Can anybody tell me about this system? What do or don't you like about it? Does it work? What does it do to a gun barrel? What voltage does it use? How long can you leave it in a barrel? Need input! Godsdog.

I use Wipe-Out for routine cleaning, but have been salvaging "shot out" barrels with the Outers system for almost ten years. The latest version works fast.
JCN

Using Sweets, CR-10, or Montana X-Treme will get the job done safely with no scrubbing. Forget electrolysis for cleaning. If something goes wrong, you will ruin your bore.

I've had good experiences with the later version Foul-Out II (or III?) that I use. As previously mentioned, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. Degreasing is important. I've heard mumblings that it will "frost" barrels, but it has worked fine for me on the 12-14 barrels I've used it on.

Where I have found it useful is when I buy a used rifle that never had proper copper fouling removing. I clean it "normally", then carefully do the Foul Out procedure and have a very clean bore that requires minimal copper fouling cleaning after that (overnight wet bore soak with regular Hoppe's).

Just be very careful that the rod down the barrel (the "anode", IIRC) never makes actual physical contact with the metal of the barrel itself...

AC

Do a search on the web and you'll find quite a few home-made designs as well. I've bought all the bits but haven't yet had time to put one together.
Cheers...
Con

If the cathode rod touches the barrel it only stops electolysis a possibly blows the FouOut xformer.

Any rust color is the result of previous rust beneath layers of powder and copper fouling. Follow directions regarding discolored electrolyte. Change often.

Once a bore is clean or new very easy to connect FoulOut for about 20 minutes and be ready to shoot again.

The stainless steel rod is very instructive as to condition of bore. Relative amount of fouling and where in the bore it is is very easy to see.

Mine works great but you have be altert and watchful. If you have rust in the bore as mentioned above it will color the water so check some fluid color early in each use. Once there is dissolved rust in the electrolyte it attracts more iron from the bore to the rod; just like the copper salts attract copper. That is how to screw up the barrel. All it takes to be safe is check the fluid color early and stop if it is the slightest odd tint compared to new. The short period of use will have loosened the rust and scale so another normal cleanng will remove it all and you can start again with the FoulOut. Always check each time regardless and never exceed the times indicated in the instructions and it will serve you well.

Thanks for the information, folks. I started out on a well dirtied up 25-06 barrel. At first, the rod was coal black and then after a while it started turning rust colored. I didn't know if that meant that the "Copper" was finally letting loose or what! I'd never of thought that that was RUST in the barrel seeing as how it was cleaned normally. The barrel finally cleaned up to what looks like good raw bare metal after about 3 hours. I have one of the old first Foulouts. I do know that I've cleaned rifle barrels with other barrel cleaners (Sweets, Shooters Choice, Butches etc.) and when I thought I had the barrel just about as clean as I could get it, I'd use the "Foul-Out" and it'd really show me how dirty the barrel still was. I still ain't sure if this "Foul-Out" system is really OK for a barrel. Electrolysis is a funny animal and maybe it can hurt a barrel if the proper sequential steps aren't taken. Hell, you'd think you COULD get a barrel plumb clean, dump the Foul-Out liquid out and then pour some sort of Chromium formula in there, REVERSE the polarity and chrome your bore. Maybe this old farmer's been on the tracter too long and I've had too much time to think about stuff! Godsdog.

You can get replacement rubber "O" rings, and rubber/silicon bore plugs at the Hardware store or Lowes/Home Depot. Waayy cheaper. I have one of the earliest units, and one of the latest. It still amazes me how much copper will come out of an already "clean" bore.
JCN

Godsdog,

I have a foulout II and have had it for probably 10 years or more. You can screw up a barrel, at least the muzzle, with a bore brush and rod going the wrong way. You can not protect a rifle barrel from poor cleaning practices or cleaning in the hands of the inept and illinformed, but reading the instructions or following proven methods will certainly help.



I have a good friend who said that the foulout would not take any more copper out of his squeaky clean bores but it did and in a very short time. Once they are clean they will shut off.

One more thing on using all the O-Rings and plugs and such. I don't do that. I take one of the fireformed empty cases for whatever rifle I'm cleaning, heat the neck with a bick and push it into a block of beeswax that I use for fluxing bullets. This leaves a wad of wax stuck in the neck and some on the outside of the neck. I then reheat the neck of the case just enough to remelt the wax to a thin layer on the outside and then I put that case into my rifle and close the bolt on it. It seals that chamber plumb tight. I then put my SS Rod into the barrel, (my rod has plastic washers spaced on it to keep it from touching the barrel lands.)fill it up to the top with the Copper-Out stuff and I have a rubber piece of hose about 1.5" long that I press over the muzzle that lets the solution set past the top of the barrel. When you throw the juice to the anode, the solution bubbles and swells up higher in the barrel and fills into the rubber hose area. No mess that way and the gases can escape. Godsdog.