What's the best solvent to remove copper fouling??

27% Ammonia followed by a bronze brush followed by a couple of patches doused in rubbing alcohol.

Bbear said:

27% Ammonia followed by a bronze brush followed by a couple of patches doused in rubbing alcohol.

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Doesn't the ammonia turn the bronze brushes blue? The bronze phosphor brushes I used before turned blue, and gave a false positive that copper was in the barrel. I have since changed to nylon brushes only, and make sure they don't have brass in them.

Another question. Im currently using sweets 7.62, Montana copper cream and ol' hopes #9. Yesterday I cleaned the rifle in need which is a new bergera rifle in 30-06. I cleaned it for about an hour rotating between the 3 and I did get alot of copper out and it appears cleaning isn't doing much more. Now, there still are copper lines in the barrel. At what point do you call it good? I know that some copper in the barrel is just fine. Should I be good or should I try another cleaner or continue?

Bbear said:

27% Ammonia followed by a bronze brush followed by a couple of patches doused in rubbing alcohol.

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What do you mix the ammonia for the 27%

Joefrazell said:

Another question. Im currently using sweets 7.62, Montana copper cream and ol' hopes #9. Yesterday I cleaned the rifle in need which is a new bergera rifle in 30-06. I cleaned it for about an hour rotating between the 3 and I did get alot of copper out and it appears cleaning isn't doing much more. Now, there still are copper lines in the barrel. At what point do you call it good? I know that some copper in the barrel is just fine. Should I be good or should I try another cleaner or continue?

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Sounds more than good to me.That fine layer of copper out at the end of the bore is probably not an issue at all. You can clean them too much. It might take 6 to 10 shots now to bring the groups and POI back. I try not to get everything out of the barrel every cleaning. Just need to get a feel for how much to clean it. Those 10 rounds, everytime you clean just to get back to POI and tight groups can get expensive.

The reason Im doing this is I'm having some accuracy issus with the rifle. Bergera said to clean the copper out and see if that helps. I did get alot and will try again. I've yet to find a consistent moa load for it.

Joefrazell said:

The reason Im doing this is I'm having some accuracy issus with the rifle. Bergera said to clean the copper out and see if that helps. I did get alot and will try again. I've yet to find a consistent moa load for it.

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I would get some JB Bore Past off of Amazon and clean the bore with it until the copper you are seeing is gone. The JB will probably remove it with one patch. It will remove it easily and quickly. See the vid below on how to use.

That should get rid of the copper in the barrel. Then Bergera will have to come up with another excuse. Good luck.

Barrelnut said:

What do you mix the ammonia for the 27%

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Ammonia hydroxide - basically pure ammonia mixed with water. The alcohol stops the negative aspects (bore etching etc). Yes, the bronze brushes do show up with the blue signs of copper, that's why I scope it after cleaning.

I only do this treatment when a bore gets really coppered up and I want to start over. The last one I did this to was one of my 25-06's. I'd clean with a variety of aforementioned cleaning solutions then check it with the scope after each one. The ammonia hydroxide was the last one and took all of the copper out.
After a 'normal' cleaning it would take 4-6 rounds to bring it back into accuracy. After this thorough cleaning, it took 24.

Pro shot for copper. Hoppes elite for carbon.

FEENIX said:

I still use Hoppes 9, it's like a manly Chanel 5.

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My wife thinks it's cologne.

Non Foam wipe out along with its accelerator.

You only need to manage the copper. If your rifle isn't shooting MOA there are many many other possible reasons why ? Bench technics,weather, shooter skills.

Iron Worker said:

You only need to manage the copper. If your rifle isn't shooting MOA there are many many other possible reasons why ? Bench technics,weather, shooter skills.

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That's not realistically accurate. Carbon fouling in the first 3-6" of your bore can easily build up to dangerous create some serious pressure problems.

Len had a very good thread on the subject a few months back.

Iron Worker said:

You only need to manage the copper. If your rifle isn't shooting MOA there are many many other possible reasons why ? Bench technics,weather, shooter skills.

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WildRose said:

That's not realistically accurate. Carbon fouling in the first 3-6" of your bore can easily build up to dangerous create some serious pressure problems.

Len had a very good thread on the subject a few months back.

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Not trying to put words in Iron Worker's mouth, I think he might mean you only need to "manage" it (to a certain level), and not completely remove it. But as you said, the carbon fouling is critical too. Most people don't realize how important it is to remove the carbon fouling too or that it even exists in their barrel.

I'm a bit surprised that no one mentioned Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. I've used it a bunch here in the last year and it always scrubs that sucker clean as a whistle! Any time I've got a rifle that doesn't want to come clean I use that stuff and it gets everything.