Cleaning tips
 

I've always used Hoppes No.9 Bore Solvent on patches to clean my rifles and pistols. But just recently, I started using bore snakes, with Otis Bore solvent. Either way, I think both of the solvents are really intended for cleaning powder residues, but not really copper/lead, etc.
Should I be using both a powder solvent and a metal solvent regularly, or will just the powder solvent suffice?
Also, let me know if you have any general practices, techniques or tips that work well.
Thanks,

RE: Cleaning tips
 

Yes, that is a good point. Anyone know?

I am very anal about cleaning my guns, I clean them even if I only fired 1 round through it. I don't know if it is a good thing or bad?

RE: Cleaning tips
 

First I use a few patches saturated with Shooters Choice to loosen the powder residue.

Second I run a bronze bore brush to remove all the stubborn powder residue.

Third I run patches of JB's Bore Paste to polish the bore and remove more powder residue.

Forth I run patches of Barnes CR-10, and a nylon brush to remove copper fouling.

Fifth I remove all the Barnes CR-10 with saturated patches of Shooters Choice.

Sixth I run patches of JB's Bright Bore for ultra polishing.

Seventh I remove all the JB's Bright Bore with saturated patches of Shooters Choice.

Eighth I oil the bore with oil saturated patches.

Ninth I remove the excess oil from the bore with dry patches.

Good luck.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

IR665, that's pretty impressive and extensive. I follow a similar system, except I bore paste and polish only once per year and use Butch's instead of shooters choice (ran out and couldn't find new SC).

One thing I have just started using and works awesome (I can't say enough) is the new Hoppe's Elite Gun Cleaner (I've used the liquid and gel - prefer the gel myself). It really works at removing additional carbon and reduces overall cleaning the next time.

I don't work for Hoppe's and really didn't like No 9 or their copper remover because there was always better stuff out there. I tried a sample from a hunting show, cleaned an older rifle the way I do normally until the patches came out clean, then followed Hoppe's instructions. I was shocked at how much more black carbon came out.

If you can get a Hoppe's sample give it a try.

340,

RE: Cleaning tips
 

I use a Deweys rod along with a Stoney Point cleaning insert. I use shooters choice/Butch's/Montana extreme whichever of these is on hand. use a pointed jag and push a wet patch thru 4 times and only towards the muzzle. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then wet a bronze brush with solvent and run it thru 10-20 times. Run a few wet patches thru until clean. I then put on a loop and put on a big patch and soak it and clean the chamber usually takes 2-3 of these patches.I will then use Shooters Choice copper remover if the last bore patches were blue and when done use a quality gun oil currently using Butches. Once a year I drag out the Foul out III(mid-winter) to get every bit of copper out. I think I am going to try wipeout this go around after brushing the bore and getting fouling out. I wouldn't even think of using JB compound on any gun I owned.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

Anybody use the Otis Bore Solvent? They say it cleans/lubricates and protects all in one shot... Too good to be true?
I'm not averse to a super-thorough cleaning once in a while (as described above), but I'd like to keep it simple for typical weekend post-shooting excursions. I've also heard that over-doing it with Bore solvent can errode the barrel more than shooting!! How often is it really recommended to get out the heavy metal removers?

RE: Cleaning tips
 

The Hoppe's ELite (or MPro7) is a great powder cleaner - been using it for a couple years now. But to get that copper, it takes a copper-specific solvent like CR-10 or Sweet's 7.62 or else the paste type cleaners. I typically use the pastes only once or twice a year, so I go the Sweets route on most cleanings.

I alternate between the MPro and Sweets like handloader does with the paste. It works good. :)

RE: Cleaning tips
 

So should i be using both powder and copers solovents? Ive only been using power solovents, and iVe been shooting great with that. Im cleaning a .22

RE: Cleaning tips
 

For a .22 - copper is not a big problem. Once or twice a year is probably all you need to clean for copper fouling.

Or you could just switch to a cleaner like Butch's Bore Shine that's works on copper some, and just use it all the time and never worry about that little bit of copper.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

My cleaning routine is much like oldelkhunter's, although some of the products are different. I have been using Shooter's Choice for powder fouling followed by Barnes CR-10 or Wipeout for powder fouling. Lately I've been using more Wipeout than CR-10.

Recently I bought a new solvent from Sinclair called TM Solution. I haven't tried it yet, however. It's supposed to be an excellent powder solvent. According to Sinclair, it contains no petroleum products which tend to dilute the effectiveness of most solvents. I probably won't get a chance to use it for another 2 or 3 weeks, but I'm anxious to see how it does. I really don't have any complaints with what I've been using up to now, but I'm always on the lookout for something better.