I have a 1903 Springfield whose barrel may be OK, but I can't get to the bottom of the crud. I have used various combinations of Hoppes No. 9, Kroil, JB paste, Shooters Choice copper solvent, bristle brushes and a bazillion patches and I'm still getting crap out of the barrel every time. Before I conclude there might be corrosion and pitting, I'd like to get the damned thing clean. Is the only other option an electrolysis unit?

Might be cheapest in the long run.

I would try one of the foaming bore cleaners before I spent the money on a Foul-Out machine, the foaming cleaners work extremely well with no elbow grease, just patching after soaking overnight. Read some of the other threads down the page on Wipe-Out, Forrest, Outers and Gunslick, they all work well, Gunslick and Outers are both sold at Walmart and are made by Milfoam as is Forrest. It will take more than one application and overnight soaking on a badly fouled bore, but there's no work involved. They're good stuff, Bill!

Tim

I have had that experience in a barrel that have had Corrosive ammo fired in it. Mauser 95 7x57. The reason they never come clean is that the barrel is indeed corroded and there simply are too many tiny holes full of crud to every clean out. The good news is that if it shoots ok...the bad news is that if doesn't...so clean it the best you can and shoot it. Clean as normal if it's good and if it's not, re-barrel it. Original barrels are available and lot's of good sporters are made starting with an 03.

PM your address to me and I'll send you a sample of a prototyp bore cleaner I developed and will soon have on sale at warthog1134.com. No charge. Not even shipping. If this stuff doesn't get your bore clean, nothing will, and you'll nee a new barrel.

Btter yet, E-mail me at rogerk@warthog1134.com and I'll send you a sample.

RogerK

Find a local blueline printing shop and ask them for a gallon of used 28% ammonia or even just a couple of ounces. Plug the bore at the breech, fill it with 28% and plug the muzzle. Let it stand 72 hours and scrub it out.

Roger: Thanks. Sent you an e-mail.
Bill

Probably a stupid suggestion, but what the hell?

I discovered that the copper solvents need some time to work. I'd watch someone soak a bronze brush, and swab, followed by patches.

Then I learned (seems obvious) that it's best to run a swab (not a jag/patch) saturated in solvent, let it sit maybe five minutes.

Then run a bronze brush, let sit a while.

Then patches on a jag.

If the barrel was not "broken in" properly, it's possible that there is copper under the pits in the bore. Micro particles -- there are micro pits in the bore and when first shooting they fill with copper jacket. Then the steel in the bore gets "lapped" over the copper. So you end up with copper imbedded in the bore.

Before you get it completely clean, you might want to shoot it. I have an Arisaka 38 that has been rechambered to 6.5x257 Roberts and the barrel is very pitted. The fouling helps smooth the bore by filling in the pits. This rifle will shoot 3/8" groups with handloads with a fouled barrel, but has a hard time hitting paper with a clean barrel.

After a range session, I clean the barrel, but leave some of the fouling. It amazes me how well it shoots with a barrel that looks that nasty.