crkckr
Well-Known Member
Wirlwind, I think I've tried every chemical that says it takes out lead and only one worked - Outers Foul-Out, which is just a plating set up, just in reverse. Problems? Oh yeah, it can be messy. It requires different chemicals for lead and copper and I've no idea if they still sell them. The bore has to be sealed on the bottom and the barrel filled with the correct fluid, then a rod is dropped in and the wires hooked up. It does work like a charm, tho! I got mine when I still had a S&W M19 that used to attract lead put of thin air! That rod would come out looking like a fuzzy squirrel tail! Chemicals? Ha! Not a one works. I've got a bottle of Shooters Choice Lead Remover that sucks! It actually only works if you have a nice layer of copper fouling under the lead. Oh well, out come the bronze brushes, dang it.
I tried some stuff called CopperMelt years ago from a guy in Canada for removing copper fouling. We ended up on the outs after he sent an order late and it sat in the post office for nearly a month while I was overseas... leaking! I ended up with about a 1/3 of the stuff I ordered and was miffed to say the least. He said it was 100% the PO's fault... except they didn't put the stuff in containers that leaked. Oh well. It was the best copper remover I've ever used. The big test? I put a drop of the stuff on a chunk of copper pipe and it tried to eat the whole thing! I've done the same test with the lead removers and not a one even made the least little mark, even on pollished lead! Thing is, many of the newer chemicals on the market work just about as well, so it's no biggie that Coppermelt is out of business.
There was an old tale (probably from the military) that said you had to run a brush up and down the bore once for every shot, which is clearly not the way it should be done, especially on a custom barrel. No idea where it actually originated but there are a few guys out there who still go by it, including my step-dad. I never do anything beyond getting it clean. Anything after that is a waste of time.
I will also mention that anyone who doesn't use a bore guide while scrubbing out a barrel is taking a big risk. Scraping your cleaning rod on anything inside your rifle is not a good idea. It's funny I've got an old multi-piece military cleaning rod - that's made of steel! Yikes, I can't imagine what it would do to a barrel & action but it wouldn't be good!
I like Hart barrels, I have one on my .308. #5.5, 1:14 twist. Shoots better than me. I hope to get back to load development this summer, after my back yard dries up so I don't sink up to my ankles in mud! Between all my shooting projects and my ultralight, i am definetly kept from roaming the streets!
Cheers,
crkckr
I tried some stuff called CopperMelt years ago from a guy in Canada for removing copper fouling. We ended up on the outs after he sent an order late and it sat in the post office for nearly a month while I was overseas... leaking! I ended up with about a 1/3 of the stuff I ordered and was miffed to say the least. He said it was 100% the PO's fault... except they didn't put the stuff in containers that leaked. Oh well. It was the best copper remover I've ever used. The big test? I put a drop of the stuff on a chunk of copper pipe and it tried to eat the whole thing! I've done the same test with the lead removers and not a one even made the least little mark, even on pollished lead! Thing is, many of the newer chemicals on the market work just about as well, so it's no biggie that Coppermelt is out of business.
There was an old tale (probably from the military) that said you had to run a brush up and down the bore once for every shot, which is clearly not the way it should be done, especially on a custom barrel. No idea where it actually originated but there are a few guys out there who still go by it, including my step-dad. I never do anything beyond getting it clean. Anything after that is a waste of time.
I will also mention that anyone who doesn't use a bore guide while scrubbing out a barrel is taking a big risk. Scraping your cleaning rod on anything inside your rifle is not a good idea. It's funny I've got an old multi-piece military cleaning rod - that's made of steel! Yikes, I can't imagine what it would do to a barrel & action but it wouldn't be good!
I like Hart barrels, I have one on my .308. #5.5, 1:14 twist. Shoots better than me. I hope to get back to load development this summer, after my back yard dries up so I don't sink up to my ankles in mud! Between all my shooting projects and my ultralight, i am definetly kept from roaming the streets!
Cheers,
crkckr
When I do this it is really only for heavily fouled (copper) tubes. Unfortunately fouling is layered if it is severe and the rifle has not been cleaned regularly. This does work and it works very well. 
