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Best copper solvent?

Two or three years ago Precision Shooting published an article where the author tested most of the available bore cleaners. He used a bore scope to determine the results. Bore Tech Eliminator was the best copper cutter and Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter was the best carbon remover. Bore Tech Eliminator does not use ammonia.

The fastest and most effective way I have found to clean a bore is to push out the loose stuff, then make 80 strokes with Remington Bore Cleaner or JB Bore Paste. These as both non-embedding abrasives that do not harm the bore. Then I follow up with Eliminator until there is no blue showing on the outside of the patch. If you use a brass jag there will always be a little blue on the inside, because Eliminator is so strong. Barnes CR-10 and Sweet's 7.62 are nowhere nearly as powerful as Eliminator.
 
I have found that the Boretech Benchrest solvent is much more effective at removing copper that the Boretech Eliminator. I had trouble finding it and had to order directly from Boretech. But after trying just about everything, Pro Shot Copper Remover is the best I have used so far, particularly with rough bores like those in the Savage and Remington factory barrels. It is not ammonia based. They use a chelating agent which is less harmful to the bore than ammonia, similar to Boretech Eliminator, but better.
 
Greyfox said:
I have found that the Boretech Benchrest solvent is much more effective at removing copper than the Boretech Eliminator. I had trouble finding it and had to order directly from Boretech. But after trying just about everything, Pro Shot Copper Remover is the best I have used so far, particularly with rough bores like those in the Savage and Remington factory barrels. It is not ammonia based. They use a chelating agent which is less harmful to the bore than ammonia, similar to Boretech Eliminator, but better.
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GF,
Have you tried KG-12? Or BoreTech's Cu+2 Copper Remover?
 
Greyfox said:
I haven't. I'll try them. Thanks
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I wouldn't recommend purchasing KG-12. I've used KG-12, Boretech Eliminator and Boretech Cu+2 products pretty extensively. I like the Boretech Eliminator and Cu+2 products better than KG-12, because it's so much easier to tell when all copper has been removed with the BoreTech products. They yield the tell tale bluish staining when copper is still being removed.

KG-12 is a yellow colored fluid. And it turns a slightly darker yellow when removing copper. It's a lot harder to tell if KG-12 is still removing copper. KG-12 is an effective copper remover. But I prefer the BoreTech products because they announce copper removal so much more clearly with the bluish stains on the white cloth cleaning patches. That, and I don't think KG-12 is more effective than these two BoreTech products.

When the BoreTech treated patches show no blue staining, I think the copper is pretty much completely gone. It's much harder to tell when KG-12 is no longer removing copper.

I do think the BoreTech Cu+2 product is a more aggressive copper removing fluid than Eliminator. So I was curious if you could comment on the effectiveness of Cu+2 compared to Pro Shot Copper Remover or BoreTech's Benchrest solvents. I may try some of the Pro Shot Copper Remover product based on your conclusion that Pro Shot is better than Eliminator.
 
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I use KG stuff and like it a lot, I also use wipeout and let it sit over night. I also use nylon brushes and bore mops. I use Hoppes #9 at the range between strings and the clean the powder fouling out when I put the rifle away.
 
I seem to be the consummate "copper remover tester". Every time a new quicker and better copper cleaner comes along, I cannot resist getting it and trying it. I have used almost all of the aforementioned products with varying degrees of success. I have concluded that quick and efficient removal of copper MUST begin with complete powder removal. Many commercial and home-brew products will work, but KG-1 and Slip 2000 Carbon Killer are far and away the best. After that I put copper solvents into two groups: ammonia based and non-ammonia based. The best of the ammonia based solvent is Warthog 1134. It works fairly well on carbon too. For solvents without ammonia, I think KG-12 is tops. BUT, I'm with Phorwrath cause KG-12 doesn't give any color to indicate whether it is working. I just can't trust that KG-12 is removing copper without some kind of "proof". So.....
after cleaning with KG-12, I dry the barrel well and then use Warthog to see if I can get any blue from the barrel. I have never found any copper left in the barrel using my method of testing for it, so I must conclude KG-12 works extremely well.
 
MT4XFore said:
Many commercial and home-brew products will work, but KG-1 and Slip 2000 Carbon Killer are far and away the best.

For solvents without ammonia, I think KG-12 is tops. BUT, I'm with Phorwath cause KG-12 doesn't give any color to indicate whether it is working. I just can't trust that KG-12 is removing copper without some kind of "proof". So.....
after cleaning with KG-12, I dry the barrel well and then use Warthog to see if I can get any blue from the barrel. I have never found any copper left in the barrel using my method of testing for it, so I must conclude KG-12 works extremely well.
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+1 on the effectiveness of KG-1 for carbon removal. I also use KG-1 for powder and carbon removal prior to going after the copper.

My copper removal solvents are now strictly all non-ammonia based, after experiencing etching and corrosion from Barnes CR10 before Barnes placed the maximum time constraint warning for contact in the bore on their originally packaged containers of CR10. This was many years ago. Probably at least 10 years ago. The original instructions stated was that CR10 was completely safe on steel bores with no warning about excessive time limits of exposure. Based on those instructions, I left CR10 in the bores for too long and corroded one chrome-moly bore quite heavily. The gun still shoots pretty darn good for a plain-Jane factory barrel. I also etched a SS barrel just slightly.

I've solely used KG-12, BoreTech Eliminator, BoreTech Cu+2, and WipeOut for copper removal for the past 2 years or more. WipeOut is only occasionally used when in no hurry, and it's worked very well when left in the bore overnight. All of these products work quite well for copper removal, in my experience.

In order to test the effectiveness of KG-12, I've used BoreTech Eliminator, Cu+2, and Wipeout following thorough copper removal efforts with KG-12. When the patches stain blue, I know additional copper is being removed following treatment with KG-12. And I have experienced blue staining with Eliminator and Cu+2, after hitting the bore pretty extensively with KG-12. Generally the blue discoloration is only mild, indicating most of the copper was removed with KG-12.

Cu+2 is more effective than Eliminator for copper removal, in my experience. So now I run KG-1 or Eliminator for powder and carbon removal, followed by Cu+2 for copper removal.
 
I use M-Pro 7 gun cleaner for carbon fouling, and it is nontoxic and odorless.

I use Remington 40-X bore cleaner for taking out the copper, used only when necessary. It is not a solvent, and has lower toxicity than the copper solvents.

No need to ruin your health with strong chemical cleaners these days.

I also use M-Pro 7 synthetic lubricant. Keeps copper fouling down in the first place as it treats the metal.
 
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