4-0 Steel Wool

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CB posted this 07 January 2009

These replies have been pulled from another topic, to start a new post that may have relevance:

Ken Campbell, Iowa wrote: R. Dupraz wrote: GBertolet:

And I have to say that running any kind of steel wool down a decent bore gives me pause. But that's just me.

Regards

R. Dupraz

Howdy: back when I wuz younger, I shot my Remmy 722/.222 over 50 thousand rounds before it started going over  1 moa ... and was always scrubbed clean with 000 or 0000 steel wool on a brush wet with ( back then ) Hoppes 9 and then followed by an oily patch to push the gunk out.  That took about 20 years, not shooting rapid fire, and most all ammo was 24 gr BallC( 1 or 2 ); 50 gr Hornady SX, a mild load thru a cool barrel ...

Later, that was also my favorite way of cleaning my 40X BR in .22 LR; 4X steel wool and almost anything, usually RemBore Paste or similar, then a patch of any light oil ( Kroil ).

I also use that method to clean all the rifles and take off barrels that go thru the shop here, but I do ask the owners if that is ok with them.  faster, does a better job, never seen any problem ( yep, got a borescope ) ....

Of some interest maybe is that of my .22LR competition ammo had some moly applied, that stopped any barrel leading( and any need to clean the barrel ahead of the chamber ) , but not the lead gasket that built up ahead of the case ( the little space ) ....  never did get that figured out, then my smart pills arrived in the mail and I quite shooting .22 LR in competition (g ) .


All the above just to make a data dot on a blank paper, about like a fly speck on a horse's butt; you can interpret ” as necessary ” . (g) ...

regards, ken campbell, Deltawerkes

 

Dollar Bill wrote: Although I haven't used 0000 steel wool in a barrel, I have a Lyman mold that, every time I use it, has irregularities on the nose that won't go away until I wrap the steel wool aroung a wooden dowel and polish the inside of the mold, spinning it with an electric drill at low speed for a minute. I've cleaned that mold with everything I can think of the the problem persists until I polish it before use. The molds are stored after use by cleaning with denatured alcohol and lubed with a medium weight anti-corrosion coating and sealed in ziplock bags with dessicant. (I've lived in FL and TN most of my life and himidity seems to always be in the 90% range).

Anyways, after 22 years of that, the mold still casts bullets .3092 on the fwd band. No measureable change in diameter.

 

Ken Campbell, Iowa wrote: Dollar Bill wrote: Although I haven't used 0000 steel wool in a barrel, I have a Lyman mold that, everymeasureable change in diameter.

I apologize for getting off-topic.

Heh Heh, in the war against the 3 moa usual cast bullet group, I am not sure there is ANYTHING that is off topic (g) ....  I figger if it's fun, its on topic.  regards, ken at deltawerkes

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CB posted this 07 January 2009

I've used 0000 steel wool to clean barrel bores before. I think it has its place in cleaning up neglected military and production bores. I don't consider 0000 steel wool to be used in custom manufactured barrels. I hardly ever use it in a bore more than once or twice after I've cleaned up the (new) used barrel.

I would only recommend wrapping the 0000 steel wool around and old brush. The spongy affect of such an application in the bore will be hard to damage it. If wrapped around a solid pilot jag, the application has a harder affect and could cause gouging with the chance of the 0000 steel wool binding, bronze against steel.

A friend of mine asks me now and then how I clean my brass. I spin my brass on a mandrel powered on a motor, wiping it with steel wool. He shakes his head in disagreement thinking any bit of steel wool just within the vicinity of a loading bench will contaminate every bullet, every die, powder & primer, chamber, trigger and custom bore ever to come in that area again.

I like the stuff and use it often around the shop...........Dan

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JetMech posted this 07 January 2009

4-0 steel wool is so fine, it's basically a polishing agent. There's other materials that can be used in the same applications. 1600 grit or finer aluminum oxide sandpaper, grey 3M  Scotchbrite pads, fine valve grinding compound. Used intelligently and in moderation, removing any residue after, they have their applications.

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CB posted this 08 January 2009

Dollar Bill wrote: Used intelligently and in moderation, removing any residue after, they have their applications. That is part of the key to using any abrasive material. You can't neglect practical application of use. Be careful and go slow. I use a handy little shop-vac in my shop a lot, to keep tumbler dust, lead dust, polishing residues cleaned up. My buddy's shop is a dust bowl of dust etc. No wonder he is afraid of steel wool in his shop................Dan

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PETE posted this 08 January 2009

 I've never tried any kind of steel wool in a barrel so can't comment on that, but I will say you don't want to use stainless steel wool in a barrel. A friend did that....... don't know the “O"'s he used but he ended up with a micro groove barrel. Not sure what his thinking was but it ruined the barrel. A custom one to!

  As for polishing brass with #0000 steel wool I'm kinda leary about that. I have used it to clean the blowback residue off the neck. My feeling is if it after several polishing applications it will be to smooth and the thrust back will raise breech pressures because it's not being gripped well enuf in the chamber. Admittedly not a real big concern shooting cast bullets with there relatively low breech pressures. But take and use that same brass for jacketed bullet shooting and there might be problems.

  I'm told that the S&W Model 52 semi auto pistols have the chambers cut with small grooves in them so as to give a better grip on the cases on ignition or the gun doesn't work properly.

  So, I figure why take a chance. An old rifle, which I have plenty of, with a worn smooth chamber plus polished brass equals trouble as far as I can see.

PETE

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GBertolet posted this 09 January 2009

I just saw on the Brownell's website they carry bronze wool in various grades. This might be a substitute for steel wool without the drawbacks. About 7 bucks for a 3 pack.

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CB posted this 09 January 2009

I have some of the bronze wool from Brownells. The finest of it is #00 and it's appearance seems a lot rougher than #0000 steel wool when it comes to polishing metal. I was disappointed in the stuff. :( 

An alternative may be the Scotch-Brite pads. I've had a couple of guys give me a piece of the white stuff, saying it will not harm your barrel bore................Dan

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CB posted this 11 January 2009

I have a 30 BR that once had a bad leading in the throat until I had it rechambered to take care of the problem. Before that, If you shot about 20rds.it would lead heavy. I put up with that for one season, I didnt care if I ruined the barrel or not, I used 4-0DD wool in it all the time with jb and eds red.Had it rechambered and different throat and its a exc. shooter yet. I should of ruined the barrel as bad as I treated it, I only used wool now to clean up old miltery barrel now. Joe

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barney posted this 03 April 2009

Like Dan, I've used 4/0 a few times myself. I've also used strips and pieces of Scotch brand “greenie” pads with very good results depending, of coarse, on the need and application. As with any abrasive, a dab of common sense should be added..>

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CB posted this 14 October 2009

Dan

If you get a chance read my recent Thread on barrel prepping. Now I ain't saying I have and I ain't saying I won't use the 0000 steel wool but I might segregate barrels between cut and button rifle. Now I have a Rem 722 in .222 not yet 50,000 passes knowing it is a button rifle I might try a different approach to keep away ftom the metal on metal. My approach would be what I wrote in my barrel prep Thread. Or if I get drastic toothpaste or drano on a Kroil patch. The idea is to push the debri out not mend it into the cracks and divits later to surface again.

For a cut barrel anything goes in barrel care. Most military at least before 1948 when Walker brought button rifle to Remington. Actually Walker used button rifle on his own back into the mid 30's. Hart asked to borrow button ftom Remington/Mike Walker when they started their barrels in the the mid 50's. Pride later McMillan also used button in the 50's in Oregon great barrels. Sherer/Matco the most successful of the early cut barrels were hot. I shot a Sherer in competition in 1977 great barrel also. Today Krieger is king of the cut rifles I have several of these one hot mama in          22 PPC,   .18xx agg at 200 at Phoenix in a blow back  in 01. The Krieger 22 needs the treatment now before I shoot again. Like I said in my treatise barrels never give up shooters give up.

Dan you have carried over and added some great comments on barrel care. I applaud you for such.

Stephen Perry

Angeles BR:fire

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Don Fischer posted this 19 October 2009

It's been awhile since I've used 0000 steel wool. I used to take a worn out brush in whatever cartridge I was working with, and wrap it with the stuff. Then the brush got put into a drill motor and I used it to clean the indise of the case necks. In my other hand I head some that I had wrapped around a case. Holding tight polished the inside of the neck and loosening polished the outside of the case. Then I got a case cleaner and have had dirty inside necks ever since. I should start doing the insides again.

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Dew posted this 02 May 2010

A little off track here but I've used Four 0 steel wool to “burnish” the chambers of handguns that shoot the .22 Magnum cartridge. I've had a number of S&W hanguns in that chambering that will have the cases stick when fired. After winding some of the wool on a used bronze brush and spinning it with a slow hand drill it will make the inside of the chambers smooth enough that the .22 Magnums will not stick.

Just a thot.

D

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