds through it.

 

[Dobermann]

Not barrels ... but CLR is what Thunderbeast recomment for titanium (not SS) suppressors ... FWIW.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Using CLR on steel is a terrible idea, it will eat the steel and leave pits. It doesn't matter if its SS or CM. Perferctly safe on suppressors that are 100% titanium though.

Frank Green touches on CLR use in this thread a few posts down and then it's talked about some more.

For the Love of God, GI Joe and John Wayne.... cleaning and abrasive cleaners

Guys..... This has been beaten to death but you have to watch how your using abrasive cleaners! Here is a 223 barrel with 800 rounds on it. Cleaned after every 75 rounds fired. I know the pitting is from a chemical reaction but I didn't get the whole story. It was cleaned approximately 10-12...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Flyjunky]

Go to Cortina’s YouTube page and see what he has to say and see his results.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

A few things:

• CLR is terrible for carbon cleaning (performance is very poor) whether steel barrel or a titanium suppressor. No comparison to the cleaning capabilities/speed of BoreTech, Sharpshootr Carb-Out, or Slick 2000.
• Looking over redneck's link, a barrel maker like Bartlein should think 2X before pitching doubt based on anecdotal hearsay. You (Bartlein) represent a reputable barrel business on a public forum, not some random FNG looking for antelope spots.
• I have no stake in BoreTech,... and from what I've seen (soaking various metals for several days in solution with zero harm whatsoever), BoreTech has been grossly misrepresented. Hopefully this gets turned around in favor of what's true.

 

[wapitibob]

I’ve been using clr for carbon for well over a year. Use it as a carbon cleaner, don’t soak the barrel for hours, and you’ll be fine. I also run a patch of alcohol or acetone to clean the barrel then run a patch of lock ease thru it. The bore scope shows what is and isn’t happening.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

The patch of alcohol or acetone is a good idea and I do the same thing, but it doesn't completely neutralize the residue from the cleaners. I don't do deep cleans anymore and I'll clean with eliminator and then neutralize with denatured alcohol and I can still push a dry patch through a few days later and get some blue so there is definitely still some residual cleaner in there to some degree.

After seeing what it did to a few brakes I cleaned the carbon off of I'll never use the shit on anything again that's steel. It works great for cleaning a titanium suppressor though, it pulls out twice as much shit in one bath as I get when doing the soak with bore tech C4 which uses a lot too so naturally it's a better idea to use CLR in that application.

 

[Duh]

A few things:

• CLR is terrible for carbon cleaning (performance is very poor) whether steel barrel or a titanium suppressor. No comparison to the cleaning capabilities/speed of BoreTech, Sharpshootr Carb-Out, or Slick 2000.
• Looking over redneck's link, a barrel maker like Bartlein should think 2X before pitching doubt based on anecdotal hearsay. You (Bartlein) represent a reputable barrel business on a public forum, not some random FNG looking for antelope spots.
• I have no stake in BoreTech,... and from what I've seen (soaking various metals for several days in solution with zero harm whatsoever), BoreTech has been grossly misrepresented. Hopefully this gets turned around in favor of what's true.

I’ve had the opposite experience on my titanium suppressor baffles between CLR and Bore tech. I’ve soaked the baffles in CLR and Bore tech and CLR has performed better on removing carbon. I can wipe the carbon off in most cases and have to scrub a bit with boretech.

However, I won’t put CLR in my rifle barrel just because of the mixed reviews (I don’t want to chance it).

 

[doverpack12]

A few things:

• CLR is terrible for carbon cleaning (performance is very poor) whether steel barrel or a titanium suppressor. No comparison to the cleaning capabilities/speed of BoreTech, Sharpshootr Carb-Out, or Slick 2000.
• Looking over redneck's link, a barrel maker like Bartlein should think 2X before pitching doubt based on anecdotal hearsay. You (Bartlein) represent a reputable barrel business on a public forum, not some random FNG looking for antelope spots.
• I have no stake in BoreTech,... and from what I've seen (soaking various metals for several days in solution with zero harm whatsoever), BoreTech has been grossly misrepresented. Hopefully this gets turned around in favor of what's true.

Boretech C4 cannot come close to what CLR can do with little to no effort scrubbing barrels.
Finish up your cleaning procedure, then push a patch or two of CLR through and you will be pushing black much out the muzzle.
I like boretech products but when a throat gets a ring or a rifle looses accuracy, I clean with my normal procedure then go to CLR until it’s actually clean. Follow CLR with dry patches then peroxide, dry patches then alcohol then dry patches.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Boretech C4 cannot come close to what CLR can do with little to no effort scrubbing barrels.
Finish up your cleaning procedure, then push a patch or two of CLR through and you will be pushing black much out the muzzle.
I like boretech products but when a throat gets a ring or a rifle looses accuracy, I clean with my normal procedure then go to CLR until it’s actually clean. Follow CLR with dry patches then peroxide, dry patches then alcohol then dry patches.

Are you prescribing CLR?