HELP!! Copper fouling
03-03-2002, 11:51 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: McMinnville Oregon USA
Posts: 214
HELP!! Copper fouling
Greets,
Took my rifle out today to resight the scope. Its a sporterized 30-06 Eddystone I got from my wifes brother when there mom passed on. used to be her dads and was neglected for years. When I first got it, I cleaned it up and hunted with it. After deer season I tore it down and reblued it. Well this is the first time I have fired it since. When I cleaned it, I ran a wet patch, ( Hoopes #9 ) then let it sit for a minute or so. I then scrubbed it with a bore brush, and commenced dry patching. This is how I was taught to clean a gun. When the dry partches came out clean, on a whim, instead of oiling it, I ran another solvent patch thru. Then I dry patched it again. The patch came out green!!! I rescrubbed and dry patched, then reapeated this several times over an hour period. Each time when done and the patches came clean, I solvent patched again and dry patched only to get green again.. The last time the dry patch came out clean I oiled her, and when the oil patch came thru clean called it good. I think there is till copper fouling in it, but dont know how to get it any cleaner than it is, any suggestions??
Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry
Took my rifle out today to resight the scope. Its a sporterized 30-06 Eddystone I got from my wifes brother when there mom passed on. used to be her dads and was neglected for years. When I first got it, I cleaned it up and hunted with it. After deer season I tore it down and reblued it. Well this is the first time I have fired it since. When I cleaned it, I ran a wet patch, ( Hoopes #9 ) then let it sit for a minute or so. I then scrubbed it with a bore brush, and commenced dry patching. This is how I was taught to clean a gun. When the dry partches came out clean, on a whim, instead of oiling it, I ran another solvent patch thru. Then I dry patched it again. The patch came out green!!! I rescrubbed and dry patched, then reapeated this several times over an hour period. Each time when done and the patches came clean, I solvent patched again and dry patched only to get green again.. The last time the dry patch came out clean I oiled her, and when the oil patch came thru clean called it good. I think there is till copper fouling in it, but dont know how to get it any cleaner than it is, any suggestions??
Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry
03-04-2002, 06:14 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Greensboro NC USA
Posts: 563
RE: HELP!! Copper fouling
Once a rifle has been shot considerably, you will not get 100% of the cooper out of the bore. The Outer's Foul Out kit will get almost all fouling and copper out.
What I would do is get some J-B Bore Cleaning Compound and Sweets 7.62mm Cooper Solvennt. I would saturate the bore with the Sweets, apply the J-B to a tight fitting bore patch, then run the patch up & down the bore for 25-50 strokes. Then re-saturate the bore with Sweets and run a dozen or so wet patches down the bore, then brush scrub the bore for several strokes, wet patch the bore some with Sweets, then dry patch. By this time you should see a dramatic difference in the bore it self and your patches should be much cleaner.
You do not want to use J-B compound every time you clean the bore, because it is a mild abrasive compound. But you can use every couple or few hundred round, when the fouling builds up enough to warrent it's use.
What I would do is get some J-B Bore Cleaning Compound and Sweets 7.62mm Cooper Solvennt. I would saturate the bore with the Sweets, apply the J-B to a tight fitting bore patch, then run the patch up & down the bore for 25-50 strokes. Then re-saturate the bore with Sweets and run a dozen or so wet patches down the bore, then brush scrub the bore for several strokes, wet patch the bore some with Sweets, then dry patch. By this time you should see a dramatic difference in the bore it self and your patches should be much cleaner.
You do not want to use J-B compound every time you clean the bore, because it is a mild abrasive compound. But you can use every couple or few hundred round, when the fouling builds up enough to warrent it's use.
03-04-2002, 07:42 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: HELP!! Copper fouling
I used to clean a rifle the same way. When I finally started using Sweets and Barnes Copper Cutter, I found out that all my barrels were majorly coppered up from years of running Hoppes with a brush, then dry patching until the patchs are clean. Every time I shoot most of my guns it takes me a about 1/2 hour of repeated, sweets (scrub for 30 strokes), two dry patchs, sweets again, and two dry patchs. I repeat this until all green and blue is gone. This especially applies to the magnum calibers. Make sure to get out all that sweets. That stuff will etch your barrel.
But recently, I have started using this stuff called Wipe Out. Its like shaving cream almost and will not etch your barrel. After shooting, I will spray this stuff in the barrel and leave for 15 minutes. I will then get out all the powder fouling and black stuff. I will then spray in again, and put a patch on both ends of the barrel and leave overnight. In the morning, wipe out with dry patchs. You won't beleive the copper fouling that comes out. I then will do the CR-10 or Sweets test by scrubbing with a saturated patch to see if any blue/green is still on the patch. If still alot, I will spray the wipe out in again and let sit for 4 to five more hours. If just a trace, I will finish cleaning out with sweets. The stuff works without all that scrubbing. I am a big believer that the less amount of scrubbing the better. My smith showed me several barrels that he's took off from damage to the throat from cleaning rods. So I also am a huge beleiver in a bore guide and coated full length cleaning rod. I was shocked how wrong I was cleaning all those years. I also do the J-B thing every 150 or so rounds.
But recently, I have started using this stuff called Wipe Out. Its like shaving cream almost and will not etch your barrel. After shooting, I will spray this stuff in the barrel and leave for 15 minutes. I will then get out all the powder fouling and black stuff. I will then spray in again, and put a patch on both ends of the barrel and leave overnight. In the morning, wipe out with dry patchs. You won't beleive the copper fouling that comes out. I then will do the CR-10 or Sweets test by scrubbing with a saturated patch to see if any blue/green is still on the patch. If still alot, I will spray the wipe out in again and let sit for 4 to five more hours. If just a trace, I will finish cleaning out with sweets. The stuff works without all that scrubbing. I am a big believer that the less amount of scrubbing the better. My smith showed me several barrels that he's took off from damage to the throat from cleaning rods. So I also am a huge beleiver in a bore guide and coated full length cleaning rod. I was shocked how wrong I was cleaning all those years. I also do the J-B thing every 150 or so rounds.
03-04-2002, 08:50 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wabash, IN
Posts: 826
RE: HELP!! Copper fouling
Terry,
Good advice above. Hoppes is worthless on a really coppered barrel. I went through several 3 hour cleaning sessions trying to get the copper out of an old Model 100 Winchester I picked up. It was a real pain to finally get right.
You will definitely need a strong copper solvent to get the job done - Sweets 7.62 or the Barnes CR-10 worked really well for me. Get a chamber plug, some nylon bore brushes and about 1/2 dozen bore mops for the job. Clean the barrel like you normally do with a regular solvent and then go after the copper according the the instructions on the Sweets or CR-10. Plus, in between the dry patches, saturate one of the mops with the Sweets and pump it in & out of the barrel a dozen times until it really starts making some blue foam - hit it with the nylon brush again and then dry patch.
For bad fouling, this will have to be repeated multiple times & probably on multiple days. Then, if it doesn't look like much progress is being made, it is time to break out the J-B Bore Paste. Dry the barrel well and then apply the paste to a patch and run it up & down through the bore with a tight jag 10 to 15 times without stopping. Then clean it well with your normal solvent, dry patch it & repeat the process. After this, you can run a patch of Sweets through the bore to see if you pick up any copper - more than likely it will be clean as a whistle.
Once you get the bore this clean, it is easy to maintain. Use your regular cleaner as always and then use the Sweets or CR-10 (according to their directions) a couple of times and it will be clean & ready to go.
You'll be amazed at how much better the gun will shoot after getting all the copper out! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Good advice above. Hoppes is worthless on a really coppered barrel. I went through several 3 hour cleaning sessions trying to get the copper out of an old Model 100 Winchester I picked up. It was a real pain to finally get right.
You will definitely need a strong copper solvent to get the job done - Sweets 7.62 or the Barnes CR-10 worked really well for me. Get a chamber plug, some nylon bore brushes and about 1/2 dozen bore mops for the job. Clean the barrel like you normally do with a regular solvent and then go after the copper according the the instructions on the Sweets or CR-10. Plus, in between the dry patches, saturate one of the mops with the Sweets and pump it in & out of the barrel a dozen times until it really starts making some blue foam - hit it with the nylon brush again and then dry patch.
For bad fouling, this will have to be repeated multiple times & probably on multiple days. Then, if it doesn't look like much progress is being made, it is time to break out the J-B Bore Paste. Dry the barrel well and then apply the paste to a patch and run it up & down through the bore with a tight jag 10 to 15 times without stopping. Then clean it well with your normal solvent, dry patch it & repeat the process. After this, you can run a patch of Sweets through the bore to see if you pick up any copper - more than likely it will be clean as a whistle.
Once you get the bore this clean, it is easy to maintain. Use your regular cleaner as always and then use the Sweets or CR-10 (according to their directions) a couple of times and it will be clean & ready to go.
You'll be amazed at how much better the gun will shoot after getting all the copper out! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
03-04-2002, 11:04 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: McMinnville Oregon USA
Posts: 214
RE: HELP!! Copper fouling
Greets,
thanks for the advice, looks like it'l be another trip to the gun shop *G*. I have the brush, actually I will prob pic up another nylon brush in .30 cal to use with the sweets, and I need to get the solvent, sweets or CR-10 wichever is least expensive. I also will get a few bore swabs, I didnt know they made em for rifles, figured that was just a shotgun thing.
thabnks again!
Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry
thanks for the advice, looks like it'l be another trip to the gun shop *G*. I have the brush, actually I will prob pic up another nylon brush in .30 cal to use with the sweets, and I need to get the solvent, sweets or CR-10 wichever is least expensive. I also will get a few bore swabs, I didnt know they made em for rifles, figured that was just a shotgun thing.
thabnks again!
Just my uneducated opinion!
Terry
03-04-2002, 11:39 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
RE: HELP!! Copper fouling
Now, for another tip. Using a brush with sweets or CR-10 will kinda ruin that brush. Your brush will turn blue. So when you try to use again, it will put that blue/green back in your barrel and make you thing the barrel is dirty.
