Barrel Cleaning Question

[52grain]

When looking down the muzzle of my Remington 700, the rifling grooves have an orange almost rust color. I am right in assuming that this is copper fouling?

I ran a nylon brush down the barrel several times followed by a few swabs soaked with Hoppes Benchrest 9, let sit for several hours (did not dry the barrel out). When I came back, I ran the brush down the barrel twice more then some patches. The patches came out fairly clean and the fouling did not come out.

Anyone have a better idea?

 

[R.W.Dale]

I am right in assuming that this is copper fouling?

yes


Hoppes 9 will only just barely touch copper fouling. To get heavy copper buildup out you'll need an ammonia based product such as Sweets7.62 solvent. On a badly fouled bbl your patches will come out blue or green

 

[skiking]

copper solvent

 

[kis2]

agreed. i use sweets 7.62. works like a charm.

 

[matrem]

Benchrest #9 Is a good copper solvent.
Sounds like you did fine..

 

[52grain]

Obviously, if the fouling is really bad, accuracy will suffer. Is there any danger in leaving some fouling in the barrel over the winter?

 

[rizbunk77]

I am using some stuff in a white bottle, works real good, hope this helps...

 

[257WM_CDL-SF]

Sweets 7.62 Butches bore shine works well for me also

 

[nyresq]

Gunslick foaming borecleaner will remove copper. Load the bore and let it sit for 30 minutes muzzle down, most of the bore cleaner will dissolve and drip out, then push a bronze brush through a few times, then a few patches. Repeat two or three times if needed. The liquid will drip out blue as it eats the copper. If you load the foam and it comes out clear after soaking for 30 minutes, then all the copper is out.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Is there any danger in leaving some fouling in the barrel over the winter?

Nope, won't hurt a thing.

do a search on this forum, some guy tested all the popular bore solvents on copper FMJ bullets.

just of the top of my head...and it is late.... Accubore, Sweet 7.62, I have used Sweets for ever, it really is great...stanky...but works great!

 

[Audie]

Remember what the ole timers say...more barrels are ruined by cleaning than
shooting.....run a few patches through with a good lead/copper remover and
then shoot it....shoot it and shoot it some more....I wouldn't worry too much
about a barrel unless it had some serious damage a the muzzle....caused by
...you guessed...to much cleaning.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Remember what the ole timers say...more barrels are ruined by cleaning than
shooting.....run a few patches through with a good lead/copper remover and
then shoot it....shoot it and shoot it some more....I wouldn't worry too much
about a barrel unless it had some serious damage a the muzzle....caused by
...you guessed...to much cleaning.

While I agree with this as a whole I also feel that when a bbl gets badly streaked up with copper that's your indication that it IS finally time to clean.

 

[Horsemany]

Hoppes 9 will only just barely touch copper fouling. To get heavy copper buildup out you'll need an ammonia based product such as Sweets7.62 solvent. On a badly fouled bbl your patches will come out blue or green

He said he used #9 BENCHREST. I've never used #9 benchrest and not had dark blue patches after an hour or two to soak. You used good stuff. Try some Gunslick foaming bore cleaner if you want to clean copper quick, safe, and odor free. But you should be seeing blue patches after the benchrest 9 soaks for a while. Try overnight and follow with more wet patches in the morning.

 

[JEVapa]

Invest $19 for a good boreguide with an o-ring to keep your crown in good shape, $24 on a one-piece Dewey rod, and $ 4 on a good Parker-Hale jag: http://www.shooters-supply.com/ Russ is a good guy and if you call him, he'll give good advice. The bore guide is the most important.
I use Shooter's for cleaning and Sweet's for the copper, can't be beat. Remember to clean the Sweet's with your solvent or it'll eat away at your bore.
I do this formula and keep it the same each time so the gun never shoots differently: Shooter's 3 times, then dry; bronze brush, then dry; Sweet's once, go back and forth muzzle to chamber 5-6 times, then dry; Shooter's 3 times, then dry; Shooter's 3 more times, then dry. Even if it doesn't get it spotless, your gun will shoot the same every time. Don't use oil unless it's all you got.

 

[blackops]

I use a good wire brush with hoppes 9 and it does good work. My advice would be get that barrel nice and wet with hoppes, let it soad a minute, run that brush good, then swab it with a patch. Do this over and over til that patch is coming out clean.