SmallCaliberCentral

Hello all. I've been reading about the use of lock-ease for rifle barrels, but found very little information. I'd really like to here your thoughts on it if you use this product, what brand, when to use it, how to use it, etc. Also, do you leave this in the barrel when storing the gun for a few weeks? Thanks for your help & have a nice safe holiday. JD Southeast Texas

The first time I every heard of using "colloidal graphite" or the cheaper version, "lock ease" was from a new barrel/accuracy article by Greg Tannel (Gre-Tan custom rifles) who highly recommended it be used after cleaning a rifle bore. I started using it about 5 or so years ago and became quite impressed. What I have noticed the most difference is with new barrels that I used it in before ever firing a shot. The barrels were a Kimber 204 barrel (actually 2 of them) and a Lilja 17 Rem. barrel. There is literally no or next to no copper fouling. The patches come out with zero traces of copper on them. My cleaning procedure is to first use a jag and patch with a bore cleaner mixed with kroil oil, followed by a brush with the same cleaner mix on it, then wet patches, usually 3, then dry patches until the bore is dry. Then I use Wipe Out, let sit for about 45 min., patch out till dry, then 2 patches of Lock Ease, let dry, store or go shooting with it again.
Used barrels that I purchase I clean the same way, but use several applications of my cleaning solution, then Wipe Out until the patches come out completely clean. This could take many applications, even to letting the Wipe Out set in the bore for 24 hours. When its totally clean I then apply the Lock Ease. Cleaning is easier after that with the used barrels.
The idea of the graphite is to have it pushed into the pores of the barrel steel instead of copper or lead. The graphite will also leave the bore smoother.

Others may be able elaborate a bit more on this.

K22, I like it already. What brand & where do you get it? On another note, I'm having a fit for a Kimber 84m 204, but don't know if I can live with a 3 1/2 lb. trigger. I'm used to shooting Jewells at 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. Is there an after market trigger for the Kimber that you know of? Thanks for your time & when you tell where and what lock-ease to get, I'll be using it. Merry Xmas. Jim D Southeast Texas

JD: I also use Lock-Ease with the same noted results. It is available at most NAPA Auto Stores under the same name: "Lock-Ease". It comes as a liquid with the colloidal graphite suspended in the carrier in a small squirt bottle that is perfect for applying to a bore cleaning patch.

RIO turned me onto this stuff, and every time I have to clean one of my rifles, I say to myself, thank you Rick! My barrels clean up a lot faster and easier, than before I started using this product. With the amount of rounds I put thru my rifles in a day shooting "Skippy", this procedure is a dream come true. All I can say is, try it, you will like it!

Thanks a whole bunch, Rick!

futuretrades wrote:RIO turned me onto this stuff, and every time I have to clean one of my rifles, I say to myself, thank you Rick!

No worries there, Kevin! This is something that was in turn told to me by an experienced shooter on another forum, then passed on here. It sure does work, especially when high-volume shooting such as our coveted "Rat Rodeo" each year. That's our buddy Kevin on his bench just to the right of the trailer wheel, raining down death to rodents in the field far below:



Here you are using your popular "wet towel barrel cooling method" during that day of 96*F heat while teaching Skippy to fly:



That was a good day indeed, and a very good time to use Lock-Ease in the barrel of those very toasty varmint rifle barrels during all that shooting. I'm already counting the days till spring green-up and rodents poking their little heads up in another few months!

Thank all of ya'll. I bet I'll have some before it gets dark tomorrow. I envy you guys if you can shoot rats close to home, I have to travel 10 hrs. in TX to get to have fun. Merry XMAS all. JD Southeast Texas

Is it possible to make this at home? I have a ton of graphite and this would be a good use for it.

Does the lock ease clean and coat the barrel?

When you put Lock-Ease in the barrel and let it dry, do you dry patch it before you shoot .

This sounds like an interesting use of something that is already in the garage!

For years I have used Tetra Gun gun lubricant in my .204 Ruger and my .22 Hornet.
http://www.tetraproducts.com/product_view.asp?ID=2

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/983852 ... uctFinding

I clean the bore after shooting then push a wet patch with Tetra Gun through the bore. I let it dry for a minute or two then push a dry patch through and put it in the safe for the next time. After doing this for a season I compared the velocity of my .22 Hornet with my friends. Same ammo, I have the Ruger 77/22 Hornet sporter barrel and he had that 77/22 Hornet heavy barrel. My velocity was consistently higher than his by about 50fps and that is out of a shorter barrel. I don't know if it helps in the cleaning, here in Pennsylvania we have lower volume shooting on groundhogs than you would a prairie dogs.

Does anyone have a link to any articles talking about using Lock-Ease in the bore?

TEJAS JD wrote:K22, I like it already. What brand & where do you get it? On another note, I'm having a fit for a Kimber 84m 204, but don't know if I can live with a 3 1/2 lb. trigger. I'm used to shooting Jewells at 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. Is there an after market trigger for the Kimber that you know of? Thanks for your time & when you tell where and what lock-ease to get, I'll be using it. Merry Xmas. Jim D Southeast Texas

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. What I use I get at Ace Hardware. It's called "Lock - Ease" and is in an aresol can...........product of AGS company.
I don't know of any aftermarket triggers for the Kimbers. I adjusted mine to 2 1/4lbs. very easily. I would say a gunsmith wouldn't have to much trouble getting a Kimber trigger down to 1lb. or so.
I love my 204 Montana and its accuracy.





I like Kimbers well enough that when I got my second one in 204 I had the barrel pulled off and a 17 cal. barrel installed. I love 17 Rem. and I love Kimbers, so now I have the best of both worlds.

TrapperDan » Mon Dec 22, 2014 12:30 am

When you put Lock-Ease in the barrel and let it dry, do you dry patch it before you shoot .

I used to TrapperDan, but dry patching before I shot and then shooting it without dry patching didn't make any difference in the point of impact.

K22, thank you for the information. Beautiful guns. I used to think about beautiful women, now at 62 it's beautiful guns! Have a great new year. JD Southeast Texas

K22: Jard offers Kimber replacement triggers.

JD: 68 years here, it's been beautiful rifles for a while now here too.

07yzryder wrote:Is it possible to make this at home? I have a ton of graphite and this would be a good use for it.

Does the lock ease clean and coat the barrel?

I have mixed powdered graphite with rubbing alcohol and created my own mixture. It works just fine.
For those who polish brass toss a few soft cotton patches in a pill bottle with graphite and let your tumbler coat them. Just add a few drops of alcohol before sending them down the barrel.
Same method can be used with bullet lubes for those coating bullets you just don't need a pill bottle. Toss some patches in with the bullets while coating. May need a touch more lube more than normal.

Note.
You want to make sure none of this stuff gets into your chamber and if it does you want to make sure its fully removed. Dry lubes lubricate even when dry, who woulda thunk:)
I don't have a fancy rod guide that seals the throat so I use a Hornady case gauge. Crude but effective.

Graphite will not clean your bore for you. It will help in maintaining an even fouling condition that does not fluctuate wildly. Its pretty much like coloring the inside of your barrel with a #2 pencil. The first few bullets down the bore will have a prefouled surface to ride upon.

From my experience and surprise that graphite stays in the bore fairly well through the shooting session. Pay close attention upon subsequent cleaning and you might notice when the carbon stops coming out and you get a different colored graphite coating. Of course everyone uses different powders so YMMV. If you do notice the difference feel free to stop cleaning at that point.

TEJAS JD wrote:K22, thank you for the information. Beautiful guns. I used to think about beautiful women, now at 62 it's beautiful guns! Have a great new year. JD Southeast Texas

Your welcome. I see I'm a year ahead of you.......................darn it.

Jard offers Kimber replacement triggers.

Thanks Rick. Good information to have.

Oh, and you have us both beat at 68.