powder and solvent question

[showmebob]

I'm not sure where this post really fits but I figured reloaders would know if anyone would so here goes.

Basic info: 223 and 9mm both using jacketed bullets.

Cleaning my rifle after using W748 powder Sweets 7.62 works really well at dissolving powder with little effort. In my pistol after using Titegroup powder Sweets 7.62 does almost nothing other than remove the tiny bit of copper left. There is a line of what appears to be hard carbon? on one side of the lands that I can only remove with lots of brushing with Hoppes working the best.

So my questions are, do some types/brands of solvents work better on certain powders than others? In other words use brand x solvent for brand y power and brand L solvent for brand M powder etc?
Is the fouling with the Titegroup just a trait of that powder?

I'm not looking for recommendations of .... solvent works for everything. Thanks for your input and experience!

 

[rcmodel]

Sweets is primarily a Copper solvent.

Hoppe's #9 is primarily a nitro powder solvent.

I would not use Sweets all the time for general bore cleaning as it contains a high ammonia content and can etch barrels if left too long.

As for why your rifle is easier to clean then your pistol?
Maybe the rifling & bore is smoother?

rc

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=312649

I bought a can of the carbon solvent from sharp shoot R. It is a liquid, not a foam. It's main purpose is dissolving carbon. I can't give a good review because I've only used it once on a 100 Y.O. 03-A3 Springfield that I just bought. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in that 100 years! I had layers of carbon and copper fouling to get through. The S-s R carbon stuff turned a darkER color after being used and left to soak for an hour. I'd have to say it worked.

The sweets is mainly a copper solvent. It's main ingredient is ammonia. It's used to get the copper out AFTER normal cleaning has removed the carbon.

My main solvent is butches bore shine. It has a balance of carbon and copper solvents that cleans a lightly fouled barrel quite well. If I still see copper streaks after butches, I reach for the sweets. That will "get er done".

If I'm in a hurry, I reach for the sharp shoot R foam cleaner.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=784639

If I see it come out bright blue after about an hour soak, I will shoot it full again, then let it soak overnight. If it still isn't clean, then it's time for sweets again. Most of the time the second treatment of S-S-R does the trick. I don't let a rifle barrel get fouled that bad to require that much cleaning.

Just be careful with the bronze brushes when using ANY copper solvent. It'll eat those bristles just like it eats the copper in the bore. Be sure to rinse them in a good solvent, or give 'em a bath in soapy water. Also, using them or a brass jag will give false indication of copper in the bore. The ammonia dissolves the brush or the brass jag to make you think there's still copper in the barrel. Get chrome plated jags, that eliminates false readings.

 

[kingmt]

I use Dawn bore, chamber, & action cleaner with hot water most of the time. If it still needs something I grab the DextronIII.

So I don't guess I have the experience to really answer your question.

 

[showmebob]

Thanks to all for your input!

 

[1SOW]

re pistol: FWIW: Hoppe's makes a "Semi-Auto" #9 that works well for pistol carbon & bbl cleaning. I sometimes have some trouble finding it so I stock up a little.
It's double the price of the old H#9, but it actually does work well on semi-auto crud.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I feel the best product line is made by the G96 Product Company. They have been around for a very long time and do an outstanding job on cleaning, lubricating and protecting your firearms. The whole line of products it top notch and I use several of their products especially the G96 Triple Action Gun Treatment.

 

[Master Blaster]

Try some Hoppes elite, it used to be marketed under MPRO-7 name but Hoppes bought them out. Its a non volitile cheleating agent and has no harsh solvent. I have found it to work well for cleaning metal fouling and powder fouling, and it doesn't stink, destroy your skin, or slowly poison you. When you get copper fouling Sweets 7.62 works very well but as noted by others its a harsh ammonia solvent specifically for disolving guilding metal fouling, not a general gun cleaner, and they even say that on the label.

 

[Grumulkin]

I have been entirely unimpressed with Hoppes products for a long time. Maybe the new stuff is better but considering my past unsatisfactory experience with their products, I'm not going to try it.

I, except in very rare circumstances, quit using brushes years ago. For a fast clean to mostly get powder residue out, I use Prolix or Microlon Gun Juice. For a serious cleaning, I use Wipe Out or Patch Out with Wipe Out Accelerator.

I also have cleaners such as Butche's Bore Shine and Shooter's Choice and some others but I only use them on stainless steel barrels and once they're gone, I won't buy any more. It seems to me that if they warn you of barrel pitting, etc. if left on too long, it's probably doing damage if only left on for a short time.

 

[egg250]

I have a SMLE chambered in .303 British. If you don't mind a little bit of elbow grease, Hoppes #9 works well on carbon and copper fouling. I bought the rifle 15 years ago at a flea market, and used CLP initially. Once I began reloading a few months ago, I really began my education on care, maintenance and cleaning of firearms. The USMC teaches us CLP, CLP and a little more CLP. As a "delicate" older rifle, I chose Hoppes because it is considered a mild cleaner and I figured less likely to damage this old girl. It took me 5 cleaning sessions of about an hour each before my patches were coming out clean, (neither blue/green from copper or black from carbon).

 

[caduceus]

+1 g96

 

[caduceus]

+1 Hoppes Elite (MPro 7)

 

[Walkalong]

TM Solution works extremely well on powder and carbon fouling. Does pretty well with copper also, as long as you do not let it get too heavy.

For heavy copper fouling, the ammonia based products work, but Bore Techs Eliminator works great with no ammonia.

For normal bore cleaning when you do not let the bore go very long between cleanings, Shooters Choice or Butches Bore Shine work very well.

 

[MEHavey]

I went through about a dozen various solvents (both for powder and for copper).
Nothing touches KG-1 for powder, and KG-12 for copper.

http://www.kgcoatings.com/cleaning/kg-1-carbon-remover/
-- and --
http://www.kgcoatings.com/cleaning/kg-12-big-bore-cleaner/

(See copper test: http://www.laniganperformance.com/kg12testresults.html)

Both KG solvents can be had from MidwayUSA.
http://www.midwayusa.com/Find?userSearchQuery=kg


MPro-7 is close second (for powder only)
If only carrying one solvent, Butch's Boreshine is best "all round"

 

[bluetopper]

I clean my bores and chambers with generous amounts of diesel. Yes, diesel fuel. It's a great light oil and solvent and makes bluing look wonderful.