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.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

[quote]ORIGINAL: arobacker

Anybody use the Otis Bore Solvent? They say it cleans/lubricates and protects all in one shot... Too good to be true?
quote]

I believe that cleaning and lubricating are two separate animals. A solvent that cleans and lubes may get powder fouling but won't get copper fouling. Likewise, a good copper cleaner will not lube your bore.

If you are keeping good accuracy, keep cleaning with a powder remover. When accuracy degrades start using your more aggresive copper removers like Barnes CR-10. For a complete copper or lead cleaning I like Outers Foul Out system.

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RE: Cleaning tips
 

I think that the Outers Foul Out system is awesome for a complete cleaning. I use it every three to four cleanings. It seems that no matter what solvent you use you can always pull more copper out. I have experimented with trying to pull copper out with CR-10 after using the Foul Out and was unable to. If you want all your fouling out with a minimum of wear on your gun and elbow, I highly recommend it. It seems expensive on the surface but the required solution goes further than expected. Well worth it.

If you shoot anything with lead then you really need this system. By far the best lead remover I've ever seen. Pull the rod out of a fouled bore and it looks like a magnet with iron filings.

Haven't noticed an appreciable accuracy improvement as I usually don't let them get that far between cleanings.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

i found the outers system very time consuming. you have to plug both ends of the barrel and rely on the lights to tell you whats happening. you need all day to baby sit this contraption. im still up in the air as to if it worked for me so im gonna stick to the shooters choice copper remover.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

Same here, it is a nuisance to use that is why I use it once a year..I cannot walk away from that thing for a few hours . I bought a 700 KS in 280 used one time and it shot so and so. I ran the foulout thru it and the groups had a different point of impact. After about 20-30 rounds the gun settled down and shot extremely well.

RE: Cleaning tips
 

For 40 years or more, the ONLY SOLVENT I ever used was Hoppe's No. 9. Never had any problems. Then I found out I had been cleaning my guns "wrong" all those years when I read an article by Seyfried in the RIFLE Magazine. So I bought a bottle of Shooter's Choice which I have been using with complete satisfaction ever since, except that bore brushes have to be washed with hot, soapy warter right after use with Shooter's Choice, or the stuff will eat up the brush!!

Hoppe's DOES remove copper fouling, but it is a matter of weeks, not minutes, for it to act on metal fouling!

The more rounds you put through a rifle, the harsher the solvent you need to use.

Old Harry Pope once said that more bores are ruined by a cleaning rod than any other way. I've heard that there are contemporary gunsmiths who believe this also.