Caution on cleaning the IOF 30-06 barrel

[nagarifle]

IOF rifles play safe

[Safarigent]

Ofcourse, i intend to, till such time i know positively either way.
I guess we are on the same page then

[james]

Simple solution - WD40-Lubricates ,Penetrates and Cleans ,Just Spray and thrust your rod repeatedly till the time your are satisfied and you can repeat it for mirror finish barrel. Cleaning Rifle barrel is tedious job for some but i enjoy it as i practice shooting frequently .
James.

[Safarigent]

Fair enough.
But i am still waiting for word about the chrome plating vs ammonia based cleaners

[xl_target]

AB
On doing some research (on the internet, mind you), I see that decorative commercial chrome plating, like that applied to the bumpers of cars, etc can be affected by ammonia based solvents as the plating is done over copper, then nickel and then the chrome is applied on top. First a layer of copper is deposited on the base metal. This is soft so imperfections can be machined or buffed out out easily, giving a smooth, even finish. Then on top of that they apply nickel and then chrome. This gives the shiny reflective surface that is so desirable to many people. The problem is that any scratch will expose the copper and ammonia can dissolve it, leading to the peeling off of the chrome that one sees on old bumpers.

Industrial hard chrome plating is totally different and done directly over steel and is not affected in the same way. Industrial hard chrome plating is even applied to the cylinder rods of earth moving equipment. You can imagine the stresses, grime and grit that those cylinder rods are exposed to.

Here is some info from a plating shop:

Hard industrial chrome is a porous coating which contains microscopic fissures due to the way in which chrome is applied to the base metal. While chrome of 0.005" -0.010" thick will provide optimum protection against wear, over time, a corrosive environment will break down the chrome before its typical wear life has been realized. It does this by attacking the base metal under the chrome and the subsequent rust causes a break in the adhesion of the chrome.

The way to combat this is to apply a thin layer, less than 0.001" up to 0.002" thick, of Nickel before applying the chrome. This layer will provide the corrosion resistance needed to allow the chrome to realize its full wear resistant life.

Whether we apply Chrome, or Nickel-Chrome, we can achieve a wide range of surface finishes to meet customer needs.

http://www.alacote.com/chrome.htm



Now as Naga mentions, we don't know what kind of plating process is done by IOF. Everything is an apparent State secret and there is no information available on this. Do they plate directly over the steel or do they apply nickel first? Some ammonia compounds are hygroscopic, which means they absorb or retain water. If the steel under the chrome rusts, the coating will lose its adhesion and may lift off. So if you use a solvent with ammonia in it, make sure that you get all traces of the ammonia out and coat the bore with oil before storing the gun (which you should do anyway).

I don't have any chrome plated barrels on any of my firearms (not that there is anything wrong with it as it increases barrel life). I use a (bronze or nylon) brush soaked with Hoppe's #9 first and then dry patches till clean, then I use a copper solvent patch, then dry patches till clean. Dissolved copper in the bore will show up as bluish green on a clean patch. After that I use a patch wet with CLP and leave that in there. Just before firing, I use a dry patch. I have forgotten and fired through the CLP before with no apparent ill results, except that the shot is guaranteed to be a flyer. Always wet your bronze brush with oil or solvent, never use a dry brush through the bore.
With my .22 LR rifles, I rarely clean the bore. maybe every 1000 rounds or so. I run a boresnake (not a snake bore-cleaner ) through once in a while. Remember that they are washable.

Many people use WD-40. I am not a great believer in the copper or powder dissolving capabilities of WD 40 but am willing to admit that I might be wrong.

Here, is what Bushmaster says:
(Bushmaster's AR barrels are chrome lined but are they the using the same process that IOF uses?)

What kind of cleaning brushes to use for a chrome lined barrel
http://www.bushmaster.com/faqs/afmviewf ... ned+barrel

Break in and cleaning procedure during break-in
http://www.bushmaster.com/faqs/afmviewf ... ned+barrel

Avoid excessive cleaning during break-in.
http://www.bushmaster.com/faqs/afmviewf ... ned+barrel

Ammonia in Sweet's 7.62 solvent will not harm chrome lined bores.
http://www.bushmaster.com/faqs/afmviewf ... =1&faqid=2

[Vineet]

A very good article on Ammonia based cleaners

http://www.ehow.com/way_5693045_ammonia ... aning.html

[Safarigent]

Xltarget: thank you for the detailed and valuable post. You are everkind.
Vineet: thanks for the link.

Did you all know that insas rifles are chrome lined too!
And the army cleaning method is idiot proof.
One pull with a chindi holding an oiled patch, then dry pulls till you get it out clean.
The armourers take in barrels which are excessively dirty and they first steam the barrels, then use a bronze brush, followed by the same process as above.
I am thinking that if the army rifles can take such treatment, they must be pretty darn rugged.
Never heard of a rifle being condemned because of its barrel, but then i dont hear much about these things.