New Henry Dirty Barrell

[rightside]

Are you using an aluminum cleaning rod? Not only can they load up and carry gunk back into the bore, aluminum can react with some cleaners, turning the patches black. Those patches are never going to come out clean.

[DPris]

You used way too much JB, shouldn't need more than 10 or so patches, followed by regular cleaning processes.
I don't think I've ever used more than 10 JB patches each on my Mosins when first acquired, and those have always needed the most initial attention of any rifles I own.

As noted, JB will NEVER come out anything but black.
And with it being an abrasive, even a mild one, you're scouring away the bore surface if you use it for a couple hours.
You may possibly have rounded off your lands somewhat.

Run your regular cleaning process now, try some factory ammo through the gun, see how it shoots.

Never judge a gun by jumping into it cold with handloads as a benchmark.
Use a known quality commercial load or two.
And understand lead bullets will just about always be dirtier than jacketed.

I'd suggest you stop obsessing over the bore & just get down to shooting the gun.
Denis

[jumpingeezer]

Try some 45-70 factory ammo from different manufacturers. If you can't get a good group from any of them then send the rifle back while it is still under warranty.

If you do get good groups from the factory ammo, then take a good look at your reloads to determine where the accuracy problem lies.

I would not worry about a patch coming out of the bore with a little discoloration.

[splatman]

I am using a Dewey rod. I cleaned out all the JB and then tried some Pro Shot cleaner. Patches still coming out black. Has anyone used Shooters Choice Lead Remover?

[DPris]

Splat,
Seriously, just go shoot the damned thing with some commercial jacketed stuff.

See what it does at 100 yards.
Do a reasonable cleanup afterwards & go from there.

It IS quite possible to ruin a bore by excessively screwing around with it & you're steadily working your way into that.

I don't mean to be offensive, but this is getting to the point of ridiculosity.
I have never seen or heard of anybody, with Henry or any other brand, going to such lengths in cleaning a new barrel.

If you can't SEE obvious lead buildup in the bore with either a flashlight or a borelight, I wouldn't bother endlessly trying new cleaning fluids to remove it.

Did you buy the gun to shoot, or merely to clean as a hobby?
Denis

[splatman]

When I first bought the gun, I gave it a cleaning and shot some Buffalo Bore bullets. The bullets were copper jacket with a lead flat nose. These bullets also would not group. Given that the gun won't group and extremely dirty barrel, I suspect there is a weird issue with the barrel.

[DPris]

Try a couple more jacketed brands.
If dismal accuracy, just send the thing back to Henry.

You're not helping that bore any by continually scrubbing it.
You may easily have already damaged it.
Denis

[splatman]

Well that did the trick. Patches now coming out absolutely white just like my custom 6.5 x 284 with Bartlein barrell. This beauty ready for the range. BTW Brownell states that the JB bore compound is absolutely safe even for the finest target barrells.

[DPris]

JB is safe, but NOT in excessive amounts like you did.
It was never intended for 2-hour sessions.
Denis

[jumpingeezer]

When I suggested trying various factory loads, I meant standard factory loads like those from from Winchester, Remington or Federal, NOT specialty loads like Buffalo Bore.

Please don't get the impression that I'm knocking any manufacturer of specialty ammo, especially Buffalo Bore. They make a very good product but they may not be what your Henry likes to shoot.

I also understand that Henry has a lifetime customer satisfaction guarantee, but I would still recommend sending the rifle back to them as soon as possible if the accuracy problem persists.

[Snyper]

BTW Brownell states that the JB bore compound is absolutely safe even for the finest target barrells.

Safe when properly used

[splatman]

I used JB sparingly and followed directions. The directions state "Repeat if Necessary" I didn't know there was a 2 hour time limit. It seems like some people are afraid of this stuff. If a barrell was destroyed using JB then the instructions were not followed properly, and lawsuits would have followed. Don't tell me that I used too much you don't know what you're talking about.

[mehavey]

Don't tell me that I used too much you
don't know what you're talking about.

I'm afraid we do. Whatever preservative/goo was left in the barrel
was long gone within the first 100 long strokes w/ the patch.

After that, all the "black stuff" on the patches was steel surface metal
being ever-so-continually removed/grooves edges rounded.

Shoot the rifle and clean normally from this point:

- Two wet patches,
- Two dry patches,
- 1 Oiled patch...

...and walk away.

[DPris]

No, Splat, YOU are the one who obviously doesn't know what you're talking about.

Insulting people who do when you ask for help doesn't get you very far.

If you worked on that bore for TWO hours with JB, you grossly overdid it.

There's no specific "hour limit", but the stuff is an abrasive & NOT meant for that much exposure.

Two hours is not "sparingly", the word you're looking for is excessive.

I've used JB for probably close to 20 years.
This is your first time?
And YOU'RE telling ME I don't know what I'M talking about?
I understand what it does, you don't.

The black stuff you scoured off was your bore steel for at least the last 100 minutes.

Next time you ask for help, either LISTEN to what people tell you, or don't bother asking in the first place.
Denis

[splatman]

I don't know why you think you are in any kind of position to tell me that I used too much JB? You are not the one cleaning the gun and observing the results. And I don't think you are following this thread very closely and here is why. I stated earlier that after using JB, I would then thoroughly clean out the JB with a conventional solvent. I then would use a bronze brush (10 -15) strokes, and then use a jag. I would do this 2 times and I was still seeing lead deposits. These deposits are NOT debris from JB interacting with the surface steel of the barrell. Remember the JB and the lead deposits were previously cleansed with a conventional solvent, and now I am still seeing lead deposits from just a conventional cleaning. So in reality, the JB never contacted the steel interior surface of the barrell. Do you follow? I explained this earlier but not this much detail. At this point I gave up on the JB. I then tried a product by Shooters Choice called Lead Remover. And as far as I'm concerned, this is one fantastic product. With 2 applications and about 30 strokes, ALL lead deposits were gone and I mean gone as in zilch. This was verified with a follow up conventional cleaning. So there you have it. Anyways I was getting frustrated with you and did not appreciate the comment about barrell cleaning as a hobby, very sarcastic, and all you could tell me was that I was using too much JB and wearing out the rifling very frustrating. Anyways I apologize for offending you and thank you for your input.

-splatman out

[mehavey]

I don't know why you think you ....

I'm done.

[Quentin2]

Dirty Henry ... sounds like a Dirty Harry sequel! Can I change my userid?

[DPris]

I'm done, too.
Splat, it's your gun & your problem.
Screw it up to your heart's content.

And then whine to Henry because they turned out a "bad" gun.
Denis

[briandg]

Something to consider is getting a cotton rope about bore sized, saturAting it with solvent, running it into the bore, forming both ends and leaving it for a week. Kept wet like that, it might even penetrate under metal and loosen it.