Anyone ever see this? In good light with the bolt removed I can look down the bore of my .338 win and literally see streaks of copper (or at least it sure looks like copper) in the first inch or so of rifling. It's most likely all the way down the bbl, I just can't see it because it gets too dark. I don't have a bore scope. This is after a good nitro cleaning (hoppes) followed by a good copper cleaning (shooters choice copper solvent).

It seems that no matter how long I let the SC sit (I've gone as long as ten mins) or how many times I brush the bore (nylon) with it, a bit of copper is still visible in the rifleing.

I use the same cleaning method with all my rifles and have never seen this before. I don't know if it is bc it is a "bigger" bore, a magnum, or maybe the bbl was neglected before I bought it?

The funny thing is, it doesn't seem to matter. Even with the visible copper, the rifle shoots MOA for 25-35 rounds and then accuracy seems to fall off a bit, but returns after another cleaning.

Anyone ever seen this?

SC isn't really a copper solvent. Try Wipe Out, or Sweet's 762. I prefer the Wipe Out. You can see Cu in the muzzle area by holding the barrel to incandescent light and inserting a Q Tip.

Thanks.

There are several kinds of SC. They do make a copper solvent. It is the same percent ammonia as Sweets.

I see copper all the time. Just get some sunlight about 45 deg angle going into the muzzle. A puff of breath in there makes it more obvious. Comes back in about one shot.

Yeah I see streaks of copper too, easily visible when I'm walking back to the shooting benches and I have a chance to see the muzzle. My bigger bores seem to show more signs of copper than the smaller ones. You should give some foam copper solvents a try. Just fill up the barrel and you can walk away. Come back and push a lot of blue dissolved copper out.

A big for WipeOut!!

http://www.6mmbr.com/catalog/item/1433308/892401.htm

http://www.6mmbr.com/borecleaning.html

Thanks all.

I will likely give it greater concern when accuracy falls off. For now, this rifle shoots - copper and all...

Wipe Out!

Isn't it true that most of the copper is going to be just out of the chamber where the lands engage the bullet? It's not only what you can see at the muzzle; it's a lot worse at the chamber.

bore-tech eliminator!

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Isn't it true that most of the copper is going to be just out of the chamber where the lands engage the bullet?

Could be, but I think when I no longer see it at the muzzle I don't get any more out. Cept after long term soaking in No.9, then just some colour. I thought the higher speed at the muzzle may account for it there?

This NOT a fact, it is just a guess...

Based on anecdotal observation. I believe many of my rifle bores copper more at the muzzle than at the breech end of the barrel.

I suspect it has something to do with the temperature of the copper jacket by the time it reaches the muzzle.

At the breech end, the bullet jacket has been exposed to ca. 3,000 F degrees flame temp, but only for a VERY short period of time. By the time the bullet gets to the muzzle, it has had contact with the hot powder gas behind it for the whole trip AND it has had the heat of friction with the barrel added, maybe? So, MAYBE the bullet jacket is hottest and therefore softest at the muzzle? And maybe that causes more copper to be torn off at the muzzle end too?

Anyway, I am not convinced that all barrels shoot best when totally clean. In fact, I know of some that definitely do not. I think you are doing the right thing by letting the rifle itself tell you when it needs to be cleaned...i.e., when accuracy begins to suffer.

I agree with Alberta Canuck.

Just because you see copper color doesn't mean the bore is copper fouled.

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
Just because you see copper color doesn't mean the bore is copper fouled.

I like all the Copper out of my barrels because of the potential for Pitting when it is there. And if the rifle doesn't shoot well with a "clean barrel" then the barrel gets replaced or the rifle traded. I see no good reason to have a "Dirty Bore" in my Safe.

For those that like Fouled Bores - more Fouling to you. It is very rare that I ever buy a Used firearm, so it doesn't matter to me at all how filthy people care to keep theirs.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

I agree with Paul from nz, BoreTech Eliminator.

Failing that Barnes CR-10 copper remover.

I also agree with JAL and others that rifle barrels "color" more from copper at the muzzle.

when looking at used rifles If I see copper at the leade I walk away figuiring that the bore is worn in the throat
and as such I don't want it...

I clean with BoreTech until I don't see blue patches any more, though I've noticed that a couple of days after a careful cleaning if I clean again I sometimes get a dull brown residue on the first patch (NOT rust, but a deeped blue-black shade of brown) out of my stainless steel barrels.

but I only get that in barrels that I'm cleaning that have been used with conventional guilding metal jackets, if pure copper jackets or monolithic copper (Barnes) bullets then I never see that brown-ish residue.

I'm thinking it is some Zinc or Tin salt that isn't as easily removed with ammonia.

BTW, the best way I've found to inspect the last (muzzle) 1/2-3/4 of the bore for copper is to push a clean, dry patch on a jag to within an inch or a bit more of the bore and use the white pach as a reflector then look at the bore from the side.

Your rifle bore SHOULD appear mirror-smooth when viewed from that angle.

AD

Copper in the breech-end of the rifling can mean that the bore is slightly oversize or your loads aren't hot enought to get the case mouth to seal. It's often caused by hot gas blowing past the bullet and stripping copper off the jacket. As pressure builds, the bullet obdurates and seals in the bore so it stops after a few inches or less.

Good hunting and CLEAN one shot kills to everyone! I also feel that a rifle that doesn't shoot accurate from a clean barrel needs replacing or rebarreling.