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Best Copper Remover?

Iggy

Iggy

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 21, 2010
644
4
Northern California
I am hopefully going to take ownership of a new barreled action and I wanted to know which of my liquids would be best for copper removal during break in. Now, this is not a debate on whether or not a break in is required. For me break in means checking for copper fouling and/or build up. I fire about 5 rounds clean copper, fire 5 more check for copper, then 5 more and check again. If the gun is fine then i just continue to shoot until accuracy drops off.

I have the following cleaners, but I am curious to know which ones are the fastest in terms of copper removal and which ones are less likely to interact with each other.

Break Free CLP
Break Free Bore Cleaning Foam
Slip 2000 Gun Lube
Slip 2000 Carbon Killer Bore Cleaner
Hoppe's No. 9 Solvent
Hoppe's Bench Rest 9 Copper Solvent
Gun Slick Pro Foaming Bore Cleaner
Rem Oil
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I use Sweets 7.62 every hundred rounds or so or if accuracy drops off. I have only used Hoppes BR off your list...it does good also just not as good as Sweet's.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

BoreTech Eliminator is the only cleaner I've used that cleans copper, powder and carbon and you can leave it in the bore overnight without damage. Other cleaners will not clean everything and are too caustic.

My second favorite is Montana Extreme, but I would never let the bore soak in it.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I read and read and got Montana Xtreme after using Sweet's for years with moderate success, then read some more and got KG-12. Way better than anything else, in my experience, way better! This one I haven't used, but sounds great http://warthog1134.com/index.htm
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I was looking into getting some boretech, but I wanted to see if what I had was any good.

which one would be the best?

Eliminator
C4
Cu+2
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

No Butch's Bore Shine?

The best copper remover may not necessarily be the best stuff to use. I've used Sweets on rough factory barrels, but that stuff is HARSH! If you use it, pay attention to their warning about leaving it in the barrel. It WILL dissolve copper, but it can and will damage your bore too, if you're not careful. I have not used it on my Schneider barrel, nor will I.

My favorite is Birchwood-Casey's Bore Scrubber. It works really well, and the price was right at WM until they quit carrying it. I also like Hoppes 9 Benchrest...it works very well and you can safely leave it in the barrel overnight, for those stubborn copper jobs. I've tried Gunslick Copper Klenz with <span style="text-decoration: underline">some</span> success too, though not as effective as the B-C Bore Scrubber. I like Butch's too, but it is a few more $$ than the others above.

A couple years back, I went to a class taught by our local FBI guys, and they swore by Hoppes Elite.

Lots of good suggestions here, but again, it's like that Ford vs Chevy thing...

Eric
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I've tried all the different brands, but KG12 is the most effective.......confirmed with my borescope. It works unbelievably fast.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Little chinese thief.

KG12, seemed to work very well for me too.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Been using Barnes CR-10, but after seeing the impressivce test on BoredEngineers post, I may switch to KG12!
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tangodown911</div><div class="ubbcode-body">KG12 ... enough said </div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Yep</span>
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Gunslick Pro Foaming Bore Cleaner is plenty easy, fast, and effective enough for me.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I avoid the "fast" copper remover products that say "don't leave in the barrel for more than 10 minutes" and that you have to clean out with regular bore cleaner after using. I don't remember what it was, but I remember reading a bottle of something that you needed to rinse your bore brush etc in "regular" bore cleaner to keep it from being dissolved.

I use Shooter's Choice in a several step process that takes a few days to complete:

1. 4 soaked patches to remove most of the powder fouling.
2. Soaked bronze brush at least as many strokes as rounds fired, re-wetting the brush frequently.
3. 2 soaked patches.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
5. Soaked nylon brush to wet the bore thoroughly, re-wetting brush three or four times.
6. Leave the rifle on the bench, muzzle slightly down, overnight, with something under the muzzle to catch drips.
7. Soaked patch the next morning, look for green.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7, 12 hour soaks, until no green (usually about 2 days).
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SWRichmond</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I avoid the "fast" copper remover products that say "don't leave in the barrel for more than 10 minutes" and that you have to clean out with regular bore cleaner after using. I don't remember what it was, but I remember reading a bottle of something that you needed to rinse your bore brush etc in "regular" bore cleaner to keep it from being dissolved.

I use Shooter's Choice in a several step process that takes a few days to complete:

1. 4 soaked patches to remove most of the powder fouling.
2. Soaked bronze brush at least as many strokes as rounds fired, re-wetting the brush frequently.
3. 2 soaked patches.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
5. Soaked nylon brush to wet the bore thoroughly, re-wetting brush three or four times.
6. Leave the rifle on the bench, muzzle slightly down, overnight, with something under the muzzle to catch drips.
7. Soaked patch the next morning, look for green.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7, 12 hour soaks, until no green (usually about 2 days). </div></div>

CR10 has a similar warning as does butches. CR10 works like a champ for pulling copper the downside is dont get distracted and walk off or you will frost your shit. I use this when I need to clean which is not that often anymore. But it works great if you choose to break in your barrel cause it pulls copper out like a magnet.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Iggy.</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was looking into getting some boretech, but I wanted to see if what I had was any good.

which one would be the best?

Eliminator
C4
Cu+2 </div></div>

The Eliminator is the all around go to stuff. Cleans both copper and brass. I would say get some of the CU+2 also since it is copper specific, I only use it when doing a very very serious cleaning. That being said, the Eliminator has been perfect in my GAP with no other solvent needed at all.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Clean your favorite way and when you think it is clean use wipe out and you will be surprised.Great stuff you can leave it in over night.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Tried the following:

1. 60/40 Hoppe No. 9 with 27 percent Stronger Ammonia solution-strong, noxious and not recommended.

2. Sweets 762- old standby, harsh, noxious. Still have 3 bottles and will not buy any more once its gone. Better stuff is available.

3. Shooters Choice Copper Remover- similar to Sweets, doesn't seem quite as effective.

4. Gunslick Foaming Bore Cleaner-actually works, use it when in the field. Not quite as effective as others but not as chemically or noxious.

5. Butch's Bore shine- effective on carbon, works ok on copper but slow acting (atleast for me.)

6. TM solution- good all around for carbon and copper, however very chemically. Doesn't smell, but melts gloves, takes off paint, and varnish and smokes when you pour it from the bottle. What the hell is in this stuff. One bottle left and will not buy any more either.

7. Montana Extreme Bore Cleaner-good all around, cleans carbon and copper. This has replaced Shooter's Choice as my general bore cleaning solvent. Very effective on leading and minor copper fouling in my 1911 and 9mm. Ironically, Boretech works better and faster in rifles and the Montana Extreme works faster in pistols. Go figure.

8. Montana Extreme 50 BMG- Sweet's 762 on steroids. Works great but too darn noxious. This is serious chemicals in action. Threw mine out as I hated the fumes.

9. Boretech Eliminator- Amazing stuff. Works great. Only issue is you need a plastic brush. Recommend changing your jag to a non copper reactive jag like the plated Tiptons or the Boretech jag or you'll get false copper readings. I initially found this hard to accept as it doesn't smell and seems like its not aggressive enough. The boys at Sinclair recommended this and I am glad I tried it. Will reorder more when I am out.

So, for now, my 2 solvents that I would buy are:

1. Montana Extreme Bore Solvent
2. Boretech Eliminator

If I had to pick one, it would be Boretech.

Left out JB Bore Compound and ISSO as I don't use them unless the bore has been abused.

Good luck! Hope you don't end up with a cabinet full of chemicals like me. It gets to the point where I just throw out or give away the less effective ones as it will take a lifetime otherwise to use up the Hoppe's No. 9 I have accumulated.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I use boretech eliminator. It works well enough, but I think I may try the KG stuff when I run out of the boretech.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skunkworks</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BoreTech Eliminator is the only cleaner I've used that cleans copper, powder and carbon and you can leave it in the bore overnight without damage. Other cleaners will not clean everything and are too caustic.

</div></div>

+1
Click to expand...
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

On a custom match barrell...Wipeout. Everything else...50 BMG.

All the high end customs, Broughton, Brux, Bartlein, Krieger, etc once broken in should not copper much if any.

On my 7mmWSM, Broughton, I put a little finger cot (looks like a tiny condom) over the Vias, fill it with wipeout, plug the chamber, next day, one wet patch and it's over, oh yeah, I always leave Boretech, bore conditioner in the barrel.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

We use sweets 7.62 followed by butches bore shine in our benchrest rifles along with an occasional scrub of ISSO paste.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

I use wipeout and if I'm in a hurry also use the accelerator with it to speed up the process.
 
Re: Best Copper Remover?

Crackheads do a really good job at removing copper around here
smile.gif
 
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