A copper remover test

[stevenpoplin]

Dude! I got that rifle in yesterday from the distributor. Sealed box and all! Savage fires a ton of rounds through them at the factory. They all bleed blue out of the box.

I dont understand how this new rifle barrel needed such a strenuous cleaning regime? Really, a ton of bullets? No wonder there seems to be a shortage of componants.

I'ma prove you wrong! Erik Cortina and F-Class shooters like, "Winning in the Wind" Keith. They know what's up. I'll post some 1 mile 1/2 to 1/4 MOA groups for ya come spring. Stop talking nonsense!

LOL can't wait to see those this spring.

 

[Gargoyle]

I dont understand how this new rifle barrel needed such a strenuous cleaning regime? Really, a ton of bullets? No wonder there seems to be a shortage of componants.

LOL can't wait to see those this spring.

Oh it's just ridiculous! Past 9-10 savages I've bought new were the same. Bolt faces all brassy colored as well. I guess they really want to make sure they don't blow up! LOL The dang things shoot though. Bevel the ejectors and they'll cycle and feed smoothly.

I can't wait either. Spring will be fun!

 

[stevenpoplin]

Oh it's just ridiculous! Past 9-10 savages I've bought new were the same. Bolt faces all brassy colored as well. I guess they really want to make sure they don't blow up! LOL The dang things shoot though. Bevel the ejectors and they'll cycle and feed smoothly.

I can't wait either. Spring will be fun!

Ok a friend just bought one of those 110 Elites.
"Bevel the ejectors and they'll cycle and feed..." How does one do that?

 

[Gargoyle]

Ok a friend just bought one of those 110 Elites.
"Bevel the ejectors and they'll cycle and feed..." How does one do that?

So, the case hops above the bolt face and won't chamber, until it's slid back slightly and then chambers? The ejector punches out easily. I lay a bastard file, flat file on the bench. I drag the tip across the file 2-3 swipes and form a 30-40 degree bevel towards the firing pin hole. Sometimes a couple swipes on the top of the ejector is also needed.

 

[stevenpoplin]

So, the case hops above the bolt face and won't chamber, until it's slid back slightly and then chambers? The ejector punches out easily. I lay a bastard file, flat file on the bench. I drag the tip across the file 2-3 swipes and form a 30-40 degree bevel towards the firing pin hole. Sometimes a couple swipes on the top of the ejector is also needed.

Thanks, I'll pass that on to him

 

[mattri]

Interesting thread.

I use a combination of the chemical and mechanical with pretty good results.

First a few patches soaked in solvent, Hoppes, Butch's, Sweets etc just to push out the crud.

Then a bronze brush soaked in the same run through a few times- repeat until patches come out clean.

Then a few patches soaked in Barnes copper solvent, followed by a soaked nylon brush, again follow with patches. First few cycles the patches come out pretty blue but seems to taper pretty quick until they are clean.

Fwiw years ago had a cheap ER Shaw 338-06 barrel that was as rough as described above, took 2-3 times as long to clean as any barrel I've ever owned. Shot great though.

 

[Gargoyle]

100 Scrubs = Need new barrel.

Yup. Didn’t get that 1st in the same hole.

 

[stevenpoplin]

only good in horseshoes and handgrenades

 

[choprzrul]

I just fire formed 200 new Lapua brass in my wife’s 308 this morning. Loaded with some Winchester 147gr FMJ that I found on my shelf over CFE223. Gonna see how much copper got deposited tomorrow. I had removed all traces of copper before those 200, and now I gotta remove it again to do load development with some Hammers.

it should be interesting to see how well the CFE ingredients work. Better to stop it before it starts than trying to clean it up later I figure…but when I have it to remove, I use Bore Tech CU+ after Shooter’s Choice gets the carbon outta the way

.

These Winchester 147gr FMJs turned that barrel into a copper mine: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1390175694?pid=850217

I'm still working on getting it all out with BoreTech CU+

The CFE223 has left me wondering if it has any effect at all. I did the same 200 round break in/fire forming in a new Ruger American 6.5CM using the cheapest Hornady 140gr that I could find over IMR4451. Barely any hint of copper when I was done.

 

[Woofie]

Interesting and timely post, thx @Gargoyle.
Just yesterday I set about cleaning a new Savage Elite Prec 110 in 338 Lapua. I have a 112 Magnum in 338 and was going to rebarrel/re-stock but the differential cost made it simpler to just buy another rifle. I will likely rebarrel the 112 to 300 Norma, or just sell it.
Be that as it may: "Initial bore scope was nothing short of a sewer pipe". Well, yes. This is my fifth new Savage cleaning in 18months mas o menos. They are all filthy, this was the worst. What I think Savage does, is 1) not clean the cutting lube out of their barrels and then 2) fires whatever ammo they want to shoot right on top of it. Like the OP though, was very surprised though just how much copper there was in the barrel.
I decided to get after the dried cutting lube first with alcohol and paint thinners but they didn't make much impact. Next Kroil and Hoppes on Issa and bronze bristle brushes. A lot of fouling came out but no copper really. I just went to my go-to, which is Sweets. Several cycles later I still had copper, so Brownell's bore paste finished the job. All I can say is thank God for Parker-Hale jags.
If faced with serious fouling Sweets and JB Bore Paste is the place to go as @Fuj has said. Sometimes the old stuff really is the best.
The barrel is now clean, and is *relatively* free of the serious tool marks that Savage typically leaves behind. A Tubb final finish process will finish the job on Monday. (I think all Savages need this)
My 122 338 Lap has much worse tool marks and fouls badly, but when clean shoots great (1/3MOA).

BTW, the Internet is overwhelmed with shills. If you really want to watch them rise up like zombies from The Walking Dead, try having this discussion on a FB Savage owners' group (I was that soldier).

 

[urbanrifleman]

Barrel cleaning threads are like an Oprah Winfrey interview where she says "so how long have you beat your kids?".

 

[Rsadams]

I have found Wipe Out foam works great for removing copper. Follow directions, first app for around an hour/patch out, spray again and soak overnight. This has always done 100% copper removal for me; but then its time to start on the carbon for which it is not effective.

Man I loved the gunslick foaming bore cleaner and am down to my last can... Of course they discontinued it... I used it on a snub nose 38 where I could see down in the barrel , it being a Ruger the barrel was rough and would collect copper.... I wish I could find something as good as the gunslick because I especially loved it for cleaning pistols , foam it and let sit while you clean the frame and slide.... Easy peasy....

 

[Lynn Brase]

I use JB on a red rag to get carbon off case necks. I also just cleaned the muzzle after I removed the brake
that had never been removed, I am guessing about 500 rounds. Would it work to use some patches cut
from red rags with JB to clean out all the carbon and copper?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Br shooters get 30mins to clean and load ammo- and id bet those barrels are cleaner between matches than those that take 2 days. Yall gotta rethink your processes and chemicals. Id drink a whole lot if i had to use anything from hoppes or outers to clean

 

[Gargoyle]

Br shooters get 30mins to clean and load ammo- and id bet those barrels are cleaner between matches than those that take 2 days. Yall gotta rethink your processes and chemicals. Id drink a whole lot if i had to use anything from hoppes or outers to clean

So, what do you use and your method?

 

[Texas10]

"Id drink a whole lot if i had to use anything from hoppes or outers to clean"

And this is bad because?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So, what do you use and your method?

Im one of those guys that use butchs and bronze brushes, not one that takes hours playing around cause its fun. A cleaning thread on here will pop up with a search i bet- or just look at page 2 or 3 It happens that often.

 

[JFrank]

Bore tech Eliminator and a Bronze brush does a good job on copper

 

[Charlie-NY]

i was experimenting with Hornady mono-metal bullets in a Marlin 45-70, not exactly the smoothest bore around but relevant to the discussion. I ran several patches through with BoreTech Eliminator followed by several strokes of a brass brush. Lots of crap came out but plenty of copper remained visible to the eye.
I started running patches of BoreTech's CU+2 through the bore with limited success. Every couple of hours I'd run another few soaked patches through and let it sit. Most of the copper seemed to remain. I ran a few more soaked patches through and left it overnight. The copper was still visible in the morning but now I short stroked a few tight patches of ISSO in the bore and WALA, no more copper.

Presumably, the CU+2 softened the copper to the point that it was easily removed by a mechanical method.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Iosso or jb will get the copper out without soaking if its too much for butchs