Kroil use on blued gun

I'm going to try the Lewis Lead Remover on my 14-1 and have seen here that Kroil is the way to go. I've never used it and am wondering how long to soak and if there is any risk to the finish. Thanks

Hi David,
I use Kroil as a bore solvent on everything. Doesn't hurt blueing.
Make sure you wear gloves as it will soak into your skin.
The bench rest shooters at my range turned me onto it.
Wes

If the lead build is real bad, over night soaks won't hurt. 
Use a pair of dowels or rods front and back to position a wad of patches on the leaded area.  This is a tight block in the bore like we use to plug the rifle bore for chamber casts.  Then dump in a good amount of oil to saturate the plug.

I used Sea Foam with good results - https://seafoamsales.com/product/sea-foam-motor-treatment-oil-fuel-additive/
No need to submerge parts in it.  I rather used qtips or cleaning patches soaked in it and applied to spot for 15 - 20 minutes and then bronze brush or bronze wool (https://www.rockler.com/bronze-wool?sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8PCV9qSo6QIV9uzjBx1OUwQyEAQYAiABEgJx1PD_BwE) on cleaning rod stuck on the drill.

Application might need to be repeated few times.  Once done, make sure to clean with protecting lubricant.

AP

Kroil is awesome!
Try not to get it on your grips they will suck it up.  I used soaked patches, I kind of just parked them where the lead was.  Now I have Kroil in my Ultrasonic parts cleaner.  I rarely turn it on I just drop in the barrel and let it soak overnight.

A buddy that is heavy into Model T's gave me a small can years ago.  He said whenever they drag home a new find that's been sitting for 40 years they hit every nut and bolt they are going to remove then do it again a day or so later.  Since they started using Kroil they have never broken a bolt.
- Dave

Thanks all. It wasnt too bad. The forcing cone was probably the worst and that attachment did a great job. Kroil is for real, its never looked this good.

A few years ago I traded a Ruger pistol for a 1973 Colt Detective Special. The DS had been carried and poorly stored so it a had a few dings and some slight rust spots. The action was poor too.

I disassembled the whole thing and soaked it in Kroil to where I was sure the barrel would unscrew itself. (maybe two days) The rust spots got rubbed with Kroil soaked copper Chore-Boy pad that got rid of the rust with almost no effect on the blueing, and all the ancient lube got cleaned off the action. It looked really good afterwards and the action was nice.

Unfortunately the front sight was offset of the centerline of the barrel (A Colt quality problem at the time) so my dreams of 50 yard performance like Bill Blankenship/Motorcycle Dan were shattered.

Sa-tevp wrote:A few years ago I traded a Ruger pistol for a 1973 Colt Detective Special. The DS had been carried and poorly stored so it a had a few dings and some slight rust spots. The action was poor too.

I disassembled the whole thing and soaked it in Kroil to where I was sure the barrel would unscrew itself. (maybe two days) The rust spots got rubbed with Kroil soaked copper Chore-Boy pad that got rid of the rust with almost no effect on the blueing, and all the ancient lube got cleaned off the action. It looked really good afterwards and the action was nice.

Unfortunately the front sight was offset of the centerline of the barrel (A Colt quality problem at the time) so my dreams of 50 yard performance like Bill Blankenship/Motorcycle Dan were shattered.

I have a similar Colt.  Great gun all over except the barrel is just a hair short of turned straight up. You have to look hard to see it.  This leaves the front sight a bit right so the shots print about 6" left at 25y.  I wish there was an easy solution to the problem.  But the Dick Special is not a BE gun....

Jack H wrote:I have a similar Colt.  Great gun all over except the barrel is just a hair short of turned straight up. You have to look hard to see it.  This leaves the front sight a bit right so the shots print about 6" left at 25y.  I wish there was an easy solution to the problem.  But the Dick Special is not a BE gun....

I had the same performance at 25 yards. I could make 9 ring groups without much work but 6" to the left. Supposedly pre-bankruptcy Colt had a tool to fix the sight but that is no longer an option and I didn't want to put any money into it.

It was a standard practice for us to spray the hot section of jet engines with Kroil if we had to removed exhaust nozzles and such. It kept us from breaking bolts and tools.

For some reason I never really had much luck with Kroil removing lead from a 1911 barrel. I had some swaged bullets really leading my Kart barrel, soaked overnight in Kroil and still had to brush and repeat. I've since got some lead remover and some Butch's bore clean, more powerful so you probably wouldn't want to soak but seems to get the lead out better.

I actually think "softening" lead is a misnomer. Clean your barrels, chambers,forcing cones etc. with a good solvent to remove any residue of oil, powder, gunk lube etc. Blow dry and you should only see the clean dry lead. Using the appropriate tools to mechanically remove the lead is very easy to do when dry. Use a magnifying glass and a bright light to view your handiwork. Oil the weapon when complete and go lead it up again.

Fooling with cast in rifles and sometimes not getting it right, just a wet patch and a tight jag and slivers wipe out. 

For pistol, l used tol firebrush but am now much impressed with kroil.

It's actually a penetrating oil and gets under the lead.

Multiracer wrote:I actually think "softening" lead is a misnomer. 

+1  Kroil doesn't soften lead it creeps between the lead and the barrel, breaking the mechanical bond.  The only time I couldn't remove lead with an overnight soak I had to use my ultrasonic cleaner (filled with Kroil), set the temp for 160 and a hour or so later everything came out pretty easy.  If a patch doesn't work I will use a brass brush wrapped in Chore Boy to grab the lead and pull it out.  You know the Kroil is working if you get chunks of lead releasing.
- Dave

dronning wrote:

Multiracer wrote:I actually think "softening" lead is a misnomer. 

+1  Kroil doesn't soften lead it creeps between the lead and the barrel, breaking the mechanical bond.  The only time I couldn't remove lead with an overnight soak I had to use my ultrasonic cleaner (filled with Kroil), set the temp for 160 and a hour or so later everything came out pretty easy.  If a patch doesn't work I will use a brass brush wrapped in Chore Boy to grab the lead and pull it out.  You know the Kroil is working if you get chunks of lead releasing.
- Dave

It will keep under copper fouling in rifle barrels too.

I've used a 50/50 mixture of Kroil and Hoppes for years..best of both worlds.

Some solvents can't be mixed but l don't recall which.

Thinking about sweets, Hoppes, and Shooters choice. Anyone know?

Shooters choice has a warning label stating NOT to mix it with pretty much anything..

not many precision barrel makers will recommend Sweets or anything with

111 Tricloroethane..  barrel etching is the issue. mainly with 416SS