Bore Tech

[Old Guns]

Was just looking at the Bore Tech web site and they claim that their C4 carbon remover will also remove corrosive primer residue. Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this matter? Thanks for any help.

[Sunray]

Corrosive primer residue is mostly assorted salts. There's no need for anything special or expensive. Plain hot tap water is all you need. And a funnel.
If it's a semi-auto you need to flush the gas system too.

[togor]

https://www.shootingequipment.de/out/media/c4_carbon_remover_security_data.pdf

The MSDS shows it to be heavily water-based so it should dissolve BP and primer salts.

I use Outers Foaming Bore Cleaner on the bolt guns, which takes care of powder, copper and primer salts just fine.

[dryheat]

I've always been adverse to putting water on my guns, but I guess that has been the accepted procedure for sometime. I ruined a valuable barrel because I neglected it after shooting corrosive primered ammo through it. I wish I'da poured some hot water down that bore.

[Major Tom]

Boiling hot water is best because it will evaporate quickly. Spray oil in hard to reach places afterwards and wipe off excess.

[BlitzKrieg]

Most don't remember to clean around the exterior of muzzle and to clean the bolt face...so when rust arises there, a sad lesson is learned about corrosive primed ammo. Its just not the barrel that needs proper cleaning.

I cannot speak to Bore Tech, if it works, then it works. Many products work if the shooter is tenacious using them. Water works...US Army and British Army did that for decades, hot water is best but cold water will work...one must patch out those wet bores thoroughly and then oil them down properly. Some droid years ago said Windex is the wonder drug to kill corrosive priming residue in barrels and off to the races went shooters to use it and flog its success. Fact is Windex is water and any cleaning agent in it is irrelevant but folks use Windex and barrels get clean so all is good (stupid to pay Windex prices for water but good results)

A decade ago, while using the Brit Army Funnel and pouring boiling water down the bore of Mausers, Enfields and Mosin Nagants that fired corrosive ammo, the blinding obvious crept upon me: I'm over 60 and this pouring boiling water is Murphy's law looming to do mischief and burns are no joke !

I stopped using boiling water and use cold water. I punch those bores dry and clean with patches immediately after flushing water down bores. I use 3 wet Ballistol patches and make sure the bore is oily with Ballistol, I clean the muzzle area of barrel and take down bolts and clean them off with Ballistol. This regime has worked perfectly the last decade for me. Once a rifle is cleaned as described, its then cleaned 3 days in a row with bores patched dry of Ballistol and wet bore again with Ballistol. When done, bore is left thoroughly wet with Ballistol or RIG grease.

I know what works for me but I'd bet if I used some other products like CLP, Bore TEch, Eds Red, Marvel Mystery Oil or ??? ....that diligent use of any will flush out salts and prevent rust.

[togor]

Windex has surfactants in it that facilitate wetting action, but yes it is the water that brought the salts into solution. Like I said I use foaming bore cleaner and yes I tested it on a piece of bright steel onto which I had banged a corrosive primer. The jug of water and funnel business to me sounds like a good way to get water between the stock and the action, and a 3-handed job at least. The foaming bore cleaner can work easily on a Garand if the lock screw is removed. Other gas guns, no so lucky. But I have no other gas guns which would see corrosive ammo so there's that.

[Old Guns]

Gentlemen - Thank you one and all for your kind replies. I was aware of the hot water method, but I now use it only on my black powder firearms. Nothing else does as good a job of removing the black powder residue. The only corrosive ammo I use now is some combloc stuff from years ago. I should probably just toss it, but having a considerable amount and being a frugal sort, I am reluctant to do so. I have lots of the WWII GI bore cleaner which does a good job of removing salts, but as the old saying goes, would gag a maggot. I read about the Bore Tech in some gun magazine, and when I went on their web site, saw that it was also supposed to remove corrosive salts. I just thought it would be nice to have a multi-purpose cleaner. Guess I will give it a try.

Again, thanks for your help.

[Sunray]

Windex is mostly water. It's the water content that flushes the salts.
The CF gave us nothing but regular 10W-30 motor oil to clean everything. Mind you, the ammo, even the fabulous 1944 vintage DA we got in the very early 80's was not corrosive. Most of it is remembering to flush the gas system and doing a regular cleaning job afterwards.

[SUPERX-M1]

Could just sell your corrosive ammo.

Black powder, one source said to clean bbl a second time.Said salts could leach out of "pores". Perhaps, just clean thoroughly the first time. Scrub nipple area well.

Is dish detergent a bad idea? Palmolive suds much more than Dawn, said a review, and , it seems to be true. The formulae are diff. More suds,bubbles, supposed to make for better dishwashing.

Could heat water to 130 degrees. The points about boiling water and the need for funnels, third hands, and spillage onto metal and stock are very valid. I did like the fast evaporation of boiling water.I have done all this in a bathtub and a bucket, and have also tried using a tight patch to draw water from bucket up into bore.

There was also a device that screwed into barrel nipple opening (called the drum ?) then attach a pl tube and pour water down bbl and water would flow thru tube to bucket. Or, pull water in and out of bbl thru tube using a bucket,and tight patch. Perhaps, the purpose was no need to take stock off barrel.

[BlitzKrieg]

Starting a new thread on this subject: Look for Leon's Enema