Arisaka Type 38 bore

[Hamsterbear]

Just picked up a Japanese 6.5 Arisaka Type 38 Carbine, in fair condition. The bore looks rough, but you can still see rifling. I took to the range yesterday and fired about 40 rounds of factory ammo, but cleaning the bore the patches come out black no matter what use to clean it, mops, brushes and lots of patches. I suspect years of neglect, or corrosive ammo and not cleaned. Amazingly, it shot just fine, no key hole in target. Any suggestions to remove the crud?

[kcstott]

Just picked up a Japanese 6.5 Arisaka Type 38 Carbine, in fair condition. The bore looks rough, but you can still see rifling. I took to the range yesterday and fired about 40 rounds of factory ammo, but cleaning the bore the patches come out black no matter what use to clean it, mops, brushes and lots of patches. I suspect years of neglect, or corrosive ammo and not cleaned. Amazingly, it shot just fine, no key hole in target. Any suggestions to remove the crud?

Sweets 7.62 solvent saturate the bore in that stuff, scrub, saturate, scrub, etc. until clean then follow up with a JB bore cleaner and bore bright.

That said, That's how you can remove the crud, In reality I'd just run some Hopes down the tube, scrub, patch dry, and not worry about it. Barrels that worn out will not get better with heavy cleaning. might actually make them worse.