(MODS: If this is placed in the wrong section, please move it. I didn't know whether it should go here or under "equipment." Thanks!)
A couple of years ago I came across what I thought was a good deal on a Yugo M48A Mauser rifle. I put my C&R to use and ordered one; cost was about $100, IIRC. I had read somewhere that many of these rifles were seldom fired and most had just been stored away for years. The rifle arrived and looked like a typically used milsurp gun. Not great, but not bad. I cleaned it up and took it to the range to try it out.
The result was less then inspiring. I started by trying to hit a steel plate at 200 yards. I didn't hit the plate, but I was managing to make some nice craters in the berm behind it...and above it...and below it. Okay, let's try a closer target, like at 100 yards. 10 rounds later, I had 2 holes in the target board, only one of which was on an actual target paper. So, let's try 50 yards. Slightly better. Out of 5 rounds, I think I actually had 3 on the target board.
I checked for the obvious things; loose stock, loose sights, etc. Everything looked fine, but this rifle was shooting all over. I apparently had a rifle that was capable of 'minute of tractor-trailer' accuracy. I took it home and cleaned it. The bore looked a little rough, and I never did get a patch to come out clean. I oiled it up and stored it away. I figured it had a shot out bore, and I had a wall-hanger. No big deal, my Mosin made up for it. Win a few, lose a few, no big deal.
Move ahead to a few weeks ago. I was ordering some gun cleaning stuff online and I happened across a Gunslick Foul Out III cleaning system. I remembered reading about it on NES and had checked out some online reviews, but I had never followed up on it. I ordered one and it arrived. I read through the directions and put it in the reloading room, figuring I'd use it some day.
Yesterday I was puttering around and came across the Foul Out cleaning system I had ordered. What should I try it out on.......the Mauser! What the heck, I had nothing to lose. I didn't expect it to make any real difference in the rifle's accuracy, but I was curious to see if the system would do what it claimed to. I re-read the directions, followed them carefully, and started the process at 10:00 AM.
One hour later I shut the system off and checked the electrode (a long steel rod that sits in the bore). The entire rod was beautifully plated with copper! I cleaned the rod off, replaced the electrolyte liquid, ran a couple of patches through the bore, and started the process agin. I couldn't believe the crud that was coming out on the patches.
I repeated the above steps every hour or two until midnight last night. I was still getting a crap load of junk coming out on the patches, and the electrode was still removing copper fouling. A little less each time, but still quite a bit. I shut it down and dried the bore before I went to bed.
Today my son and I headed to the range. We brought along the Mauser and some handloads I had made up earlier. I was curious to see if the cleaning had made any difference, even though it wasn't finished. Here's what we got at 50 yards:
Not Camp Perry accuracy, but I actually got a group! The circled area was the last 5 rounds we fired. When we got home I cleaned the bore and inspected it. It still looks a little rough, especially the first few inches in front of the chamber. I suspect it was fired with corrosive ammo and never properly cleaned. Whatever happened to it, it apparently still has a little life left in it. I'm continuing the cleaning process with the Foul Out system now. I plan on running it over the next few days until the system reports "clean."
I am very pleased with the Foul Out. It's slow and requires periodic attention, but it seems to work quite well. If you have a rifle that won't group for you, and you've eliminated the obvious things, it might be worth your while to give it a try.
A couple of years ago I came across what I thought was a good deal on a Yugo M48A Mauser rifle. I put my C&R to use and ordered one; cost was about $100, IIRC. I had read somewhere that many of these rifles were seldom fired and most had just been stored away for years. The rifle arrived and looked like a typically used milsurp gun. Not great, but not bad. I cleaned it up and took it to the range to try it out.
The result was less then inspiring. I started by trying to hit a steel plate at 200 yards. I didn't hit the plate, but I was managing to make some nice craters in the berm behind it...and above it...and below it. Okay, let's try a closer target, like at 100 yards. 10 rounds later, I had 2 holes in the target board, only one of which was on an actual target paper. So, let's try 50 yards. Slightly better. Out of 5 rounds, I think I actually had 3 on the target board.
I checked for the obvious things; loose stock, loose sights, etc. Everything looked fine, but this rifle was shooting all over. I apparently had a rifle that was capable of 'minute of tractor-trailer' accuracy. I took it home and cleaned it. The bore looked a little rough, and I never did get a patch to come out clean. I oiled it up and stored it away. I figured it had a shot out bore, and I had a wall-hanger. No big deal, my Mosin made up for it. Win a few, lose a few, no big deal.
Move ahead to a few weeks ago. I was ordering some gun cleaning stuff online and I happened across a Gunslick Foul Out III cleaning system. I remembered reading about it on NES and had checked out some online reviews, but I had never followed up on it. I ordered one and it arrived. I read through the directions and put it in the reloading room, figuring I'd use it some day.
Yesterday I was puttering around and came across the Foul Out cleaning system I had ordered. What should I try it out on.......the Mauser! What the heck, I had nothing to lose. I didn't expect it to make any real difference in the rifle's accuracy, but I was curious to see if the system would do what it claimed to. I re-read the directions, followed them carefully, and started the process at 10:00 AM.
One hour later I shut the system off and checked the electrode (a long steel rod that sits in the bore). The entire rod was beautifully plated with copper! I cleaned the rod off, replaced the electrolyte liquid, ran a couple of patches through the bore, and started the process agin. I couldn't believe the crud that was coming out on the patches.
I repeated the above steps every hour or two until midnight last night. I was still getting a crap load of junk coming out on the patches, and the electrode was still removing copper fouling. A little less each time, but still quite a bit. I shut it down and dried the bore before I went to bed.
Today my son and I headed to the range. We brought along the Mauser and some handloads I had made up earlier. I was curious to see if the cleaning had made any difference, even though it wasn't finished. Here's what we got at 50 yards:
Not Camp Perry accuracy, but I actually got a group! The circled area was the last 5 rounds we fired. When we got home I cleaned the bore and inspected it. It still looks a little rough, especially the first few inches in front of the chamber. I suspect it was fired with corrosive ammo and never properly cleaned. Whatever happened to it, it apparently still has a little life left in it. I'm continuing the cleaning process with the Foul Out system now. I plan on running it over the next few days until the system reports "clean."
I am very pleased with the Foul Out. It's slow and requires periodic attention, but it seems to work quite well. If you have a rifle that won't group for you, and you've eliminated the obvious things, it might be worth your while to give it a try.