After looking through the archives im a little confused as to the use of solvents. From what i can gather there is copper solvents and carbon solvents.

When cleaning, you run a wet patch or two down the barrel and leave it for a while, then use the bronze brush to remove copper.

But what solvent do you actually use first? Carbon before copper or the other way round? I take it one should be dry patched away before using the other?

Your opinions :confused:

Brad

Actually there are two classes of solvents, Copper solvent and lead solvent designed for the two different types of projectiles fired from modern guns. These two are often combined into one solvent. I personally like sweets, but there are several good gun cleaning solvents on the market.

I use an outer's foul out II to remove all copper and lead. Each material has it's own solvent in this system and it's probably the best I've used.

If the gun is going to be stored it always gets a light coat of gun oil inside and outside before going in the safe. Be sure and run a dry patch thru before shooting.

A bore snake does this well and fits in a small space. Bore snakes are great, but don't replace a rod and brush or the foul out for deep cleaning.

Cool thanks bob

So carbon is cleaned enough by the wet and dry patches and the brushes as well. There is no need for a dedicated solvent for it?

Brad

Nope, Just make sure your patches come out clean. Use a bore guide. I like JB bore cleaner once in a while. Did a lot of bench rest shooting when I was younger and most bench shooters used it.

Some of the new foaming copper removers work well. As far as carbon I'm not quite sure what your getting at. Modern centerfires may leave some powder residue but either copper fouling or leading are the two substances that will need to be cleaned from a bore.

Thanks mate. Probly read too much into it and confused myself. Learning so much it isnt funny.

Cheers

Brad

My procedure (I'm sure everyone has their own) is to run Hoppe's Benchrest, a carbon/copper solvent, through the bore until the following dry patches begin to show the black carbon is fairly well removed. Then, the foam cleaner Wipe Out is injected and let sit overnight. You can leave the foam in the bore for 24 hours without harm. This gets wiped out and reapplied until the copper blue/green stain no longer shows on the patches. A Hoppe's #9 solvent patch is run and allowed to sit overnight. This is done until all vestiges of copper/carbon is removed and the patches come out clean. A light coating of oil is applied and the rifle sat muzzle down in a box with rags for a couple of days to drain any oil that may not adhere to the bore.

-
The solvents that are advertised as being "copper" solvents generally have some sort of ammonia component in them. As such, their function is to disolve or break down the copper jacketing material of today's modern bullets.

AND FURTHERMORE these solvents will also attack your bronze bore bruses and eat them up, too.

You might want to go to Fr. Frog's webpage, take a look at his FAQs and check out some of the homemade solvents he has noted there.

The big gun catalogs have stiff nylon brushes available that are resistant to these ammonia-component solvents and can be used without dissolving into the solvent. The brushes can be purchased in the "normal" dimensions and in "extra-bristly" or "oversized", or some d&%# thing and will probably be of value, too.

AND, you can also buy chamber brushes and other cleaning supplies, which are tough to come by in most local shops.
Wolf.

I have,over the years,found this proceedure to work very well for me.
When shooting only lead bullets,I clean with origional Hoppe's#9 solvent.It works for me.
hen shooting jacketed bullets,I use Shooter's Choice solvent.It is stronger and attacks copper fouling,somewhat..If I find blue stains on the patch,indicating copper fouling,I run a patch with Barne's #10 on it into the bore.This stuff is very strong,and can damage the firearm if you are careless with it.I continue with Barne's until the copper is completely removed.Then I throughly clean it out with my regular solvent.The bore should be clean now.
Frank