Cleaning of Plastic Residue ?

Jack Reevez · June 11, 2008, 03:51 AM

hi All. I use hoppes#9 nitro powder solvent to clean my shotguns. I know its good to take out the lead in a shot gun barrell but i was wondering what to use to remove the Plastic wad left by the fired shells. Does the Hoppes#9 nitro powder solvent clean the plastic wad off as well or do i need another solvent for that?
Thanks in advance guys.

B. Lahey · June 11, 2008, 04:12 AM

Breakfree Powderblast was designed to go after plastic fouling in shotgun barrels, and does it well. Be careful not to get it on the stock if you can avoid it, most synthetic gun materials hold up to it fine, but some don't. I think it's mostly orange oil and while it smells a little odd, it will not blind you if you get it in your eye. Go on, ask me how I know.

I wear eye protection when using it now, though. The stuff sprays violently out of the can.

oletymer · June 11, 2008, 10:24 AM

Spray WD40 in the barrel, let it sit for a few minutes then brush it out. I have done this for 40 years and several hundred thousand rounds and it works great for cleaning plastic residue. For the barrel cleaning it is also cheaper than gun cleaners for this application.

oneounceload · June 11, 2008, 11:12 AM

Gumout carb and choke cleaner works great also

JWT · June 11, 2008, 11:31 AM

Hoppes works fine on the plastic residue from the wads. I take my choke tubes out and soak them in Hoppes for about an hour, then use a bronze brush on them, dry them, and put them back in the barrel before cleaning the barrel. I strain the used Hoppes through a coffee filter and pour it back into the bottle for 'next time'.

Works fine for me, and soaking eliminates most of the brushing. (I find most of the plastic residue is on the choke tubes)

BigJimP · June 11, 2008, 06:51 PM

Shooters Choice makes a shotgun and choke tube cleaner that works real well - and it doesn't harm the finish on your wood stocks.

http://www.shooters-choice.com/

In fact I use it on my handguns too - as a primary cleaner.

nutty ned · June 15, 2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Spray WD40 in the barrel, let it sit for a few minutes then brush it out. I have done this for 40 years and several hundred thousand rounds and it works great for cleaning plastic residue. For the barrel cleaning it is also cheaper than gun cleaners for this application.

+1; just remove the barrel so there in no chance of getting the WD-40
in the action. It will take a while; but, the WD-40 will gum up the action when you most don't want a gummed up action. I know.

BigJimP · June 16, 2008, 03:32 PM

Several years ago WD-40 formula was changed so the propellant is now CO2 - where the propellant used to be Propane. I think it frankly worked better when it had Propane in it .....but maybe its just my imagination. ( when I was a kid we used WD-40 as a "starting fluid" into the carburetors on our trucks too ....) but we were cheap and young and stupid ....

I will admit to spraying down the exterior of the gun with WD-40 and wiping it down before I put it away / after I've cleaned it. It will build up a little but it won't harm the finish either.

dmickey · June 16, 2008, 07:48 PM

If you can find the old patches they made from a material called Remay, they clean out plastic fowling quite well without anything on them. I used plastic buffer material for a filler in one of my guns. Worked quite well except...As soon as the barrel cooled down the plastic residue hardened and my groups were off by as much as four (4) inches!

As soon as I ran a dry Remay patch though the bore the rifle grouped back to where I had started!

webbee · June 17, 2008, 10:29 AM

The acetone included Ed's Red formula works really well. So does a Tornado brush, especially if you put a patch over the t-brush (like a jag) and use Ed's red. Brake-Kleen also works pretty well.

50 shooter · June 17, 2008, 06:49 PM

www.slip2000.com is all you need.

Nnobby45 · June 17, 2008, 08:32 PM

Just buy some Libman copper scrubbers in your local Super Market (or similar product--some are silver) and cut off a suitable amount to put on your cleaning rod. Saturate your bore with any solvent and run the rod through a few times.

All that lead and residue will be gone so fast and so easy, you'll wonder why there's even a thread talking about some other method.

Even Scotch Brite abrasive pads will work for the plastic residue.

I used to buy another product from Bill Laughridge at Cylinder and Slide that was finer and suitable for getting lead out of pistol bores. Sorry, can't remember the name of it.

mikenbarb · June 18, 2008, 08:57 AM

I use Gold Medalion with a bronze brush and a drill. I use the brush with solvent and an old cleaning rod in a drill and run it up and down a couple times at low speed and it removes all plastic buildup in a couple seconds. Then I run a few clean patches thru it and oil lightly and its good to go.

WacosSon · June 18, 2008, 03:33 PM

I'll 2nd that breakfree powderblast with a solid brush out.

WacosSon · June 18, 2008, 03:36 PM

PS - avoid WD40 if you can. Works ok on the bbl. but it WILL gum up your action. Have a buddy with an 870 been using WD for years. I kept telling him - finally...jammed. Took him 2 months to get it repaired. I'd stick with something else.

banditt007 · June 18, 2008, 05:46 PM

Brake cleaner works great.

WacosSon · June 19, 2008, 12:08 AM

Ok, at the risk of overposting, I did a little research. Had an old barrel that still had wad residue in it. Not sure if its cuz of the age of the residue (6months) but Rem BriteBore hammered it out like no one's business. Finished it off with some Rem oil and its nice and purty

June 11, 2008, 03:51 AM	#1
Jack Reevez Member Join Date: April 2, 2008 Posts: 32	Cleaning of Plastic Residue ? hi All. I use hoppes#9 nitro powder solvent to clean my shotguns. I know its good to take out the lead in a shot gun barrell but i was wondering what to use to remove the Plastic wad left by the fired shells. Does the Hoppes#9 nitro powder solvent clean the plastic wad off as well or do i need another solvent for that? Thanks in advance guys.

June 17, 2008, 06:49 PM	#11
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 986	www.slip2000.com is all you need. __________________ I see the world thru bloodshot eyes Streets filled with blood from distant lies The dogs of war never compromise, No time for rearranging.

June 18, 2008, 08:57 AM	#13
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	I use Gold Medalion with a bronze brush and a drill. I use the brush with solvent and an old cleaning rod in a drill and run it up and down a couple times at low speed and it removes all plastic buildup in a couple seconds. Then I run a few clean patches thru it and oil lightly and its good to go. __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

June 18, 2008, 03:33 PM	#14
WacosSon Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Posts: 85	2nd that I'll 2nd that breakfree powderblast with a solid brush out. __________________ _______________________________ Lifetime NRA member "A free people ought to be armed." - George Washington

June 18, 2008, 03:36 PM	#15
WacosSon Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Posts: 85	PS PS - avoid WD40 if you can. Works ok on the bbl. but it WILL gum up your action. Have a buddy with an 870 been using WD for years. I kept telling him - finally...jammed. Took him 2 months to get it repaired. I'd stick with something else. __________________ _______________________________ Lifetime NRA member "A free people ought to be armed." - George Washington

June 11, 2008, 04:12 AM	#2
B. Lahey Senior Member Join Date: March 17, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 2,857	Breakfree Powderblast was designed to go after plastic fouling in shotgun barrels, and does it well. Be careful not to get it on the stock if you can avoid it, most synthetic gun materials hold up to it fine, but some don't. I think it's mostly orange oil and while it smells a little odd, it will not blind you if you get it in your eye. Go on, ask me how I know. I wear eye protection when using it now, though. The stuff sprays violently out of the can.

June 11, 2008, 10:24 AM	#3
oletymer Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 338	Spray WD40 in the barrel, let it sit for a few minutes then brush it out. I have done this for 40 years and several hundred thousand rounds and it works great for cleaning plastic residue. For the barrel cleaning it is also cheaper than gun cleaners for this application.

June 11, 2008, 11:12 AM	#4
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Gumout carb and choke cleaner works great also

June 11, 2008, 11:31 AM	#5
JWT Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: Southern Arizona Posts: 3,888	Hoppes works fine on the plastic residue from the wads. I take my choke tubes out and soak them in Hoppes for about an hour, then use a bronze brush on them, dry them, and put them back in the barrel before cleaning the barrel. I strain the used Hoppes through a coffee filter and pour it back into the bottle for 'next time'. Works fine for me, and soaking eliminates most of the brushing. (I find most of the plastic residue is on the choke tubes)

June 11, 2008, 06:51 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Shooters Choice makes a shotgun and choke tube cleaner that works real well - and it doesn't harm the finish on your wood stocks. http://www.shooters-choice.com/ In fact I use it on my handguns too - as a primary cleaner.

June 16, 2008, 03:32 PM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Several years ago WD-40 formula was changed so the propellant is now CO2 - where the propellant used to be Propane. I think it frankly worked better when it had Propane in it .....but maybe its just my imagination. ( when I was a kid we used WD-40 as a "starting fluid" into the carburetors on our trucks too ....) but we were cheap and young and stupid .... I will admit to spraying down the exterior of the gun with WD-40 and wiping it down before I put it away / after I've cleaned it. It will build up a little but it won't harm the finish either.

June 16, 2008, 07:48 PM	#9
dmickey Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2006 Posts: 124	If you can find the old patches they made from a material called Remay, they clean out plastic fowling quite well without anything on them. I used plastic buffer material for a filler in one of my guns. Worked quite well except...As soon as the barrel cooled down the plastic residue hardened and my groups were off by as much as four (4) inches! As soon as I ran a dry Remay patch though the bore the rifle grouped back to where I had started!

June 17, 2008, 10:29 AM	#10
webbee Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2005 Posts: 218	The acetone included Ed's Red formula works really well. So does a Tornado brush, especially if you put a patch over the t-brush (like a jag) and use Ed's red. Brake-Kleen also works pretty well.

June 17, 2008, 08:32 PM	#12
Nnobby45 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2004 Posts: 3,150	Just buy some Libman copper scrubbers in your local Super Market (or similar product--some are silver) and cut off a suitable amount to put on your cleaning rod. Saturate your bore with any solvent and run the rod through a few times. All that lead and residue will be gone so fast and so easy, you'll wonder why there's even a thread talking about some other method. Even Scotch Brite abrasive pads will work for the plastic residue. I used to buy another product from Bill Laughridge at Cylinder and Slide that was finer and suitable for getting lead out of pistol bores. Sorry, can't remember the name of it.

June 18, 2008, 05:46 PM	#16
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	Brake cleaner works great.

June 19, 2008, 12:08 AM	#17
WacosSon Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Posts: 85	Ok, at the risk of overposting, I did a little research. Had an old barrel that still had wad residue in it. Not sure if its cuz of the age of the residue (6months) but Rem BriteBore hammered it out like no one's business. Finished it off with some Rem oil and its nice and purty __________________ _______________________________ Lifetime NRA member "A free people ought to be armed." - George Washington