Bore Cleaning Methods

[marinville]

I'm wondering what most folks are using for a typical bore cleaning. I've just been using Hoppes 9 and patches, maybe a nylon or brass brush, but I'm not entirely satisfied with the brightness of the bores.

I also don't want to scrub too much and cause unnecessary wear. Plus, I just don't want to be cleaning for hours at a time, simply because time is valuable.

I've been thinking about incorporating a copper solvent as a regular part of cleaning. Is this something other people are using regularly?

The warnings on the bottle of ammonia based copper solvents, about not leaving it soak in the bore too long, have me concerned about using it regularly.

FYI, I'm shooting mostly jacketed bullets.

[Gunsnwater]

You need to let #9 sit in the bore. Bronze brushes leave bronze in the bore. Brush dry. Soak patch. Run through bore. Dry patch. Soak patch and swab bore, let stand for awhile. If it was long enough the patch will be green blue. Repeat until no more green. If you keep bronze brushing you keep getting green. If you soak bronze brush and don’t clean #9 off it, brush will get eaten. Don’t dip dirty tools in clean solvent.

[marinville]

For the record, I'm using the regular orange label #9 solvent, not the copper solvent. I've never known it to eat a bronze brush.

I'm thinking I should use a copper solvent though, because I believe the dark bore may be copper fouling from the jacketed bullets, which the #9 is not removing.

Also, I do sometimes let it soak in the bore.

[Gunsnwater]

For the record, I'm using the regular orange label #9 solvent, not the copper solvent. I've never known it to eat a bronze brush.

I'm thinking I should use a copper solvent though, because I believe the dark bore may be copper fouling from the jacketed bullets, which the #9 is not removing.

Also, I do sometimes let it soak in the bore.

Unless #9 has been reformulated it contains ammonia. I have tons of green corroded brushes from before I learned to clean them.

[Gunsnwater]

Dark bore sounds like carbon. You do need to remove copper because it sets up a galvanic action and ends up etching the bore. JB bore compound will get everything out without harming your bore.

[marinville]

Unless #9 has been reformulated it contains ammonia. I have tons of green corroded brushes from before I learned to clean them.

I don't know what to say about that other than, the only time I ever had that issue was when I accidentally bought the #9 copper solvent, instead of the regular stuff. I also don't know why they would make a dedicated copper solvent, if regular #9 contained ammonia. Also, the regular #9 certainly doesnt have that ammonia smell, like sweets 7.62.

[Gunsnwater]

https://www.range365.com/dirty-littl...-gun-cleaning/
Check out this article.

[marinville]

What I got from that article is yes, I should be using a copper solvent as well as Hoppes #9 at each cleaning. At least, according to that guy, who honestly seemed a little anal.

I will try it though, presently I rarely ever use copper solvents. Thanks for the info.

For the record, I'm not having any accuracy issues, I just don't think the bores look as clean as they should.

[lts1ow]

I drag a bore snake thru every once in awhile and thats it.

[frankski]

Here's the data sheet for Hoppes #9. https://www.hoppes.com/Hoppes/files/...3e79cfc834.pdf

Section 3 shows 1-5% by weight of ammonium hydroxide, commonly called ammonia.