Copper removal from used gun

[ajkellerusmc]

Boretech is the best I have used to get out the copper then I dry out the bore with starting fluid on a few patches. I spray off gun parts with it as well, dries in seconds and leaves zero residue, We cleaned aircraft parts/components out in the field with this stuff, brake cleaner sucks. Then I oil the bore for storage.

 

[Eagleye242]

For copper, KG 12 is very hard to beat. However, as mentioned already, you may not
actually have a copper problem. Dave.

 

[Just a hunter]

Believe it or not, I used KB 12 to start with and it wouldn't remove it. It surprised me because I have never had an issue with the KG 12 not removing copper before. The Sweet's did the trick though. With that being said, I could have probably left the KG in there a while longer and gotten the copper out. I really like the KG products.

 

[leo williams]

I would give Sweet's a go. Leave it in once foamed up with a LOOSE patch or nylon brush, for 15 minutes. Do this several times if blue keeps coming out.
Follow by JB to get any remaining carbon under where the copper was.
Always swab out with alcohol based solvent like Methylated spirits after using Sweet's.
Always swab out with a Petroleum based solvent after using JB. I like Carbie Kleen or Brake Kleen.
Follow with a LIGHT coat of oil, but NEVER shoot a rifle with an oily bore/chamber.
Swab them out before shooting.

Cheers.

Get SharpShoot-R "Wipe Out Patch Out". Best on the market IMO. Very little effort involved and it conditions the metal. You can leave it in without fear of damage. I can send you some if you want.

 

[Veteran]

A lot of these suggestions are good ones. I had a used rifle I bought and here are before and after pictures.
I found both Boretech CU 2+ and Montana Extreme work well. Shown in the pictures are before and after bore from borescope and blue colored patches. I like to patch it out using carbon cleaner or bore cleaner like a Hoppes 9 1st, then

I like to plug the muzzle end with foam earplugs and set barrel in a pan with barrel end with plugs down in the pan, then fill with a funnel these copper removers, being careful not to get any in the breach or chamber. Soak 15 minutes.

I then patch it out dry. Then I patch it out with 2-3 soaked patches of pure rubbing alcohol and then use regular Hoppes again to
patch carbon out 1 more time til clean and dry. See attached pictures. Make sure to patch it out with liberal alcohol after using these copper cleaners.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Get SharpShoot-R "Wipe Out Patch Out". Best on the market IMO. Very little effort involved and it conditions the metal. You can leave it in without fear of damage. I can send you some if you want.

Thanks for the offer, but customs won't allow that sort of stuff through into Australia.
Getting even 10% of what's available in the US is practically impossible here.

Cheers.

 

[Rflshootr]

Follow with a LIGHT coat of oil, but NEVER shoot a rifle with an oily bore/chamber.
Swab them out before shooting.

Cheers.

Why? I always shoot the 1st shot with a light coat of oil in the barrel.

 

[mrbutter]

Okay, so I don't know if this is the right place to post this but if it isn't will someone please move it for me?

I bought a used 338 RUM off GunBroker. The listing said it appears to have been barely used. The pictures looked to me like that was a fair statement. I received the rifle and brought it home a couple weeks ago but haven't really messed with it until tonight. It appears that it has never had a scope mounted on it and I don't see any signs of wear on the bolt face or anything obviously worn anywhere on the rifle as far as that goes. When I removed it from the stock it looks like it has never been out of the stock until now and it doesn't appear the trigger has been adjusted or replaced.

I always start cleaning the bore as soon as I get a new rifle but I have never bought a used rifle until this one so I am not sure what to expect. I cleaned the carbon with KG carbon remover until I couldn't get anything else out. I switched to KG Big Bore Cleaner and nothing showed up on the patches even after letting it sit in the bore for several minutes. I was excited at that point. I dried everything out good and ran some oil down the bore and was thinking I was done. Well, I tipped the barrel to an angle and looked at the muzzle and lo and behold it appears every single rifling at the muzzle end is coated in copper.

I have now run everything I have here except Sweet's down the barrel and can't get it to come out, I can't even get any color on the patches. I think the strongest thing I have tries so far is CR-10.

What do I do now? I have only brushed it maybe 5 strokes total so far. Do I brush more? Try a different solvent? Assume it is never going to come out? Give up and shoot it and forget it?

It's a 700 stainless that hasn't been made in several years. It was in the factory box and honest to goodness doesn't appear to have ever been shot hardly any, maybe even just the factory firing? Would it being left for a long time with the copper in it make it harder to get out?

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance for any help you can offer.

Believe it or not, but an old gunsmith used Formula 409 and it leaves the barrel spotless. Plug the end of the barrel and fill with 409. Remove plug and drain out 409.
It works.

 

[General RE LEE]

My Tikkas bore looked just like that after the first few rounds. That's copper wash and not copper fouling. I bet it's a tack driver even with the copper wash in the lands.

 

[General RE LEE]

Why? I always shoot the 1st shot with a light coat of oil in the barrel.

The theory is the high pressures in the bore with oil present creates a hydraulic effect as the bullets shoots down the bore. Creates high pressures and can shorten barrel life if repeated often. I don't know if there is an actual provable case of this happening but sounds legit.

 

[IHFarmer07]

Go to Ace Hardware and buy a bottle of industrial ammonia. Wet the patch with that and run it down the barrel. Keep doing that until it is gone then make sure the ammonia is gone by using some other bore solvent. Ammonia is the quickest and cheapest way I have seen to get heavy copper fouling out.

I've heard some use CLR, but you have to be darn careful!

 

[Rflshootr]

The theory is the high pressures in the bore with oil present creates a hydraulic effect as the bullets shoots down the bore. Creates high pressures and can shorten barrel life if repeated often. I don't know if there is an actual provable case of this happening but sounds legit.

So when you break in a new barrel, you shoot it dry?
Have you ever noticed that the velocity over a chronograph on the first shot from a clean bore with a thin coating of oil is always lower? How can light lubrication shorten barrel life? When something gets sticky or doesn't move freely like it is suppose to, what do you reach for to free it up and make it move smoothly? As far as hydraulics go, if a hydraulic cylinder has a hole in it, does it build pressure? Where does the oil go when pressure is applied?
Just some food for thought.....

 

[Rflshootr]

Just a hunter, Dip a bronze brush in some solvent such as Hoppes or Butches, give it about 15 strokes, patch it out. If it is still there, push a wet patch in the bore and stop it just before it exits the muzzle, on the area where you see the copper. Leave it sit for 15-20 minutes then push it out.
Repeat if necessary a few times and that should do it. Patch the solvent out and Lube the bore with a thin coat of light oil and shoot it. Do the same thing on the next cleaning or two and you'll probably find that it will break in and foul less and be easier to clean. And rinse your bronze brush when finished so the the solvent doesn't eat it up.

 

[Just a hunter]

Just a hunter, Dip a bronze brush in some solvent such as Hoppes or Butches, give it about 15 strokes, patch it out. If it is still there, push a wet patch in the bore and stop it just before it exits the muzzle, on the area where you see the copper. Leave it sit for 15-20 minutes then push it out.
Repeat if necessary a few times and that should do it. Patch the solvent out and Lube the bore with a thin coat of light oil and shoot it. Do the same thing on the next cleaning or two and you'll probably find that it will break in and foul less and be easier to clean.

Yes sir, thank you for that. I've broken in a few new guns but never had any trouble getting the copper that I could see out. I agree that every other one has gotten easier as I shot and cleaned. Like I said in my initial post, this rifle hasn't been manufactured in several years and I honestly believe it hasn't been shot except for at the factory. Do you think the copper could get more difficult to get out because it has been there so long?