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Best Copper Solvent for Bolt action .223
- Thread starter chemcal
- Start date
Ya know....... I am of the opinion that a light cleaning about every 30 to 100 rounds (depending on the caliber and load) with old fashioned Hoppes #9 is still the best all around. I go about 2 passes with a brush, let it stand 5 minutes and wipe it out.
As a gunsmith, I get guns into my shop that have been neglected and the fouling is so bad i have to use foaming bore cleaner or Sweets to get to the steel again. but it's easier to stay away from problems than it is to rectify problems.
I never use the "super cleaners" on my own guns and in 52 years of shooting, I have never had to.
#9 is not as fast at removing copper, but if you don't allow the bore to get really fouled in the 1st place it is not necessary to get very aggressive. Besides all that, a rifles shoots most consistently with a lightly fouled bore instead of a perfectly clean bore. That's why match shooter fore a fouling shot (some of us fire 1-2 before we get to the match)
I use Sweets and One Shot in my shop for cleaning customers guns, but on my guns I have used #9 for my whole life and i see no reason to change.
As a gunsmith, I get guns into my shop that have been neglected and the fouling is so bad i have to use foaming bore cleaner or Sweets to get to the steel again. but it's easier to stay away from problems than it is to rectify problems.
I never use the "super cleaners" on my own guns and in 52 years of shooting, I have never had to.
#9 is not as fast at removing copper, but if you don't allow the bore to get really fouled in the 1st place it is not necessary to get very aggressive. Besides all that, a rifles shoots most consistently with a lightly fouled bore instead of a perfectly clean bore. That's why match shooter fore a fouling shot (some of us fire 1-2 before we get to the match)
I use Sweets and One Shot in my shop for cleaning customers guns, but on my guns I have used #9 for my whole life and i see no reason to change.
50 shooter
New member
Another vote for Boretech Eliminator, been using it for years and it's a great product. It's biodegradable 100% non hazardous, safe to use indoors...
It's a surfectant, gets under the fouling and lifts it off of the barrel steel allowing it to be pushed out with a jag. You can leave it in the barrel overnight, it will not damage chrome lined barrels, bluing, plastic...
Try some, you won't be disappointed.
It's a surfectant, gets under the fouling and lifts it off of the barrel steel allowing it to be pushed out with a jag. You can leave it in the barrel overnight, it will not damage chrome lined barrels, bluing, plastic...
Try some, you won't be disappointed.
Pathfinder45
New member
Nice viewpoint, Wyosmith, I will keep that in mind. Back when I was a lot younger, shooters used either Outer's of Hoppes No. 9. We never heard of anything else. The very smell of Hoppes No. 9 triggers the memories of a better era. I love that stuff. I also have a bottle of Sweets that I have used on the rare occasion, but it's not as fun.
Like he says!!!!!
Another vote for Boretech Eliminator, been using it for years and it's a great product. It's biodegradable 100% non hazardous, safe to use indoors...
It's a surfectant, gets under the fouling and lifts it off of the barrel steel allowing it to be pushed out with a jag. You can leave it in the barrel overnight, it will not damage chrome lined barrels, bluing, plastic...
Try some, you won't be disappointed.
When I had a match barrel installed by Accurate Ordnance I asked them . KG -1 first for carbon KG-12 for copper. Works great no smell ,will not harm the barrel. Use Wipe Out - Patch Out for a quick clean at the range. When I gave my rifle a good cleaning with the Wipe Out, I used the KG -1 patch came out brown . It removes the carbon then anything else IMO.
^^^ What CW308 says ^^^"...KG -1 first for carbon KG-12 for copper...."
.........No Contest.........
The modern cleaners work far better than any of the old brute chemical stuff and may be same approach. If they are any good they are odorless and non haz.
Not a clue on KG, but Carbon Killer 2000 is odorless and non haz.
I also use Bore The Eliminator, its both carbon and copper. Also non haz and non odor.
Not a clue on KG, but Carbon Killer 2000 is odorless and non haz.
I also use Bore The Eliminator, its both carbon and copper. Also non haz and non odor.
hooligan1
I have to admit, I did smell a scent of ammonia , nothing like sweets. The smell is so slight my wife doesn't complain. It's a water base solvent. I think Ballistic is great but when I use just one drop the wife acts I killed the family dog.. Sweets is pretty strong copper cleaner, if you clean after the firearm has been shot a strong cleaner like sweets isn't necessary.
I have to admit, I did smell a scent of ammonia , nothing like sweets. The smell is so slight my wife doesn't complain. It's a water base solvent. I think Ballistic is great but when I use just one drop the wife acts I killed the family dog.. Sweets is pretty strong copper cleaner, if you clean after the firearm has been shot a strong cleaner like sweets isn't necessary.
Huffmanite
New member
Chemical, have used Pro Shot One Step to clean bores on 8 or so rifles. Some of my rifles copper foul much more than others. Don't think its very effective in removing copper fouling.
Have found the M Pro 7 copper cleaner or the M Pro 7 Bore Gel to be pretty decent for dealing with copper.....as is the Shooter's Choice Aqua Clean, but think the Aqua Clean may be discontinued. None of these are offensive in odor or as harsh as some of the products mentioned already.
Have found the M Pro 7 copper cleaner or the M Pro 7 Bore Gel to be pretty decent for dealing with copper.....as is the Shooter's Choice Aqua Clean, but think the Aqua Clean may be discontinued. None of these are offensive in odor or as harsh as some of the products mentioned already.
Simple amines smell similar to ammonia. Maybe there are some in KG-12. See:
https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Or...operties_of_Amines/Basic_Properties_of_Amines
as a simple overview.
I like the KG products a great deal. I also like the BoreTech products a lot. I find KG-12 better than the BoreTech equivalent (Cu+2), but not massively so. Sometimes getting these products on my skin causes irritation and a strange 'slickness' even after thoroughly washed off. Thus, I wear nitrile gloves when using them.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Or...operties_of_Amines/Basic_Properties_of_Amines
as a simple overview.
I like the KG products a great deal. I also like the BoreTech products a lot. I find KG-12 better than the BoreTech equivalent (Cu+2), but not massively so. Sometimes getting these products on my skin causes irritation and a strange 'slickness' even after thoroughly washed off. Thus, I wear nitrile gloves when using them.