Hardly ever see copper fouling?

[mattri]

This may be a really stupid question but here it goes anyway.

When using aftermarket barrels, a couple of Shilens and Criterions, and one McGowen- I almost never see any blue or green on patches that would indicate copper coming out. One Shilen, a 243, would get a little from time to time if I ran it for a day in the dog towns.

Normally I clean every 50-75 rounds, but even during break in on my newest Criterion (7mm-08) I saw one patch with a definite blue hue but the others were pretty clean.

My normal cleaning process after break in is a couple of patches soaked with Hoppes #9, a few passes with a nylon brush, then dry patches until they come out pretty clean. Then I repeat that process with a copper solvent, I've used Barnes CR-10, KG-12, Sweets, Butch's and a few others. I let the copper solvent sit in the bore for 10-15 minutes, then dry patches until its clean. When that's done I usually run a couple patches with #9 to neutralize everything, then dry patches, then a few oiled patches, then dry until its clean with just a light coat on the bore.

Should I let the solvent sit longer, or use a different one? I've had barrels last really well with this process. Never seen a drop off in accuracy, just don't want to be leaving anything on the table.

 

[madderg]

take a Q-tip or something white, or a small flash lite and stick it in the end of the barrel...if its clean and shiny you have no worries...your cleaning process is working great.

 

[MrMajestic]

Mattri, Are you bragging or complaining? ;D If you want some blue I got a couple of tomato stakes I could send you! ;D Sounds like you got some pretty good tubes, good for you!

 

[mattri]

That's the thing- I don't know if I've been really lucky or if I'm just missing something. Not trying to be obtuse, just trying to sort out whether I need to do some more digging. You read a lot about copper build up, barrels that were "shot out" but really just needed a good cleaning etc. Don't want to live a fool's paradise but don't want to be over zealous in cleaning either.

 

[lrgoodger]

The regimen you describe will do fine on custom barrels as far as copper is concerned. You needn't let the solvent set any longer. If there is copper in there, your copper solvents will dissolve enough of it to get blue on the patch within a few seconds. My experience has been exactly what Krieger describes in their barrel break-in procedure. It will copper for the first dozen or so rounds and then they simply don't copper any more. I've verified this many times using a bore scope during break-in. The .243 is a real barrel burner and if you let it go close to 100 rounds before you clean, you might see a bit of blue but it should come out rather quickly. My 6BRs rarely get even the faintest touch of copper when going 50 rounds between cleaning.

Your real worry is the carbon. You can let a solvent set in there all night (I don't care which one it is) and it won't touch the baked on carbon in the throat area, but normal cleaning should keep it down to where it doesn't affect accuracy for 3-400 rounds, then a little non-abrasive JB short stroked on a tight patch should clean it out on the match barrels. I just had a Savage 6BR that I watched the carbon build up on in spite of short stroking with JB every 50 rounds or so with a patch on a nylon brush. I don't like to run the JB the full length of the bore when only the throat needs it, but in this case I had to put the JB directly on a bronze brush and stroke the entire barrel length (because you don't want to reverse a bronze inside the barrel). It cut the considerable carbon build up out in about seven or eight strokes. The accuracy, which had been slowly degrading, came right back when I got that carbon out.

 

[jo191145]

Good custom barrels generally copper foul very little if at all.
I have in the past (after thoroughly cleaning) let some Hoppes #9 sit in the barrel overnight. Run a patch down the barrel the next day.
If there's copper in the bore even hoppes will let you know.

Anyone think letting Hoppes sit overnight is a bad thing?

 

[GrocMax]

Try Bore Tech Eliminator, when the rest don't show much color, say small stubborn stripes into the corners of the lands, BTE will let you know there's still some there, and it ain't the jag.

I think a lot of our cleaning regimens depend on shooting discipline, and the need to maintain a certain level of accuracy- if you're a benchrester or long range shooter requirements will be different than someone like me who found he had more fun blasting PD's than cleaning, when it loses 1/2 MOPD accuracy or starts tearing jackets (whether from carbon or copper) its time to set it in the back of the truck and grab another. Oh, and quit building barn burner, high case capacity, high velocity guns, stick with reasonable speeds and spend more time shooting at less overall cost.

In my case I can say hBN makes a DEFINITE difference in how many rounds between the absolute need to scrub. WS2 not so much, maybe a slight improvement, hBN yes, worth doing for me.

 

[tenring]

I have had a very few factory barrels that came out with no blue on patch. I couldn't believe it. So I ran a few patches saturated with Sweets 7.62 thru and let it sit about 10 mins (no longer). If you get no blue stain with that stuff you are good to go. After drying Sweets out with clean patches, I always run a few more thru with denatured alcohol on it.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I can tell you from experience that KG12 takes the copper out. The down side to the stuff is that it doesn't "indicate" - that is, it doesn't make blue or green, if you have a lot of copper, you might see a little brownish hue.

 

[LawrenceHanson]

That is the beauty of Bore Tech Eliminator. With a non-reactive jag/rod, your patch will come out white when the bore is clean. If the bore is not free of copper, the patch will come out colored blue/green right away, no waiting for it to "work", no soaking needed, and no guessing needed. This is some good stuff, for copper and carbon fouling.

I can go on. Bore Tech Eliminator is water based and works as a strong surfactant. It does not produce an offesive odor, make the skin on your fingers peal off or make the paint on your stock bubble up. I really like it.

And I am not being paid to say these nice things about a shooting supply vendor.


LE Hanson

 

[Cold Bore]

... I've used Barnes CR-10, KG-12, Sweets, Butch's and a few others. I let the copper solvent sit in the bore for 10-15 minutes, ...

Should I let the solvent sit longer, or use a different one?

If you're not getting any more copper out with these, there's just no more copper to be gotten.

 

[DeltaBravo]

I agree with LawrenceHansen. I've given some Bore Tech to guys at the range AFTER they had used their favorite cleaner and thought their barrels were clean. You wouldn't believe what came out of them. Deep blue/green, black, nasty patches, all from a "clean" barrel. Give it a try, you'll probably like it!

The usual disclaimers apply.

Dennis

 

[mattri]

I'll have to check it out, thanks.

 

[GrocMax]

Its easy enough to test for reactivity with a brass jag, soak a patch and wrap it around the jag.