Prepping A Barrel For Cast Bullets?

[Rooster59]

Afraid I can't remember where I got mine. They may have come with a cleaning kit or something similar.

[beekeeper]

I shoot cast bullets only!
I also shoot Mil surplus rifles only.
Getting them both together and to work well is a challange to say the least.

I have found that an electronic bore cleaner works the best to remove the old copper fouling as well as the powder and lead fouling from old milsurp barrels.
It sometimes takes as much as a week off and on as I have the time to get it done.
You remove a layer of copper and then have to change to a different solution to get a layer of powder and lead
If you are squemish it will scare the H out of you the first time you use it.
It is amazing the amount of crud you can get out of a perfectly clean barrel ( or one you thought was clean)


beekeeper

[62chevy]

I have found that an electronic bore cleaner works the best to remove the old copper fouling as well as the powder and lead fouling from old milsurp barrels.

beekeeper

OK what is an electronic bore cleaner?

[beekeeper]

It is a metal rod that you put in the barrel and place an electrical current on to remove crud by electrolosis.
There is a sticky over on the surplusrifle.com web site in the metal care and cleaning section.
Am not that computer savy so do not know how to post a link but if you go there it is easy to find.


beekeeper

[62chevy]

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewto ... 80&t=62728

Here ya go Beekeeper. A very interesting topic. What guns have you restored this way or do you just use it for cleaning.

[beekeeper]

Well lets see,
I started with 2 71/84 Mausers, Then went to a couple of 1888 Commission Rifles , and so on, you get the idea..
Since all of my rifles are Mil surplus I have used it on all of them.
Right now I am working on a deal to buy a model 71 Mauser and will make pictures of the process I use when cleaning one of the old rifles.

Got started using one when I made the 71/84 Mausers.
Bought barreled receivers for $8 bucks each.
Spent 2 years finding all of the parts and annother 2 years building them.
Made the stocks from a picture in a magazine..
They are my favorite of all my rifles.


beekeeper

[beekeeper]

An electronic cleaner works wonders on old abused antique firearms.
Here are a couple of pictures of one of my projects.
Had to build a special tank to derust the outside of the barreled receiver

[62chevy]

WoW !!! That receiver and barrel sure were rusty.

[Steve]

Nice job beekeeper.

[beekeeper]

That is the nice thing about using an electronic bore cleaner.
It doesn't affect any good metal only the rust.
To clean the outside of the action and barrel I built a tank I could suspend the entire barreled action in and used the same principle as an electronic bore cleaner to clean the outside.
Surprisingly there was little or no pitting on the rifle ( inside or outside) after the cleaning was completed.

For rust only I use "arm and hammer Washing Soda" in the water and a celphone charger as the electrical source.


beekeeper