Best Bore Solvent?

[charlie b]

Ballistol SDS:

White Mineral Oil 8042-47-5 >= 60% Asp. Tox. 1, H304
Proprietary Petroleum Distillate Trade Secret 10 - 30% Flam. Liq. 3, H226

[elmacgyver0]

Nothing wrong with petroleum, been making the world a better place since the late 1800s.

[NWPilgrim]

Sorry ... I can't play ... You forgot Ed's Red Gun Solvent ...

I can buy one quart of each of the 4 ingredient's at wally's mart for just under $25
and mix up a whole gallon of the best bore solvent you ever used !

I would like to thank Mr. Harris for developing and making the "recipe" available to us shooter's on a limited income ... I can't remember how many years I have used Ed's Red ...but it has been awhile ...
Thank You Sir !
Gary ...

Ed’s Red is a great bore and general firearm cleaner. I added the lanolin option and it makes it much less harsh on the hands. I don’t know why commercial lube/solvent makers don’t include it. It is so cheap I don’t feel bad using it generously while scrubbing out receivers, slides and bores. A great contribution by Harris.

[farmbif]

I use hoppes #9 sometimes kroil, but making a gallon of eds red is coming to top of list of things to do as the level in the bottles of hoppes gets lower.

[725]

+1 for "Ed's Red"

[Charlie Horse]

Thing is with Ed's Red you're just cleaing out powder carbon and bullet lube. It may lift some lead off the bore, but you really shouldn't have any of that right? It's not for jacketed. It also leaves a light oil preservative on your bore depending on how well you wipe it out.

You say that like it's a bad thing. I thought it would work with copper fouling if left to soak, but I don't shoot much copper.
I haven't spent a dime on bore solvent since making my first batch of ER years ago.

[gwpercle]

J-B Bore Compound isn't a " Solvent" ... it's a bore cleaning compound ... consisting of a fine polishing agent in a grease .

You omitted the best gun "solvent" ... "Ed's Red Bore Cleaner " also known as
"Ed's Red Gun Solvent" .

I've been using the stuff for 50 years on anything that needs cleaning , J-word , lead and carbon fouled bores ... greasy lube/sizers and reloading presses ...
it simply works .
Gary

[ttd444]

Sweets is what i use for copper cleaner for my "new" old rifles. Shooter's Choice MC #7 is what i use for cleaning when i use regular bullets. i haven't had a bore cleaning with my cast boolits for 10 or so years. the outside of the rifle is wiped with Ballistol (weekly) and G96 Triple Action (CLP) gun treatment (about once a year). the rifling that uses cast boolits is wiped 1 or 2 times a year with Ballistol.

[nicholst55]

There are numerous bore cleaners that work better for one purpose than they do for others. KG-1 Carbon Remover excels at that purpose, but doesn't do anything for copper or lead. KG-12 Copper Solvent is simply THE BEST copper remover that I've found. Ed's Red is a good general purpose solvent, but it doesn't do much, if anything, for copper. CLP works okay on light carbon, and does nothing for copper or lead. I prefer to use it as a lubricant than for cleaning. Plain old Hoppe's #9 works okay on carbon and will do some light copper removal if left in place overnight. Shooter's Choice Lead Remover has worked for me in the past, but I prefer to avoid lead fouling, rather than have to remove it. Some of the benchrest guys use CLR (Calcium, Lime, and Rust Remover) to remove hard carbon at the end of their chambers, but don't use it on blued guns! It will take the bluing right off if you get sloppy.

[Outpost75]

It is a bore cleaner.

Great as expedient cannon bore cleaner on 105mm and 155mm as well as 20mm auto cannon.

[Omega]

Ed's Red user here, for the most part. I do use a bit of FMJ in some of my plinkers so have to use other products now and then. But with Ed's Red, I don't mix an entire gallon, just enough for a mason jar. I got the following printed out on my reloading board, I don't recall the source, so if someone knows please chime in, I haven't tried the Hoppes recipe yet but include it as well:
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)

MIXING INSTRUCTIONS FOR "ER" BORE CLEANER:

Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal,
chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA
approved plastic gasoline storage containers are also OK. Do NOT use
HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will eventually evaporate.
The acetone in ER will also attack HDPE, causing the container to
collapse, making a heck of a mess!

Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the other
components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the
lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking
precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin it into a larger
container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and
stirring until it is all dissolved.

I recommend diverting a small quantity, up to 4 ozs. per quart of the
50-50 ATF/kerosene mix for optional use as an "ER-compatible" gun oil.
This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining

To make it a copper cleaner mix:
11oz Ed's Red
2oz 10% ammonia: ACE P/N ACE10183
2oz soluble cutting oil: NAPA Sta-Lube P/N SL SL 2512
1oz Murphys oil soap

Hoppes No. 9
Original component Notes
Ammonium oleate (CAS #544-60-5) 5.0 oz (also known as ammonium soap) Could substitute lanolin but this would sacrifice its mild copper removal qualities
aka Oleic Acid CAS #112-80-1
Amyl Acetate (CAS#544-60-5) 8.5 oz ("banana oil")
Nitro-benzene 2.0 oz (the racing fuel additive)
K1 Kerosene 8.5 oz
Neutral Saponifiable Oil 8 oz (Not identified, probably sperm oil, but ATF could be substituted