Two part question: cleaning and "frosting"

[Andrew Sacco]

I have a two part question. The first is the dreaded cleaning routine. What do you do? Here's mine

1. Scrub barrel with a bronze/brass brush BEFORE any solvent (a la' the Brits)
2. Wrap cotton cloth around said brush and soak with solvent (Shooters Choice and others) and brush copiously maybe more than a few times and let sit
3. Repeat #2 with dry cloths until they come out clean
4. Swear like a drunken sailor because they NEVER come out clean
5. Spray with Ballistol
6. Fresh cloth around brass/bronze brush and run until dry/soaked

NB: I use flannel or T's cut big, like 5x5" I like a tight fit

Question 2: What in the hell is barrel "frosting"? I have a 16 I've cleaned the hell out of and in front of the chamber are linear streaks that I cannot remove. I'm not sure what that is. I can ONLY see it with my glasses off (I'm very near sighted) or with a loupe, but they're very obvious. I've used a lot of wad solvent and can't get them out.

[Bruce P Bruner]

Your routine is quite normal. If you need to see gleaming bright bore you could apply some polishing compound to a damp tight patch. It will take many iterations, changing out patches frequently. I doubt using this method would be detrimental in any way.

[Daniel Carter]

A little different routine. I use Ed's red and dip the bronze brush in the bottle and run it to the end of barrel twice. End not out so it sprays all over. Repeat and do the other barrel. Let sit while cleaning out frame. Next use a Tornado brush the same way. Wipe out with t shirt piece pushed by cleaning rod.

This will leave nothing visible in the bore, forcing cone or chamber. Target guns after 5-6 hundred rounds may need the tornado brush on a variable speed drill to get the last of the plastic out of the forcing cone and a few streaks in the barrel.

A number of guns i have bought have had linear streaks in them after the initial cleaning and become more pronounced after a few days. I have used Hoppes lead remover and let it soak a day or so and they have come out. I think it is lead from the pre plastic days and not to good of a cleaning job from the previous owners going back a hundred years.

[Andrew Sacco]

This is work. But I like it.

[Brian Dudley]

Frosting = very light, fine pitting.

[Andrew Sacco]

Thanks Brian