Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cleaning with CLR?

Do you use it? The stuff is the best carbon remover I have ever tried. Nothing I have tried is even close. It will also eat the bluing off your rifle if not careful. I had no idea about using CLR until I saw it on Youtube (Eric Cortina). But recently he had a video saying to not use CLR as some barrel mfg's will not warrantee their barrels if you use it. I have a feeling that he still uses it, just not publicly announcing it anymore. I'm still using it, have not seen any adverse effects but it does make me wonder what the barrel manufacturers are seeing.

FWIW: I only run 2-3 wet patches down the bore (wiping the muzzle and rod after each patch) then follow up immediately with a couple dry patches and a couple patches wetted with alcohol. Then I go after the copper with Patch-Out, sometimes leaving it in the barrel over night.

I have soaked stainless steel suppressors in CLR for days with no damage.

I have used it in stainless steel bores and can see no damage with the bore scope.

I believe CLR is an acid based cleaner, it takes time and a bit of agitation to work, running a patch or three then running a dry patch more than likely is having no affect. Get a Teslong bore scope, best cleaning aid I know of.

I have a Teslong Bore scope. CLR works fast - First 2 patches come out black, 3rd a little dark. Checking with bore scope shows a cleaner bore in 2 minutes than BoreTech Carbon Remover in 2 hours. I just don't know if it works 'too good' and is harming my barrels. I have an idea that if left in the bore for a long period of time that there my be some issue but a quick clean and get it out of the bore in a few minutes is ok. Just curious if other members are seeing the same thing.

Tag

Sometimes its helpful to research.

https://clrbrands.com/CLR/media/PDF/proline/sds/CLR-PRO-SDS-64P0216-1-16-19.pdf

Product Name CLR PRO® CALCIUM, LIME & RUST REMOVER

Restrictions on Use Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, metals (except stainless steel, chrome),
acids, bases, and bleach...

Good and interesting info.
According to the MSDS it is acid based. As posted above it's not reactive with chrome & stainless, a chrome moly barrel may have issues?
In my previous life I sold commercial cleaning agents and we had an industrial version of CLR, I believe it was phosphoric acid based ?
It would do a number on copper and appeared to etch copper and aluminum, but stainless would come out bright and shiny.

Surprised more have not used CLR. It's cheap and effective.

Tag

There are several videos out there where they've shown damage in stainless barrels. Could be something to it. Might lightly etch which will make it foul easier.
I use carbon off, a product made to clean cookware. It is fast enough and does no damage to metal of any kind

I know shooting guys are using CLR and reporting no problems. But I've never had a problem removing carbon from a bore or BCG with the typical penetrants as long as you allow them the time to work. To me copper is more of an issue when it comes to accuracy and CLR isn't going to help there.

I use BoreTech C4 Carbon Remover and KG-12. Apply, let sit, remove and apply, rinse, repeat if necessary. Simple.

There’s absolutely no reason to put acid in a good barrel.


223 with 100 rounds

Beginning



After patch 1



After 4 patches and 5 brush strokes



No more than 15 minutes each to clean down to bare steel.

So, just like that; a clean barrel.

I have put rimfire suppressors disassembled just covered with CLR in a Hornady ultrasonic cleaner turn the heat on ran for 10 minutes and wiped with the towel with zero scrubbing and look like new.. I figure if I ever wait too long and it won't come apart I'll put the whole thing in and try it and then see if it comes apart..
I don't know if I'm brave enough to use it on a barrel or not..

I assume, Swifty, you use the KG-12 STRS posted?

I also don't see much copper in photo 2, looks like a clean shooting barrel. Curious of product and copper/brass brush vs just a jag and patch? Your method seems much easier than my current wetted patch only, looking for another method and yours seems quicker than I have ever had success with. And I have a borescope for everything but the 17's.

Thanks
Allen

I’d assume so but I don’t use a brass or steel brush. Use a nylon brush if anything. If it breaks down copper in your barrel it will eat a brass or bronze brush as those are copper alloy. Steel brush can scratch the bore.

No I didn't. Quicker, not really as its a process.

Brinky, your assumption is wrong. From a previous post.



What most missed evidently is that the lock ease is supposed to fill in the heat cracking and other imperfections that cause copper fouling in older barrels.
Does it work, I believe so. It took 5 cycles of 25 and clean on my Swift with every cycle after 3 getting better, but on this cycle 50 shots were fired.

Pictures are of the same spot in barrel

1 patch of Kroil/Butchs 50/50 mix



Next was a patch of Accelerator and then Patch out, scrub 5 strokes with a Iosso nylon brush let sit 5 minutes.

One patch after, everything just pushed out. Basically clean.



After 4 patches Kroil/butchs.



In reality the barrel was clean in 4 patches and 5 brush strokes.

Thank you very much for the additional information.


I hope my hard to clean barrels clean up as well as yours with the new cleaning procedure.

Thanks

Allen

Sure don't get results like that with C4 and Eliminator. Tried all weekend.....the only way I get my bore that clean is with CLR,PatchOut & Iosso. I only have 2 sessions with Lock-ease at this points, so hopeful it will get better. So I am back to CLR for 3 patches, 2-3 dry patches, 1 alcohol, 1 dry, 2-3 patches of PatchOut, Scrub w/ nylon brush and PatchOut let sit and a couple clean patches. Gets things pretty clean. IF there is still carbon at the throat area a little Iosso on a patch and a few dry patches has it shining like a mirror. If shooting in the next day or two I'll use Lock-ease, if longer storage is projected I'll put some Rem oil on a patch and run it through.

I wonder what is more corrosive to a barrel, Ammonia(Butch's) or CLR?

I watched Eric's video about cleaning the barrel with CLR. I then watched a video with Eric talking about a product that actually worked like a rust penetrating oil. At this second I do not remember the name. I did try some Deep Creep made by Sea Foam after I used Hoppe's. I swabbed the barrel with the Deep Creep and let is set for 30 minutes and I got more carbon out of a Remington 700 barrel after using the Hoppe's. Those barrels are chrome moly and not stainless.

To remove copper I use Brasso and Patch Out. The Brasso has some pumice in it along with ammonia. After the Deep Creep, Brasso and Patch Out 99% of the copper and carbon appears to be gone. I'm going to try some more of the Deep Creep on a couple of chrome moly barrels that need cleaned. I have a couple of stainless barrels I am going to try a cleaner that is not CLR but more like Formula 409. I'll see what happens with that.

I agree with centershot, what is worse, the CLR or ammonia ?

kwg