Brass in the Barrel

I

iMagUdspEllr

New member
I am trying to learn how to get a truly clean barrel. I was content with some Hoppes, scrubbing with a bronze bore brush, and then pushing patches through until the barrel was clean. However, when I actually took a flashlight to the barrel the barrel wasn't so sparkling clean as I thought the barrel was.

I can clearly see that the grooves in the barrel are gray in color (lead? I only shoot jacketed bullets) and only the top of the lands seem to be bare metal (clean). And, the other interesting thing is the brass from the brush seems to collect right where the grooves and lands in the rifling meet (and on my Glock on the "slope" from groove to land). I have CLP, M-Pro 7, and some Outers gun cleaner. The M-Pro says it should remove copper fouling... but not brass "fouling" which... unfortunately builds up when I use brass brushes. I run dry patches through the barrel in order to ensure the solvents I use don't eat my brass brushes... but it seems the brass deposits in the barrel anyway.

How do you guys get the barrel to look like it was never shot before? The stuff I have doesn't seem to remove the lead from the grooves (well... it is dull gray so I assume it is lead). And, when I use a brass brush the brass just gets deposited throughout the barrel... and I don't have any "brass solvents" unless the M-Pro 7 is a copper AND brass solvent.

In any case my barrels definitely aren't as clean as I think they should be and I would like to know how you guys get your barrel completely clean.

Thank you for your responses in advance.
 
C

chack

Moderator
most likely what you are seeing is the green corrosion of the copper jacket.

There is a simple homemade eletrical cleaner that you can make which basically electroplates copper onto a thick wire in the center of the barrel. The copper is taken from deposits in the barrel.

I've never used it, but the folks who have swear its awesome, costs about $8 to make, and can be used hundreds of times on a multitude of weapon.

A caution though, getting your barrel too clean will decrease accuracy.
 
I

iMagUdspEllr

New member
Thanks for the very fast response, chack. It doesn't appear to be green and I rule out that what I am seeing is truly from the jacket of the bullet because I see more collect after I use a bronze bore brush. So I'm confident that the metal from the bore brush is being deposited along the barrel.

But, if getting a barrel too clean decreases the accuracy then I guess I don't have to worry about getting a barrel THAT clean anyway.

Thanks again for the fast response.
 
O

orionengnr

New member
Do a search for "Chore Boy" copper scrubber.

For my money, the least invasive/most effective mechanical bore cleaner.
 
R

rodfac

New member
Be careful with "Chore Boy"; the samples I've checked were steel coated with copper..use a magnet to check.

That said, most of the damage done to firearm's barrels is accomplished during cleaning. When done from the muzzle (as is necessary when cleaning revolvers), any contact between the cleaning rod and the muzzle will result in damage to the crown...fatal over time to accuracy. To avoid that guide your rod with your finger tips or use a bore guide. The rod pics up particles of grit like sandpaper and will abrade the crown...especially the cheap aluminum rods most of us use.

Get a good Dewey or similar, steel rod coated with plastic and be sure to guide it when entering the muzzle and while cleaning.

If you're obsessed with getting the very last vestiges of copper out of the bore, try one of the dedicated chemical removers...Sweet's 7.62 or Hoppe's Copper out comes to mind but I don't use them often. (read the directions carefuly - they WILL ruin a barrel if used incorrectly). An abrasive like JB Bore paste or the similar Remington product will do as well, but they are abrasive and the caution about muzzle wear comes to mind again.

BTW, a light copper wash in the bore is not detrimental to accuracy, even with lead alloy bullets.

Most of the armed service teams at Camp Perry, clean with a Hoppes' type cleaner, brushed through the bore half a dozen times to get the powder residue out, then dry patch, leaving a thin film of Hoppe's to protect overnight. I've done this for years, and found no zero change for the first shot, helpful for hunting in wet conditions!

To save your bore brushes, rinse them in WD 40 or mineral spirits. BTW, brass (if that's what it is in your bores) is an alloy of copper and tin. Any of the copper removers will get at it.

For lead, I use the Lewis Lead Remover, as do most of the Camp Perry pistol competitors. For a cursory cleaning to remove lead, you can shoot full house jacketed ammunition through the bore and it will take most of it out. As I'm sure you know, Glocks and lead don't mix per factory instructions, but you'll get differing opinions here on the forum.

Good luck and don't spent all night cleaning...Rod
 
Last edited:
2

243winxb

New member
I hate to clean guns, so ......................

Hoppes needs to soak in the barrel to do its work. Run a wet patch into the barrel every couple of days, till its time to go shooting again. Then dry patch. Rinse the brass brush in 91% Isopropyl Alcohol after use. Cheap and available at all drug stores. For long term storage of the firearms, use Break Free CLP, same as used by the military.
 
O

oneounceload

Moderator
For revolvers, you can also use the lead-out kits (Lewis Lead Remover) -I have used that with success to get stubborn deposits from my revolver
 
D

Dfariswheel

New member
Cleaning brushes are phosphor bronze, an alloy of copper.

To clean the barrel thoroughly and find out if it's just fouled or the barrel is degrading, use a solvent and a NEW cleaning brush to brush the bore about 15 to 20 passes. That's all the way through the bore and out the end before pulling it back.

Then, depending on the solvent you use, either run two soaked patches through and let soak for 30 minutes, then dry and inspect.
Or, after brushing and running one wet patch through, drop the barrel in a narrow jar and fill with Hoppe's #9.
Let soak 24 hours.

Or, you can try a more aggressive solvent like Sweet's 7.62 or one of the new foaming copper removing solvents.
READ THE LABEL. Some of these solvents can damage the metal if left in too long.
 
E

excelerater

Moderator
hoppes and a bore snake clean any bore I own
for really dity bores I toss the barrel in my auto parts washer and
use a bore brush...Its not rocket science its cleaning metal
 
B

bluetopper

New member
The only thing that ever goes in my handgun barrels is very light weight oil (diesel, yes diesel fuel), patches and well fitting cast lead bullets that I reload. My barrels stay mirror bright. Powder residue is really all that ever needs cleaning out.
 
J

jfrey

New member
JB bore paste does work well for stubborn deposits. For copper in a barrel, I use CR-10. Swab it, let it soak for 10 minutes and patch it out. If necessary repeat. When through, swab barrel with Hoppes #9 or similiar solvent and patch dry. Copper in a pistol barrel might not be too big a thing but it will destroy accuracy in a rifle barrel. Ask anyone who owns a .220 Swift or .257 Roberts. If you have heavy lead deposits in a barrel, plug the muzzle end and fill it with Shooter's Choice over night. The next day it will come right out with a brush. I also like Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. It will take most everything out of your barrel but sometimes it takes two applications for really stubborn stuff. Soap up your barrel really well with Hoppe's Elite jel and it will get most all the stuff but the copper.

Hope this helps.
 
D

Don Glock

Moderator
i assume you're only referring to a handgun, since this is the handgun forum. you'll always have copper fowling, and you will never notice any accuracy difference if you scrub the hell out of it with some expensive copper fowling remover.

clean with CLP, and put it away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top