Thread: Suppressors and carbon fouling - what's your got to fix ?

Are you positive it's carbon build-up that's doing this.
Is it possible it's your reloading technique, your brass, neck tension perhaps.
Just a thought.

I'd be weary of a bore scope. This may just open up a whole can of worms for you and you can start to worry about stuff that never bothered you before

There is a fair bit of truth in that.

My old gunsmith/clubmate once had an early TruFlite (pre Gisb days) and that thing was as rough as gutz through a borescope. The drilling marks were readily apparent and you'd swear some amateur had made it. Funny thing was it shot lights out! Was rather prone to fouling though as you'd expect.

I'd look at you brass. Maybe the neck tension has changed from lots of firings. Though I guess if factory ammo doesmt shoot any more you can rule that out

having been caught twice myself and also a mate did same recently...check scope BASES them selves....tricky wee buggas came loose and groups went to shit....

Grey polipad, mate.

After about 1000 rounds (7mm08) my patches started to stick at the throat, specially with boretech which is watery and less lubricating than hoppes. A good gunsmith saw throat carbon fouling while fitting the suppressor and recommended a polipadding. JB paste made no impression so I followed instructions from Nathan Fosters book: do a standard carbon clean with Hoppes then peel away half the thickness of the grey pad , roll it onto a jag, needs about 1/3 of the usual cloth patch size, fasten in by rolling cotton thread round and round several times, no oil or lube IIRC, short stroke mostly in first 5 -10cm from breech then less strokes progressively to muzzle where its just a couple of one way passes. Finish with a light polish wih JB then a brief copper clean and store wih light protective oil till next at range to test.

My barrel now has that "new barrel schloop feel" and is shooting better than ever ( typically round 25 -30mm at 100m for 5 shot groups). Ive fired about 500 rounds since and it's still good. I use a bronze brush w hoppes (and boretech on patches) about every 50-100 rounds but I think the brush and even JB have limited power once carbon really cakes in the throat.

ok, so took following steps - cleaning w KG1 as per mnfr instructions (did not see too much black shite come out), followed by Nathan Forster's delaminated polypad method (focussing on throat).... LOTS of black shite removed, cleaned out with Hoppes and patches, then polished with JB's. Then clean/oil etc.
And voila ... 0.5 moa group with factory ammo (Hornady 162SST's). Next step back to hand loads.

Seems to line up with Zimmer's comment above ... round count of 100 -150 then you could run into carbon build up issues.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

Seems to line up with Zimmer's comment above ... round count of 100 -150 then you could run into carbon build up issues.

And you would think that was mostly because of the suppressor wouldn't you?

I think that the suppressor adds quite significantly to the rate and amount of carbon build up. No doubt it will happen w/out suppressor too, just takes much longer.
I have now observed this exact same phenomenon in 3 different rifles - 2x 7mmRM's and a 6.506 Ackley.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

I think that the suppressor adds quite significantly to the rate and amount of carbon build up. No doubt it will happen w/out suppressor too, just takes much longer.
I have now observed this exact same phenomenon in 3 different rifles - 2x 7mmRM's and a 6.506 Ackley.

I hear ya. My 7mm mag un-suppressed along with others i know unsuppressed was about 350 rounds. Then a good scrub brought them back.
Personally not a fan of suppressors.