220 swift copper fouling. Do I remove it?

[Swift4Yotes]

Well, some here may remember my earlier thread on my 700 vsf Swift that would not shoot better than 1.5" with several bullets and powders. I sent it in to rem after a scathing phone call to them. Long story short, they put a new barrel and action on it under warranty. I finally got the glass on it and got to the range yesterday. I had 10 loads of new Norma and 50 Nosler BT's over 35 grains of Varget and 10 with 50 V maxes over 37 grains of Varget. This seemed to be the best in the other barrel so that is where I started. The CCI 200 primers showed no signs of pressure in the Nosler BT loads and the V-max loads had very mild cratering. Bolt lift was easy. I had them seated just so the top one of 3 in the mag would just fit if properly stacked in the mag with one rim in front of the other. I didn't have a caliper at the time but I am sure it was right around 2.815 coal. I shot them at 2.800 in the other barrel. It isn't into the lands yet. I shot 1, cleaned with a brush and the ran a patch of Hoppes gun cleaner solvent, then brushed and repeated with some dry patches in between and after etc for 5 shots. I then shot 5 shot groups and cleaned for a total of 20 rounds. The first 5 with cleaning in between seems to be the best with one outside .5". The next two 5 shot groups weren't all that bad except the first one was always low and left after cleaning. I did move the scope and the last group opened up to 1.5" with the v-maxes. This is about how the other barrel shot for 200 rounds of agony before I sent it in. Now for my question. I can see copper at the end of the bore but I have no more than 5 shots since cleaning. Granted it is a mild solvent I am hesitant to remove the copper because it will probably be back in 2 shots. Do I just need to shoot it some? I hate to have it keep building up. It would take me 1.5 hours of cleaning with Sweets to get it clean after only a couple shots out of my first barrel. What good does it do to clean if the fouling shot does just that, it fouls it. What is the best non barrel harming solvent? I bought a bore plug and soaked my last barrel over night with Hoppes copper solver and it did nothing. The scope is a Brunton Eterna 6.5 x 20 and I had it on the last barrel as well, but I also had a VX I 4-12 on it and had the same results. Just as a baseline regarding my loading ability, I have a safe full of other Remington medium contour and heavy barrels that are just over to just under .5" guns depending on the day. I have a few other light counter that are 1" to .75" but this Swift is testing my patients. I have zero need for a Heavy varmint rifle that won't hole a .750 or better 5 shot group. I should add it is torqued in a Hogue ghille green aluminum pillar stock at 35 in lbs. No pressure point.

 

[bigedp51]

If you want to remove the copper in the bore "without" any work, brushing and scrubbing then use a good foam bore cleaner. I collected old milsurp rifles and many of them had pitted and frosted bores from corrosive primers. I got very tired of scrubbing these bores and never getting all the copper out of the bore. And then I saw foam bore cleaner being used by our military on artillery barrels and bought some that night.

Below a 1943 No.4 .303 British Enfield rifle with a frosted bore and with just one shot of foam bore cleaner all the copper was removed after firing 50 rounds.

Below a bore scope photo of a brand new Savage button rifled barrel

Below the same barrel after fire lapping and the "speed bumps" worn down.

I don't scrub barrels like this trying to get the copper out, I just use foam bore cleaner and let it do all the work. If you use a copper bore brush in a pitted or frosted milsurp or button rifled barrel the bore will "EAT" your bore brush and give false copper readings.

NOTE: On hard to clean bores I leave the foam in the bore over night and it has no harmful effects.

Spare the rod and spoil your bore.

And below as a comparison a custom made hand lapped barrel.

Lilja BoreScope Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA

Now go out and buy some foam bore cleaner, more barrels are damaged from cleaning than any other reason.
And foam bore cleaner doesn't have any sharp edges or is it abrasive.

Milfoam - The Complete Gun Barrel Cleaning System.
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/artillery/milfoam/

Foam bore cleaner was invented in Finland, the home of Lapua brass and Sako rifles. (subtle hint)

 

[40X Guy]

bigedp51 nailed it. You should get the copper out. If new barrel is copper fouling , then probably was not broken in even though its a factory tube. I shoot one and clean for first 5 rounds with stock factory barrels, then 2, clean, 3, clean, 4 clean and then finally 5 rounds and clean. Plus try IMR-4831 for superior accuracy in the Swift but @ 22-250 speeds. Try IMR 4064 and H414 for speed plus accuracy. Varget not quite the go to powder for .220 Swift. Plus primers can make a big difference. I've always used Fed 210 Match primers in my Swift but my latest Swift build became cantankerous and upon switching to BR-2's all is good.

Frank

 

[DJSBRS]

Get the copper out, I use (Pro Shot) then get some AA2700 42.0 grains with a CCI primer. You'll love the results with any bullet you use as far as VMax or Nosler 50 or 55 grain.

Using slower powder will coat the barrel with fouling and slow the copper process.

I have shot tens of thousands of 220 Swift in the prairie dog fields when I lived in Colorado.

Good shooting!

DJ

 

[asauer]

KG-12 has been the best I've ever used on copper fouling. My swift with douglas barrel started out not fouling much, but now that I'm probably over 1000 rounds it's a copper hog. I just run KG-1 through (also the best I've used for carbon) and brush to get it to bare copper, then use a couple patches to push KG-12 through. If it's real coppered up, I'll come back in a few hours and push another wet patch through and by the next morning it's all gone. Just be careful as the liquid does kind of turn to gum in the bore, making patches harder to push through. I usually just put the bolt in and close it and cap the muzzle to keep it from outgassing/drying out.

 

[Juma]

Kerosine and Autosol.

 

[yotehater]

Try wipe-out patch-out overnight. It might need several treatments if fouling is severe. A little bore paste to smooth out the roughness might help. Lubricate with a good synthetic gun oil in the bore like Lucas. I'll clean my Swifts after every outing regardless of shot count. Always have a clean bore when needed.

 

[snert]

After getting copper out ( I like wipeout or a soak of Butches) try some Kroil and JB. Short stroke it and do it a lot, then clean that out of the bore. Or try USP paste. Both seem to reduce coppering in factory barrels. You can't make it worse.