cleaning advice

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bkfamily1

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I have an H&K P30L with polygonal rifling. I am shooting FMJ regularly at the range. I have noticed debris building up in the barrel that is not removed when cleaning. I have been using Hoppes #9 solvent and nylon bore brushes. Speaking to my LGS, I tried a stronger solvent meant for copper residue and used a phosphor bronze bore brush. That worked better, but it still took a great deal of soaking the barrel with solvent and letting it work for some time and scrubbing to get it clean. It seems like there must be a better way.

What do you use for a good solvent that will remove copper debris with (relatively) minimal effort? How do you feel about "treatment" chemicals like Militec-1 conditioner? How about combination CLP products?

What about the use of a nylon brush? A friend told me he prefers nylon to prevent wear on the barrel over long times with frequent cleaning with bronze.

Finally, someone told me Hoppes #9 fumes are really bad and should not be used indoors. True?

Thanks again for your feedback.
 
There are now some good foam cleaners on the market. Foam eliminates the fume problem - fill the barrel and walk away.
Nylon brushes are easier on the barrel.
 
I've had good luck with the following for removing bore fouling, including copper fouling.

Outers Foaming Bore Cleaner
BreakFree Foaming Bore Cleaner
Hoppes Elite Gun Cleaner
M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner

My general procedure is to spray nitro solvent (all the nitro-solvents I've tried seem to work about the same) in the bore and brush it out with a properly fitting bronze brush. Then I patch out the gunk with dry patches.

Next I apply one of the above listed bore cleaners and set the barrel aside while I clean the other parts of the gun.

After maybe 10-15 minutes, I patch out the cleaner, apply nitro solvent, brush, patch and then apply the bore cleaner again and then go back to cleaning the other parts of the gun. I keep doing that until the bore is clean.
 
I always use Hoppes#9 with bronze brush it looks good then I do it again with Blue Wonder gun cleaner. You should see how much more I get out of there when it looked clean very clean the 1st time. Try it its like a past. Just make sure you get the gun cleaner Blue Wonder. It works great.
 
Finally, someone told me Hoppes #9 fumes are really bad and should not be used indoors. True?
Click to expand...

Here's a link to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the basic Hoppes No. 9 formulation. Like many household chemicals that contain organic solvents, it can lead to problems if inhaled in excessive amounts, but otherwise it doesn't appear to be unusually toxic.
 
Hoppes #9 was re-formulated a number of years ago to remove nitro-benzene which is a known carcinogen, though it would take prolonged and repeated exposure. It's possible the concern about the fumes was based on this old formulation. The only difference I've seen in the old and new is that the new takes a bit longer to work.
 
New synthetic version of Hoppes #9....

You might want to try the new Hoppes #9 synthetic bore solvent.
I purchased some about 2 months ago from MidwayUSA.com .
I haven't used a lot of it since I do not shoot as much as Id like to. :(
In truth, I've never had any major problems cleaning or maintaining most pistol barrels but I always run some CLP or Ballistol thru them before a range session.
I also use BoreSnake Vipers. Some gun owners rail against them but they are fast, easy to use & do a decent job of removing lead, grit, etc.

There are a few newer cleaning products out there; www.gunzilla.us www.mpro7.com LPX, www.italiangungrease.com FrogLube(started by a former US Navy SEAL), Rand CLP(started by a ex-cop/SF veteran), www.weaponshield.com .

Clyde
 
for heavy buildup i use safariland's CLP first and let it soak over night. they i hit it with mpro7 cleaner and a nylon brush or bore mop. i have copper but try to use as less as possible.
 
bkfamily,

H&K USP is an excellent gun. I carried one in .45 ACP. It was a huge gun, and with a fully double stack mag, it was heavy. After a week, I wanted to go back to a Sig P-229. But it was 100% reliable & very accurate.

On point: I'd call H&K and ask a technician how to resolve your problem. You have a very expensive gun, so I'm sure H&K will bend over backward to help you.

Best of luck.
 
+1 for the foaming bore cleaner. Saves a ton of work. I use a method similar to Johnska's method. I hardly ever have to run more than two doses of foaming cleaner before all the fouling comes out.
 
Does anyone use a sonic cleaner? If so does it effectively clean the bore?

No.
Ultrasonics are good for removing carbon and powder fouling and dirty lube, but unless you use a cleaning solvent like a bore cleaner in the tank, it won't remove copper or leading from the bore.
You still have to clean the bore with rod and brush.

Some options:
First, buy a bore solvent that's a stronger copper remover.
Hoppe's #9 is a fairly mild copper remover.
There are plenty on the market, some stronger then others. READ THE LABEL.
Some can harm a barrel if left in longer then about 30 minutes.
Some of the above mentioned solvent will do the job.
If you have a solvent that is bore safe like Hoppe's you can put the barrel in a thin glass or tube, fill it with solvent and let the bore soak 24 hours.
If you can find a real solvent-proof/leak proof plug you can plug the bore and fill it and let soak.

Remember, bore solvents work by a chemical action. This takes TIME. You have to allow it the time it needs to work to attack and dissolve the copper, but again, READ THE LABEL.

Another option for bad copper fouling is JB Bore Paste.
This is a mild, non-embedding abrasive paste used to clean badly fouled barrels WITHOUT harming the barrel.
It was first used by benchrest shooters, so it certainly won't harm the bore.
Since it's a paste, it has no real oder at all and is human-safe.
Buy it from Brownell's, Midway, and many gun shops.

As an addition to JB Bore Paste or on it's own, a lot of shooters use Kroil as a bore cleaner.
Kroil is a super penetrating fluid that if allowed to soak over night to even days literally infiltrates under bore fouling and loosens it so it brushes out easily.
Brownell's sell JB Bore Paste and Kroil individually or as a set.
Kroil does have a rather strong odor.

Use NEW bronze bore brushes. Synthetic are solvent-safe, but they are not as effective as bronze.
Buy brushes in bulk, they don't last long.

Don't use expedient home brew chemicals people may recommend.
Some may work, some will ruin the barrel.
There's no need for any of this when any gun shop sells chemicals specifically designed to safely clean copper fouling from the barrel.

Don't use expedient cleaning methods that people may recommend.
You may hear about putting a brush in a electric drill and spinning it in the bore or using stainless steel brushes, steel wool, synthetic polish pads, metal polish, etc.
These, and other methods can absolutely ruin a barrel.

So, the answer is easy: Just buy a more effective bore solvent.
 
Some other tips on cleaning.

I have an old dinged up ammo can that is too ugly and dented to be much use. But it still seals tight.

When I have a stubborn barrel, I'll drench it in solvent (not the copper removers, a typical cleaning solvent like BreakFree CLP, Outers Nitro Solvent, Kroil, BreakFree Bore Cleaner, etc.) and leave it in the can overnight. The standard solvents won't hurt the barrel and it can soften up the hard deposits to reduce brushing. The can keeps the barrel from drying out, collecting dust or annoying anyone with the smell of solvents.

I just did an overnight test with Breakfree CLP, BreakFree Bore Cleaner and Kroil on three different barrels. I couldn't really tell much difference in how they performed. That's been my experience in general.

My rule for overnight soaking is that the solvent needs to smell like a typical gun solvent but NOT have any ammonia. I don't EVER leave any of the foaming bore cleaners or copper solvents soaking overnight, nor any solvent that isn't petroleum based.

One other point that Dfariswheel has already touched on. When I get frustrated during the cleaning process--it's taking too much brushing or too many cycles with a foaming bore cleaner, whatever--then it's time to use an abrasive cleaner like JB Bore Paste or Remington Bore Cleaner. I don't like to use them routinely because they're messy and I can usually get the barrel clean without resorting to abrasives; but I keep them on hand because they can really make short work of truly stubborn deposits of carbon or metal fouling.

Don't forget to shake the Remington Bore Cleaner. The abrasive settles to the bottom--if you don't shake it immediately before using it, you just get the solvent off the top. It's a decent solvent, but the abrasive is what you need.

Be sure to thoroughly flush the barrel when you're done to remove any traces of the abrasive.

One of my final steps in cleaning the barrel is to push a patch wet with BreakFree CLP down the bore and then put the barrel aside while I finish cleaning/lubricating the rest of the gun.

Before I do final assembly, I run a dry patch down the bore to get rid of the excess CLP and to make sure it comes out clean. Whatever they put in the BreakFree CLP tends to loosen up anything left in the bore and I've had barrels that seemed clean when I set them aside produce a pretty nasty patch after sitting awhile with BreakFree CLP in the bore. That's a signal that a little more cleaning is required.

I've found a local source for some common solvents and I plan to use them to make a "homebrew" for soaking barrels that is loosely based on a recipe from "Modern Gunsmithing" by James V. Howe. The name is kind of humorous since it was published in 1934, but I guess it was modern then.

If the recipe turns out to be significantly better than the stuff you can buy off the shelf, I'll post the results. I don't really expect that to happen, but it will be a fun experiment.
 
The military recommended to clean the barrel with Breakfree CLP and leave it overnight then do a followup cleaning.
You can also use Froglube paste in the barrel and hit it with a heat gun or hair dryer to melt the paste and allow it to soak into the barrel pores. This will reduce fouling and aid in cleaning.
 
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