Get the copper out!

Ksmirk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
261
Location
Oklahoma City, Ok
Ok fella's I am about to run out of my copper cleaner (no names) and was looking to purchase some more but well after I started looking there are like 2.5 million new products out there! some I have never heard of and some I've heard of but have not had any dealings with so I'm hoping that you guys might lend me a hand with what you have found to work good for you.

First off my shooting is mainly at the range or shooting pasture maggots with rifles from .172 - .243 (.338 in the future ;-)) I have seen stuff from Bore Tech, Gunslick, Hoppe's, KG, Montana X-treme, and Shooters Choice! I'm a big time Hoppe's #9 fan but sometimes you need a little more to get the job done so fella's what has worked for ya? I was told to try some of the Montana X-treme 50BMG that would be the ticket but never used any of the stuff so your help would be great! Later,

Kirk
 
Personal experience with Wipeout w/o accelerator and Warthog.

Wipeout for overnight thorough copper removal.

Warthog for quick copper remove during a shooting session.

No personal experience w/Montana Extreme or 50 BMG but I'm gonna give 'em a try one of these days.
 
Wipeout (with accelerator) is the best I've used...but be careful, it can dissolve stock finish (and other stuff laying around), and the acclerator will leak out of any tight-lid container once it's unsealed.

The accelerator needs to be carefully packed in upright position in original bottle during transport. I haven't been able pack it in airline luggage (even in original re-sealed bottle) without it leaking into the double Zip-Lock bag I sealed the bottle in for safety.:mad:
 
For a quick cleaning I prefer Montana Extreme 50BMG (they call it Copper Killer now I believe). Strongest copper solvent I've used to date and I've used most everything out there.

If time is not an issue I like to squirt some Wipeout in my barrel and leave it overnight.

Keep in mind that cleaning for copper fouling is best done after cleaning for powder fouling. For powder I prefer MPro-7 or a mixture of Shooters Choice and Kroil (75% SC to 25% Kroil).

You can find some good info on barrel cleaning here:

Bore Cleaning Method
 
PS: Warthog is super for powder fouling. The first patch gets pretty much all of it. Then with a smooth barrel after about 4 more patches its clean. Also, on a Q-tip its great for cleaning the brake. Better/faster/less smelly, actually no smell at all, than GEMTC.
 
Never tried some of the stuff being talked about, but I have used Sweets 7.62, Shooter's Choice, and Butches Bores Shine (better than Shooters Choice in my Rifles), and nothing holds a candle to KG 12 for pure getting the copper out with little effort and nominal time. Put it in with a couple of wet patches, let it soak for 5-7 minutes, patch it out. It's got no ammonia in it and you don't need to do anything to "turn it off."

JeffVN
 
Thanks fella's! most of the time I hit the bore with Hoppe's #9 then go back with the Sweet's but times seem to have been a changing around me and if there is a better way I'd sure like to find it! when were out shooting p-dogs we stop every so often and swab out the barrels (normally not enough) and anything to do to shorten that time is more time shooting and with gas going up like crazy and my gas mileage not getting better the trips are getting further and further apart so you see my point I hope. Thought I'd hit you guys up and see what the world has been using but keep it coming I should have done a poll :) Later,

Kirk
 
I have had good luck with the 50 BMG but it is difficult to find where I live and found it quite expensive.

If any of you have ever smelled 50 BMG, you will note the obvious STRONG ammonia odor. Of all of the copper solvents that I have used, the stronger the ammonia odor, the better they work. This put me to work looking for sources of ammonia to make my own solvent.

First off, the stuff in the grocery store is only about 2-3% ammonia and is too dilute to be of any use. After a little online searching, I found a source for 28% ammonia from a chemical supply wharehouse. 10 fluid ounces of water, 1 ounce of hand dishwashing detergent as a surfactant, and 8 ounces of 28% ammonia clean better than anything I have found for sale. Another great thing is that one gallon of the ammonia cost me about 40 bucks with shipping. Needless to say, that will make a hell of a lot of copper solvent.

Just a note of caution, in high concentrations, ammonia is hygroscopic and can attract water from the air so dont leave it in the bore over night.
 
I do a quick patch clean with Hoppe's #9 to get the loose stuff out, followed by a couple soakings of Wipeout Patch Out and Accelerator. Most of the time this is all it takes and is a pretty easy task with these products. For stubborn copper fouling, I use Montana Xtreme Copper Killer 50 BMG afterwards. I like the Montana Xtreme better than the Sweets or Barnes.
 
I do a rough clean out with hoppe's and then let Wipeout sit overnight. It works the best out of what I've tried. It really saves you from making 100-150 passes with the brush.
 
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