Baked on carbon in bore

stephensackro · June 30, 2020, 11:44 AM

I have a 9mm carbine that shoots great but gets some very hard carbon deposits in the grooves for the first 6 inches of the barrel (I'm assuming it is baked on carbon). The deposits are on most of the grooves and are only on one side of the groove extending 4 or 5 inches in length down the barrel. This stuff is as hard as cement and requires a lot of scrubbing with a copper scrub pad material. Nothing I have tried does even a half way good job of removing it. Does anyone know of a product that works good for this? Some people say that Bore Tech C-4 Carbon Cleaner works? I reload and use 124 gr FMJ round point bullets with win 231 power, some say it is because of the powder not burning clean and recommend using AA#2 instead. Your thoughts.

74A95 · June 30, 2020, 11:53 AM

Bore tech C4 works well. Soak a cloth with it and leave it in the fouled area to soak - several hours or overnight. I soak stainless steel revolver cylinders in Bore Tech C4 overnight and the baked-on stuff wipes off with a rag.

For the cleanest shooting handloads, use lead-free primers. Most of that black crap is from regular (leaded) primers. There's an article in the April 2020 issue of Shooting Times on lead-free primers.

Mike38 · June 30, 2020, 12:27 PM

I have a .32 wadcutter target pistol that develops a nasty carbon ring in the chamber at the case mouth. Can't make it much more than 60-70 rounds and it starts giving failures to extract. I swab the chamber with a q-tip soaked in "Sea Foam Top Engine Cleaner and Lube" sit for a couple minutes, then a quick scrub with a bronze brush and the carbon ring is gone. Wipe clean and start shooting again. This cleaner is supposed to dissolve carbon build up on valves and pistons in an engine. I got the idea from .22LR bench rest shooters. If they seem to think it's safe, I guess I will too. But there's something about a product that dissolves carbon, and using it on carbon steel that's on the back of my mind. So I don't leave it soak for very long.

Scorch · June 30, 2020, 06:42 PM

Boretech. Nothing else works quite like it on carbon. Or Gunzilla.

Nathan · June 30, 2020, 06:54 PM

CLR.....But only get it inside your bore.

stephensackro · June 30, 2020, 07:25 PM

I'll try the Bore tech C-4 and see how well it works. What do you think causes this hard carbon deposit ? The powder, Win 231 ? I typically load my 9mm to about a medium load. Primers? The carbine is a KelTec 2000 which is a blow back design, I know that makes it dirty. But I have the same problem with my pistols that are a locked breach that use 9mm and Win 231. My other pistol and revolvers use other powders and don't seem to have this problem. Would like to find out what are the factors that cause this.

Jim Watson · July 1, 2020, 09:15 AM

How strange, I don't see that with decades of W231/HP38 in pistols.
Good luck with the solvents.

stephensackro · July 1, 2020, 12:00 PM

I really am not sure if it was the win231 or not. Going to try loading up some 9mm using Bullseye and see what happens. I use this in my 45 acp and never have any fouling or carbon problems.

Jim Watson · July 1, 2020, 02:11 PM

The last time I ordered powder, nobody had any HP38 or 231, so I bought Bullseye, which I also use in my light .45 loads. I just guessed at a load (below book maximum, of course) and it worked in two guns. I need to chronograph and adjust for power factor.

Geezerbiker · July 1, 2020, 11:34 PM

Mix up some Ed's Red and soak it. You won't believe how good home mixed, cheap bore cleaner can be...

Tony

50 shooter · July 2, 2020, 12:28 AM

Slip2000 makes a product called Carbon killer, and makes quick work on carbon. Used with Boretech, you can get all the layers of carbon and copper out of your barrel.

June 30, 2020, 11:44 AM	#1
stephensackro Member Join Date: January 4, 2015 Posts: 25	Baked on carbon in bore I have a 9mm carbine that shoots great but gets some very hard carbon deposits in the grooves for the first 6 inches of the barrel (I'm assuming it is baked on carbon). The deposits are on most of the grooves and are only on one side of the groove extending 4 or 5 inches in length down the barrel. This stuff is as hard as cement and requires a lot of scrubbing with a copper scrub pad material. Nothing I have tried does even a half way good job of removing it. Does anyone know of a product that works good for this? Some people say that Bore Tech C-4 Carbon Cleaner works? I reload and use 124 gr FMJ round point bullets with win 231 power, some say it is because of the powder not burning clean and recommend using AA#2 instead. Your thoughts.

June 30, 2020, 06:42 PM	#4
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,249	Boretech. Nothing else works quite like it on carbon. Or Gunzilla. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

June 30, 2020, 07:25 PM	#6
stephensackro Member Join Date: January 4, 2015 Posts: 25	Bore tech C-4 I'll try the Bore tech C-4 and see how well it works. What do you think causes this hard carbon deposit ? The powder, Win 231 ? I typically load my 9mm to about a medium load. Primers? The carbine is a KelTec 2000 which is a blow back design, I know that makes it dirty. But I have the same problem with my pistols that are a locked breach that use 9mm and Win 231. My other pistol and revolvers use other powders and don't seem to have this problem. Would like to find out what are the factors that cause this.

July 1, 2020, 12:00 PM	#8
stephensackro Member Join Date: January 4, 2015 Posts: 25	Carbon I really am not sure if it was the win231 or not. Going to try loading up some 9mm using Bullseye and see what happens. I use this in my 45 acp and never have any fouling or carbon problems.

July 2, 2020, 12:28 AM	#11
50 shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2002 Location: SoCal PRK Posts: 1,026	Slip2000 makes a product called Carbon killer, and makes quick work on carbon. Used with Boretech, you can get all the layers of carbon and copper out of your barrel. __________________ 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 30, 2020, 11:53 AM	#2
74A95 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2016 Posts: 1,674	Bore tech C4 works well. Soak a cloth with it and leave it in the fouled area to soak - several hours or overnight. I soak stainless steel revolver cylinders in Bore Tech C4 overnight and the baked-on stuff wipes off with a rag. For the cleanest shooting handloads, use lead-free primers. Most of that black crap is from regular (leaded) primers. There's an article in the April 2020 issue of Shooting Times on lead-free primers.

June 30, 2020, 12:27 PM	#3
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,758	I have a .32 wadcutter target pistol that develops a nasty carbon ring in the chamber at the case mouth. Can't make it much more than 60-70 rounds and it starts giving failures to extract. I swab the chamber with a q-tip soaked in "Sea Foam Top Engine Cleaner and Lube" sit for a couple minutes, then a quick scrub with a bronze brush and the carbon ring is gone. Wipe clean and start shooting again. This cleaner is supposed to dissolve carbon build up on valves and pistons in an engine. I got the idea from .22LR bench rest shooters. If they seem to think it's safe, I guess I will too. But there's something about a product that dissolves carbon, and using it on carbon steel that's on the back of my mind. So I don't leave it soak for very long.

June 30, 2020, 06:54 PM	#5
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,823	CLR.....But only get it inside your bore.

July 1, 2020, 09:15 AM	#7
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,178	How strange, I don't see that with decades of W231/HP38 in pistols. Good luck with the solvents.

July 1, 2020, 02:11 PM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,178	The last time I ordered powder, nobody had any HP38 or 231, so I bought Bullseye, which I also use in my light .45 loads. I just guessed at a load (below book maximum, of course) and it worked in two guns. I need to chronograph and adjust for power factor.

July 1, 2020, 11:34 PM	#10
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 1,909	Mix up some Ed's Red and soak it. You won't believe how good home mixed, cheap bore cleaner can be... Tony