Okay, here ya go Steve.
My RRA model ATH, 18" stainless barrel. Have had it less than a year. Just over 1,000 rounds on it, all suppressed (TBAC U7).
Cleaning routine for this barrel has been... It has been cleaned about every 100 rounds or so. As follows. Fill the bore with Wipeout, let it sit a few minutes, patch out all the loose spooge. Refill the barrel with Wipeout, let it sit overnight. Patch it all out dry. Wet the bore with two wet patches of Montana Extreme, let it sit anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour, then a dozen round trip strokes with a bronze brush wetted with Montana Extreme, patch dry, done. This barrel hasn't copper fouled much. Some, but not bad at all.
Here is what it looked like when I started. This is with about 80 rounds on it since last cleaned.
Throat.
About mid point of barrel.
I then gave it a quickie cleaning, as follows. Pushed wet patches of Montana Extreme through until they stopped coming out dirty, about five patches. Let it sit 30 minutes. Another wet patch. Then 12 round trips strokes with a bronze brush wetted with Montana Extreme. Patched it out dry.
This is what it looked like after that.
Throat.
Mid point of barrel.
Okay then... We got some carbon to get rid of. So I gave the VFG pellets and CLR another try. Wetted the bore with two wet patches of CLR and let that sit for 30 minutes. Then gave it a total of 30 round trip strokes with VFG pellets, with an extra 20 short strokes in the throat area. This is what it looked like after that.
So, I think I'm over the VFG pellets and CLR for carbon fouling... I mean, it's working, that's progress, but that is a heckuva lot more work to go at the rate it's going.
So... I decided to just go right to the aforementioned 40X on a patch wrapped around a brush. Gave it just 15 round trip strokes, patched it out and took another look. Much better!
Starting with the throat and moving down the bore towards the muzzle.
Called it good!
- DAA