Weapons in the war against copper in rifling - time?

[Battler]

I've been using shooter's choice, switched back to hoppes (only hoppes benchrest copper-cleaner). I leave it wet with hoppes as per directions after I get it clean as I can, and reclean the next day, and usually get more out.

While cleaning (pass 1) a different gun, I passed a wet patch through a FAL I had not used for a couple of weeks. It came out pretty blue (rusted copper)! I'm pretty sure this rifle had been finished off weeks before with the clean clp-soaked boresnake before storage, yet the copper had clearly come loose with time.

I mean, you can scrub 'til blue in the face, and not get the copper out the same as waiting for hoppes to sink in, or maybe just pure time.

I'm sure there are aggressive cleaner products out there that can take it out the day you shot it; but is waiting an effective substitute?


Battler.

 

[SAWBONES]

Hi Battler;
As you doubtless know, you'll NEVER get it ALL out.
Fortunately, you don't have to, in order to have good accuracy & precision.
If you want to try some alternative approaches, however, use Sweet's 7.62 bore cleaner (high ammonia content, soak barrel for only 10-15 minutes, NOT overnight) or try electroloytic cleaning, wherein you fill the barrel with electrolyte and run current through to allow free copper ions to dissolve in solution. Outers makes an inexpensive kit of this type, about $50, IIRC, from Brownells. Best.

 

[Steve Smith]

Try Sweet's. Leave it in for 15 minutes, then run another wet patch down to moisten things up again. Follow with dry patches.

 

[Battler]

Sawbone:

Does that outers kit work with gas guns? (I figure it'd be tricky to plug up a semi).



Funny thing about copper, I can never really see it. What's a good way of looking into the barrel? I usually reflect light off a patch, or in a boltaction look straight down the barrel but I always see clean shiny silver. Even with that orange J-shaped fiberoptic thingy that comes with an Otis kit I can't see any gunge; but THAT also hides light.

The only evidence of copper in there is when I can fish out a blue patch at a subsequent date. Of course, after this has happened, I know that the prior clean didn't get it all!


Battler.

 

[Gromit]

Try some Forrest Foaming Bore Cleaner:

http://www.lockstock.com/cart/webca...ng+Bore+Cleaner&ZN=TEXT&CODE=333465&ITEM=4538

You spray it (its like shaving creme) into the barrel, wait 15 minutes, then run clean patches until the barrel is clean. It is a VERY aggressive on copper fouling, yet is non-toxic and safe on gun finishes. The other advantage is that you do not use a bore brush, keeping wear of your barrel rifling to a minimum.

I believe British snipers are issued this cleaner with their Accuracy International rifles and are told not to clean their barrels the traditional way by scrubbing away with a bore brush.

 

[Art Eatman]

Out of curiosity, Battler, did you happen to look at the bore of the FAL before running the patch through? Did it look as shiny as when you had finished cleaning it two weeks before?

Art

 

[Battler]

No, I didn't look at it first.

(I'm pretty sure I didn't leave hoppes in it though - at any rate the bore is still good/not pitted).

Why? Does the corroded copper become visible?


Battler.