Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Anyone use "Ed's Red" bore solvent?

I mixed up a batch of Ed's Red and it seems to do a bang-up job. Anyone else use this and have any comments about it pro or con?

--Mike

I do, but I substituted the kerosene with jet fuel and the mineral spirits with turpentine. My location makes difficult to obtain all the original ingredients. Looks like it works ok for me. Also I use 10% ammonia solution to remove copper fouling.

10% IN the ER or a separate solution?

Mongolia, really? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

--Mike

It is a household ammonia solution. I use it straight after ER and let it work for 5-10 minutes and then use ER again to remove ammonia. I don't have a borescope so I can't tell if it harms the bore or not but it sure does remove the copper fouling.

I've used it for years, good stuff. For tough copper foulers I use barnes CR-10 and JB compound, but for general bore scrubbing, ed's red is it. I just did equal parts kerosene, paint thinner, ATF and crap whats the last componet, oh yeah, acetone. I mixed up abou 1/2 gallon several years back, and still have plenty. Guess I either need to shoot more, or clean more <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I made a gallon <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> just because the qt container the ATF was in was handy to measure. I pulled some of the ATF/kerosene mix the directions called for as gunoil. Seemed to work as an oil and the full mix as a cleaner. Just wondered if there might be unforeseen consequences or problems.


--Mike

Excellent stuff, I use it mostly on my shotguns as they're getting the most use.

grouseman

Been using the stuff for years. Originally mixed to the "original" formula, but the last batch mixed up was with subsitute items (Kalifornia laws). I have found that this second batch (second gallon) is not as effective as the original. Will go out of state to find the original ingredents.
I have found that after cleaning the rifle(s) at the range (while still hot), when I get home I stand the rifle(s) up in a special cradle that I made (muzzle down) and fill the barrel & chamber with Ed's. This soaking process (overnight) tends to loosen up the remaining fouling in the barrel and makes it easier to remove all of the fouling.
I have also mixed some Ed's with Kroll Oil (3 parts Ed's, 1 part Kroll) to do the soaking process, while at the range. This works very good as well. From there to the normal cleaning process.
As my son & I shoot around 250 rounds a week (high power rifle), the Ed's gets used a lot. No problems yet. Will know more about the Ed's & Kroll after a short trip to RSA, next week.

An update on the Ed's / Kroll mix.

My kid and I just got back from the range. This is the final shooting session before we leave for Africa tomorrow. Between 3 rifles (300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, 416 Rigby wildcat), we fired 200 rounds. The 338 getting the most use. After each 20 round session, I would take that rifle and stand it muzzle down in a small pan with a rubber plug in the muzzle. Fill up the bore & chamber with the Ed's / Kroll mix and let it sit for a few minutes (no definate time period, but just a few minutes). Empty out the solution through the muzzle and clean with Ed's per normal. Extreemly clean - maybe a little too clean, as during the normal cleaning process, much more gunk would be removed than "normal". The first shot on the now clean & cold barrel would be where it would normally be, so all is ok. All of this testing being done on the 338 Win, as it will be our primary rifle. The 300 Win cleaned up better than normal with the "Mix" but the first shot on cold & clean would not print where it normally would with regular cleaning and no soaking. That rifle was cleaned per normal on the last cleaning and left alone. These two rifles are factory stock with factory barrels. The 416 is a wildcat with a Douglas premium barrel. I went through the Ed's / Kroll soaking and cleaning to have the same cleaning results - much more gunk and copper. In the 416 I shoot the Barnes 400 GR X bullet, in front of 121 grains of IMR 4831. [color:"red"] [/color] This is a wildcat chambering/cartridge, so don't try this load in your pet 416 Rigby - DANGER. [color:"black"] The impact point remained the same for this rifle.
More when we return from Africa.[/color]

On that ammonia solution, it there a particular brand name? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" /> I have a couple of rifles that foul so badly that three and four hour sessions with JB Paste are what it takes to get them clean. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />
Paul B.

PJGunner,



It sounds like you need to firelap them.

I would like to try it..could you post or send me the formula.

Thanks,

Lefty

Lefty-
Here's a link to a site with the formula for Ed's Red:
Homemade Bore Cleaners

There is other interesting information on the site, including a test of the ability of various bore cleaners to remove copper.

--Bob

Wow!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Thanks,
Lefty

I started using Ed's Red a couple of years ago. It seems to get krud out much better than Hoppes #9.

One piece of advice I can give you is that Ed's Red works progressively better over the long term. If you clean your barrel again in two weeks, you'll get more out than the first time through. I finally figured that out and I'm now giving all my deer rifles a good cleaning in the Spring when I bring them back out from their winter hiatus. It's amazing to me what Ed finds and loosens over the winter.

My version is equal parts ATF, Marvel Mystery Oil, lacquer thinner and mineral spirits. Lacquer thinner for acetone because it's less volatile, other substitutions for reasons that escape me but made sense at the time. Works great. Like shaman says it seems to work better after several cleanings - suppose the new residue sits on top of what Ed's Red was left in the bore. But could be hell on some stock finishes.