M1 Garand, Copper Fouling, and Breakfree Foaming Bore Cleaner

[strat81]

Hello all,
I have a CMP Service Grade M1 Garand. Great rifle! The bore is in pretty good condition but the copper fouling is horrendous. I've been using Montana X-Treme .50BMG Copper Killer on it with nylon brushes and jags and a brass rod. I'll swab the bore and let it sit for 15 minutes then go at it with the brush. I'm still getting serious blue residue on my patches.

It's a Feb. 1945 receiver with what appears to be the original barrel.

I picked up a bottle of Breakfree Foaming Bore Cleaner after hearing the goods results people have with it on their ARs. Since many ARs are chrome-lined, I'd imagine they shed their copper fouling a bit easier.

Any tips on using BF Foaming Bore Cleaner on my M1? Any other tips in general for copper fouling? Thanks in advance!

 

[mainmech48]

It may take several treatments with about any solvent to get it all out. The fouling builds up in layers, especially in the right-angle corners of the grooves. Lord only knows how many rounds there might've been through that bore when it went into storage.

I like the foaming bore cleaners that I've tried. They at least reduce the potential for inadvertently damaging the muzzle's crown or rifling a good deal as you don't have to be running a rod through it as much. For light-to-moderately severe cases they've done well IME.

I read somewhere that, at least for the writer, a "Rule of Thumb" for brush passes-per-round-fired needed to remove metal fouling was about 2/1. On a surplus rifle, that could mean a whole lot 'o scrubbing.

When I got my RFI 2A-1 the bore looked pretty nice after the cosmo came out. When three repetitions of 'soak, brush and wipe' with my regular solvent left me with the same problem you describe, I got out the foam.

Even after all that, it took another four cycles with the foam before the blue on the patches quit showing up.

There is a solution for extreme cases that eliminates virtually all metal fouling - copper or lead - without the scrubbing and other assorted drudgery but it isn't exactly inexpensive. If you do a lot of shooting (with cast bullets especially) or want to sort of establish a kind of baseline to judge from, the Outer's "Foul Out III" electronic gizmo does the trick. IIRC, it runs about $79 with one bottle each of copper and lead solution.

It works on a sort of reverse electroplating principle. All of the metal fouling will be transferred to the anode rod from the bore. It takes some time, too but at least you can be doing other things while it's doing it's thing.

I know that it's not a very cost-effective solution for one job, but if this is something you run into a lot or if you want to make sure that all of your bores stay absolutely copper or lead-free with the least amount of work it might be something to look into.

 

[Steve in PA]

How does the rifle shoot? I wouldn't get too anal about getting out every last bit of copper fouling. Some rifles shoot better with a bit of copper fouling compared to one without.

 

[Trebor]

Be careful not to get any on the wood as it will strip the finish.

 

[ocabj]

Don't waste your time trying to clean out all the copper from a surplus M1 Garand barrel. 1940s and 1950s barrel making technology (especially during wartime) combined with the wear and tear of corrosive ammo in harsh conditions have caused bores to become copper magnets, so to speak. Just clean out the powder fouling after your range sessions and I think you're ok.

These are 50+ year old barrels. Don't expect them to clean as easily as a modern manufactured barrel.

Plus, if you are shooting surplus ammunition, the gilded jackets end up leaving lots of copper in the bores, compared to modern bullet jackets.

 

[Sunray]

You need to give the solvent time to work. Endlessly running patches and brushes through will take forever. Soak a patch, run it through the barrel and leave the solvent there for 30 minutes or so. Then use your brushes and patches. Repeat as required.
Plan 'B' is to take off the stock and gas tube, put the muzzle into a container(deep enough to contain the solvent that will run out the gas hole) and fill the barrel with solvent(fill it until the solvent gets above the gas hole) and leave it sit. Then, after disposing of the dirty solvent safely(nothing down any drain), clean as per normal. Also repeating as required.
When you get a 1903A3, stop up the muzzle with a rubber cork and fill the barrel.

 

[Macgille]

I wouldn't worry about it if it shoots ok. These rifles were not designe to be benchrest tack drivers. A little copper fouling wont hurt the accuracy as much as too zealous cleaning efforts can.