Whats this blue stuff on my cleaning patches?

[DavidJBlythe]

I just bought a bottle of Hoppes No. 9 Powder Solvent and in my M4 I'm getting bright blue patches! What is this?! I hope I'm not stripping out the chrome lining!

[joab]

Your stripping out the bluish green copper traces

[DavidJBlythe]

Phew! Just copper fouling?

[Bender711]

yea when the copper oxidises (sp?) it turns blue.

[somerled]

What solvent were you using previously? It must have not been doing the job. Perhaps it had gotten contaminated.

I've been using Sweet's 7.62 solvent. I don't use bore brushes anymore. Kroil and JB Bore Paste works well on barrels when copper fouling has accumulated.

[joab]

Unless you cleaned it just after a shooting session.

It shouldn't last more than about three patches though

[DavidJBlythe]

Outers Nitro Solvent and Remington Bore Cleaner (non-solvent).
I never got any blue stuff before now.

[fdkay]

The nitro solvent only removes the powder residue, don't know why the bore cleaner wasn't getting the copper out. It's hard to beat old number 9. You may want to try some copper specific cleaner to really get the stuff out (don't use your bronze brushes with it, it will eat them)

[joab]

Yeah it sounds like the Hoppes is just working better for you

[chemist308]

Use the brush...

[MDC Champaign]

Contrary to popular opinion, Hoppes #9 will remove copper fouling. But you have to leave it soak in the barrel a while.

In fact, Hoppes is the only copper solvent I trust leaving in the barrel overnight.

[Ruger4570]

For copper splvent I prefer Sweets 7.62 of Wipe Out. Both will remove copper like crazy and it is ok to leave them in overnight. The damage from ammoniated cleaners is a myth with no basis in fact. In fact, when I do sometimes leave it in overnight, every trace of copper is gone and the bore is squeeky clean.

[dfaugh]

While many of the "traditional" solvents will remove copper fouling, The new foaming bore cleaners are simply AMAZING...squirt some in, let it sit...repeat until it stops coming out blue, then run one patch through it...The added advantage is there's no chance of any cleaning rod wear/abrasion with it ..It seems costly at about $11 a can, but a can will go a LONG way...I used it on a milsurp Mauser, that I had already spent hours scrubing, and it removed every trace of copper, got me a "mirror" bore in no time...went on to use in and old SMLE, same result.

[MDC Champaign]

For copper splvent I prefer Sweets 7.62 of Wipe Out. Both will remove copper like crazy and it is ok to leave them in overnight. The damage from ammoniated cleaners is a myth with no basis in fact. In fact, when I do sometimes leave it in overnight, every trace of copper is gone and the bore is squeeky clean.Huh? :eek: This is completely incorrect. Leaving an ammonia-based solvent in a steel barrel for more than an hour can etch it. That's why Sweets' directions tell you to remove the solvent after 20 minutes.

From this (http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reference/riflestandardclean.cfm) site:

We have seen bores etched when ammonia-based solvents were left in too long, so use them with appropriate discretion and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.

From this (http://www.barnesbullets.com/faq_cr-10.php) site:

Can I soak my barrel overnight in [ammonia-based] CR-10? No. CR-10 is a very aggressive copper remover and is too strong to be allowed to remain in the bore overnight. Pitting or etching in your barrel may occur if you do let it soak over a long period of time. Remember to follow the directions which say do not leave it in the bore for more than fifteen minutes.

[Ruger4570]

Go to Lijla's barrels web site. They too have tested amonia cleaners and say the same as me. It isn't going to harm your steel. You are free to believe what you like. Do you have personal experience with leaving Sweets in a bore and seeing rust. I know amonia is hydroscopic and has the ability to take moisture out of the air, but this is in strong concentrations, not in the concentrations found in amoniated bore cleaners. 20 minutes with Sweets is usually enough to disolve most copper fouling, but in severe cases 20 minutes isn't enough. If you read "down" the CR-10 site you indicate, you will see where they have submerged a barrel for 18 months in their product with no ill effect.

[snuffy]

Do you have personal experience with leaving Sweets in a bore and seeing rust. ?¿

If that was supposed to be a question, then my reply would be; NO I'm not stupid enough to risk a pitted barrel by ignoring a manufactures reccomendation to NOT leave it in for more than 15-20 minutes! You are of course free to treat your barrels however you want to, but please refrain from telling others here it's a myth!

I started using wipe out 6-8 months ago. It works so well and is so easy to use, I don't know where my bottle of sweets is anymore! My rifle barrel is cleaning itself while I'm doing other things! A neglected barrel that was showing lousy accuracy was brought to me. After 3-24 hr soaks with wipeout, it finally came clean. It now has returned to it's former accuracy, the owner is buying a can of wipeout and a cleaning rod/guide!

[Ruger4570]

snuffy: As I said in my post, I too use wipe out all the time. but I have never had a problem with the sweets,, so I guess you are right, we all have the right to do as we please. I was not trying to be argumentative with anyone, simply say what MY personal experiences have been.