Another copper head ache

[bandit1250]

A friend bought a used rifle from the early '70's. I have been going over it for him cleaning the bolt and trigger and now I am getting ready to scope it and do some load testing. The barrel looked clean from the breach end but after wiping it with out one pass with some engine tuner I looked in the muzzle and this barrel looks like a penny. It is loaded with copper. It more than likely never seen a copper removing cleaner since new. Probably just cleaned with the old bore cleaners that were not really aggressive at getting the copper out. I hear so many people say they shot their barrel out of there favorite 30/06 or a similar caliber and I wonder how many folks actually shoot out deer caliber rifles. It can be done but not by most shooters. Most barrels except maybe the hot rod varmint calibers never get shot enough to wear one out. Well for two evenings now I have been working on this copper fouling build up and no end in sight. It just keeps coming out blue on the patches and blue foam coming out the muzzle. This one is a challenge. If you read this thread you may see it pays to clean a center fire barrel occasionally with a copper remover before it gets to this point. Here is what the patches look like and this is just a few that I went through last evening.

[RanchRoper]

Wow. I bought some JSP rounds for the 45 Colt and probably won't again. But I'll use them up and get some copper cleaner. Thks.

[bandit1250]

Wow. I bought some JSP rounds for the 45 Colt and probably won't again. But I'll use them up and get some copper cleaner. Thks.

The problem seems to be partly due to velocity and the amount of bearing surface from longer bullets. I never had much trouble with hand guns getting bad copper fouling with JSP bullets in them. A few rifles chambered in pistol cartridge got some copper in them. After cleaning your barrel with your normal solvent look in the muzzle with a flash light and the copper will show if there is any. Sweets 7.62 will remove it but use it by the directions as it is potent stuff. DO NOT USE A BRONZE OR COPPER BRUSH WITH SWEETS. If you use Sweets with a brush use a synthetic or the Sweets will dissolve your brush and add copper to your barrel and then eat your brush up.

[RanchRoper]

Excellent, thank you. Once the copper jackets are gone I'll stick with Lead.

[ditto1958]

That's a lotta copper!

My Henry H009 gets some copper in the bore. Not nearly that much, though.

[White Squirrel]

I have been using the Hi Tek polymer coated lead bullets along with Hodgdon CFE (Copper Fouling Eraser) powder. I have reloaded some 9mm and .38 using this combination, but haven't really shot many of them yet. Don't know if that will make any difference, but I figured they can't hurt.