Cannot get barrel totally clean

Bob O

Bob O

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Guys,

Need some help please......Sig stainless barrel, can't get this fouling out of the barrel. Tried two different cleaners to no avail. Does this look like powder/carbon fouling to you guys?

Only 300 rounds through this 1911, factory/ FMJ ball ammo only, no reloads. Winchester white box, Federal, and American Eagle.
Everything else comes clean very easily.

TIA!!
2a4d158d9dd7a2f70d739a7a699322f6.jpg


366471f622bdf3123c4b74145e6af62f.jpg
 
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Looks like copper fouling to me.
It seems pretty thick, you are gonna have to spray heavily
and let it sit, repeat, repeat,......
Ballistol works pretty good, Gunzilla also.

Some Sig barrels are really tight [undersized] and some FMJ is
the opposite [oversized].

I had a Kimber that looked like that, frustrating.
I quit shooting FMJ in it [and almost every other gun]
and began lubing all my barrels with SBGO, let dry,
wipe with pad.
It solved the fouling in my .223/5.56 also, which I have
a lot of FMJ for.
You can even soak the fouling with SBGO also, brush it,
dry with patch, and shoot it out with jacketed.
Silver Bullet Gun Oil
 
Try powder blaster (it's an aerosol). That stuff is pretty strong. If that doesn't work then you'll have to let it soak in something that isn't an aerosol. I like Weapon Shield Solvent.
 
Okay...thanks guys. They sell the aerosol powder blaster locally, so I'll try that first. If it doesn't work....I'll have to order something different.

I just let it soak and tried brushing it again and its still there. I definitely want to get rid of it.
 
If it's copper fouling, you'll need a copper solvent. I use Hoppes Copper Solvent. Let it sit overnight as instructed. If it's not copper fouling, there are two things I would do next. In order:

1. Pour Ballistol into a mason jar. Drop in the barrel and other fouled parts. Screw on a lid and let it sit a day. After the day is over, run a brush and patches down the bore. Should be good to go.

2. If it's truly stubborn carbon fouling, get another mason jar. Fill it with SeaFoam (the stuff you use in engines). Drop the metal parts into the Seafoam and let it sit for a day. After the day is over, run a brush and patches down the bore.
 
Guys, I took the pic from the muzzle end because that's where its built up like you see. There is very little of this on the breech end of the barrel. It starts getting built up around halfway through this 4" barrel to the point where you can see it in the pic.

I clean the pistol after every range trip. Yesterday I shot only 70 rnds. Prior to that the barrel never had this amount of buildup, and has always come clean except for some streaking in the grooves.
 
Another technique involves taking some threads/strands from a Big 45 Metal Cleaner (looks like a pots scrubber) and wrap in a spiral fashion onto your bore brush (like putting light strands on a Christmas tree).
 
What do you guys think of those metal silver-colored, spiral styled bore brushes....okay to use on SS barrels?
 
Wow - everyone is picky. That barrel is clean enough for me as is. :)

I mean, it is not like it is an Olympic free pistol and the gold medal is on the line.

All of the solutions suggested seem an exercise in frustration since you will feel like you have to soak overnight everytime you go to the range. Personally, I like to clean, and leave it ready for immediate use.

:)
 
If all else fails, a stainless bore brush will take care of that in a few minutes.
 
Don't get me wrong, I don't like to spend more than 30 minutes cleaning any pistol. I've never had to soak parts before.

However, this buildup you see in the pic is significant. Its not just a thin film or smear.....its caked. It appears black so not sure if its copper or not.

I just soaked and brushed the barrel with some old Hoppe's #9 I had on hand. The barrel is shinier but the buildup is still there. Tomorrow I'll grab some other cleaner and a SS brush.
 
Last edited:
If it actually is copper, the quickest way to find out (and remove it) is to use Sweet's copper fouling remover. Run a patch soaked with Sweets into the barrel. If all that stuff is copper, the patch will be blue when it emerges out the other side. No blue patch...no copper fouling. Simple as that.
If it is copper, Sweets will get rid of it fast (I was going to say "toot sweet" but that would be a bad pun).
Frankly it looks like the grooves are filled with powder residue. If you shot 300 rounds without cleaning, that is not surprising. You should clean after 150 rounds max. Some Hoppe's#9, a bronze brush, and some elbow grease will get it out.
 
So far I've not shot more than 100 rounds per outing. Cleaned it each time.

For some things it sucks to be in a small town area, such as not having much of a selection of "specialty" items.....just basic gun stuff at the stores around here.

Most things I want other than the gun have to come by mail order.
 
Last edited:
bdGreen said:
Lewis Lead Remover and your solvent of choice... Bam!

See Brownell's for correct kit and calibre.

Have had one on hand for forty years.

bdGreen
Click to expand...

Lewis Lead Remover works quite well removing lead. Never tried it on fouling, but seems worth a try. It certainly won't hurt anything.
Your problem is unlikely to be lead unless you have been shooting unjacketed lead ammo.
 
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