Green STILL Shows on Patch!!

[roysclockgun]

I have been cleaning rifles for more years than I want to remember and I am still not convinced that I am doing it in the best manner.
I never seem to be able to get the bore clean enough where when I run one more patch through, green does not show.
I am reluctant to leave Butchs Bore Shine in overnight, but I do leave Hoppes #9 in overnight. First, I clean as recommended by Butchs Bore Shine. Than after a number of swabbings, following their instructions, I run a patch soaked with Hoppe # 9 down the bore and allow it to sit overnight. The next day, I dry the bore and run another Hoppes soaked patch back and forth, five times. That patch comes out showing green!
Is there not a balance between not have any green show and cleaning to the point where one creates more harm than good, in terms of bore wear?
Thanks for any respone on this question.
Steven A.

 

[JD338]

Sounds like you need to use a good solvent like Sweets 7.62 to get all traces of copper fouling out of the bore. Hoppes #9 isn't strong enough, even over night to cut copper fouling.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Just a quick question, Steven. Do you use a copper brush? Remember, copper solvent works very well on copper brushes and on copper jags. Otherwise, JD338 is right, higher ammonia concentration is called for. CR10 is potent, as well. Be careful not to leave the Sweets 7.62 or CR10 in the bore for extended periods. A matter of a couple of minutes should be sufficient to get the copper. Also, it may be necessary to use some JB Bore Shine or similar product.

 

[roysclockgun]

To test for the "green", I use an all cotton patch, on a plastic tip, on an aluminum rod, run through a rod guide in the chamber end.
I thought that Butches would be strong enough, but I will check again with CR10.
I noticed how strong CR10 was, when I used it before, and have avoided it.
Thanks,
Steven A.

 

[1Shot]

You may also find that you can get a barrel too clean. Many rifles will not shoot good until they have a few fouling shots put through them. Let your rifle tell you when and how much metal fouling you need to remove. Shoot it until your accuracy starts to go away then clean it. If you clean it until you get no green or to the point that you give up on not getting green with a good copper solvent and you find that it takes a few shots to get your best accuracy back you have a window to work with. I very seldom have found a perfectly clean "spotless" barrel shoots best for me. I clean with hps #9 to remove the powder fouling but leave the harsh cleaners alone until my accuracy starts going away. It does not take much of this to clean enough fouling out until my accuracy returns.

 

[JD338]

To test for the "green", I use an all cotton patch, on a plastic tip, on an aluminum rod, run through a rod guide in the chamber end.
I thought that Butches would be strong enough, but I will check again with CR10.
I noticed how strong CR10 was, when I used it before, and have avoided it.
Thanks,
Steven A.

I am thinking Al may be the culprit to the green patches.

CR 10 and Sweets are very aggressive solvents and will cut through all the copper fouling exposing the bore. Do not leave it in your barrel for more than about 10 minutes. Make sure you run a couple wet patches with Butches after and then use a good quality oil like Rem Oil to coat and protect the bore after wards.

JD338

 

[3006savage]

I have used Butches Bore Shine and 7.62 and Bore Tech Eliminator. Of the three Eliminator is best at removing copper by far and Butches is the weakest.

Bore Tech is odor free and fast acting. I have used butches and 7.62 and then followed with Eliminator and the patch is blue. When I used Eliminator first and then tried the others there was no sign of blue. Here is a link.

http://www.boretech.com/products/eliminator.shtml

 

[jmad_81]

I have been using Whipe-out for a few years now. It seems to do the trick if you don't mind letting it sit in your gun for several hours or over night. I find that one application is usualy all that is required. I use shooters choice for just powder fouling for a while but ran out and got some butch's to try. It does copper fouling better than shooters choice. If you need your gun clean in a half an hour it works ok but it takes A LOT of patches to finally get it clean.

I have used 7.62, and CR-10, they work great but they are a bit to strong smelling and my wife is only so understanding. Even butch's is a bit strong to be used in the house, but not nearly as bad. Whipe-out has almost no smell.

A good friend of mine has a new stevens .243 with over 300 rounds down the pipe and hasn't cleaned it once. It drives me crazy, but he still is getting 3/4" groups with it all day long.

There is a 100 different way to skin this cat.

 

[Guest]

I've used the foam cleaners with good results. My favorite is Break-Free Foaming Bore Cleaner, but Birchwood-Casey and Outers also work. I am about to order a bottle of Eliminator, as a very trusted source told me I am missing out by not having it on my shelf. I will report back when I've tried it out, if I remember. But my point is, I don't use the ammonia cleaners, I've had good results from the foam, and I have had Eliminator recommended highly, so I'd try it if you can.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Hoppies products are just not effective copper solvents.

I have good luck removing copper for my bore's with kroils penetrating oil, CR10 and the tornado brushes. CR10 is agressive stuff, and I've never let it set in my barrel, but with it, you dont' really have to.

 

[sask boy]

I have been using Wipeout for some time now and it is excellent.
I have never heard anyone needing anything else. I usually leave it in for 10 to 15 minutes.


Blessings,
Dan

 

[Charlie-NY]

If you use Bore Tech's Eliminator you will also need to use plated jags and plastic brushes. If not, you'll get bluish-green patches out of a squeeky clean barrel.

 

[chet]

GREEN???????

the only greenish I've ever seen was from bullet coatings.... molly and such. and it typically came out quite easily.

I agree with jd, it's coming from the aluminum rod.

 

[GB300wm]

I agree with everybody else. Lose the aluminum rod and get a stainless steel coated rod. Also use a bore guide from the chamber end when cleaning. :grin: :grin:

 

[DannoBoone]

Was Hoppe's #9 ever meant to be a copper solvent? It works very well
on carbon buildup, and is very effective when alternating it with a good
copper solvent.

A couple years ago I cleaned the barrel of a Remmy 788 in .22-250 that
had never been cleaned. Some idiot convinced my Dad that cleaning
the barrel would destroy accuracy. My guess is that the guy had
screwed up the crown of his .30-06 by cleaning from the muzzle and
it would not shoot. The 788 is a mid-'60's era rifle. My .22 jag would
not go through the barrel. A .20 jag with patch really didn't seem all
that loose (NO WONDER the last few cases Dad shot were so bulged).

To make a long story short, of all the cleaners tried (and all did do
some good), only by alternating Hoppe's #9 with Montana 50BMG did
I ever get down to bare metal. I used nylon brushes with the 50BMG
because it "ate" a copper brush.

The rifle is not as accurate as it once was, but more accurate than I
imagined it would be.

The 50BMG needs to be used in a well-ventilated area.....this was
realized the hard way. :!: