Cleaning BAMM Rifle -- "Reading" patches

[August West]

My long search for a Swede finally ended with a very nice Carl Gustaf.  It has a regimental disc in place of the armory information disc that most have.  The regimental disc suggests it was assigned to a civilian defense unit, rather than put in use by regular infantry.  While it shows a fair share of being bumped around, it shows very little actual use.  All the numbers match and the bore is sharp.

 

I've been cleaning the bore.  I started with Ed's Red and patches were immediately coming out clean.  It looks like they took good care of this one.  Then, I soaked the bore with Kroll Oil and left it overnight.  Patches, again, came out clean the next day.

 

Then....  I used some Bore Tech Eliminator bore cleaner, which has been my favorite for 1000 yard rifles.  Now the patches are coming out black with traces of copper.  I am seeing no brown on the patches, so am assuming that little or no rust is in the bore.  But, the black patches have me a little bit unnerved.  My primary question is: What do black patches mean?

 

So, is this carbon fouling, or what?  Again, didn't get any of this with the first two "oil" treatments.  It's looking like it's going to keep yielding black patches for a long time (forever), so how long should I persist?  BTW, I'm using a carbon fiber rod with an aluminum tip.

 

Thanks for any experience you might offer.  I'll thank you for getting me into this when some rounds start flying down range.

 

All the best,

 

A.W.

[DUSTY BODDAMS]

;D ok now August time to go have fun and shoot it! I wouldn’t be worried sounds like the bore is more than clean enough.  Let her rip! Dusty Boddams

[Garrison Joe]

August -

Seems I had the same experience cleaning my M96 Swede rifle.  Outers bore cleaner eventually cleaned that black fouling out and patches came out white - on about the 12th cycle of scrub and wipe.

 

Good luck with your new 6.5.    Keep lead slugs at 1600 FPS and it will shoot real well.  GJ

[August West]

Joe, I thought I'd start with 10 grains of Unique behind 140 grain bullets.  Does that sound right to you?

 

[Garrison Joe]

Sounds light, and I'd guess about 1350 FPS would be the velocity.  Safe, perhaps not top accuracy.

 

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, for a 1600 FPS load with 140 grain slug, likes

 

17 grains 4227

or

16 grains (or slightly less) of 2400

 

Those, or slightly slower velocities,would be where I'd start with the more common powders.  My best accuracy in the Swede usually comes with 5744, but it's a pricey powder.

 

Seat bullet to a fairly long overall length so the jump into the rifling is as short as possible, too.

 

As always, working up a good cast bullet load depends SO much on the condition of the individual rifle.  What my rifle will shoot to 1.5 MOA groups, yours might throw out to 4 MOA.  Or vice versa. 

 

Good luck, GJ

[August West]

Joe:  I've got some 5744 on hand.  Please share your load.

 

I also have some SR 4759 on hand.  I've always had success with it in reduced rifle loads with lead bullets.  But, have no idea where to begin with it.  Nothing I've found is published about it in the Swede.

[Garrison Joe]

I don't shoot the 140 grain slugs much, as I've found heavier ones are better in the Swede. 

Best "5744 plus 140 grain slug" load - grouped about 1.75" at 100 yards.  That was with 16 grains 5744.

 

Best groups so far after a couple years of testing loads and shooting matches:

A 162 grain bullet, with either 17 grains of 4227, or 17 grains of SR 4759 (hard to get) or 17 grains 5444. 

Some of those will hold close to 1.5" at 100 yards in my gun. 

 

As small a diameter as the bullet is, it has to be cast of really clean alloy and care taken to avoid/reject voids or imperfections!

 

Good luck, GJ

 

 

PS - with 140 grain bullet and 4759, I'd start at 16 grains.  The Lyman book shows a range of 13.5 to 22 grains of 4759 as safe with the 140 grain slug, velocities for those run from 1375 to 2200 FPS (that top end is way too fast for any accuracy)

 

I agree that 4759 powder is usually the ACCURACY STANDARD for cast bullet loads in medium and even large rifles!

 

GJ