I have realized that an older, recently purchased #1 that groups very well (w/ the right load), has got some kind of deposit in the rifling grooves.

This stuff has been in there for some time (maybe 10 years), & is very resistent to my efforts to remove it.....

It's not copper, & doesn't appear to be lead. I suspect a combination of cast bullet lube & powder residue.

I have previously noted that the bore will wipe clean & look great (mirror) after a normal (Break Free / .45 copper brushing / clean patching) cleaning routine. Problem is that even though the bore wipes clean, it will continue to produce black residue w/ continued cleaning cycles as described.

Two of us worked on it about 5 hours yesterday. Bunch of patches, half a bottle of Break free, wore out 2 new brushes. Out of desparation, we even turned to the JB bore paste, which helped quite a bit, but still did not provide the "ultimate solution"....

I'm thinking a big bag of .50 cal brushes & a different kind of solvent. Butch's Bore Shine maybe? Draino??

Seriously, she groups very well as is, but I just can't help but think that good could be better, w/ a CLEAN bore...

Input seriously appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Only 5 hours? That's not enough! If I want to get all the deposits out of my #1 in 25-06, I need to give it a thorough clean after shooting, then for a week (well - more like 4-5 days) have the barrel soak overnight with stuff like Hoppe's benchrest solvent for each night in order to get the bore completely clean. FWIW, I don't go that far anymore - too much work... A quick alternative is an electro-clean, just look for 'Colin's electronic bore cleaner' on google and follow the instructions. Very good on badly fouled barrels. here is the site: Electronic bore cleaner
I once used it on a Martini-Enfield with a barrel looking like a black hile, and out came decent rifling and a bright bore...

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Originally posted by martinibelgian:
Only 5 hours? That's not enough! If I want to get all the deposits out of my #1 in 25-06, I need to give it a thorough clean after shooting, then for a week (well - more like 4-5 days) have the barrel soak overnight with stuff like Hoppe's benchrest solvent for each night in order to get the bore completely clean. FWIW, I don't go that far anymore - too much work... A quick alternative is an electro-clean, just look for 'Colin's electronic bore cleaner' on google and follow the instructions. Very good on badly fouled barrels. here is the site: http://members.rogers.com/snidey/borecleaner.html
I once used it on a Martini-Enfield with a barrel looking like a black hile, and out came decent rifling and a bright bore...

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Thanks for the input..., sounds interesting. Any potential problems (bluing, etc.) w/ this setup?

Yes - don't let the ammonia get near the wood, or you will know... also, don't exceed 1hour, and clean and oil the rifle immediately afterwards. The ammonia leaves the barrel completely grease-free, and unprotected. Also, don't leave the ammonia in without the device running. As the site mentions, only for a BIG cleanup on very fouled rifles - not for daily cleaning.