Black "goo"....

mehavey · November 15, 2013, 09:07 AM

I happened to luck into a NIB 40 caliber Green Mountain barrel assembly set up as a
Thompson Center/Hawken drop-in replacement. For who might ask, I knocked the
wedge out of my 28" factory 45 Hawken; pulled the barrel; dropped in the new 32" 40 cal
Green Mountain; and reinserted the wedge. Perfect fit.

Then I set out to clean it using simple BreakFree as a first-cut solvent.

Out came the blackest "stuff" I have ever seen -- and out came more black stuff,
and out came More black stuff,... and out came More black stuff..... 45 minutes
later (including acetone to try and cut through whatever was in there), I was still getting
dirty patches out of that barrel.

I have no doubt at all that the bore has been superbly protected/preserved from the GM
factory... because absolutely nothing could have gotten through whatever they coated it with.

Anybody got any ideas what they might have used?

jaguarxk120 · November 15, 2013, 10:09 AM

Stop using your breakfree and start using mineral sprits.

They might have used a tar like derivative from the La Brea Tar Pits.

Look at it this way they wanted to protect the bore and they did.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · November 15, 2013, 11:44 AM

Wow! that's something. I wonder if it is cosmoline? I bought a barrel from them folks a few years back. Nothing like what your encountering. I just cleaned mine with TOTWs B/P bore cleaner & hot water at that time. But then again my barrel was a LRH stainless steel model. Maybe blued are coated differently? Perhaps another member here can chime in on what your encountering?

mehavey · November 15, 2013, 12:15 PM

Quote:

start using mineral spirits...

Already ran acetone, but heck... paint thinner/spirits can't hurt.

One thing it sure ain't: Classic Cosmoline.
(Trust me, I know cosmoline.

)

`May be tempest in a teapot since a dozen tightly-patched ball
using 7:1 CuttingOil "ought" to clean whatever's left at this point, out.

troutcreek · November 16, 2013, 11:46 AM

I've never used Acetone or Mineral Spirits to clean a muzzle loader so I don't have a good base line. I would have started with hot (probably very hot) soapy water. Dunk the breach into the bucket and utilize a tight patch and cleaning jag to flush the gunk out of the barrel along with the breach. Dry the barrel with a few patches (the now hot barrel will dry quickly), remove the nipple to ensure the breach is clean, then lubricate. I've always used Rig for the barrel but I'm old school...

I used to work in a gun store where we imported fire arms from Italy. When the guns would arrive they had been have been proof fired by the Italian Government. Of course they would clean them but we felt it was better to ensure the guns were clean. I used the process as listed above on hundreds and hundreds of rifles. In most cases the rifles were pretty gunky and in once case a revolver came with 1 test round still in the chamber.

I'm also in full agreement that a few lubricated patched round balls through the bore and you are golden. The patch is abrasive enough to clean out residue.

mehavey · November 16, 2013, 09:12 PM

Got it out to the range today.
Time enough for 4 trials of 2 each Ball Diameter/patch-thickness combo's using one
baseline powder (FFFgGoEX), one charge (50gr_Volume), and one Lube ratio of
7:1 H20/Napa Cutting oil (drawing from my 54 and 45 experience)

I got to the third trial series in the cycle and quit for the day...

postscript: Ran Brake Cleaner through before 1st fire -- still streaks on the patch
After firing, `ran (literally) soapy boiling water down the barrel (I put a 8" piece of Tygon
tubing over the nipple to drain the water/soap pastaway from the stock -- my old N-SSA days trick)
Then Witch's Milk (Moose Milk fortified w/ Simple Green) and processed the whole barrel again

.....still get streaks -- but who cares?

post postscript: Yes, it's finished/left inside and out w/ BreakFree/WeaponShield after all that.

post post postscript: It's got a smaller diameter patent breech. That gets treated with a standard slotted cleaning rod and a 3" cleaning patch tru' the slot/folded over the tip. THAT gets down into/cleans out the Patent breech chamber. Afterwards, clean the nipple chamber AND run pipecleaners through the flash channel and into the breech chamber. Not doing that part of the cleaning guarantees ohsomany people a 1st shot failure to-fire-every time. Because of this cleaning regimen, rarely-if-ever do I have to pull the barrel.

kwhi43 · November 17, 2013, 08:23 AM

Those GM barrels really shoot. Wife has one in her rifle she put together 20
years ago. She uses 55 grs of Goex FF. She shot this last month at 50 yds.

November 15, 2013, 09:07 AM	#1
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Black "goo".... I happened to luck into a NIB 40 caliber Green Mountain barrel assembly set up as a Thompson Center/Hawken drop-in replacement. For who might ask, I knocked the wedge out of my 28" factory 45 Hawken; pulled the barrel; dropped in the new 32" 40 cal Green Mountain; and reinserted the wedge. Perfect fit. Then I set out to clean it using simple BreakFree as a first-cut solvent. Out came the blackest "stuff" I have ever seen -- and out came more black stuff, and out came More black stuff,... and out came More black stuff..... 45 minutes later (including acetone to try and cut through whatever was in there), I was still getting dirty patches out of that barrel. I have no doubt at all that the bore has been superbly protected/preserved from the GM factory... because absolutely nothing could have gotten through whatever they coated it with. Anybody got any ideas what they might have used?

November 16, 2013, 11:46 AM	#5
troutcreek Member Join Date: August 10, 2012 Location: Southern Washington on the Columbia River Posts: 80	Initial Cleaning I've never used Acetone or Mineral Spirits to clean a muzzle loader so I don't have a good base line. I would have started with hot (probably very hot) soapy water. Dunk the breach into the bucket and utilize a tight patch and cleaning jag to flush the gunk out of the barrel along with the breach. Dry the barrel with a few patches (the now hot barrel will dry quickly), remove the nipple to ensure the breach is clean, then lubricate. I've always used Rig for the barrel but I'm old school... I used to work in a gun store where we imported fire arms from Italy. When the guns would arrive they had been have been proof fired by the Italian Government. Of course they would clean them but we felt it was better to ensure the guns were clean. I used the process as listed above on hundreds and hundreds of rifles. In most cases the rifles were pretty gunky and in once case a revolver came with 1 test round still in the chamber. I'm also in full agreement that a few lubricated patched round balls through the bore and you are golden. The patch is abrasive enough to clean out residue.

November 16, 2013, 09:12 PM	#6
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Black Goo -- Epilogue Got it out to the range today. Time enough for 4 trials of 2 each Ball Diameter/patch-thickness combo's using one baseline powder (FFFgGoEX), one charge (50gr_Volume), and one Lube ratio of 7:1 H20/Napa Cutting oil (drawing from my 54 and 45 experience) I got to the third trial series in the cycle and quit for the day... postscript: Ran Brake Cleaner through before 1st fire -- still streaks on the patch After firing, `ran (literally) soapy boiling water down the barrel (I put a 8" piece of Tygon tubing over the nipple to drain the water/soap pastaway from the stock -- my old N-SSA days trick) Then Witch's Milk (Moose Milk fortified w/ Simple Green) and processed the whole barrel again .....still get streaks -- but who cares? post postscript: Yes, it's finished/left inside and out w/ BreakFree/WeaponShield after all that. post post postscript: It's got a smaller diameter patent breech. That gets treated with a standard slotted cleaning rod and a 3" cleaning patch tru' the slot/folded over the tip. THAT gets down into/cleans out the Patent breech chamber. Afterwards, clean the nipple chamber AND run pipecleaners through the flash channel and into the breech chamber. Not doing that part of the cleaning guarantees ohsomany people a 1st shot failure to-fire-every time. Because of this cleaning regimen, rarely-if-ever do I have to pull the barrel. Last edited by mehavey; November 16, 2013 at 09:26 PM.

November 15, 2013, 10:09 AM	#2
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	Stop using your breakfree and start using mineral sprits. They might have used a tar like derivative from the La Brea Tar Pits. Look at it this way they wanted to protect the bore and they did.

November 15, 2013, 11:44 AM	#3
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	Wow! that's something. I wonder if it is cosmoline? I bought a barrel from them folks a few years back. Nothing like what your encountering. I just cleaned mine with TOTWs B/P bore cleaner & hot water at that time. But then again my barrel was a LRH stainless steel model. Maybe blued are coated differently? Perhaps another member here can chime in on what your encountering?

November 17, 2013, 08:23 AM	#7
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	Those GM barrels really shoot. Wife has one in her rifle she put together 20 years ago. She uses 55 grs of Goex FF. She shot this last month at 50 yds.