Blue Stuff in my Barrel ???

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RightIsRight

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Tonight, I deceided to give my Winchester M70 30.06 a thorough cleaning. Apparently, the guy who owned it before me didn't think too much of cleaning his toys.

After about 10 cycles of Hoppes9/brush/patch, I noticed the patches were coming out with blue/green streaks on them. What is that? I am using an Outers one piece rod (red in color) with a brass jag for the patches.


Also, is it wrong to push the bronze brush both ways in the barrel? Or should I run it from the breech to the muzzle, disconnect it and remove the rod?

Thanks for any help.
 

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I've always run the brushes "one way", chamber to muzzle, as instructed by some old benchrest shooters.
The blue-green color is copper, reacting to the Hoppes. It may come out after a few more cleanings, or it may take many more - as you said, the previous owner. I once bought a "shot out" 110 Savage .308 single shot. Barrel, according to the owner, just had to be replaced - that's all there was to it. It took a while, but when the barrel was clean, it was a tack-driver. When I discovered just how clogged it really was, I started with a new, dry brush, to "mark" the copper, a soaking wet patch, and let it set for about 30 minutes, and then a couple of passes with a wet brush, and dry patches. Repeat as needed. The ammonia solvents weren't around at that time, and might have speeded things up a bit, but good ol' No. 9 will do it if you take the time.
 
Yep - the blue/green is just copper residue being oxidized or disolved by solvent.

I had a savage that was the same way... so much copper in the bore it looked like it was gold plated! It took a week or two of 15 minutes a night with brusheds, patches & sweets, but I finally got the barrel clean. :)

For a deer gun, I don't think it's quite as important to not bring the brush back from the bore end. IF you make sure to get the brush all the way out of the barel before reversing direction.
 
Thanks.

I busted out the Hoppes Copper Solvent and that helped loosen things up a bit. As I have gone through about 60 patches so far, I think I am going to run a mop soaked with the Hoppes Copper Solvent down the bore and let it sit overnight.

Man, this thing was FILTHY.
 
NO

DO NOT let chemical solvents set in or on your guns for longer than indicated on the instructions.

Some older products, like Hoppes #9 are OK - heck, a little film of #9 can even help protect it. Some of the newer solvents, like the ammonia bearing copper solvents are not recommended for extended contact with the metal.
 
I may be old and over-cautious (from all the things I've screwed up all by my ownself over the years) but I don't let mine stay wet with the harsher solvents for more than an hour. I don't KNOW that this will harm the bore, but I know that not finding out the hard way is cheaper:)
 
If your using outers brushes i found out hoppes will make them desolve fast and leave a bright blue instead of the greenish color of copper..

WE bought 4 new brushes 2 weeks ago to clean mine and my uncles rifles and were amazed at the bright blue.. Switched to anther brand of brush and so the greenish color cleaned it till the patches were white..

Then just for fun ran the outers brush though again then a patch and bright blue again. They say there a phospher(sp) brush.:banghead:
 
tc300, the brush is Hoppes.

Amish Bill and Walosi, the Hoppes Benchrest Copper Solvent says to soak the bore overnight for stubborn deposits. Do you think this stuff is too strong?

Sorry for all the questions. I have had my bow license (for deer) for over 15 years, but I am pretty new (10 months or so) to rifles and pistols.
 
I have plugged the bore and filled rifle barrels with hoppe's #9 set overnite
and never was a problem.
 
99.9 % of my solvent experience is with Hoppes #9, and a couple of bottles of Shooters Choice for jacketed. If Hoppes says the bore can be left wet overnight, you can trust them.
 
If the bottle says you can soak the bore overnight, then it's OK. There are other solvents that 'suggest' letting the bore soak for no more than 15-30 minutes or so... THOSE are the ones you have to be careful of.
 
If the bottle says it's ok to let it stay in the barrel overnight, then it's not strong enough.

I'm with the Preacherman - try some Sweets 7.62 or Barnes CR-10, they both worked very well. Do not leave either of those in your barrel overnight.

For barrels literally clogged with copper (or lead), nothing beats the Outers Foul Out electronic system. That thing is not a gimmick, it works! It's on the pricey side, but it's a lot cheaper than a new barrel at times.
 
You've got either a copper mine or a penny factory in your barrel.

Hoppes doesn't do squat for copper fouling. Use a solvent like Butch's Bore Shine, or an occasional hit of Sweet's.

Brush both ways - but brush. And don't use a stainless brush.
 
I agree the outers foul out works wonders on copper and lead .. with copper you might have to run it scrub the bore then run it again depends how many layers of copper you have built up
 
Another vote for Hoppes Benchrest Copper Solvent. It beats baby-sitting a barrel soaked with Sweets. When I'm not in a hurry it's 4 patches a day but leave the first two-three applications in for maybe half an hour. If your gun has never been cleaned back to bare metal you'll likely find that there's layers of carbon and copper. When your patches stop coming out blue, give the barrel a good brushing or some JB compound on a tight patch. Then give it a couple more patches of Hoppes Benchrest. The first patch will be blue if you use a brush. If it's been shot several hundred rounds without cleaning it will take a while.

Bye
Jack
 
Here's what I do...

Two-three patches SOAKED with Butch's to get the bore wet, remove large crud.

10-15 strokes with a benchrest bronze brush, adding solvent as I go.

Let sit while I reload.

Patch out with 2-3 SOAKED patches. Two dry patches, one patch with Lock-eze on it to pre-crud the barrel.

That's every 15-20 shots.

After an aggregate, I'll clean it as above, but before running the lock-eze, I'll use JB paste, and Iosso in the chamber/throat area with a nylon brush, then patch out with a bunch of Butch's patches, dry patches, lock-eze.
 
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