shotgun wad fouling - what does the job?

@T @treeman 4 years ago

Tell me what you use, and tell me if you know of methods not found in a off the shelf bottle.
Firstly I would have thought a brass brush and you good to go after a few strokes, but it seems not to be that simple. The second thought that comes to mind is Disk Brake Cleaning agents and/or something like Acetone used with a brass brush?
Obviously this simple methods are not the answer, so what is it that can be used to clean shottie barrels?.

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@A @ak-gunner

Since modern wads are plastic, cleaning the fouling is really hard without using chemicals which would also be harmful to the gun steel, brake cleaning agent isn't potent enough and the amount of acetone needed will probably knock you out before the plastic melts. Heating the barrel with a hot air blower and mechanical cleaning with a brass or stainless steel brush does the trick but is time consuming.

Hence I don't do it anymore. I just leave it be. Why? There will be no electrical pair between molten plastic and the steel, so the plastic won't corrode the barrel and the problem is merely aesthetic.

@T @treeman OP

To be honest, I don't really care for shotties - I have them, but they do not do much for me. A brush out and some oil on a cloth is where I am at.

@J @jager

Going to mix up some Ed's red and give it a go. (equal parts acetone, thinners, kerosene and automatic transmission fluid) Was at the shop the other day and they wanted over R900 for a bottle of boretech shotgun bore cleaner. Insanity. 1 Batch of Ed's red will probably cost a quarter of that, and it will make few liters, enough for a lifetime of clay shooting.

I would imagine it needs to be kept away from the wood, as the thinners/acetone can't be good for the finish.

@T @treeman OP

I like to use Mineral spirits or even lighter fluid - and Turpentine in the mix. It seems to be right when it has a certain feel when rubbed between fingers. Go to your car and wipe your hands on the exhaust, side of motor and the rubber hoses, get the kind of dirt you get from a small job on your hands. Use your mix on hands- tiny bit, it should kinda lift the dirt off in a dry feeling way (dunno how to explain) you will feel skin squeeky against skin. Then your mix is right.
It like floats the dirt off

@O @oafpatroll

I have only ever used a localised/bastardised version of Ed's Red (equal parts acetone, turps, paraffin and ATF with a bit of lanolin added for rust prevention) in my shotties and have never wanted for anything else. If I have put a lot of shells down the tubes, like after a weekend of pigeon shooting, it needs to sit and soak for 30 or 40 minutes. I shoot a lot of birdshot, home brew buck and slugs in 'sabot' and full bore riding forms and have never come up short in terms of plastic or any other fouling in the tubes of even gas system of my semi auto. What I like most about the stuff is that I can mix up a 2 year supply in my workshop in 10 minutes with stuff I have on hand anyway.

@O @oafpatroll

To be honest, I don't really care for shotties - I have them, but they do not do much for me. A brush out and some oil on a cloth is where I am at.

I see the words but don't understand what they mean. Is this an English language forum?

@T @treeman OP

I am not much off a shotgun person, but I have a few.
I brush the barrel out and do a pull through with a oiled cloth.

Any clearer ?

@O @oafpatroll

I am not much off a shotgun person, but I have a few.
I brush the barrel out and do a pull through with a oiled cloth.

Any clearer ?

Another misunderstanding. Was trying to be funny, i.e. not being interested in shotties and them not doing anything for one is something i can't understand, even when written in clear english. Sorry if it came across differently.