It is some wicked stuff. I mixed up 3 gallons today. ATF, Kerosene, and Mineral Spirits. I've had a Win Model 100 post-'64 .308 for several months and I've avoided fixing it up because it was dirty as all getout. I soaked the action end in Ed's Red for about 6 hours today and then wiped it down and blew it out with a compressor. It's clean as a whistle now. I have a NOS Weaver side swing mount and NOS rings and a period Leupold 3X that I'll mount and see if it shoots. Should be fun!

Fun!

Yes, ol Ed's Red is terrific. I use it mostly just as you did - to rehab old stuff. Also triggers, lever/pump/semi bolts that don't want to disassemble today, thin lube for semi-auto's that live outside (garage, etc).

I only make two mason jars at a time. Just curious, how are you storing 3 gallons handily? Thanks.

From a longtime E.R. user, take a stab at "Pristine". Can get it at 300below.com, or Amazon.
$16 for the concentrate that makes 2.75 gallons of cleaner. The best carbon killer I've ever had.

CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner

1 part Dexron II, IIe or III ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.

1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1

1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec. TT-T-2981F, CAS
#64741-49-9, or may substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or
equivalent, (aka "Varsol")

1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.

(Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, OK to
substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store)
http://www.handloads.com/articles/?id=9

The ATF and acetone is a good penetrating oil.

Acetone is a good solvent but releases VOCs. Use with ventilation.

I substituted cheap lacquer thinner in the probably misguided theory it wouldn't evaporate out as fast.Anyway couldn't find acetone in town. Lacquer thinner will contain a portion of acetone with less volatile compounds with the same solvent nature. Both work as solvents for nitrocelluose (nitro solvent).

I have no use for kerosene so I didn't have any but had an old can of Marvel Mystery Oil and substituted that. I like the smell. Petroleum, probably kerosene, based.

Anyway the stuff works very well, as well as any non-decoppering commercial solvent I've used.Much cheaper too. (I Store in camp fuel cans and Sea Foam cans.)
Between the ATF fluid and Mystery Oil I can't see the point of messing with lanolin.

Equal parts of Mobile 1, Dexron and mineral spirits....

But you're missing the nitro solvent (partially burned powder).

Ed Harris gave the recipe for his home brew solvent long before he turned it loose on the world. I use it in lieu of Hoppes as a bore cleaner, seasoning for chili, as a mixer with slivovitz, and a cure for bad breath. It works.

I've used it for years, also minus the lanolin. It just works.

For some reason, I had it my memory banks that Kroil was part of the mix?

It works pretty good on the clap too.

gnoahhh, You mean there is someone else who likes slivovitz? Long ago one of the old reporters did a story on the Orient Express. They served a shot of the stuff with breakfast. After he got through making faces he exclaimed, " Ahh! Breakfast of champions!"

fixt it for you...

Not liking this latest edition much...

I had it in a 5-gallon bucket to soak. Now it's in a plastic diesel gas container I had laying around.

I did not add the acetone. Just ATF, kerosene, and mineral spirits. This stuff just works. I used a cup to pour some down the barrel and where the gas parts meet the barrel up front and it still had a wet coating on it the next morning.

I read that it's been proven as a better penetrating lubricant than PB Blaster etal.

So what part of this attacks copper fouling?

If Ed's Red dissolves crap I wouldn't leave a Winchester 100 in it for long.

Nothing, to my knowledge. It's just a general purpose solvent, like Hoppes only better, IMO.

With the exception of the optional lanolin, don't substitute or delete any of the components. Ed experimented to a fare-thee-well as well as consulted with chemists to arrive at the best proportions. Deleting any component compromises the overall effectiveness.

I didn't like the smell so added orange oil which helps as a solvent. Just don't get it on the stock or any painted surfaces. I will add some mystery oil too. The acetone evaporated even through a ground glass stopper but it still works. Works great on stuck bolts and nuts too. I am tempted to add banana oil to it so it smells more like the old Hoppe's #9.

For the old #9 smell I think you'll also need some nitrobenzene.

I love the smell of the 3-ingredient Ed’s Red. I found myself walking in and out of the garage just to get my fix!! I think I will drag out a couple of old grungy semi-auto 22’s I shot when I was a kid just so I can smell the smell again!

Man. That’s cold-blooded. True........but cold-blooded!

I came to dislike them watching a friend of mine deal with his.

I have owned 2 that fired every time I pulled the trigger. Both in 308. This is my 3rd and I'm knocking on wood at the moment! Hoping for another good one. All I know is it's clean as a whistle!

That's the toxic part but might try Benzoin or the wintergreen oils like Marvel Mystery oil.

I'm a huge Ed's Red fan. I've been using it for over a decade.

My latest Ed's Red success story is the new LHR Redeption muzzleloader I got over the summer. It's wonderful, and the innovative breech plug design makes cleaning easy. However, the plug gets seriously fouled. I started out shooting Triple 7, just because I it laying around. When I got the rifle home the powder fouling around the plug was tremendoud. I just wrapped it in a 2X2 patch soaked in Ed's Red and let it stand overnight. I was able to wipe (not scrub) the plug clean in the morning.

Ammonia hurts the new coated S&W handguns. Even Hoppes #9 has a little Nh3. So I started using Ed’s red. Could not be more pleased. But you need to keep it tightly sealed or the light ends will evaporate. Plastic spray bottle from Ace hardware works real well.
Hasbeen

I just copied from the web page. I didn't use lanolin either.

And, +1 on the camp fuel cans for storage. Competent container that seals well with no evaporation.

Some people have to "reinvent" the wheel they've been given.

No- but ATF fluid thinned with Acetone is.a good SUBSTITUTE for Kroil .

Plastic containers won't stop highly volatile liquids, like acetone, from evaporating.That's why they are sold in metal cans.