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6/4/2006 12:16:44 PM EDT
How do you guys get the stubborn copper out of the barrel? Mine is stainless, and I've run Hoppes #9 through it several times, letting it sit an hour or two to soak etc.  But even just looking in at the tip of the muzzle I still see copper streaks in the grooves.  I use a .22 bronze brush, and  I always pull it from the breach to the muzzle. This makes it hard to do any real scrubbing.  

I never reverse the brush once it's in the  barrel, since it's a pretty tight fit and would likely get stuck, and most people say that's bad to do anyway.  Would it make sense to use a .177 brush so I could really scrub it back and forth?  

Or maybe I'm being too picky here, and a bit of copper is always going to remain?  I'm used to cleaning medium bore handguns, where I can really get in and scrub them completely clean.  Much harder to do that with a small bore rifle.

Thanks.
6/4/2006 12:27:16 PM EDT
[#1]
Your solvent Fu is weak, literally.

Hoppes 9 is a great powder/carbon solvent but falls short with copper.  It disolves the metal but  very slowly.   Get some Butche's Bore shine and a few passes with a a soaked patch and you'll be fine..  No need to scrub.  

6/4/2006 1:54:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Slip 2000 Carbon Killer and Slip 2000 Copper Cutter. Followup with Slip 2000 Lube and the carbon and copper do not stick as bad. Makes the next cleaning go a lot faster. www.slip2000.com
6/4/2006 2:42:56 PM EDT
[#3]
Gunslick has this stuff you spray in the bore, and it foams up like aftershave.  I use it after scrubbing the bore with a brush wet with my regular solvent (I use Blue Wonder Gel), and a few dry patches to get the loose carbon out.  Spray in the Gunslick which quickly expands and fills the bore.  Set it down and clean your lower for 10 minutes.  Then push a dry patch through and out comes the foam, blue from the copper.  Whatever is left inside is real soft and comes right out, a few patches and lube it and your done.  That Gunslick foam has cut my bore cleaning time way down.  I use it every other range day.

Just noticed you mentioned scrubbing back and forth with a smaller sized brush.  Dont.  Don't reverse in the bore, if that's what you are doing.   Use the right size, and exit the bore.  Now some people here say not to then draw back, but remove the brush and pull the rod back out, but I think it is ok to draw it back through and out.  Just don't reverse in the gun.  If you want to scrub, use a wet patch and limit the scrubbing (patch gets dirty and you can't clean with a dirty patch.  Besides, do you want to rub a dirty piece of cloth on your bore?).  Use a copper solvent and run the patch/brush one way all the way out.

Tzvia
6/4/2006 11:03:33 PM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
Slip 2000 Carbon Killer and Slip 2000 Copper Cutter. Followup with Slip 2000 Lube and the carbon and copper do not stick as bad. Makes the next cleaning go a lot faster. www.slip2000.com



The Slip 2000 725 cleaner also works extreemly well cutting carbon.
6/5/2006 3:08:09 AM EDT
[#5]
Hoppes No. 9 takes overnight to remove copper.  You need a 15 min copper remover aka Sweets 7.62 or simular.

a 17 cal brush is worthless in a 22 cal bore.

You can Push and bull the brsh thru the bore with out any problems from the chamber end. I recomend a bore guide just to make the task go smoother.

A little bit of copper will not effect accuracy to what most people find acceptable MOA. Heavy copper deposits will. My Chrome Bore Ar needs to have copper removed every 1000 rounds fired or I will start to see accuracy fall. My accuracy window is 1.5 MOA.
6/6/2006 4:36:50 AM EDT
[#6]
I agree with GregoryK.  Some copper is actually your friend.  If you remove all of it with Sweets7.62, make sure you get all the solvent out!  You may notice that your zero will be off a little bit after you remove all the copper.  I only do it twice a year.
6/6/2006 6:16:30 AM EDT
[#7]
I always follow Sweet's with a jag and patches with rubbing alcohol.
6/6/2006 6:22:11 AM EDT
[#8]
+1 to the Slip 2000.  I have gallons of it.  In fact, I keep a pail filled with a gallon and drop the bolt, carrier and other crudded up parts in every 1000 rounds or so.  Let them soak for a few hours while eatting dinner, and wipe them down.  
6/6/2006 10:48:55 AM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:
I always follow Sweet's with a jag and patches with rubbing alcohol.




And hopefully some kind of rust preventative...even chrome can corrode although not much.  It is always good to have the last step in cleaning be a patch wet with CLP or FP 10 or Rem Oil or whatever oil you prefer followed by a dry patch to get most of it out...
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