Foam Bore Cleaners

[DaveB]

I had occasion to clean my 6.5 CM which has had about 140 rounds down the tube in a not successful effort to develop a MOA recipe.

The first foam (wipeout) application was not sufficient nor the second. I was getting a little antsy and considered brushing but then decided one more time.

1st patch came out better and third patch was clean. One more shot of foam and after a 30-minute wait the patch came out untouched.

So wondering if my Gunslick was still the cats meow I tried it on my 06. 30 minutes and two patches later a cold steel bore.

This stuff requires more physical safety than normal but it is really effective.
Highly recommended; Gunslick requires eye protection.

 

[TN Song Dog]

Good post, thanks. Please elaborate. Do you plug bore with earplug, or just spray in and let it run out muzzle? Thanks again. I will probably order some of the gunslick soon.

 

[MUP]

Yes, interested in your MO on this Dave.

 

[7mm08]

Been using it for years. I put a baggie over the muzzle with a rubber band..... a receptacle tip

I shoot it down the barrel and let it sit for 30 min and then the patches. Great at removing copper from the TSX I shoot.

 

[DaveB]

I got tipped to the efficiency of foam cleaners over at Handloadersbench.com probably 6 years ago.

Gunslick is particularly effective but at the same time corrosive to most fabrics and some wood finishes. You must use eye protection-I use full coverage goggles as glasses are not enough--and I wipe up all spills right away. And yes many rifles will require 2 or 3 fouling shots. This stuff takes your barrel down to steel.

What I do:
About 18 inches from barrel I drape a cotton t-shirt over a costco soap box and another from under the muzzle to the box. May use 7-08 advice on baggies. Bolt and magazine are removed. I protect scope glass with covers. I adjust my vise so the barrel is ever so slightly tilted down. You don't want the sludge in your chamber.

I shake the can pretty hard for about 2 minutes. I insert the plastic tube into the rifle chamber and give several very short blasts.
Frequently a blast will result in foam exiting the barrel at about 2 FPS hence the t-shirts.

Nearly always I have foam backing up the barrel into the chamber. I withdraw the tube and wipe the excess off and then on to the bolt. If I have foam falling into mag chamber I mop that up also. I have a SS kitchen thing I use to scrub the bolt. yes, I started wearing disposable gloves when I noticed I was losing my fingerprints.

Wipeout has a liquid version of the foam that is also very good. With this on occasion I do find it necessary to use a brush.

After a 30 minute soak (manufacturer says 15)I run a jag & patch down the barrel and you will push tar out. Repeat. On my 300 WinMag which I thought was pretty clean my first foam attempt took about 50 total brush strokes and 4 or more foam cycles. Powder and copper are both removed.

When I think the bore is clean I will do another foam cycle. Here I look for a clean patch.

When barrel is clean I run patches down to get barrel dry and then an oiled patch. I also stick a clean patch in the muzzle to keep dust and moisture out as all my rifles are stored muzzle up.

Wipeout liquid works very good on shotguns and pistols and is not nearly as corrosive as Gunslick.

Wash your hands really well until the slippery lard feeling is gone.

 

[MUP]

Thanks for the details Dave, much appreciated my friend!

 

[EastTNHunter]

Unfortunately, it looks like the Gunslick foam is discontinued

 

[DaveB]

Wipeout is still around and nearly as good as Gunslick. I bought the tube accessory as the silly little horn thing doesn't work very well.

Apparently Hoppes owns Gunslick and discontinued it. I think it was because the product spelled death to their legacy lines of cleaning tools.

I used #9 and other cleaners for years.....haven't bought any of them since I found these two bore cleaners.

Think I will exercise some judicious shopping tomorrow.