How Often Do You Use Copper Remover In Rifle Barrels?

[UtopiaTexasG19]

All of the casting reloading I have done over the last 35 years for my pistols and rifles has been my own lead bullets so I never thought of using copper fouling cleaners for my guns. I now have a AR15 which I re-load with copper jacketed bullets and need some advise. I clean my guns after every 50 rounds or so but do not know how often I should use a copper fouling cleaner on this AR. Thanks...

 

[Cowboy_mo]

I try to clean my hunting rifles after 20 rounds (per advice from Field & Streams Gun Nut). I use Butch's Bore Shine which is an excellent copper solvent. Don't know if that is overkill, but it works for me.

 

[arizona98tj]

I use Patch Out (it is very nose friendly in my gun room) for removing powder, carbon, and copper from my rifle bores. I may clean my long range .308 after 2 or 3 trips to the range while my AR-15 may go 800 rounds or more while I am taking training course. My FNAR is hardly troubled with copper fouling. It varies from rifle to rifle. Clean it when it is necessary.

 

[wogpotter]

At the end of every shooting day.
That probably comes to about every 200 rounds or so on average.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Actual copper remover?

Never. Literally. Never have owned the stuff.

 

[rickyrick]

Rarely,

It's not needed to often

 

[tim s]

Most barrels lay down some copper. Short answer is there's no downside to cleaning your barrel every time with a good solvent and most attack copper as well.

 

[jgcoastie]

Never. I've never had any dedicated copper solvent at my gun bench.

I use Royal Purple Automatic Transmission Fluid. Never an issue with copper fouling.

After a heavy day of shooting, or once every couple of months (whichever comes first), I take a rubber plug and seal off the muzzle with it, then wrap a small balloon around the muzzle, secured with a rubber band. Then I hang the gun up muzzle-down, and pour R/P ATF into the chamber until the barrel and chamber are full. Then I let it sit overnight and through the next day, scrub it the next night with a brass brush and run patches through until they're clean.

Over time, it gets easier and easier to clean using this method, stuff just doesn't stay stuck to the walls of the barrel like it does when the gun is brand new.