Removing plastic wad material from bore

[JCP]

Do any of you have issues with plastic wad material smearing in your bores? If so do you have any suggestions on how to remove it.

We've just started using plastic wads and my son's barrel has something we first thought was lead but it doesn't black the patches, even very tight ones run back and forth. Thinking it might be the plastic.

Thanks

Jack

[Aviator]

I would guess that I have shot well in excess of 10,000 LDPE plastic wads, and have never suspected plastic fouling.

[JCP]

Thanks for the reply Aviator

Jack

[desert deuce]

10,000?Wads? New shooter.

I have easily fired five times that many in the past 20 years, 45-70, 45-90, 44-70, 44-90, 44-100 and various other, LDPE, HDPE, salvaged plastic coffee can lids etc. Never any plastic fouling.

However, shooting black powder in 12 ga shotgun cowboy trap and action lots of plastic fouling, Windex with vinegar pushes it right out. Spray from chamber end, barrel down. Makes a mess.

[Aviator]

10,000?Wads? New shooter.

Very true, I'm a rookie , and I started shooting black powder in 2018.
Pretty sure I underestimated though, as I am over 1500 this year so far and it's still May.

[martinibelgian]

If you take a look at card wads after firing, they don't even show scorch marks. The contact time is just too short to burn them. Of course, if you're using too small a wad, you could have gas cutting - which means the wad cannot do its job.

[MSalyards]

If you're shooting greasers it may be your Lube?

[desert deuce]

Wondering? If the problem is lube on GG bullets, wouldn't that smearing be lead?

[desert deuce]

Mr. Aviator wrote: I am over 1500 this year so far and it's still May.

Been shooting in the rain much? Sounds like you may be responsible for both the primer and powder shortages or increase in prices of both. You know, supply and demand thing? Percussion caps too?

May also go a long way toward explaining your successes in competition. There may be something to the rumor that Trigger Time matters?

[JCP]

It is a new rifle to us and were shooting PP bullets. Could be something that was already in the barrel.
Will shoot again tomorrow and see what the target says.

Jack

[bohemianway]

To answer the OPs question: Acetone works wonders. The best is to simply use Ed's Red (equal parts ATF, Klear Kerosene, Mineral oil, and Acetone) I give away pints to the shotgun guys to clean choke tubes.

Charles

[powderburner]

That’s my thought as well. Also will cut carbon really well.

[bobw]

The first plastic was invented by Leo Baekelite in 1907 ( called bakelite). LDPE plastic was invented in 1933 like( plastic bags). HDPE was invented in 1953 like plastic pipe. In 1869 the evolution of the Sharps percussion rifles and carbines to centerfire resulted in the 1869 Sharps eventually becoming the 74 model. In Martin Rywells "Sharps Rifle" The Gun That Shaped American Destiny on page 71 there is a reproduction of Sharps cartridge loading instructions. Those instructions tell of using pasteboard wads and other sources mention the use of jute wads. Information gained from the Creedmoor target shooting era tells of the use of cork wads. But unless someone back then traveled into the future to procure plastic wads and traveled back to his own time no one was using plastic wads during the buffalo hunt or Creedmoor eras. They don't allow the use of Borchardts for silhouette but let people game the ammo with plastic wads and use high walls and clones to game the sport. The best way to remove plastic residue from your barrel is to not put it in there from the get go. Flame away. Bobw