cleaning

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Last Post 30 August 2023
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CBA Member

Ross Smith posted this 19 August 2023

Today I bought some Hoppes copper cleaner that smells like ammonia.I tried it cuz I ran out of the good stuff. I was disappointed in how slow it dissolved good old carbon powder fouling.WD-40 works better for me.

Any thoughts?

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Standard Member

trapdoor4570 posted this 30 August 2023

For the carbon fouling try PB Blaster. Scrub the bore with a metal brush using the Blaster and stand muzzle down for 5 to 10 minutes, put a wad of paper towels under it. The first time I used it I put the muzzle directly on the concrete, even now years later there is a black stain in the concrete. The only problem I have is it takes 10 to 20 rounds to sweeten the bore when I am done.

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Standard Member

Wm Cook posted this 27 August 2023

Benchrest copper solvent is good stuff and the benchrest lead remover, is even better.

I’ve never head off benchrest lead remover. Where do you find it David?

A “Measured Response” is as effective as tongue lashing a stuck door.

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Standard Member

Shuz posted this 27 August 2023

There was an article in a recent Shooting Times mag that warned about the hazards of using WD-40 on firearms. It leaves a gummy residue that will often foul up the various mechanisms of a firearm.

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CBA Member

Ross Smith posted this 26 August 2023

Never thought that this would draw so much interest. The wd-40 thing is a stop gap. think I'll now order direct from Hoppe's.

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CBA Member

mashburn posted this 26 August 2023

Ross,

I live so far back in the woods, that I ride the mare to the mailbox, and the colt back. Just making a joke, but the Benchrest copper solvent is good stuff and the benchrest lead remover, is even better.

I've been preaching the fine qualities of Benchrest products, but for the last 3 or so years, I've been using Ed's Red.The answer is: use whatever you prefer. The one that smells the best to me is the old version of Hoppes #9. I find the new version, worthless.

Everyone, have a great day,

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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Bill*B posted this 26 August 2023

I guess how you clean depends on your needs. Bench rest accuracy requires one system, service rifle accuracy is O.K. with another.

Sometimes I think we clean too much. As I get older I am more apt to just run a couple of patches saturated with a 50/50

kerosene/ATF mix through the bore, and call it good.

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Standard Member

Buttersdad posted this 26 August 2023

I took a gunsmithing course for my own gun work. A friend asked me once about a year ago about his deer gun, a Remington 700 BDL in .260 Remington. He said it was working fine when he checked the zero in the fall. Then he was hunting in late November in Northwest Missouri it failed to fire when he pulled the trigger. I asked what he used for a lubricant, he said he used WD-40 just like his dad did. I told him that is his problem, that WD-40 is a water displacer and it gets gummy in cold weather. Now, we're talking about temps like 25 degrees and below. I told him to disassemble his bolt and clean it all with a quality gun solvent. He asked what to use, I said I use Hoppe's #9 solvent and it works great. He found out. I found out that a lot of the hunters in the previous generation used WD-40 but I wouldn't use it on my guns. YMMV

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CBA Member

Tim DeMarais posted this 25 August 2023

Direct from Hoppe's, No. 9 is $21 a quart and ships free if you buy two ($40 purchase for free shipping).

I tried several copper cleaners and found none of them cleaned as well as Hoppe's No. 9 or Ed's Red. Some of the copper solvents were so strong I was afraid of damaging the bore if I let it sit too long. I settled on Sweet's 7.62 Solvent which worked well for copper fouling and did not seem overly harsh.

I freshen the air with No. 9 when I use Ed's Red.

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RicinYakima posted this 24 August 2023

I clean guns in my man cave, and wife hates the smell of Benchrest and the other high ammonia cleaners. She doesn't mind #9 or Ed's Red. I shoot very few jacketed bullets, less than 50, each year so copper fouling is not an issue for me. When I was trading guns a lot, new guns would have the copper removed.

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Aaron posted this 24 August 2023

It's 100 miles for me to go to a large sporting goods store. I have trouble getting plain old hoppes, hench my original post

There is always:

Amazon.com

MidwayUSA.com

Grafs.com

Cabelas.com

BassPro.com

DixieGunWorks.com

Brownells.com

Walmart.com

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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CBA Member

Ross Smith posted this 24 August 2023

It's 100 miles for me to go to a large sporting goods store. I have trouble getting plain old hoppes, hench my original post

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mashburn posted this 24 August 2023

Evidently no-one cares to try the benchrest solvent that I posted. You talk about too much arm work, the bench rest will solve your problem.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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Aaron posted this 23 August 2023

Today I was working up loads (both jacketed and cast) for my fire breathing .257 Roberts AI. Cleaning the old girl with Hoppes 9 (regular) I ran a wet patch down the barrel and let it soak for 20-30 minutes. To my surprise the patch came out with blue/green hue. I didn't think Hoppes 9 removed copper but there you are.

The key, as you discovered, is to let the solvent work for a while. With my varmint rifles (25-06), I wet patch the bore, let soak for 30 minutes, dry patch to clean out fouling, wet patch again and soak, then wet and dry patches followed by a light coat of oil.

Here is a link to a pretty good article regarding the onset of Hoppe's #9 and the comments section has some very good information regarding the chemical composition of the love potion.

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/07/col-townsend-whelen-tells-how-hoppes-no-9-came-to-be/

The strong smell left over after cleaning, always gives me flashbacks to the '60s and the hunting/shooting days with my dad. Of course, my job was to clean all the guns afterward! It's amazing how powerful scents can be to invoke memories - vivid memories filled with detail from 60 years ago. I used to keep a fired shot-shell in my school bag and periodically smell it during the day to remind me of the day afield the previous Saturday. Silly boy.

Hoppe's #9 does that to me even today. It invokes fond memories of my youth and days afield with dad. Man I miss those times with him. Of course, it also helped me find a woman who would marry me. The scent changes their brain chemistry and we all become a suitable companion whose looks make us the most handsome and desirable man alive. That's why I still use Hoppe's; it keeps me looking good to the wife!

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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Mike H posted this 23 August 2023

Jeff,

Hopes no9 has always removed copper,it is slower than a lot of copper solvents around today,though Sweets solvent is more aggressive and has been around for a long time. I would clean after shooting,with Hoppes no9,then leave the bore with a liberal coating of Hoppes no9.Clean it out and replace every day or two until you are happy.I haven’t seen any problems leaving it in the barrel for extended periods.

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JeffinNZ posted this 23 August 2023

Today I was working up loads (both jacketed and cast) for my fire breathing .257 Roberts AI. Cleaning the old girl with Hoppes 9 (regular) I ran a wet patch down the barrel and let it soak for 20-30 minutes. To my surprise the patch came out with blue/green hue. I didn't think Hoppes 9 removed copper but there you are.

BTW, cast results looking good, results will be reported soon.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Boschloper posted this 22 August 2023

I used to keep my briefcase next to the loading bench. One day the TSA gave me some special attention. I found a new place to keep my briefcase.

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CBA Regional Director

Tom Acheson posted this 21 August 2023

Interesting subject. When cleaning the smokeless bore bore after a match, the patches NEVER come out clean. There is always some darkness on the patch., ALWAYS. I only shoot CB’s and only use Ed’s Red for cleaning, for at least 25-years, maybe more. But then (was just out shooting today) when shooting black powder, it only takes 3-4 patches and the last patch is clean, no residue. The solvent for that is Butch’s BP Bore Shine. Other solutions work well also.

And residue on yourself @ airport security. My wife and I were going to fly to Ft. Meyers, FL for our anniversary. My carry on had been in storage in the garage. Somehow the garage “shingle dust” on the bag was detected, they could not identify it, so they also inspected my shoes….the one I wear while in the loading room. Powder residue! Boy, it took some long explaining and ignoring the glare from my wife, who was fearful we would miss our flight while I was “negotiating” with the “officials”. These guys had no idea what a Handloader was or did. They needed to be educated! Of course I “participated”.

Tom

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 21 August 2023

I don't know about Hoppes #9 and women Aaron, but I can tell you going through the gatehouse at the nuclear power plant with primer residue on your shoes gets you a lot of attention from security!

They pulled me aside for a thorough search of my carry-on bag on entering Guadalajara, MX. It was my range bag emptied out for the trip. Much the same residue from spent brass. Quick search and passed through.

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Bud Hyett posted this 21 August 2023

Somewhat of a side note but an interesting tale.

I was dating a woman who looked enough like Helen Hunt to be her sister. She was slightly vain about her appearance. One day we walked past a woman who wafted a slight aroma of perfume. I sniffed the air and my friend immediately asked why? I replied I had noticed the perfume. She asked what scent I liked and I said, "Hoppe's #9."

She called me several nights later to ask about Hoppe's #9. She had been to all the local department store perfume shops and no one even recognized the name. I told her it was gun cleaning solution. That's when I discovered she really did not have a sense of humor.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Aaron posted this 21 August 2023

I don't know about Hoppes #9 and women Aaron, but I can tell you going through the gatehouse at the nuclear power plant with primer residue on your shoes gets you a lot of attention from security!

Those guys have NO sense of humor!

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

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