Good Ole Hoppes

[Laguna Freak]

Deer season is over so I'm cleaning the guns to go back in the safe. I've used products like Butch's Bore Shine or Kroil with JB Bore Paste to get out everything including copper, but I always have to shoot a box of ammo to get accuracy back.

This year I'm going with good ole Hoppes to get the fouling out and maybe a smidgen of copper, but I'm not going for bare steel.

Anyone clean their hunting rifles with just Hoppes?

I use Hoppes Benchrest to soak badly fouled bores overnight. Plug, fill, soak, brush = voila!

Its also effective for removing leading from cast boolits or soft lead point jacketed bullets.

 

[Bruce Treloar]

There was a problem with a lot of chemicals considered cancer causing. Hoppes left the Nitro Benzine out of their formula from then on so it won't smell like the 1960 - 1970's batches. If you are not worried about your health then buy some Nitro Benzine and add about 15% to the current bottles to get the old smell back.

 

[General RE LEE]

There was a problem with a lot of chemicals considered cancer causing. Hoppes left the Nitro Benzine out of their formula from then on so it won't smell like the 1960 - 1970's batches. If you are not worried about your health then buy some Nitro Benzine and add about 15% to the current bottles to get the old smell back.

I don't think I've ever smelled old Hoppes like that. The stuff I've been buying since 2005 smells good.

 

[General RE LEE]

I use Hoppes Benchrest to soak badly fouled bores overnight. Plug, fill, soak, brush = voila!

Its also effective for removing leading from cast boolits or soft lead point jacketed bullets.

How do you plug the bore without getting solvent in the action and everywhere else? Are we talking running several wet patches or literally filling the bore completely full with solvent?

 

[pacowboy]

I don't clean my rifles with Hoppes but I have a partial jar from the 70s that I open and catch a whiff of once in awhile. Brings back memories.

I always wished they made a candle that smelled like Hoppes. My wife not so much. Lol.

 

[Laguna Freak]

How do you plug the bore without getting solvent in the action and everywhere else? Are we talking running several wet patches or literally filling the bore completely full with solvent?

I cut a few fingers off nitrile gloves, secure over muzzle with a heavy rubber band, clamp the rifle to a bench muzzle down on a folded towel, then fill her up. When its time to drain, just roll the nitrile cap off over a collection container.

 

[KR260]

I cut a few fingers off nitrile gloves, secure over muzzle with a heavy rubber band, clamp the rifle to a bench muzzle down on a folded towel, then fill her up. When its time to drain, just roll the nitrile cap off over a collection container.

I have done the same with Bore Tech Eliminator and their Carbon remover. I plug the end of my titanium suppressor with an ear plug and fill it with CLR.

 

[lightshooter]

I cut a few fingers off nitrile gloves, secure over muzzle with a heavy rubber band, clamp the rifle to a bench muzzle down on a folded towel, then fill her up. When its time to drain, just roll the nitrile cap off over a collection container.

Have you tried this on blued barrels? If so does have any effect on the finish?

 

[Muddyboots]

I go the extra step and place an old plastic food tub of any product under the muzzle with a paper towel folded as a protective mat under the nitrile glove finger. Yes, I had one leaked and no it doesn't come out of concrete basement floors very well. Did not affect blueing at least on my 52 year old Savage 110. Now have a SS barrel on it so that concern is gone if there was one for me.

I do run several patches soaked with Hoppes first, 3 scrubs of bronze brush (10 strokes each) soaked with Hoppes, repatch with Hoppes and then I fill up bore. Kind of prep to allow better soak from my perspective.

 

[KS2506]

Love Muddyboots responses!! Do not use it as after shave, but love the smell. Before I got married, I played pool a lot and ate a lot of pickeled eggs and sausages washed down with red beer. Had the nick name of maggot *** at work. Brings back lost of good memories.

 

[Laguna Freak]

Have you tried this on blued barrels? If so does have any effect on the finish?

No issues on blued barrels.

 

[Bruce Treloar]

Try this!! Drill a hole, caliber diameter size, through the solid section of a fired case for that rifle. Silver or just plain solder a copper tube in the back of the case. Solder a metal funnel on the other end of the copper tube. Place a small container on the ground between your feet and 3/4 fill with solvent, boiling water or whatever you wish to use. Place the crown end of the barrel in the container taking care not to stuff the crowning. Push a cleaning rod with mop in from the case end and pump the fluid up and down the barrel. The funnel was popular many years ago for cleaning with boiling water. This system was told to me by an old guy twice my age but thought it worthwhile sharing with you.

 

[YZ-80]

You guys are pansies! Eberhard Faber Black Magic Markers are what real men huff! I usually huff the Hoppes #9 as a chaser in a small 13 gallon plastic garbage can after the markers.

As for cleaning, Hoppes 9 for me alternated every other time with a combination of 9 and a product called "Gunslick" foaming bore cleaner, which, sadly I'm almost out of and has been discontinued, probably because it works so well, or maybe it causes some critter in CA to spontaneously abort their fetuses.

 

[Wv shooter]

Repeating in order to clarify my reply (#6). Hoppes #9 is not a copper solvent, and is not effective at removing copper fouling. If you are targeting the copper in your bore you can use a solvent with ammonia (Butch's, Shooter's Choice, Sweets 7.62), but follow label directions closely or you risk damaging the bore. OR you can use BoreTech Eliminator, which contains no ammonia but removes copper better than anything else I have tried in my last 50 years of shooting. It is safe to leave in your barrel for an extended time, in fact label instructions say you can leave some in the barrel to protect it from rust.

I go the extra step and place an old plastic food tub of any product under the muzzle with a paper towel folded as a protective mat under the nitrile glove finger. Yes, I had one leaked and no it doesn't come out of concrete basement floors very well. Did not affect blueing at least on my 52 year old Savage 110. Now have a SS barrel on it so that concern is gone if there was one for me.

I do run several patches soaked with Hoppes first, 3 scrubs of bronze brush (10 strokes each) soaked with Hoppes, repatch with Hoppes and then I fill up bore. Kind of prep to allow better soak from my perspective.