Choke cleaning... Meths or white spirit??

[El Spavo]

So, leading on from the unfortunate barrel bulging that took place at the choke end today with antsesevenenenen, there was a link saying that one should clean chokes in meths to get all the crud off... https://www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/gun-maintenance/how-to-remove-shotgun-choke-tubes-for-cleaning-27233

Seemed absolutely fine, but is there a difference between using meths and white spirit as both are solvents and I happen to have a ton of the latter so just stops me having to have one more bottle taking up shelf room if it's unnecessary?

 

[vmax1010]

I've just deep cleaned my semi auto and used white spirit and a bristle brush on the bolt and internal parts worked just as well as proprietary cleaner 

 

[Luke_(NL)]

Just give both a go; I find the little plastic containers that the chokes are sold in really useful for cleaning purposes. Fill one or more with the solvent of choice (Boretech Carbon remover in my case) and leave the choke(s) sitting overnight. A few brushstrokes every so often and all is shiny soon. The Boretech solvent stays active for ages when kept in the closed container, so these serve me several deep cleaning cycles and I really only change once the liquid is wholly black.  

 

[kevin]

I use WD40. Chokes clean up looking like new each time

 

[El Spavo]

Loads of US site posters saying they use mineral spirit, which is white spirit over here, so just went for it. Found a handy little mint sauce jar that's the perfect size to keep it in and let them soak so I'll see how it goes... certainly seemeed to get a fair amount of crud off in a short time.

 

[Will Hewland]

Not sure if we are talking horribly crusted chokes transforming to gleaming? But my slightly grubby ones that I only remove about three times a year clean up fine with Napier gun cleaner and kitchen roll. I push my thumb nail into the thread through some kitchen roll and rotate the choke so my nail follows the thread start to finish. Works very well. Chokes are easy to clean. What is much trickier is the threads inside the barrels, especially on guns with long chokes.

 

[ColinD]

 What is much trickier is the threads inside the barrels, especially on guns with long chokes.

 Old tooth brush and plenty of cleaner, hold the barrels up at an angel with paper towel underneath so the excess runs down and scrub away

 

[Salopian]

For badly carbon fouled chokes you can use oven cleaner , it works a treat and you can put it on the Wife's shopping list and debit card.

I use Parker Hale or Hoppes 009 , good soak overnight and a good scrub with the Wife's toothbrush.

 

[Martinj]

 Old tooth brush and plenty of cleaner, hold the barrels up at an angel with paper towel underneath so the excess runs down and scrub away

 thumbs up for the old toothbrush - I insert the toothbrush, apply some pressure on the thread and wind it out using the thread 

It's also an invaluable tool for cleaning the rest of the gun

 

[Westward]

I use WD40. Chokes clean up looking like new each time

Same here. Drench the inside, leave for 15 minutes and clean with a brush followed by pull through patches. Bingo!

 

[Will Hewland]

I now can’t wait to clean the barrel threads. I’m even going to floss them.

 

[Luke_(NL)]

I'm considering a comparison test of the solvents and cleaners recommended here (oven cleaner especially), but I need to go out and shoot first until my chokes are well dirty again.    Happy days, hopefully there won't be any further restrictions imposed. Clean barrels are only a joy for so long. 

 

[V8 90]

I use ported chokes which are notoriously difficult to clean, I remove them, stand them in a jar of Ed’s Red (google how to make it) while I clean the barrels, take the chokes out of the jar & wipe them clean, they always come up spotless.

Just to add- I remove my chokes & clean them thoroughly along with the internal threads every 1000 or so shots. 

 

[AW13]

Am I missing something here, my chokes never seem to get that dirty or crusted?   Is the issue burnt carbon or plastic residue?   I have only shot fibre through my guns and they never seem to get dirty even after a few hundred through them before I clean them.  I usually remove them and wipe them over regularly, say after circa 200 or so shots typically at most and I always loosen them before putting the gun away to make sure they can never stick in the barrel.

 

[Will Hewland]

Am I missing something here, my chokes never seem to get that dirty or crusted?   Is the issue burnt carbon or plastic residue?   I have only shot fibre through my guns and they never seem to get dirty even after a few hundred through them before I clean them.  I usually remove them and wipe them over regularly, say after circa 200 or so shots typically at most and I always loosen them before putting the gun away to make sure they can never stick in the barrel.

Most people leave them in for 5000 shots.. that’ll do it.

 

[AW13]

Most people leave them in for 5000 shots.. that’ll do it.

Really, no wonder.  and that is probably why grease is recommended.  I follow the guns manual and oil my threads lightly and never had an issue, but they are removed and cleaned at least weekly.

 

[westley]

GT85 for me, then a thin film of Lucas red gun oil. Never had a stuck choke in over 50 years and they only come out of the gun around 3 times a year.

 

[Luke_(NL)]

Given that choke constriction differs all of .035" between cylinder and full, a noticeable layer of hard build-up would have an effect on spread sooner rather than later. Probably all in my mind, but I need all the spread the chokes will give me 

I take the chokes out for separate cleaning probably every 1000 to 1200 rounds or so. And the threads get light grease. Never an issue, knock on wood. 

 

[schmokinn]

When i used comp-n-skeet chokes they were an absolute nightmare to clean although patterned great.

Definitely oven cleaner the simplest,no hubble bubble making noxious concoctions.