Updated: Inadequate Cleaning to Adequate Cleaning.

[SandBlastedSkin]

So up until today I thought I was doing a good job at cleaning my barrels.

I use a brass brush soaked in bore cleaner (Hoppes #9) and run it through the barrel a few times, then wrap a smaller brass brush with a patch soaked with bore cleaner and run it through. Let it sit for about five minutes and then run patches through until it comes out clean.

Well today I saw the barrel in the second picture below.. Copper fouling? That is a brand new out of the box, never been fired, Socom 16 barrel after I cleaned the sh*t out of it. The patches were coming through clean.

The first picture is of my Remington, which I looked at after noticing the Socom barrel.

Is the method I use wrong? Is it making it worse? I don't run the patches back through the barrel, I don't run the same patch twice, etc... or is it normal and I'm concerned about nothing?

Update: Post #25

[rix]

What ammo did you shoot ? looks like rust from using corrosive ammo.

[1moa@500]

That looks like copper fouling to me. Hoppes is a great powder fouling solvent but it lacks in copper removal. I suggest that if you want to remove it you use some Butch's Bore Shine or Sweets and follow the instructions. They both have a health amount of ammonia in them and will remove copper. Use a plastic jag and plastic brushes or you will get a false reading from the brass counterparts. This is the method i use every hundred rounds in my semi auto rifles. I use to be a cleaning fool when it came to barrels but as i shot more i came to understand that deep cleaning was only necessary when accuracy fell off. Enjoy your new rifle.

[SandBlastedSkin]

What ammo did you shoot ? looks like rust from using corrosive ammo.

The Socom has never been shot, I got it out of jail yesterday, and I have never shot corrosive ammo out of the Remington.

[wjc]

That looks like copper fouling to me. Hoppes is a great powder fouling solvent but it lacks in copper removal. I suggest that if you want to remove it you use some Butch's Bore Shine or Sweets and follow the instructions. They both have a health amount of ammonia in them and will remove copper. Use a plastic jag and plastic brushes or you will get a false reading from the brass counterparts. This is the method i use every hundred rounds in my semi auto rifles. I use to be a cleaning fool when it came to barrels but as i shot more i came to understand that deep cleaning was only necessary when accuracy fell off. Enjoy your new rifle.

FYI, Hoppe's does make a copper solvent to use in removing copper fouling. I use it on my deer rifle as it requires non-lead ammo.

[MarikinaMan]

deleted, misread the og post.

[geoint]

Wow! I never use copper solvents either. Think I'm gonna go check some of my barrels to see if they have this kinda thing going on

[russ69]

Copper oxide is green. If you are not getting green patches there is no copper in there. Looks like iron oxide to me. Did you oil the bore after cleaning?

[Divernhunter]

1st problem is the #9. Yes it has been around forever but now there are so many products that are so much better.

Try Wipe-out followed by Sweets 7.62, Barnes CR-10, Butches Bore Shine or Montana Extreme.

I have had friends who used what you use and after they had their barrel clean I did a shot of Wipe-Out followed by Butches bore shine or Sweets 7.62 and they were amazed at all of what came out.

You "#9 is the greatest" users are free to flame away but you are wrong. Probably some of the same people who say the ONLY rifle to buy is a Rem700 or Win 70. Hate to tell you the world has progressed. I remember when #9 and Outers solvent were the only ones on the market.........but that was long ago.

[FeuerFrei]

Water and household ammonia to clean copper fouling.
I mix 1 part ammonia to 8-10 parts water and run a moist patch down and back. Let it set for 5 or 10 minutes and do it again followed by dry patches to check colors of filth. Rinse and repeat.
Clean patches come out? Great!
Lightly oiled patch in and out if it's not play time. Bone dry if it is.

Flipping the M1A on it's back to punch the barrel with cleaners? Hope so.

OP's crud looks like rust to me. Shooting it should blow it out.

**Mosin rifles are great guinea pigs for DIY experiments with cleaners.
Linkage for another similar take on it.

https://www.empirearms.com/clean.htm

[Bansh88]

then run patches through until it comes out clean.

Do you follow up with an oiled patch through the barrel?

[ABR]

OP's crud looks like rust to me. Shooting it should blow it out.

Agreed. That's how I "clean" my barrels followed by an oiled patch.

[wpage]

CLP ....

[SandBlastedSkin]

So I went and got some new cleaning supplies today. I got several different size nylon bore brushes, Shooter's Choice MC#7 as I've nothing but good stuff about it, and some Sweet's 7.62.

I've gone through the entire cleaning process that is recommended by Shooter's Choice three times already, and soaked patches still come out green and the orange streaks in the barrel are still as prominent as they were yesterday. I'm going to run through a couple more cycles and see if it helps, but I'll be honest I'm pretty nervous about moving to the Sweet's. I want to try any and all other means before I resort to using something so aggressive.

What are good quality, non-caustic, copper fouling removers? If I can get away with not using Sweet's I think I would prefer it. Yes I know it's probably great stuff, but personally I'd rather work around caustic solvents. However, it is what I already have... I'm sure someone might be able to talk me into it with not much effort. lol

[SandBlastedSkin]

Do you follow up with an oiled patch through the barrel?

I haven't, but once I get this gunk out I'm definitely going to start. Or should I add into the routine now? Will it help?