AR15 Copper Fouling

[Grizzly_A]

Breaking in a new AR barrel and I've got a lot of copper fouling.

I use Wipe-out foaming cleaner in my bolt rifles and handguns, but I've read that foaming cleaners aren't good for gas operated guns as it can clog the gas tube, block, etc.

What do you use to clean the copper out of your AR15?

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[Bend]

Barnes CR-10 with a nylon bore brush and patches.

 

[Grizzly_A]

how long/ how many strokes does it take to get it out using Barnes??

 

[the4thshake]

I have been using Gunslick foam on my AR's. It works quite well. You have to flush the gas tube out with clp and compressed air. Follow that with a clean patch to get what blew out into the barrel. JB bore paste works for tough fouling when breaking in a barrel. Its messy but works.

 

[Bend]

how long/ how many strokes does it take to get it out using Barnes??

Depends how bad the copper is. Usually accomplishied in 2 cycles of;

wet patch
let set for 10-20 minutes
wet brush, 20-30 strokes, re-wet brush every 5
2 dry patches

See:

http://www.frfrogspad.com/cleaners.htm

 

[PDXGS]

The old tried and true method:
(As recommended by the US Army's Marksmanship Unit)
On my match ARs and M1A I use a cotton mop, a decent nylon brush and Sweets 7.62 copper solvent. Wet the mop with Sweets, mop the barrel and let it sit for about 15 minutes.....take time to pull the bolt carrier group apart and claen it. When you're done with that run some patches soaked in hydrogen peroxide down the barrel and remove the residue from the sweets. Folow that wiht some Hoppes #9 and the usaul routine of aptches until clean. Then clean the gas tube out with compressed air and some hydrogen peroxide and the long gas tube pipe cleaners sold at a few places like Midway. Chase it with your favorite light lube and you're good to go. I use Weapon Shield

The newer method:
Gunzilla copper cleaner.
Gunzilla lube and solvent.
Weapon Shield
No smell, no toxic fumes or residue and fairly clean barrels. No angry wife with a sensitive nose!
Then a super thin coating of Weapon Shield on the BCG internals.

The newest method
For my Next Generation AR with ceramic coated bore and upper- Windex on a mop followed by windex patches. Then a super thin coating of Weapon Shield on the BCG internals.

 

[Grizzly_A]

The newest method
For my Next Generation AR with ceramic coated bore and upper- Windex on a mop followed by windex patches. Then a super thin coating of Weapon Shield on the BCG internals.

Windex eh?

How about Windex on the bore and WD-40 on the BCG?

 

[PDXGS]

Windex eh?

How about Windex on the bore and WD-40 on the BCG?

The ammonia in the Windex is what cuts the copper. Im not certain that Windex alone would do the job on a non-ceramic coated bore.
J

 

[IrishFitz]

... No angry wife with a sensitive nose! ...

Amen to that!

 

[therifleman]

Montana extreme copper killer works good too. I was using the wipe out and found that my accuracy fell off so I started all over with a stainless brush and good ole hoppes and a lot of rubbing and finally got the tight groups back.

 

[Grizzly_A]

Very interesting! Were you able to verify if it was lead in the barrel that caused your accuracy to fall off or what? It seems that copper comes out with Wipe-out, but carbon and lead are a bit tougher.

Wipe-Out is very interesting stuff.

 

[therifleman]

Like I said, I was relying too much on the chemicals to do my job for me. My rifle was coppered up too much for wipeout only. I still use it but I keep a closer eye on things now and use the brush now and then. I talked to dan lilja about leaving chemicals in the bore for extended times and he said he had never seen bad results in his barrels from any chemicals.Sooo I guess I will stay with the wipe out and leave it in the bore over night and clean it out just before I go on a shoot. By the way, the blue on the patch indicates copper.