For the Love of God, GI Joe and John Wayne.... cleaning and abrasive cleaners

Been using a concoction of 2/1 Hoppes/ Free All, works pretty well on carbon, disclaimer, I brush a lot and soak for several days when possible.
All pictures are on the same groove just in front of the end of the chamber. Barrel is a 6 PPC Bartlein with 8-900 shots.
Barrel after a thorough cleaning with solvents and Rem 40 X before putting up for winter.
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After 28 shots recently, couple wet patches of H/FA, then 25 passes with a bronze brush immediately after firing the last shot at the range, then a 24hr soak.
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Wet patches of Montana Extreme Copper Killer followed by 25 brush strokes and a 15 minute soak.
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Decided to try a 24hr soak with the Copper Killer after brushing, same regimen as before but 24hr soak.
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Finally did another Hoppes/Free All brush and 24hr soak.
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The last session didn’t pull much more carbon but the first patch was definitely dirty. Going to try this routine for this upcoming season. The Copper Killer seems to do a better job than BT Eliminator but the Eliminator is old. Montana Extreme Copper Killer will knock your socks off when you open it!
 
If you really want to remove copper chemically (instead of with abrasives) the most effective remover I have found is Barnes CR-10. I have a tried a few other products, including Sweets 7.62, and it by far works the fastest and most thoroughly. It smells horrible, and shouldn't be left in the bore long term, but it will strip every last bit of copper out of the bore. It also seems to dissolve carbon to some degree as well, although it is not advertised to do so.
 
Take this with a giant bag of salt, but for giggles I emailed Hoppe's (who turns out is owned by Bushnell) and asked their tech group about the changes to their formula over time and if it was still safe to leave in barrels long term as a protectant.

The first response I got was a bit odd, indicated the formula has not changed in as long as they could remember, but it turned out they thought I was referring to their oil product.

When I clarified that I meant the #9 bore cleaner the response was that it should never be left on any surface for too long, instead it should be removed and their oil should be used.

Now perhaps this Hoppe's tech support person had no idea what they were talking about, perhaps they just wanted to encourage someone to buy their oil and use more product who knows. However, considering the formula changes in 2019, and the fact someone else posted they could no longer find an ingredient that seemed to be a rust preventative in the current formula, it might not be a great idea to continue the old practice of leaving it barrels long term, at least if your #9 is newer than 2019.
 
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Take this with a giant bag of salt, but for giggles I emailed Hoppe's (who turns out is owned by Bushnell) and asked their tech group about the changes to their formula over time and if it was still safe to leave in barrels long term as a protectant.

The first response I got was a bit odd, indicated the formula has not changed in as long as they could remember, but it turned out they thought I was referring to their oil product.

When I clarified that I meant the #9 bore cleaner the response was that it should never be left on any surface for too long, instead it should be removed and their oil should be used.

Now perhaps this Hoppe's tech support person had no idea what they were talking about, perhaps they just wanted to encourage someone to buy their oil and use more product who knows. However, considering the formula changes in 2019, and the fact someone else posted they could no longer find an ingredient that seemed to be a rust preventative in the current formula, it might not be a great idea to continue the old practice of leaving it barrels long term, at least if your #9 is newer than 2019.
Pretty messed up for them to change the product that much (2016 version: 9 ingredients, 2019 version: 16 ingredients with major swap ins and outs between them) without even putting a "new and improved formula" label on it or anything.
 
Pretty messed up for them to change the product that much (2016 version: 9 ingredients, 2019 version: 16 ingredients with major swap ins and outs between them) without even putting a "new and improved formula" label on it or anything.
One thing that really seems to be taking a beating in the past 5 years is consumer protection. Used to be companies wouldn’t dare pull half the shit they pull now. Seems like it really went south with the fake pandemic….
 
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Yep companies got away with and are still getting away with tons of stuff now pretty much blame free because they convinced the world it was all covid's fault. Consumers as a whole just learned to accept and take high prices and poor QC/service and it's become the new standard. Don't get me wrong covid legitimately messed up a ton of industries for awhile, but it also gave a ton of companies a blame free path to reduce staff, cut corners, shrinkflate, and increase prices blame free. You won't find another 5 years in history that the S&P increased almost 3000 points, even if you don't count the initial covid drop 1000 point drop (it only took 8 months to recover that) it's still increased 2000+ points from pre-covid. Companies convinced the world they were the victim and down on their luck, meanwhile making record profits and their stock prices show it and in almost every case it's bad news for the consumer.

I just checked the I have about a 1/4 of a pint bottle left with a 2012 date on the label. I had bought another one last year, but given the new ingredients and info from Hoppe's I don't think I'll be doing my standard practice of leaving it in for long term storage after my old stuff is used up. I'll just do a barrel cleaning and use one of the protectant options. Esp. with what appear to be new carcinogens in the new formula (or at least the new MSDS sure is reporting more carcinogens, could be reporting requirements).

Many years ago I used to clean with wipe out, patch dry, and use Barricade as a final patch for storage. However I liked Frank's method I'd add in Rem 40x sometimes, making sure to get all that out and then leaving Hoppe's in long term so it would continue to clean and protect, and dry patching before a range trip. This new formula though it looks like I'll go back to using more of a protectant only in the barrel for long term.
 
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Yep companies got away with and are still getting away with tons of stuff now pretty much blame free because they convinced the world it was all covid's fault. Consumers as a whole just learned to accept and take high prices and poor QC/service and it's become the new standard. Don't get me wrong covid legitimately messed up a ton of industries for awhile, but it also gave a ton of companies a blame free path to reduce staff, cut corners, shrinkflate, and increase prices blame free. You won't find another 5 years in history that the S&P increased almost 3000 points, even if you don't count the initial covid drop 1000 point drop (it only took 8 months to recover that) it's still increased 2000+ points from pre-covid. Companies convinced the world they were the victim and down on their luck, meanwhile making record profits and their stock prices show it and in almost every case it's bad news for the consumer.

I just checked the I have about a 1/4 of a pint bottle left with a 2012 date on the label. I had bought another one last year, but given the new ingredients and info from Hoppe's I don't think I'll be doing my standard practice of leaving it in for long term storage after my old stuff is used up. I'll just do a barrel cleaning and use one of the protectant options. Esp. with what appear to be new carcinogens in the new formula (or at least the new MSDS sure is reporting more carcinogens, could be reporting requirements).

Many years ago I used to clean with wipe out, patch dry, and use Rust Barrier as a final patch for storage. However I liked Frank's method I'd add in Rem 40x sometimes, making sure to get all that out and then leaving Hoppe's in long term so it would continue to clean and protect, and dry patching before a range trip. This new formula though it looks like I'll go back to using more of a protectant only in the barrel for long term.
Sounds like a good plan. If not sure if your solvent has a protectant or not just dry patch it when done with the solvent then run a light patch of mineral/paraffin/hoppe's/etc. oil down the bore then dry patch before shooting.
 
Yep companies got away with and are still getting away with tons of stuff now pretty much blame free because they convinced the world it was all covid's fault. Consumers as a whole just learned to accept and take high prices and poor QC/service and it's become the new standard. Don't get me wrong covid legitimately messed up a ton of industries for awhile, but it also gave a ton of companies a blame free path to reduce staff, cut corners, shrinkflate, and increase prices blame free. You won't find another 5 years in history that the S&P increased almost 3000 points, even if you don't count the initial covid drop 1000 point drop (it only took 8 months to recover that) it's still increased 2000+ points from pre-covid. Companies convinced the world they were the victim and down on their luck, meanwhile making record profits and their stock prices show it and in almost every case it's bad news for the consumer.

I just checked the I have about a 1/4 of a pint bottle left with a 2012 date on the label. I had bought another one last year, but given the new ingredients and info from Hoppe's I don't think I'll be doing my standard practice of leaving it in for long term storage after my old stuff is used up. I'll just do a barrel cleaning and use one of the protectant options. Esp. with what appear to be new carcinogens in the new formula (or at least the new MSDS sure is reporting more carcinogens, could be reporting requirements).

Many years ago I used to clean with wipe out, patch dry, and use Rust Barrier as a final patch for storage. However I liked Frank's method I'd add in Rem 40x sometimes, making sure to get all that out and then leaving Hoppe's in long term so it would continue to clean and protect, and dry patching before a range trip. This new formula though it looks like I'll go back to using more of a protectant only in the barrel for long term.
I run a small business. I have never shipped faster or provided better service. That was my reaction to covid.
 
You are the exception. not the rule. What business are you in? Would like to support it if it's something I already use/need/want.
My customers say that to me. I tell them that in my world, that’s like thanking the frig for being cold. That’s just how it should be. I have a code on how a biz should treat its customer.

This is one reason I take such offense to the shenanigans I see in the gun industry. Why I go on and on about great American companies like Vortex and Seekins.

I have gone more and more incognito with my political/ gun stuff these days because of the viscous leftists and their “deep state”government. I can tell you that I’m in the motorcycle industry, 23 years now. Feel free to PM me for details.
 
@Frank Green
Update:
I quit using the thoroclean for the last 2 cleaning and I clean every 100 rounds and make sure there is no carbon ring.
My barrel sped up to normal velocities
78.4grs og H1000 was 2880ish fps now its 2933fps with no pressure sign whatsoever.
Moral of the story: I suggest everyone not to get fooled with all those ads they see about best barrel cleaner.
I will stick to my boretech cleaners like old days.
Cheers
Max
 
I tested both Chameleon gel and JBs & Kroil on a .375 CT HTI barrel and found that the JBs & Kroil combination works much better & faster.
That's what I use it when I do use abrasives. I'm finding that if I stay on top of cleaning after a range session (and no, I don't really like cleaning guns...but, its a necessary chore) then I don't find myself using the abrasives very often at all.
 
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Just use a blow torch and burn it out…..
Dude...you are an embarrassment to our former military service. Army has blow torches (yeah, they call them "flame throwers" but its a fucking torch...a J-79 in afterburner....now that's a flame thrower).

USAF uses napalm. So, get your head straight, Sgt. lol

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Dude...you are an embarrassment to our former military service. Army has blow torches (yeah, they call them "flame throwers" but its a fucking torch...a J-79 in afterburner....now that's a flame thrower).

USAF uses napalm. So, get your head straight, Sgt. lol

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Instead of frog lube we are going to end up with fougasse bore cleaner

 
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Hey @Frank Green I did a search and couldn’t come up with an answer given by you on how you clean a rimfire barrel.

With CF I just use your method and it works. Don’t know if rimfire is any different.

Second question: after using your CF cleaning process on a CF gun (or rimfire, I suppose), what do you think of not dry patching the bore before shooting? I guess there would be a bit of Hoppes in there.

I’ve read that the first bullet hydraulically pushing the liquid out is either bad, or not bad. Or that the heat/gas/pressure preceding the bullet pushes/evaporates/burns the liquid out before the bullet passes over it. Typical internet conjecture. I have no idea.

For people not named Frank Green (who already knows), gas apparently does exit before the bullet, btw. This vid shows slo-mo footage of a bunch of calibers exiting the bore. Don’t think they actually chrono’ed the bullets, but as a 204 lover, my totally unbiased analysis concludes that the 204 exit was the coolest 😎


I did see you do this before shooting:
 
I’d still shoot the bore dry before shooting. Especially the chamber. If the bore has oil/solvent in it…. Guaranteed fliers on the first rounds down it.
If I, uh, am willing to waste some cash with a flyer, do you think there’s any damage to the bore if not dry patching? Not that I’d ever do that lol

I’m not talking about slathering the bore with sticky oil or something. Just that light coat/one pass of Hoppes.

Might be sorta impossible to know.