Copper Fouling -- Holy crap is it tough to get out!!!

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Copper Fouling -- Holy crap is it tough to get out!!!

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:48:02 AM EDT

I happened to set my rifle aside one night after running a good soaking of Hoppes down the bore. Figured I'd let it work while I finished up some other items. Came back a few hours later and ran a patch through and it came out aqua colored. I thought I had been keeping up with it but I was dead wrong. I've made 5 runs and let it soak for 5 hours plus each run and I still have a few streaks of copper in there.

After the first three soaks it was actually bright and shiney copper in the boar and the Hoppes was coming out solid green. I guess the fouled stuff had gotten dingy enough not to be real visable and after that surface got removed it looked like copper plate. Looks like I'm closing in on removing it now but holy crap this stuff is hard to get loose if you let it build up.

I thought I had kept on top of it with some other cleaners, but this gun was used when I bought it and there is no telling how many rounds it had down it when I bought it.

ETA -- Mods: if you want to move this to cleaning/maint. that's fine. I meant to put it there.

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:53:12 AM EDT

[#1]

Use a good cooper remover and that gunk will come out a bit easier.

I've tried Hoppe's Benchrest and Shooters Choice, both with good results.

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:57:26 AM EDT

[#2]

Sweet's 7.62 is great too but boy does the bottle and smell just scream death...

Posted: 8/2/2005 5:31:57 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Sweet's 7.62 is great too but boy does the bottle and smell just scream death...

Yep, Sweet's is what you need.

Posted: 8/2/2005 5:38:27 AM EDT

[#4]

Hard to beat Sweet's 7.62 when it comes to cleaning out copper. Just so you're warned though, I wear heavy weight chemical gloves and a respirator when I use it.

Don't leave it in your barrel for too long either, and make sure you clean it all up.

Posted: 8/2/2005 5:57:44 AM EDT

[#5]

Because of the weather (hot as hell) and bugs, I have not been going outside to clean and Hoppes is about as far as I'll go with indoor use. I kinda like that Hoppes is slow, I don't have to baby-sit the stuff while it's in there. I'll have to get some of the more dedicated products for copper in the future though. Three days of cleaning is not something I want to do on a regular basis.

Posted: 8/2/2005 6:07:10 AM EDT

[#6]

I remember seeing some tool that looks like a screw driver thats supposed to work well at scrapping that junk off.

ETA: ar15.com/content/products/cleaning/boltCarrierScraper/

Posted: 8/2/2005 6:26:49 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I remember seeing some tool that looks like a screw driver thats supposed to work well at scrapping that junk off.

ETA: ar15.com/content/products/cleaning/boltCarrierScraper/

Two totally different problems from two totally different parts, as I read it. What you are referencing is carbon deposit in the bottom of the bolt carrier. What the original post is talking about is COPPER FOULING IN THE BORE.

To get us back on track, I use Sweet's with good result, swab that bitch a good 15 or 20 times, but don't let it sit in there to "soak". Run the chance of ruining the bore with the strong ammonia.

By the way...Number 400 has been reached. What the hell was I thinking?

Posted: 8/2/2005 7:22:07 AM EDT

[#8]

I use a brass brush to avoid etching my barrel.
Copper fouling solvent works wonders - but it can eat holes in steel.
I would rather not run the risk of not getting all that stuff out.

Posted: 8/2/2005 7:30:25 AM EDT

[#9]

Even better than Sweet's (just as effective, faster, and not harmful to you or the barrel) is this:Iosso bore cleaner

Posted: 8/2/2005 7:33:30 AM EDT

[#10]

If your barrel is chrome lined then be carefull with the sweets or butches because it will remove the chrome too.

For cleaning my non-chrome lined rifles I prefer wipe-out.

Posted: 8/2/2005 7:42:12 AM EDT

[#11]

Believe it or not I have had great success with Kano Kroil on my bolt guns. It is penitrating oil which will creep under the fouling and it can then be brushed out.

Posted: 8/2/2005 7:53:32 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
If your barrel is chrome lined then be carefull with the sweets or butches because it will remove the chrome too.

For cleaning my non-chrome lined rifles I prefer wipe-out.

Hoppes will do it also if you leae it on for a while.

Posted: 8/2/2005 8:00:02 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Even better than Sweet's (just as effective, faster, and not harmful to you or the barrel) is this:Iosso bore cleaner

This is looking real good. Have you tried any of their other products?

Posted: 8/2/2005 8:08:35 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Even better than Sweet's (just as effective, faster, and not harmful to you or the barrel) is this:Iosso bore cleaner

This is looking real good. Have you tried any of their other products?

would also like to know.

read through what they had and sounds good but then i ran into their laundry stain remover and all their camping equip cleaners.

too good to be true?

Posted: 8/2/2005 8:51:51 AM EDT

[#15]

Try Outers bore foam. This is great stuff, just spray in, let sit for a little bit and swab out.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:22:05 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Even better than Sweet's (just as effective, faster, and not harmful to you or the barrel) is this:Iosso bore cleaner

This is looking real good. Have you tried any of their other products?

No, but after three years of trying all kinds of stuff (Hoppes, Butch Bore Shine, Shooters Choice, Pro Shot, CLP, and Kroil) I have come up with what works for me.

I now use Break Free Carbon Cutter for all fouling except heavy copper, Iosso for tough copper fouling and for keeping the carbon buildup off the throat, and Break Free CLP for lubing and light cleaning.

Break Free Carbon Cutter is almost a miracle. It outperforms Kroil in removing carbon fouling, and it attacks light copper fouling very well. To knock off heavy copper, I use Iosso in patches on a wraparound jag and run it up and down the bore already soaked in Carbon Cutter. Even rough hunting rifle barrels clean up in 30 minutes or less. Match grade barrels need only one or two passes to clean up nicely. Flush everything out with patches soaked in Carbon Cutter, patch dry, then apply a light coat of CLP and patch dry one more time for storage.

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:08:27 AM EDT

[#17]

For copper build up, use a cleaner DESIGNED to remove it! 207.44.229.182/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=KG-12&Category_Code=guncleaning

C4

Posted: 8/2/2005 2:18:36 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Try Outers bore foam. This is great stuff, just spray in, let sit for a little bit and swab out.

That's what I had used before and it left LOTS of stuff in there. I really never could get it to fill the bore. It would just come gushing back out at me.

Posted: 8/2/2005 2:45:56 PM EDT

[#19]

Nothing can beat the Slip 2000 carbon cutter at getting the crap out of your gun. My bolt is gunk with carbon behind the gas ring. usually I need to soak it aadn the scrap it with a dental tool. With Slip 2000 cabron cutter, I soak it for two days, took the bolt out and whip it clean. one or two very small spot requires a little picking with a dental tool or even my finger nail. I can't say enough about the performance of the product.

Call or talk to Greg... He is knowledgeable and very helpful.

www.slip2000.com

Posted: 8/2/2005 3:18:34 PM EDT

[#20]

Just for laughs; take your rifle with all the copper out; clean the bore with No. 9 and leave it wet for 48 hours. Then push a patch through.

Post what you find.

Regards,
Mild Bill

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:44:16 PM EDT

[#21]

+1 on the WipeOut. I bought a case of the stuff and love it. In addition to cleaning well, it also doesn’t stink up the house like the ammonia stuff.

Shoot it in until it the foam fills the bore; leave it in for a while.

Run a couple of patches through the bore.

Put your weapon away.

You’re done.

Have a beer. Relax.

viator

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:45:49 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Just for laughs; take your rifle with all the copper out; clean the bore with No. 9 and leave it wet for 48 hours. Then push a patch through.

Post what you find.

Regards,
Mild Bill

Nothing. Some of us use products far more powerful and effective than Hoppe's.

Posted: 8/2/2005 6:34:19 PM EDT

[#23]

I use Buches Bore Cleaner for carbon and copper with patch and non abrasive brush
once the green and black are removed I totally dry patch the barrel

then I run a saturated Kroil patch and dry patch it

then I use Hoppes oil -
Im thinking of replacing the hoppes oil for CLP

Posted: 9/11/2005 11:54:00 AM EDT

[#24]

OK, when you guys talk about Hoppes #9, is it the #9 copper solvent? So this is safe to leave on overnight in a chrome lined barrel? I just tried it (about 10 min) and my patch came out blue. Bought this barrel used and have no idea how many rounds down the pipe but seems like it's heavily fouled and I may need to leave this stuff on longer if safe to do so.

Posted: 9/11/2005 1:36:02 PM EDT

[#25]

I use the Shooter's Choice Copper solvent in mine. You do have to limit the time it sits in the barrel and clean it out thoroughly, but it does a damn good job.
Works great to remove all the crap that Hoppes leaves behind.

Posted: 9/11/2005 1:41:15 PM EDT

[#26]

montana Extreme

Posted: 9/11/2005 1:47:23 PM EDT

[#27]

I really don't see all that much of a problem with most copper cleaners being left in for a while, especially with a chrome bore. Using them on a SS BBL however is asking for trouble as they will strip the copper ions out of the steel. That will end up pitting the metal.

I just clean mine properly after shooting and it never gets built up to the point it's a pain in the butt to get out.

Posted: 9/11/2005 6:32:18 PM EDT

[#28]

If you are trying to remove every last little spec of copper fouling you are fighting a battle you will never win. On a microscopic scale there are always going to be small enough traces of fouling left behind to give off colors with certain solvents. Mostly blue, green or bluish green.

So when you do get your barrel clean enough and your take hoppes or whatever else your using and let it sit for 48 hours you will see some evidence of fouling (color change on the patch). Its nothing to worry about.

Posted: 9/11/2005 6:39:08 PM EDT

[#29]

Well since no one addressed my specific question, I'll ask again. Is Hoppes Copper Solvent safe to leave on overnight on chrome lined barrels? I asked Hoppes via email a few weeks ago and no one from there answered my question so I defer to the experts here on the board.

Posted: 9/11/2005 6:47:22 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
montana Extreme

I have began using this on the recommendation of Bill Shehane (10 time BR world record holder and 2004 IBS 1k champion). It is good stuff!!!

Posted: 9/12/2005 9:55:36 AM EDT

[#31]

Here's what I use

Butches bore shine, Just started to use it and its OK!

Shooter's choice, Good stuff .

And the old stand by Sweet's 7.62 which is great but damn that crap is smelly. Got be carefull with it though I dont let it sit longer than 5 miutes in my chrome barrels and 10 minutes in the bolt gun's I had.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Copper Fouling -- Holy crap is it tough to get out!!!

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