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Thread: copper cleaning

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Lethemgo's Avatar
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    copper cleaning

    I've read in a couple places about cleaning years of copper fowling on mil surp rifles before shooting is a good idea. The method I'm wondering about is with household ammonia. Plug barrel and fill then let set overnight. May take a few times but wanted to run by you guys before I did it to some of my rifles.
    Muzzleloaders....why don't you pick one up and smoke it sometime

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master



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    If you can find some Ed's Red, fill the bore and let set overnight. May need to repeat this 2 or 3 times. Then follow with some JB Bore cleaner, polishing the bore well with it. Then follow with some good grade of bore cleaner and oil. Should do the trick. james

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Jack Stanley's Avatar
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    Leaving ammonia in the barrel for long periods is probably a bad idea . The cleaners I've used that have a lot of ammonia suggest no more than about fifteen minutes of soak time .

    Jack
    Buy it cheap and stack it deep , you may need it !

    Black Rifles Matter

  4. #4
    Moderator Emeritus / Trusted loob groove dealer

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    Don't leave ammonia in the barrel for extended periods. It is a very good copper remover.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


  5. #5
    Boolit Master gnostic's Avatar
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    Why not give it a good scrubbing with Sweet's? It does a great job on my 220 Swift...

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master



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    Sweet's 7.62, Wipeout or Bore Tech Eliminator all do a superb job at removing copper without the concerns of possible bore damage.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Try Outer's foaming bore cleaner or "Wipe Out". You'll never go back to the old scrub 'a dubs like 7.62 and Montana Extreme.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Wipe Out, once you use it you won't use anything else.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master



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    I have used Sweet's Bore cleaner in the past and still use it some. It does a good job on copper but its instructions cautions about leaving it in the bore more than 15 minutes if I remember. It has ammonia in it and can rust a barrel if left overnight.

  10. #10
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    Gunslick foaming bore cleaner has been my choice. No ammonia to worry about and easy.
    Back in the land of boolits.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    And they are all "good" but one shines above them all: KG-12

    http://www.coretacsolutions.com/prod..._KG12_TEST.htm

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I've used household ammonia on a Mosin 91/30 barrel that was badly fouled and it worked well. I wrapped the neck area of a used steel case with teflon tape and chambered it which sealed the bore. Then I filled the bore up with ammonia and let it sit for three hours. When I poured the ammonia out of the bore it looked like green Gatorade. It took three cycles of soaks and scrubbing the bore before it got clean and I never let it soak more that 3 hours. Don't know if I would do it on a real good rifle but it did the trick on a 43 refurbished Izzy. The rifle couldn't hit paper at 50 yds when I first got it, now after the cleaning it gets on paper at 100 yds. Still needs work but it's not a tent stake anymore.

  13. #13
    In Remembrance



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    Household ammonia 2% solution won't etch the inside of your barrel if the bore is full as it is too dilute. Ammonia bore cleaners such as "Sweet's 7.62" admonish against leaving the bore damp with their product because as the carrier-solvents evaporates the ammonia concentration increases to levels that will attack steel. By filling the bore, one prevents the ammonia solution from becoming concentrated enough to damage the bore but still provide lots of copper-hungry ions to do the work. To get this method to work, all traces of oil and nitro fouling must be removed first as copper can linger under a layer of this kind of fouling. Usually, an overnight soaking will do it. I have resurrected many a "shot-out" rifle that was only copper fouled using this method. Generally, I use rubber cups sold for chair leg protectors over the muzzle and stand the rifle on the muzzle. I use a turkey baster syringe to carefully fill the bore right into the chamber. Household ammonia cleaner will take off some stock finishes as will many types of bore cleaners, so be careful.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'm going to try the wipe out, would like you try the kg12 but at $14 and $18 shipping to costly for me. I've read a couple places on the ammonia over night and read it on 303british.com and was wondering. Will pick up some wipe out first.
    Muzzleloaders....why don't you pick one up and smoke it sometime

    Serving my Lord and Savor has been one of my biggest challenges and for sure biggest joys in my life....
    Thank you Jesus....you changed the rhythm of my heart.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check