Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I leaded a lot of barrels trying rock hard cast at 2K+ speeds. I found plain old ATF/MIneral spirits (or even diesel!) and 4/0 steel wool worked good for me.
Cleaning fouling on some old war rifles
- Thread starter Bret4207
- Start date
I cleaned my 40sw barrel in the US once, wanted to do the slide but it won't fit. A good one will clean most anything, Hornady unit isn't strong enough. Other problem is getting you whatever dried. Not sure I want to use a solvent in it. I did dip the back of the slide in for a while and a bunch of stuff came out - gun still works fine. Did blow dry it and re-oil. ATF wold probably work vs H2O.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Yup! Can't even get the old style turpentine locally. That stuff was just a notch down from Hoppes #9 as far as good, manly smells went! I used to love standing in the pine shed at a lumber yard I worked at. Turps in the air just smelled right to me.
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
Sweet's 7.62 is good at removing copper fouling, but never leave it in place longer than 10-12 minutes. Wash it out with a couple patches of Hoppe's #9.
Good old Hoppe's will eventually soften the copper fouling if left in place long enough. I used to mine the effluvia weekly in the bores I left soaking in patched-on Hoppe's.
Good old Hoppe's will eventually soften the copper fouling if left in place long enough. I used to mine the effluvia weekly in the bores I left soaking in patched-on Hoppe's.
Mitty38
Well-Known Member
Is it just me with the Hoppe's??? I think Hoppe's has spillage designed into the product.
Seams every dang bottle starts leaking around the lid or flip up spout. Eventually spilling out in my range bag, ammo box or cleaning kit. I never seam to get more then half a bottles use.
Seams every dang bottle starts leaking around the lid or flip up spout. Eventually spilling out in my range bag, ammo box or cleaning kit. I never seam to get more then half a bottles use.
Last edited:
Ian
Notorious member
For heavy copper either use electrolysis (requires degreasing and a few rounds of brushing with soapy water to get the carbon/graphite out in between electrolysis sessions) or simply use a mild copper remover like Shooter's Choice or Hoppe's Benchrest and push wet patch once or twice a day for a week or two until it comes out clean. I've been advised by many gunsmiths and benchrest shooters to avoid Sweet's. Butch's is supposed to be good but follow the instructions.
Sometimes you don't really want all the copper out. You will know once you get it out and see what you have and shoot it some. If the cleaning messed it up, fill the pits and smooth it out again by first cleaning and then shooting a bunch of jacketed bullets through it, stopping to wipe out the bore every few shots with paint thinner.
I need to run a bore scope down my AR-45 to see if I can determine why it suddenly started shooting groups after I gave up on it and ran several hundred rounds of PC bullets through it. It's the only rifle so far that has done that, but most of my guns have decent barrels.
Sometimes you don't really want all the copper out. You will know once you get it out and see what you have and shoot it some. If the cleaning messed it up, fill the pits and smooth it out again by first cleaning and then shooting a bunch of jacketed bullets through it, stopping to wipe out the bore every few shots with paint thinner.
I need to run a bore scope down my AR-45 to see if I can determine why it suddenly started shooting groups after I gave up on it and ran several hundred rounds of PC bullets through it. It's the only rifle so far that has done that, but most of my guns have decent barrels.
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
I think Ian's caveats about COMPLETE cleaning of copper have merit. I have mellowed as I progress toward dotage on this subject. A lot of that has to do with my rationale for barrel cleaning having evolved over the years.......and seeing that a lot of the dogma that got driven into my head might or might not hold water,.
One place you NEVER wish to use Sweet's 7.62 copper remover is in any stainless steel barrel. Most stainless alloys contain a small percentage of copper, and you can bet that Sweet's WILL etch stainless bores--this per some pretty savvy 'smiths that do lots of barrel work that I am acquainted with. Chrome-moly steel or other ordnance steels? I dunno, I am no metallurgist.
I am not so certain that getting every molecule of copper fouling out of a bore is necessary to maintain accuracy. The next J-word shot you fire will start the copper-fouling process all over again. Some barrels copper-foul more so than others--differing gilding metal alloy compositions vary in fouling tendencies as well. It becomes easy to chase your tail and make yourself crazy with this minuteae.....ask me how I know this.
We clean bores and guns to prevent corrosion--to maintain accuracy--and to keep the firearm mechanically sound. All three of these elements can be overdone--I know I sure have. Ya gotta please yourself in all three venues, and take into account the environment your shooting and hunting occurs in. My regimen steps up if my war toys get anywhere near the Pacific Ocean or Salton Sea. Use of the old M-80 308 or M-193 223 milsurp bullets meant more copper fouling than Sierra/Nosler/Speer/Hornady. That just the way it is.
One place you NEVER wish to use Sweet's 7.62 copper remover is in any stainless steel barrel. Most stainless alloys contain a small percentage of copper, and you can bet that Sweet's WILL etch stainless bores--this per some pretty savvy 'smiths that do lots of barrel work that I am acquainted with. Chrome-moly steel or other ordnance steels? I dunno, I am no metallurgist.
I am not so certain that getting every molecule of copper fouling out of a bore is necessary to maintain accuracy. The next J-word shot you fire will start the copper-fouling process all over again. Some barrels copper-foul more so than others--differing gilding metal alloy compositions vary in fouling tendencies as well. It becomes easy to chase your tail and make yourself crazy with this minuteae.....ask me how I know this.
We clean bores and guns to prevent corrosion--to maintain accuracy--and to keep the firearm mechanically sound. All three of these elements can be overdone--I know I sure have. Ya gotta please yourself in all three venues, and take into account the environment your shooting and hunting occurs in. My regimen steps up if my war toys get anywhere near the Pacific Ocean or Salton Sea. Use of the old M-80 308 or M-193 223 milsurp bullets meant more copper fouling than Sierra/Nosler/Speer/Hornady. That just the way it is.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
In my case the '03 is fouled enough so that a very "reliable in every 30 cal I've used it in" bullet shoots like a shot gun and I can see the leading hung on the fouling. The Krag I haven't really looked hard at, but I'm sure it needs a good cleaning and the SMLE is kinda frosty and not real hot with cast. It appears Sweets was not the best option as a first choice. I still need to gather up some new brushes (the old worn ones are at least 35 years old!) and take some time to see how bad they are.
FWIW- I bought an unfired 8x57 Mauser, I forget which model, but it was one of the arsenal rebuilds from the 90's. Virgin barrel and it's never had a jacketed bullet through it. It shot tight groups from the start and I have no intention of ever putting a jacketed bullet through it. The sights stink, but she's a good shooter. I've yet to see a hint of leading or fouling of any sort in the barrel.
FWIW- I bought an unfired 8x57 Mauser, I forget which model, but it was one of the arsenal rebuilds from the 90's. Virgin barrel and it's never had a jacketed bullet through it. It shot tight groups from the start and I have no intention of ever putting a jacketed bullet through it. The sights stink, but she's a good shooter. I've yet to see a hint of leading or fouling of any sort in the barrel.
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Ammonia is the only answer for Cupro-Nickel fouling. Nasty stuff to get rid of no matter what.
Tomme boy
Well-Known Member
One of my old Turk mausers had blue and green coming out of the bore the first 3-4 cleanings. They used the cupronickel bullets in their 154gr light ball but copper in their 198gr heavy ball. I still have a few of both bullets left as collectable reference. I had a Czech vz24 that had a sewer pipe looking bore. But I could keep the bullets on a 24" square plate at 900yds with it. There was no way it should have shot that well. But it did.