How to clean/avoid the carbon ring?

[Thomasj1107]

Seen a lot about the “carbon ring”. In planning to do the minimum amount of maintenance, how do you clean to get the carbon ring? An oversized brush in the chamber? I have a 6.5, so what size would I use? A different type of brush/tool?

I saw the J Dewey chamber cleaning kit but it’s just “bolt action” and not chamber specific so I don’t think that’s what I need?

Thanks!

 

[rayporter]

short range shooters clean often and every 30 to 50 shots clean out the carbon.
a nylon brush has some iosso paste type cleaner added to it and it is inserted in the throat and twisted by hand for several turns.
my stepson had moly do the same type of ring and we could no get it out so he took it to a gunsmith who wrapped plastic 3m fiber pad around a brush and used a drill to get the moly ring out. dont use this unless you really need to.

a lot of barrel makers would cringe at either way. but if you have a dirty powder you must keep after it or it will bite you.

 

[Cbled]

I just listened to a podcast that covered this. Silvercore podcast, the episode was about rifle accuracy and precision. The guest is a legit military and top competition shooter in Canada. He said an oversized brush with CLR on it. Haven’t tried it but he said it was the best way he’d found.

 

[Lawnboi]

I don’t know if posting links to other forums is a no no or not so feel free to delete if needed. However I found this thread helpful in regards to cleaning and carbon removal. Frank green has posted here a bit too somewhere and given some good info on barrels.

Carbon ring removal

Where did you take that picture at? Is that at the case mouth junction? That's what it looks like to me. Let me know. Yes. I believe so. If I have my chamber terminology correct, the upper part of the previous photo is the end of the neck area, and the part just below the lip in the bottom is...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Thomasj1107]

I don’t know if posting links to other forums is a no no or not so feel free to delete if needed. However I found this thread helpful in regards to cleaning and carbon removal. Frank green has posted here a bit too somewhere and given some good info on barrels.

Carbon ring removal

Where did you take that picture at? Is that at the case mouth junction? That's what it looks like to me. Let me know. Yes. I believe so. If I have my chamber terminology correct, the upper part of the previous photo is the end of the neck area, and the part just below the lip in the bottom is...

www.snipershide.com

i appreciate this, been reading through the thread.... I am trying to figure out which sized “oversized brush” to use for my 6.5? I don’t have a whole brush set so I need to order one, any insight? In other words should I order a .45 cal, .308, what? How far exactly is the thing supposed to go in?

 

[Kimber7man]

I use a 30 cal nylon brush for my 6.5 chambers. Soak a patch with Boretech C4, wet the heck out of the chamber, let it sit 10-15 min, then spin on a 30 cal brush, soak it in C4 and brush the chamber (run it up in the throat just a bit and pull it back) about 20-25 times. Works great. Good bicep exercise too...

 

[Thomasj1107]

I use a 30 cal nylon brush for my 6.5 chambers. Soak a patch with Boretech C4, wet the heck out of the chamber, let it sit 10-15 min, then spin on a 30 cal brush, soak it in C4 and brush the chamber (run it up in the throat just a bit and pull it back) about 20-25 times. Works great. Good bicep exercise too...

When you use the 30 cal brush, it only goes in so far (like where you need it to get the carbon ring) and then there is too much resistance and it won’t go any further?

 

[MTElkChaser]

I use a .270/7mm nylon brush on a 6.5 myself. I’m sure you could muscle a .30/7.62mm brush through the barrel though. My 2 cents.

 

[Desert Dan]

I cannot put into words how much I hate carbon rings. They are the single biggest headache with my 6.5 PRC. I start to get them in as few as 40 or 50 shots, and if I don't stay ahead of them I end up with a lot of work needed to get rid of them.
The easiest way to deal with a carbon ring is to stay ahead of it. First make sure you understand what a carbon ring is. It is a very hard, glass-like formation that builds up in the throat and the first few inches of your rifling that is caused by heat and pressure. They are very different from the regular carbon fouling that you push out on patches during regular cleaning and must be dealt with specifically. Regular cleaning will not touch them (which is why they build up and all of a sudden are a problem even if you have been cleaning regularly).
Some guys prevent them by periodically soaking a bore mop in a good carbon remover and inserting it into the throat until it is very snug and leaving it in there for however long they see fit, even overnight. Then come back and insert a bronze brush into the throat and spin it. C4 is a VERY good carbon cleaner and works over time to seep in and dissolve hard carbon, then spinning the brush (friction) breaks it loose. Pushing patches through the barrel cleans it out. If one develops to the point that you start noticing unexplained pressure or velocity spikes, you already have a problem and it's time to work on it. Then it's time to get something stronger like IOSSO or JB Bore Paste with some elbow grease.
Get a bore scope. I have the WiFi Teslong and it works great. Get whatever one you want, but if you think your rifle is prone to carbon rings, a bore scope will tell you for sure.

 

[Kimber7man]

When you use the 30 cal brush, it only goes in so far (like where you need it to get the carbon ring) and then there is too much resistance and it won’t go any further?

you could probably push it all the way through the barrel, but I just work the throat and a few inches up, back and forth. Nylon bristle brush.

 

[Thomasj1107]

I cannot put into words how much I hate carbon rings. They are the single biggest headache with my 6.5 PRC. I start to get them in as few as 40 or 50 shots, and if I don't stay ahead of them I end up with a lot of work needed to get rid of them.
The easiest way to deal with a carbon ring is to stay ahead of it. First make sure you understand what a carbon ring is. It is a very hard, glass-like formation that builds up in the throat and the first few inches of your rifling that is caused by heat and pressure. They are very different from the regular carbon fouling that you push out on patches during regular cleaning and must be dealt with specifically. Regular cleaning will not touch them (which is why they build up and all of a sudden are a problem even if you have been cleaning regularly).
Some guys prevent them by periodically soaking a bore mop in a good carbon remover and inserting it into the throat until it is very snug and leaving it in there for however long they see fit, even overnight. Then come back and insert a bronze brush into the throat and spin it. C4 is a VERY good carbon cleaner and works over time to seep in and dissolve hard carbon, then spinning the brush (friction) breaks it loose. Pushing patches through the barrel cleans it out. If one develops to the point that you start noticing unexplained pressure or velocity spikes, you already have a problem and it's time to work on it. Then it's time to get something stronger like IOSSO or JB Bore Paste with some elbow grease.
Get a bore scope. I have the WiFi Teslong and it works great. Get whatever one you want, but if you think your rifle is prone to carbon rings, a bore scope will tell you for sure.

What does it look like on the bore scope?

 

[Desert Dan]

What does it look like on the bore scope?

I don’t have any of my own pics to share but a quick internet search for rifle carbon ring will bring back some pretty good results. Some right here in this forum.

 

[Patty]

CLR (yes the bathroom stuff) on a bronze brush, a few twists and strokes in that area and it will be nice and clean. CLR is the best carbon cleaner i have found thus far and is safe on your bore.

 

[BBob]

Oversized nylon brush with Iosso for carbon ring. I've seen references in recent years to CLR but haven't tried it. Other bore cleaners I've used don't come close to the Iosso when it comes to removing a carbon ring or hard carbon in the throat and in front of the throat in the bore.

 

[Reburn]

CLR (yes the bathroom stuff) on a bronze brush, a few twists and strokes in that area and it will be nice and clean. CLR is the best carbon cleaner i have found thus far and is safe on your bore.

Not safe on your bore.
Try to read again. Post #86 by Frank Green from Bartlein barrels.
To be honest guys like you are why I don't buy used guys normally.

Carbon ring removal

Youre not going to get a real answer to that question as there isnt really one because who really knows. Its just going to be a yes all of the above answer. Bore snakes dont do anything. Clean the carbon out and the copper if need be. Just clean it every few hundred instead of every many...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Shooter71]

I’ve found CLR to be very good at removing carbon. I’ve left barrels filled with it for a few days, used it with patches, etc with no Hawkeye visible damage. Perhaps its the dry climate or some other variable. I’ve also found many common cleaners to be very poor at removing carbon, or too slow to be effective when I need them to be. Best thing is to try a method, scope it, and see what works.

 

[LaHunter]

What does it look like on the bore scope?

Typically, a carbon ring will be a black ring that forms just forward of where your brass ends. It forms in the throat just before the rifling. Good advise given above about 'staying ahead of it' with routine cleaning. Boretech Eliminator works well. It has copper remover and carbon remover in it. You can probably do a google search of rifle carbon rings and get plenty of photos. A bore scope is about the only way that I am aware of to know for sure if a carbon ring has formed.

 

[Patty]

Not safe on your bore.
Try to read again. Post #86 by Frank Green from Bartlein barrels.
To be honest guys like you are why I don't buy used guys normally.

Carbon ring removal

Youre not going to get a real answer to that question as there isnt really one because who really knows. Its just going to be a yes all of the above answer. Bore snakes dont do anything. Clean the carbon out and the copper if need be. Just clean it every few hundred instead of every many...

www.snipershide.com

Ironic that you allude to reading comprehension when Frank speaks specifically about coatings being effected, which it can, but admits his finding was inconclusive on a stainless barrel. I don't know about you but I don't have any coatings on the insides of my barrels and use stainless barrels. I probably could have been more specific but CLR is safe on these barrels and that's already been established. I've been using CLR for years and my rifles shoot fantastic, and barrel life is as expected. A one off test, no matter who its by is a small sample size and shouldn't be taken as gospel. The personal attack is unnecessary and childish.

 

[Reburn]

Ironic that you allude to reading comprehension when Frank speaks specifically about coatings being effected, which it can, but admits his finding was inconclusive on a stainless barrel. I don't know about you but I don't have any coatings on the insides of my barrels and use stainless barrels. I probably could have been more specific but CLR is safe on these barrels and that's already been established. I've been using CLR for years and my rifles shoot fantastic, and barrel life is as expected. A one off test, no matter who its by is a small sample size and shouldn't be taken as gospel. The personal attack is unnecessary and childish.

Frank specifically said it pitted / etched the bore of the chrome moly barrel overnight. Not sure how you missed that it was in bold.

IF you bothered to read any further you would see at post #96 he confirmed that if you leave CLR in there it would pit / etch the SS bore as well.

Taking it as gospel. Nah. But why use something that CAN for sure cause damage when there are other methods that are just as easy.

Whats that about reading comprehension?

 

[Patty]

Frank specifically said it pitted / etched the bore of the chrome moly barrel overnight. Not sure how you missed that it was in bold.

IF you bothered to read any further you would see at post #96 he confirmed that if you leave CLR in there it would pit / etch the SS bore as well.

Taking it as gospel. Nah. But why use something that CAN for sure cause damage when there are other methods that are just as easy.

Whats that about reading comprehension?

You mean this quote? " The stainless 308 barrel I want to say there is a hint of pitting right at the crown edge but it might just be build up that needs to be patched out some more. Still playing with it."

yeah...super definitive...

also for post #96 I never said anything about leaving CLR in your bore for extended periods of time. Its not necessary to do that and I don't know why anyone would. The thread is about removing carbon rings, which do not reside in your bore.

Of course to satisfy your bias you'd have to ignore the countless posts in that thread of others using CLR to no ill effect. Do what you want, its your barrel, I don't care. i personally have not found a product that removes a carbon ring as quickly or easily, and that includes breech c4. Thats my experience, so i shared it, isnt that what were doing here?