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What is a good bore cleaning solvent to use on my Rem 11-87? Thanks Tom

Depends. For the 4-H Shooting Sports (trap) club guns, 1100 and 11-87, I use Brownell's Shotgun Wad Solvent and a bronze brush and black stuff just flies out the bore. But they see heavy use and I think the hot barrel contributes to wad fouling. Choke tubes need a little extra attention as fouling really builds up where the choke meets the bore. Sometimes a piece of steel wool or brass is needed to scrape it off. Seems like fouling builds up less and doesn't stick as tightly since we started using it but it may be an illusion. It is nasty, stinky stuff though, best used in the garage. Haven't tried the gel version.

For the rest of it I use a version of Ed's Red which is perfectly fine for the bore if you're not dealing with plastic fouling. A Google search will yield recipes, quite a bit cheaper than commercial which saves us a few pennies. Hint: Wipe carbon off the mag tube with it and wipe dry. Leaves just the right amount of lubrication which is very little.

Bore snake with solvent or oil. One or two quick passes and done. Steel wool the outside of the choke tube to remove carbon. Oil it and screw back in.

Clean the magazine tube. Some like a light coat of oil, some like to be shot dry and some don't care.

I've found Shooters Choice works well.

Yes, Shooters Choice works well. Cleaning a shotgun barrel is not all that hard.

I would say this is the best commercial shotgun bore cleaner I have used: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/67...eaner-degreaser-12-oz-aerosol?cm_vc=S014

I recently mixed up 2 gallons of Ed's Red and that is the best I've used.

Ok if you're really serious about this:

One of the supply houses-Midway or Brownells-make a brass rod. One end goes into a hand drill and the other accepts cleaning attachments depending on your bore size. Place the rod in the drill, soak the attachment with solvent, insert into chamber, hit the drill trigger and run it up and down the bore. To speed things up attach a nylon cleaning brush on the end. Five or six passes up and down and you will have it clean as it needs to be.

One warning: Hold onto the barrels tightly or they will be torqued out of your hand.
Or you can hold them in a padded vise and not worry.

Overkill, but if it makes one happy.

Dad rigged one up similar, made from scratch, used 0000 steel wool on the end and whatever was handy for a 'cleaner'. Rem-Oil, WD-40 (oh the humanity right?), CLP, and a half dozen others that are out there. Bore looked like a mirror after two passes and all our shotguns broke clays and killed birds with no issues.

You're right about holding tightly. If the barrel gets away from you, the ring on an 870 that goes around that magazine will beat your knuckles to pieces.

Shooters Choice, cleaning rod with the handled cut off chucked in a drill with a brass brush wraped in steel wool. Soak with SC and go at it.

I use Ed's Red home mix (google it). I swear it's the same as the Brownell's Wad Solvent.

Bingo Use 0000 steel wool. I was going to mention it, but figured I would end up with some steel rubbing steel argument. Soak it with whatever solvent you have around and you are done in minutes. Another attachment that works is a Tornado brush for those who are fastidious.

http://www.hoppes.com/products/ca_tornado_brushes.html

I'm usually looking at six to clean, more or less depending, so it's done assembly line fashion. Bores all get a pass with a Brownells Shotgun Wad Solvent soaked patch then get brushed, heavy duty brush, so there's some soak time. First pass a lot of bits of black plastic get pushed out. Second pass not much. Third pass a few or none. A neglected bore may take a couple more. Wipe clean with patches and done with the bore.

Ed's Red is definitely not the same as the Brownell's stuff. Tried it and it does almost nothing to loosen plastic fouling. Wish it did, much more pleasant to work with than Brownell's. Not kidding about that, the stuff damages common paints, floor tiles, etc. and you'll want to change clothes after you're done to get away from the smell.

I like my liver and lungs to much-and will care less about a shotgun barrel-than to handle and breathe stuff that can damage paint, floor tiles and whatnot if I don't have to.

It's not so much the volatility or toxicity of the stuff, it has an offensive odor so even a very little in the air is unpleasant. I clean all those shotguns at the clubhouse with the doors open.

It's a matter of what solvents solve what. Ed's Red with acetone or lacquer thinner (I prefer) will eat paint and some floor coverings depending on the type of plastic. The Brownell's stuff works better on the type of plastic wads are made of which makes it more aggressive on floor coverings generally. Actually from observation it isn't all that aggressive dissolving wad fouling, more that it's better at working its way between the bore and the plastic fouling so it's easy to brush off.

And remember I'm talking about guns that get hard use and accumulate a lot of fouling. I seldom need it on my personal trap gun (I don't shoot nearly enough) and I don't think I've had to use it on my hunting guns.

I am in the bore snake and shooters choice camp.
If carbon builds up on the gas tube, 0000 steel wool and oil will take care of it in short order.

I was having to brush barrels repeatedly with standard commercial bore cleaners. The chamber would not come clean with the plastic fouling without long repeated effort. The SC Choke cleaner and the Ed's Red (with acetone) solved this problem. One good soak. Wait a minute - brush and clean out with patches. You can see pieces of the plastic coming right out. Most bore cleaners have ammonia to work on the copper fouling which isn't an issue with shotguns. I might go through a case of shells each weekend as does my wife so the plastic will build up if not totally removed. I work in my shed and have barrels in a padded vise so it goes pretty quick. I don't notice any issue with the acetone other than proper storage. Can't store it in plastic containers at least not high density poly. It might not be for everyone but it works well for me.

Also, use the brushes like you would use a jag. Solid J. Dewey rods work great also.