Nullifying Sweets Bore Cleaner

[fishingstockwell]

I've always used Sweets 7.62 to remove copper from the barrel and have always heard to use rubbing alcohol to nullify the ammonia. I went to the drug store today and found out there are two types of rubbing alcohol, isopropyl and ethyl.

From what I have read, Ethyl is similar to the alcohol in your favorite evening beverage and Isoprpyl is used to make products such as soap, hand sanitizers and cleaners. From the description, I would think Isopropyl would be better to nullify the Sweets bore cleaner. Maybe it doesn't matter which one you use, but though someone on here may know the answer as to which would be best suited for nullifying Sweets.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[FearNoWind]

I don't use ammonia based cleaners in my firearms, but most of the guys I know who use Sweets neutralize with Iso (isopropyl)

 

[Barrelnut]

Ethel is made from plants like corn. Isopropyl is made from fossil fuel like oil.

I use Isopropyl to degrease some gun stuff and such. I think it is better to get 99% Isopropyl for degreasing and cleaning. And would use it to nullify of the Sweats. Reason is Isopropyl is cut with water. When you see 60% Isopropyl on the bottle it means that 40% of it is water and I wouldn't want to put that down my barrel.

I also use 99% Isopropyl to clean optics. Works great.

 

[RMulhern]

Regular alcohol I think has about 20% water! Denatured alcohol has no water!

 

[Mikecr]

From Speedy Gonzalez
soak a patch with HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and very, very slowly push it through the bore. A chemical reaction will take place between the Ammonia in the Sweets and the Hydrogen Peroxide causing all copper to go into suspension as the reaction takes place. The muzzle of your rifle will look as if it has rabies as the patch slowly nears the crown and you see all of the foaming reaction that is taking place. The blue green colors you see as the patch exits the barrel will amaze you.

I do this, it works.
I also use alcohol later in my bore cleaning, but to finish the bore as dry white metal, just prior to dry pre-fouling(burnishing of WS2).
I agree good alcohol can be very hard to find. Keep an eye open for it.

 

[Greyfox]

Using any alcohol as a Sweets clean up doesn't neutralize the ammonia in Sweets, but solubilizes, or flushes it. Because alcohol generally has absorbed water you need to either dry the barrel well, or follow it up with a water displacing/lubricating solvent. Sweets, while popular years ago for copper removal, has now been displaced by many of the more effective chelating solvents like Bore Tech Cu2. They are much more barrel friendly. IMO

 

[fishingstockwell]

Thanks for everyone's advice. They only had 91% at the drug store, so for now I'm pushing a number of dry patches after the alcohol followed by a light lubricant and more dry patches. I'll look for the 100% and give the hydrogen peroxide a try.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have no idea what it is called in the US, but, here we can buy pure ethyl alcohol called "Methylated Spirits", this is by far the best solvent for neutralizing the ammonia in Sweet's.
As others have said, always use a water displacing lube after it's use.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[red dawg]

I use carb and choke cleaner in an aerosol can and a patch or 2 and it will evaporate due to the amount of acetone, plus I dont use sweets but have friends that do

 

[scottishkat]

Seems like a lot of effort.

Why not just use BTE (Bore Tech Eliminator). I have cleaned rifles with Shooters Choice, Hoppes #9, Butch's Bore Shine and Gun Slik foaming bore cleaner nothing cleans a bore like BTE and no nasty smell or 24 hour sits.

Get some and try cleaning your rifle with it after you've got it clean with whatever you like to use. I tried the test with BBS and have not looked back. Let us know what the first few patches look like. I had rifles that I put up what I called clean for years and the first time I cleaned with BTE 30 or 40 patches to remove the carbon and copper fouling.

Shotgun Blend is a great product as well no smell there either.

Good luck and shoot straight

Bob

 

[red dawg]

I do and still use the carb & choke cleaner

 

[Trickymissfit]

From Speedy Gonzalez
soak a patch with HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and very, very slowly push it through the bore. A chemical reaction will take place between the Ammonia in the Sweets and the Hydrogen Peroxide causing all copper to go into suspension as the reaction takes place. The muzzle of your rifle will look as if it has rabies as the patch slowly nears the crown and you see all of the foaming reaction that is taking place. The blue green colors you see as the patch exits the barrel will amaze you.

I do this, it works.
I also use alcohol later in my bore cleaning, but to finish the bore as dry white metal, just prior to dry pre-fouling(burnishing of WS2).
I agree good alcohol can be very hard to find. Keep an eye open for it.

Good post! And I'll of course use the trick.
gary

 

[Greyfox]

From Speedy Gonzalez
soak a patch with HYDROGEN PEROXIDE and very, very slowly push it through the bore. A chemical reaction will take place between the Ammonia in the Sweets and the Hydrogen Peroxide causing all copper to go into suspension as the reaction takes place. The muzzle of your rifle will look as if it has rabies as the patch slowly nears the crown and you see all of the foaming reaction that is taking place. The blue green colors you see as the patch exits the barrel will amaze you.

I do this, it works.
I also use alcohol later in my bore cleaning, but to finish the bore as dry white metal, just prior to dry pre-fouling(burnishing of WS2).
I agree good alcohol can be very hard to find. Keep an eye open for it.

Yes this does work as you describe and is a good way to remove fouling and copper. Also, peroxide(medicinal), when mixed with eqaul parts of alcohol and about 15% Murphys Oil soap, makes one of the best black powder solvents. But, Peroxide is as corrosive to the barrel as ammonia is and still has to be flushed well after use.

 

[Laelkhunter]

If you use carburetor cleaner (spray), be careful when using it around plastic parts or stock finishes. Also, polymer weapons might suffer some damage if the carb cleaner spray is used. The spray is designed to dissolve varnish in carburetors (some of you old timers might know what that is). The varnish on older gunstocks will be damaged if some of the spray gets on it, or if your sights have plastic inserts, they will be damaged if spray gets on them.
A better choice is brake cleaner, which cleans almost as well as carb cleaner but doesn't cause the damage to the plastic.
Just remember that the spray will remove all oils from the metal, so make sure you apply something to the metal for lubrication, and to protect from rust.