bore solvent
- Thread starter luke5678
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Broz
Well-Known Member
specweldtom
Well-Known Member
It's hard for me to change, but about a year ago, I started using Butch's Bore Shine and after getting clean dry patches, following it with RustePruf. RustePruf is a very mild copper and powder solvent, and a light film can be left in a chrome-moly bore as a rust preventer.
Dan Lilja recommends the Butch's.
The combination works for keeping a bore clean without being so aggressive that it has to be "seasoned" again after cleaning.
Tom
Dan Lilja recommends the Butch's.
The combination works for keeping a bore clean without being so aggressive that it has to be "seasoned" again after cleaning.
Tom
Re: Best Bore Solvents
I'm late to this party, but I've used a number of different bore cleaners over the years, and at this point in time, prefer KG Products KG-1 solely for carbon, and Bore Tech's CU+2 solely for copper. The two best products I've used that remove both carbon and copper are Bore Tech Eliminator and Wipe Out. If time is not of the essence, foam the bore with Wipe Out and 12 hours later my bores will typically be copper free. The Bore Tech Eliminator will clean the bores faster than Wipe Out if time is critical, but will require more applications, swabbing, active cleaning time, and attention.
I've repeatedly tested Bore Tech Eliminator versus CU+2 down several of my rifle bores. After the Bore Tech Eliminator patches were starting to come pretty clean, I'd patch the bore with CU+2, and suddenly the patches would turn notably darker blue again. My conclusion: the CU+2 is somewhat more efficient at copper removal than Bore Tech Eliminator.
KG-12 also works pretty darn good for copper removal, but I rate it behind the Bore Tech products because it's so hard to tell if all the copper's been removed - shy of examination with a bore scope. The culprit/problem is that KG-12 is a yellow cleaning solvent, and the patches don't turn blue like the Bore Tech products when removing copper. They turn from lighter yellow to darker yellow/light orange. And my eyes aren't good enough to calibrate between those shades of yellow to know when the copper is gone when using KG-12 for copper removal. In addition, I can confirm several experiments/experiences similar to MontanaRifleman's. I've followed up behind KG-12 cleaned bores that I felt were copper free with both Bore Tech Eliminator and Bore Tech CU+2 products, and received blue stained patches, indicating the Bore Tech products were removing some residual copper. Not a heavy blue staining by any means. But the Bore Tech products did remove some additional copper fouling that I'd missed with the KG-12 copper removing solvent.
If I was restricted to the use of two bore cleaning products, my current picks would be KG-1 for carbon and CU+2 for copper. CU+2 has proven slightly more efficient on copper than Bore Tech Eliminator, in my testing. I also like the CU+2 for the reasons mentioned by Broz. Doesn't dry sticky and can be left in the bore as a corrosion preventative until ready to go shoot again. I can't comment on whether or not CU+2 improves consistency of clean bore impacts down range. But Broz shoots a butt-load of bullets down range. He'd know if there's something to it - at least out of his barrels/rifles.
If I was restricted to one bore cleaning product, it would be Bore Tech Eliminator, because at times I have the need to get a bore cleaned and return it to action in short order. Wipe Out is a great one application product if you can afford to leave the bore soaked overnight.
I can't imagine anyone being too disappointed purchasing and using these products.
I'm late to this party, but I've used a number of different bore cleaners over the years, and at this point in time, prefer KG Products KG-1 solely for carbon, and Bore Tech's CU+2 solely for copper. The two best products I've used that remove both carbon and copper are Bore Tech Eliminator and Wipe Out. If time is not of the essence, foam the bore with Wipe Out and 12 hours later my bores will typically be copper free. The Bore Tech Eliminator will clean the bores faster than Wipe Out if time is critical, but will require more applications, swabbing, active cleaning time, and attention.
I've repeatedly tested Bore Tech Eliminator versus CU+2 down several of my rifle bores. After the Bore Tech Eliminator patches were starting to come pretty clean, I'd patch the bore with CU+2, and suddenly the patches would turn notably darker blue again. My conclusion: the CU+2 is somewhat more efficient at copper removal than Bore Tech Eliminator.
KG-12 also works pretty darn good for copper removal, but I rate it behind the Bore Tech products because it's so hard to tell if all the copper's been removed - shy of examination with a bore scope. The culprit/problem is that KG-12 is a yellow cleaning solvent, and the patches don't turn blue like the Bore Tech products when removing copper. They turn from lighter yellow to darker yellow/light orange. And my eyes aren't good enough to calibrate between those shades of yellow to know when the copper is gone when using KG-12 for copper removal. In addition, I can confirm several experiments/experiences similar to MontanaRifleman's. I've followed up behind KG-12 cleaned bores that I felt were copper free with both Bore Tech Eliminator and Bore Tech CU+2 products, and received blue stained patches, indicating the Bore Tech products were removing some residual copper. Not a heavy blue staining by any means. But the Bore Tech products did remove some additional copper fouling that I'd missed with the KG-12 copper removing solvent.
If I was restricted to the use of two bore cleaning products, my current picks would be KG-1 for carbon and CU+2 for copper. CU+2 has proven slightly more efficient on copper than Bore Tech Eliminator, in my testing. I also like the CU+2 for the reasons mentioned by Broz. Doesn't dry sticky and can be left in the bore as a corrosion preventative until ready to go shoot again. I can't comment on whether or not CU+2 improves consistency of clean bore impacts down range. But Broz shoots a butt-load of bullets down range. He'd know if there's something to it - at least out of his barrels/rifles.
If I was restricted to one bore cleaning product, it would be Bore Tech Eliminator, because at times I have the need to get a bore cleaned and return it to action in short order. Wipe Out is a great one application product if you can afford to leave the bore soaked overnight.
I can't imagine anyone being too disappointed purchasing and using these products.
Last edited:
TracySes23
Well-Known Member
I've used nothing but Wipe-Out for the past 2 years. I always let it soak at least 12-15 hours. Works fine for me. However several different times after cleaning the old out, I applied it again for a 2nd soaking of 12-15 hours. Never did it show any sign of copper residue after the 2nd cleaning with a 12-15 hour soak. My logic tells me, if it cleaned copper out from the first soak, it would certainly do it the 2nd time if there was any copper left. How could it possibly clean out copper the 1st time and not the 2nd time if there is still any copper present?
Spencer
Spencer
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
I have not done some of the test like others have and can't argue with the results but I do believe that if you follow the instructions for the product you have it will give you better results.
Some products are very mild and some are very, very harsh and can not be left in the bore for very long without damaging the bore.
I have and use at least 4 different kinds of solvent for different reasons and needs.
I use the strongest when I am working on a barrel that Is badly fouled and I have the time to stay at it until it is clean. after it is clean I use a mild solvent to make sure that I don't leave any of the strong solvent left in the bore and then use a light oil for storage.
When I have more time or am breaking the barrel in and/or the bore is nor to bad I like to use something like the Butches bore shine Followed by some light oil for storage.
If I don't have the time at the end of a shooting session to clean the barrel quickly I use some Bore
Tec Eliminator because I can leave it over night without harming the barrel. (NOTE: It is only one of several solvents that can be left in the bore for storage).
So In My Opinion there are several choices of solvents that will perform well as long as they are used as directed. If you don't have a strict regiment of cleaning the same every time it may be necessary to use several different solvents to get the best results.
There are some solvents that I don't use because of there lack of performance when used as directed and the mess they make. For long term storage, after the barrel is clean and all bore solvent is removed, I use light oil or a rust preventive on stainless or chrome moly.
When a barrel is brought back into service I dry patch, clean with a mild solvent and lightly oil for the first shot.
This just my opinion and the way I use different solvents based on need and time.
J E CUSTOM
Damascus
Well-Known Member
Thought I'd throw my 2 cents in the pot here, and just give my experiences with the solvents that I've used myself (not read online reviews one), which is unfortunately quite limited as I clean lots of customer's barrels, and usually shy away from ordering a new product that I've never used...
I personally use Hoppes #9 for powder fouling removal with a guided bronze brush, then thoroughly dry the barrel and start with Sweets 762 or Barnes CR10, along with an aluminum nylon brush. After that I lightly scrub the throat with some JB (if I've shot a lot or I'm using a caliber that's hard on throats like a 6.5 or 105gr.+ 6mm), then I use Brownell's Friction Defense Xtreme to remove the JB and to protect the bore. It is extremely slick yet very thin, and migrates into the pores in the bore. I actually used to use Kroil for this, but switched to Brownell's last year.
I recently tried KG12, which seemed to work ok, but I didn't like it because it's nearly impossible to tell when it's removed all the copper, since the patch doesn't come out blue/green/purple.
I also recently tried M-Pro 7 copper remover, which like KG, is ammonia free and supposed to be harmless to bores, but unlike KG, it barely even touched the copper fouling! This was a waste of $10.
Sweet's 7.62 and Barnes CR10 are a lot alike, where Sweets is thicker like a gel, and Barnes is thin. The Barnes seems to me a bit more aggressive since the patches come out blue much quicker than the Sweets, but I believe its harsher on barrels, so I only use it on badly fouled bores.
Hoppe's Benchrest copper solvent, is another that I don't recommend. I've tried it using several different methods and techniques, and while it will remove some copper, I've never been able to get anywhere near all the copper.
Pro Shot Copper Solvent IV... this is what the local gun shop carries, and is supposed to be ammonia free and safe on bores, but like the Hoppe's, never could get it to attack all the copper.
Break Free foaming bore cleaner was given to me by a customer once to use on his barrel, and while not as aggressive as the ammonia based cleaners, I was suprised to see that it removed nearly all the copper... Not all, but most, certainly enough for most shooters. It took about 2 hours of soaking and nylon brush scrubbing twice to get here, so I cannot use it because of this time constraint.
Remington bore cleaner.. I use this on heavily leaded .22 LR barrels, as it is slightly abrasive and works well at scrubbing old lead out... Would I use it on my F class rifle's stainless Shilen select match barrel? NO! Of course not! lol
JB bore cleaning compound. I used to use this only on extremely fouled and/or pitted bores, and was always afraid to try it on my match rifles for fear that it would over-lap the throats and/or lands... But on my last .243 build, using a fast twist barrel and shooting very long 115gr. DTAC bullets, the throat would be heavily fouled with copper after as little as 15 shots! I quickly found that a snug patch with JB work excellent at removing this and polishing throats on new barrels! I don't usually run it down the entire length of the barrel, I only scrub the first 5" of rifling. This is where the Brownell's Friction Defense Xtreme comes in... Like Kroil, it creeps into the pores, cracks, and grooves of the bore, getting underneath copper allowing it to be easily knocked away with the JB. While I highly recommend JB, I also believe that without the use of a good bore guide, or a bore-sized 1 piece rod, JB could easily do more damage than good to a barrel by an overzealous shooter.
Hopefully, someone finds this information useful sometime.
I personally use Hoppes #9 for powder fouling removal with a guided bronze brush, then thoroughly dry the barrel and start with Sweets 762 or Barnes CR10, along with an aluminum nylon brush. After that I lightly scrub the throat with some JB (if I've shot a lot or I'm using a caliber that's hard on throats like a 6.5 or 105gr.+ 6mm), then I use Brownell's Friction Defense Xtreme to remove the JB and to protect the bore. It is extremely slick yet very thin, and migrates into the pores in the bore. I actually used to use Kroil for this, but switched to Brownell's last year.
I recently tried KG12, which seemed to work ok, but I didn't like it because it's nearly impossible to tell when it's removed all the copper, since the patch doesn't come out blue/green/purple.
I also recently tried M-Pro 7 copper remover, which like KG, is ammonia free and supposed to be harmless to bores, but unlike KG, it barely even touched the copper fouling! This was a waste of $10.
Sweet's 7.62 and Barnes CR10 are a lot alike, where Sweets is thicker like a gel, and Barnes is thin. The Barnes seems to me a bit more aggressive since the patches come out blue much quicker than the Sweets, but I believe its harsher on barrels, so I only use it on badly fouled bores.
Hoppe's Benchrest copper solvent, is another that I don't recommend. I've tried it using several different methods and techniques, and while it will remove some copper, I've never been able to get anywhere near all the copper.
Pro Shot Copper Solvent IV... this is what the local gun shop carries, and is supposed to be ammonia free and safe on bores, but like the Hoppe's, never could get it to attack all the copper.
Break Free foaming bore cleaner was given to me by a customer once to use on his barrel, and while not as aggressive as the ammonia based cleaners, I was suprised to see that it removed nearly all the copper... Not all, but most, certainly enough for most shooters. It took about 2 hours of soaking and nylon brush scrubbing twice to get here, so I cannot use it because of this time constraint.
Remington bore cleaner.. I use this on heavily leaded .22 LR barrels, as it is slightly abrasive and works well at scrubbing old lead out... Would I use it on my F class rifle's stainless Shilen select match barrel? NO! Of course not! lol
JB bore cleaning compound. I used to use this only on extremely fouled and/or pitted bores, and was always afraid to try it on my match rifles for fear that it would over-lap the throats and/or lands... But on my last .243 build, using a fast twist barrel and shooting very long 115gr. DTAC bullets, the throat would be heavily fouled with copper after as little as 15 shots! I quickly found that a snug patch with JB work excellent at removing this and polishing throats on new barrels! I don't usually run it down the entire length of the barrel, I only scrub the first 5" of rifling. This is where the Brownell's Friction Defense Xtreme comes in... Like Kroil, it creeps into the pores, cracks, and grooves of the bore, getting underneath copper allowing it to be easily knocked away with the JB. While I highly recommend JB, I also believe that without the use of a good bore guide, or a bore-sized 1 piece rod, JB could easily do more damage than good to a barrel by an overzealous shooter.
Hopefully, someone finds this information useful sometime.
When the Barnes CR10 product first came out, the instructions lacked the warning now placed on the product, about not leaving the product in the bore for longer than 10-15 minutes. In fact, the advertising on the bottles stated is was completely safe and not harmful to the barrel. This was in the day when strong ammonia based cleaners were hitting the market, and it wasn't yet common knowledge (at least to me) that ammonia attracts moisture and will corrode the barrels if left in the bore for any length of time. The higher the ammonia concentration, the more agressive the solution is at removing copper, but the harsher on steel when left in the bore. I'm sure this is the reason that for many years, ammonia based bore cleaning solutions were diluted to lesser ammonia concentrations.
As a consequence of the instructions claiming absolutely safe - will not damage bores in the slightest - I severely corroded the bore on a factory Win M70 7mm Mauser chrome moly barrel. I mean the bore was grown in with corrosion like hoar frost. Surprisingly, the barrel still shoots pretty well. But I had to fire bullets down the bore to scrap away the corrosion. Bronze brushes wouldn't touch it.
My last use of the CR10 product was on a stainless Lilja barrel. I proceeded much more cautiously, but again, despite the instructions stating that the product was completely safe on rifle bores, I observed a slight corrosion film building on the bore surface. Just enough to notice. How's that saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
This was many years ago. Back in the mid-90s. Just last month I gave that bottle of CR10 to a co-worker, who knows not to leave CR10 in the bore for any length of time, and to flush the product out of the bore after use.
Barnes later included the warning statement which remains on the product to this day, to not leave CR10 product in the bore for any longer than ~15 minutes. The warning came too late for me. The M70 7mm Mauser is now a salt water deer hunting rifle, which I leave down on Kodiak Island. The salt water isn't any more corrosive than Barnes CR10.
Bore Tech Eliminator and Bore Tech CR+2 have never damaged any of my bores, and they clean just as effectively as the potentially damaging ammonia-based copper removing bore cleaners.
Exactly my bore cleaning regime - ONLY FOR COPPER. But I struggle to get all the powder fouling out of my barrels. For carbon, I agree with Tony Boyer and use JB or Iosso frequently. It still takes a lot of scrubbing.
Hired Gun
Well-Known Member
JB Bore Paste is the best barrel cleaner ever made. Not! It removes barrel steel with the same zest as any other fouling. It's abrasive and makes no distinction between barrel steel or any other fouling. The best part about it is it has been a boon to the barrel makers and gunsmiths alike. I think we should include a giant tube of that stuff with every barrel. Easy money.
Sully2
Well-Known Member
Patch-Out is what I normally use
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Get yourself some Drano crysrals. Thats sodium hydroxide. Goot shitte eater and tirlet paper eater too......
We use alot of the Very lube "professional gun cleaning foam". Its easy to use and works great. Plus if you can understand Czech you can read the instructions! It has the name here in the shop as "Chernobyl foam" 
Chris
Benchmark Barrels
Chris
Benchmark Barrels
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
I've pulled a lot of aluminum and light alloy deposits from snowmobile jugs (when the operator in search of ultimate power leaned it out too much and stuck a piston)...common on high performance 2 strokes with sodium hydroxide pellets made into a paste with distilled water.
