Clean chamber__

[Koda]

It was late, I was tired and being completely non serious

I tend to be over literal, plus I was only on my first sip of coffee this morning when I replied. Needed more caffine to read thru the sarcasm.

 

[Koda]

If you were cleaning the bore through the chamber not the muzzle, you were cleaning the chamber. Really isn't much you need to do honestly unless the cartridge/chamber is vastly larger than the bore diameter. Then a chamber brush wouldn't hurt. If you could reach the entirety of the chamber with a solvent soaked q tip, that works too. The chamber shouldn't be getting all that dirty.

The ring you speak of, I'm still not quite sure what you are referring to? A ring within the chamber? Or at the throat? If it's at the throat, well, I consider that the bore and it should be getting cleaned and removed when you are cleaning the bore.

Im also hoping by seeing a ring, you aren't referring to a barrel bulge, which is a completely separate thing, and not a very good one!

Ive always cleaned from the chamber end but that doesn't mean I was getting the chamber itself, bore brushes are way smaller than chamber diameters. The ring is a carbon ring, if left unchecked can lead to overpressure problems as it builds up and in my case it looked to me to have grown into the neck area.
I'm surprised that nobody makes a shaped chamber brush (like an AR15) for common rifle calibers, what I'm reading is most shooters buy an oversized bore brush to fit the chamber, then another one to fit the neck area of the chamber... from there its apparently a simple scrub then mop out dry with a chamber mop or patch wrapped around the brush.

heres a pic of a really bad spot of the carbon ring buildup in the neck area. looks like lava flowed in there.

 

[Koda]

Bore break in is also highly debatable. If it's a well made barrel, there should not be any sort of break in needed. With todays machining, most need no such thing.

Ive been reading this is a debate, but for me I will follow the barrel manufacturers break in procedure.

https://kriegerbarrels.com/faq#breakin

 

[Member 34319]

Ive always cleaned from the chamber end but that doesn't mean I was getting the chamber itself, bore brushes are way smaller than chamber diameters. The ring is a carbon ring, if left unchecked can lead to overpressure problems as it builds up and in my case it looked to me to have grown into the neck area.
I'm surprised that nobody makes a shaped chamber brush (like an AR15) for common rifle calibers, what I'm reading is most shooters buy an oversized bore brush to fit the chamber, then another one to fit the neck area of the chamber... from there its apparently a simple scrub then mop out dry with a chamber mop or patch wrapped around the brush.

heres a pic of a really bad spot of the carbon ring buildup in the neck area. looks like lava flowed in there.
View attachment 1157908

That's a pretty good amount of crud built up. Not saying it's exactly your fault, but Im surprised at that amount of build up considering you mentioned you cleaned it after each use. Unless you are shooting a lot during range sessions, this is likely just a few decades worth of build up that never got cleaned.

This should, as it's at the neck, brush out with the same diameter brush as the bore. Then just keep passing patches through it till they come out clear. I'd likely just chuck up a brush and section of cleaning rod in a drill and go at it for a bit. Then patch it clear.

I wouldn't think it's going to drastically affect pressures, but it doesn't hurt that you found it and are going to clean it really well now.

Ive been reading this is a debate, but for me I will follow the barrel manufacturers break in procedure.

https://kriegerbarrels.com/faq#breakin

On a brand spaking new barrel, it might be worth performing, but most rifles are shot by the factory before leaving, I highly doubt they go through any sort of shoot and clean procedure. I've noticed no difference other than when it comes to remove copper fouling, which I don't do very often.

 

[Koda]

Not saying it's exactly your fault, but Im surprised at that amount of build up considering you mentioned you cleaned it after each use. Unless you are shooting a lot during range sessions, this is likely just a few decades worth of build up that never got cleaned.

oh its my fault, I let it get there just didn't know it was getting there. Keep in mind back then, for all those years I just cleaned the bore with a few patches until it came out "cleaner" and called it good. Bore brushes aren't big enough diameter to clean the chamber and brush away carbon while its still fresh or light enough. Other factors come into play based on owner inexperience like shooting the barrel hot, which further welds on the carbon buildup. Ive been told this is very typical theme in older rifle and how barrels get "shot out", as people gain experience its sometimes too late to save the barrel.
So I did investigate scrubbing the carbon, the barrel was also just as bad. An attempt at scrubbing the chamber proved worthless for me and with the bore also in really bad shape I just decided to start over, the rifle is a solid platform and with a new barrel will last me the rest of my lifetime and should increase precision.

 

[Member 34319]

oh its my fault, I let it get there just didn't know it was getting there. Keep in mind back then, for all those years I just cleaned the bore with a few patches until it came out "cleaner" and called it good. Bore brushes aren't big enough diameter to clean the chamber and brush away carbon while its still fresh or light enough. Other factors come into play based on owner inexperience like shooting the barrel hot, which further welds on the carbon buildup. Ive been told this is very typical theme in older rifle and how barrels get "shot out", as people gain experience its sometimes too late to save the barrel.
So I did investigate scrubbing the carbon, the barrel was also just as bad. An attempt at scrubbing the chamber proved worthless for me and with the bore also in really bad shape I just decided to start over, the rifle is a solid platform and with a new barrel will last me the rest of my lifetime and should increase precision.

It should still be worth cleaning it thoroughly before going with a new barrel. If only to see if it affects the accuracy. You should notice a difference if you get it back down to bare metal.

Best method for this is to plug the muzzle, tip the gun down, spray with a foam based bore cleaner like Hoppes. Let sit, then scrub and run patches. Repeat if necessary to get all the carbon and copper out.

Then shoot. Groups might be bad at first, but should get better as it fouls up again.

I've had Mosins with horrendous barrels, that once cleaned back to metal and fouled up a bit shot amazingly. Old barrels are not bad barrels.

 

[Koda]

It should still be worth cleaning it thoroughly before going with a new barrel. If only to see if it affects the accuracy. You should notice a difference if you get it back down to bare metal.

Best method for this is to plug the muzzle, tip the gun down, spray with a foam based bore cleaner like Hoppes. Let sit, then scrub and run patches. Repeat if necessary to get all the carbon and copper out.

Then shoot. Groups might be bad at first, but should get better as it fouls up again.

I've had Mosins with horrendous barrels, that once cleaned back to metal and fouled up a bit shot amazingly. Old barrels are not bad barrels.

This is true but there are other variables like what and how often the rifle is used... this one is my main hunting rifle and will get used and I want to improve with its accuracy potential. I thought about the options, and did try to remove the carbon fouling but its a ton of work... I concluded a smith should just ream the chamber out and reset the headspace. I did lap the bore with some paste and it was shiny but wow did the pitting and scars really open up. I think I could have lived with that if I had a smith ream a new chamber but at that point I just decided to replace the barrel since I'm going to continue using this rifle until I retire from hunting, plus a new barrel gave me the option to choose the twist rate Ive always wanted to increase my bullet choices for hunting.

 

[bionic knees]

some serious overthinking going on here.

 

[Mikej]

Chamber, throat, bore. The picture looks like bore. Is that a land with crud in the groove/rifling?

I'm still leaning, so if that's stoopid question?

 

[Koda]

some serious overthinking going on here.

its a pretty rainy cold weekend with not much else to do.

 

[Koda]

Chamber, throat, bore. The picture looks like bore. Is that a land with crud in the groove/rifling?

I'm still leaning, so if that's stoopid question?

no, thats the neck area of the chamber. The line is where the throat begins into the bore.... hard to describe, the line of travel is upper left (breech) to bottom right (muzzle)

 

[Mikej]

no, thats the neck area of the chamber. The line is where the throat begins into the bore.... hard to describe, the line of travel is upper left (breech) to bottom right (muzzle)

LOL. I always wondered just how much mental work it would take to decipher just what you were seeing on one of those bore scopes. I see now, the straight line I thought was a land is actually curved. And where the rim of the carriage would be.

 

[Koda]

LOL. I always wondered just how much mental work it would take to decipher just what you were seeing on one of those bore scopes. I see now, the straight line I thought was a land is actually curved. And where the rim of the carriage would be.

Im even more excited I was able to accurately describe the picture than anything today... win win

 

[huntpotter]

I've got a variety of nylon tube brushes in the .250" to .500" range. I give them a couple twists in the chamber from time to time. Seems to do the trick.