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OT?-Carbon removal from semi-auto shotgun magazine tube

Scottl

Diamond
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
Eastern Massachusetts, USA
As the title describes I'm finding it tedious removing baked on carbon deposits from the top of the magazine tube just below the gas ports.

The gas piston is no problem. I soak it in solvent for several hours and then finish in an ultrasonic cleaner.

For the gas tube I've placed saturated patches over the deposit and then covered it in plastic to reduce evaporation. Despite the plastic the solvent still evaporates and has to be frequently re-applied.

Does anyone have any tips for easier carbon removal? Hopefully there's some magic goo that won't evaporate or better yet a lube that prevents the carbon from baking on. It wouldn't be an issue if this PITA weren't a more or less weekly ritual.

Thanks for any tips.
 
Try aerosol brake cleaner. I use it almost exclusively on my full auto and suppressed guns that get gunked up badly.
 
How about a 12 GA bronze brush on a section of cleaning rod chucked in a drill motor and rotated up and down the tube?
 
How about a 12 GA bronze brush on a section of cleaning rod chucked in a drill motor and rotated up and down the tube?

This is on the outside of the tube and any grit in the deposit night scratch the finish where the gas piston rides. That's why I want to use chemical means to remove it.

A couple of the clubs I shoot at require specific ammunition that is known to be very dirty.


Thanks 9finger,

I'll try the brake cleaner.
 
warm soapy water is one of the best carbon removers their is. That said if the gas piston is riding that area, they scrubbing with a solvent soaked bronze bristle brush is probably nor going to hurt anything.
 
GM top engine cleaner eats carbon for lunch. Get it at a GM dealership parts counter


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warm soapy water is one of the best carbon removers their is. That said if the gas piston is riding that area, they scrubbing with a solvent soaked bronze bristle brush is probably nor going to hurt anything.

Requires manual labor though!!! :D If your user name is indicative of your fondness for AK's, I'm sure you are familiar with my favorite technique...throw the thing in the dishwasher when the wife isn't home.
 
I have read CLR (calcium lime and rust remover) works very well on hard carbon. I have been hesitant to try it in an expensive rifle barrel however on a hard chromed surface like a gas piston I think it would be fine to try
 
I thought I would post an update on my results.

None of the methods suggested were that effective against the really baked on carbon. The brake cleaner worked great on the loose stuff but was not effective on the area of concern. My regular solvent, Shooter's Choice Mc#7 Bore Cleaner, also works quite well on the looser deposits and will eventually penetrate the hard stuff if it can be kept wet.

So I decided to do more research. I found an old thread on PM that suggested methyl chloride paint stripper for carbon removal.

Removing carbon deposits?

I didn't have any on hand so I haven't tried it yet. If it does work well and I decide to use it regularly I'll have to rig an effective fume extractor. The fumes are quite hazardous.

What HAS worked for me so far is somewhat of a PITA. After cleaning the loose deposits I place doubled cotton patches over the area and saturate with the Shooter's Choice. Then I wrap a plastic sandwich bag tightly around the tube and secure it with rubber bands. After a couple of hours I unwrap it and go over the area with a small piece of 0000 steel wool saturated with the bore cleaner. It comes clean in a few minutes.

That's not so bad in summer but in winter the solvent evaporates even with the wrap and has to be re-applied frequently. The gas piston isn't a problem because I soak it in a sealed jar.

Given enough time the Shooter's Choice is very effective at carbon removal. Last winter I fouled the plug badly on a 2-cycle snow blower and after I changed the plug I realized I had no more spares. I put the plug electrode up in a vise and filled the recess with the solvent. 2 applications plus brushing with a small nylon brush and then rinsing in alcohol left the insulator bone white.

One of my concerns has always been chemical fumes in a small shop. I rarely use aerosol cleaners and solvents indoors and am very careful about gloves, splash goggles, and ventilation. I knew too many older shooters who died of cancer and while some had occupational exposure to hazards most of them were IMO rather careless about gun cleaning chemicals.

If the paint stripper works quickly I'll rig a fume extractor and if it doesn't I'll have to find a better way to prevent evaporation and go back to the Shooter's Choice.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.
 








 
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