Copper fouling

wobbles99

wobbles99

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I need some help from some experts.

I've been blasting gophers with my stevens 200 .22-250. I shot about 75 rounds through it and now my barrel is badly fouled. I normally load moly coated VMax bullets but I stupidly tried to save money and used the uncoated ones. I have been trying for the last hour to get the fouling out. I am using sweet's 7.62 and hoppes #9. I have followed the directions on both bottles carefully and have made no progress. I also tried a bronze brush with some hoppes with not luck. The patches are coming out a very bright blue and I can clearly see copper on the lands.

What is your trick to remove copper from your barrel?
 
Try leaving Hoppe's Benchrest copper solvent in the barrel for several hours, even overnight. On the other hand, if you're going to use CR-10, take it out quickly. All of it.
 
You might try some J-B Bore paste.....
Use it on a couple of patches first to get out the top layers of baked on crud and then the CR-10 can work better (chemically) on the remaining copper fouling......
 
Hoppes BR copper solvent works OK for general cleaning, to remove minor fouling and keep existing fouling from growing. I use it during regular cleaning, and it DOES work - the patches are a light blue if the barrel is fouled. If there's heavy fouling, I use shooters choice. Swab bore, let sit for 5 minutes, wipe, hoppes 9, boresnake repeat until clean. I've never had any major fouling issues though
 
Sweets has worked fine for me. Apply until the patch comes out clean. I will put normal solvent with a bore brush through every few swabs as I think the Sweets loosens the fouling and the brush takes out more.
 
Ltbull01 said:
Sweets has worked fine for me. Apply until the patch comes out clean. I will put normal solvent with a bore brush through every few swabs as I think the Sweets loosens the fouling and the brush takes out more.
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Tried this exact method and it did not work. :(

I finally applied a large amount ont osome patches and swabbed the bore. I let it sit for an hour and then scrubbed it really good. The lands are almost clean. I gave up for tonight and since I'm supposed to go out shooting tommorrow and will most likely foul it up just as bad I'm going to wait to try some new stuff until tommorrow night.
 
TO remove fouling these days, I use WIPEOUT.

But if I am in a hurry, I use Barnes CR-10.

Both chemicals will remove copper fouling.

However, there is something else to look at- WHY ARE YOU CLEANING YOUR BORE?

If accuracy has dropped off, then sure, clean.

75 rounds of 22-250 may or not be a easin t o clean! Teh Stevens don't have a nice lapped bore, and sometimes a little fouling is a good thing.:)
 
I don't clean the copper out of my rifles unless there is a reason. If it is a tack driver then leave it alone. I made the mistake of doing a super clean job on one of my rifles and the accuracy went south and so far is still down there.
 
I also tried a bronze brush with some hoppes with not luck. The patches are coming out a very bright blue and I can clearly see copper on the lands.
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Don't confuse the blue from your bronze brush with blue from the copper. Try a nylon brush.
 
walksalot said:
I don't clean the copper out of my rifles unless there is a reason. If it is a tack driver then leave it alone. I made the mistake of doing a super clean job on one of my rifles and the accuracy went south and so far is still down there.
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Thats the problem. Just got back from the range and after ten rounds my groups have gone to hell.:mad: I brought my cleaning kit along and after a quick clean (hard to do when the guys with you are picking gophers off left and right). I got another ten out of it. I finally gave up. I'm going down to the gun store right away to find something else.

joe-nwt said:
Don't confuse the blue from your bronze brush with blue from the copper. Try a nylon brush.
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I'm not. I use the hoppes with the brush and then run a wet and the dry patches through. I then check the bore visually and can see the copper.
 
prosper said:
Hoppes BR copper solvent works OK for general cleaning, to remove minor fouling and keep existing fouling from growing. I use it during regular cleaning, and it DOES work - the patches are a light blue if the barrel is fouled. If there's heavy fouling, I use shooters choice. Swab bore, let sit for 5 minutes, wipe, hoppes 9, boresnake repeat until clean. I've never had any major fouling issues though
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Exactly. If you stay on top of it, copper fouling will never get real bad. And for minor copper buildup, Hoppe's Benchrest is effective and safe. On the other hand, heavy copper fouling will require some of the nastier stuff. Just use it carefully, and, when you remove it, make sure you get it all. Especially CR-10.
 
One my A-blots eats a lot more copper than others. I use Hopps 9 Copper Solvent and a tornado brush to keep my copper fouling under control. Just follow the instruction soaking the barrel 2-4 hours or overnight if need be until no more green patches coming out.

The tornado brush (AKA gunsmith’s magic brush) is very effective. But you have to be careful with it.

I also keep my round count to fewer than 20 for each session so I wouldn’t have to work too hard afterward.

Danny
 
Forgot to mention that you need to leave Sweets on for several minutes in between. You could also try putting a few drops extra on when the swab comes out the muzzle, then draw back in a scrubbing motion. Takes a bit but it works for me. Might have to swab through about 7 - 8 times. When done, use solvent on a swab then light oil. If you don't get rid of all the residue, it can I been told corrode the steel.
 
The active ingredient in all the copper removers is ammonia. Go to the hardware store and buy a bottle of household ammonia. Plug your bore at one end and fill it up with the ammonia, let it sit for a couple of hours then rinse with plain water. run a few dry patches through to clean it out. then run a patch with the ammonia on it and leave it set for 5 minute. Run a clean patch through . If it comes out blue/green you still have copper. repeat this process until a patch comes out clean. ammonia will not harm steel but dissolves copper or brass. rinse with water, dry then oil yoir bore for storrage. Household ammonia is a lot more concentrated than copper solvents( read works faster) and it is cheap too.
 
Big Guy said:
The active ingredient in all the copper removers is ammonia. Go to the hardware store and buy a bottle of household ammonia. Plug your bore at one end and fill it up with the ammonia, let it sit for a couple of hours then rinse with plain water. run a few dry patches through to clean it out. then run a patch with the ammonia on it and leave it set for 5 minute. Run a clean patch through . If it comes out blue/green you still have copper. repeat this process until a patch comes out clean. ammonia will not harm steel but dissolves copper or brass. rinse with water, dry then oil yoir bore for storrage. Household ammonia is a lot more concentrated than copper solvents( read works faster) and it is cheap too.
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X2.

Ammonia is incredible in getting out the copper. Watch your oil finish as it will take that of too.
I take out the powder fouling with a shot of brake clean auto cleaner and a patch, then I use ammonia.
And I use hot water to rince, and always, always run an oily patch through the bore after has been dried with a patch.
 
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