I have been cleaning some rifles this week. Some new (to me) and some that were fired before a hunting trip. I started using a can of Wipe Out that I had been using several months ago. My routine is to use Shooter's Choice and nylon brushes to get the carbon under control then go to the Wipe Out for the copper.

With the Shooter's Choice, all looked normal. I ran a few patches to dry the barrel then went to WO. In every case, after an over night wait, the patches turned out brown instead of blue with an ammonia smell. Same thing for all three rifles. I was wondering if the WO could have gotten old somehow. I followed directions as always, but can't figure the brown instead of blue.

Any thoughts? Surely there had to be some copper there. The bores look fine through the bore lights I have. Nice and clean with no copper streaks.

Read the fine print on the label...My can says "Copper = Deep Blue..."Carbon = Brown...Powder = Grey or Black". Brownell's has an MDSH sheet you can read. Wipeout contains NO AMMONIA...I have a allergic problem with ammonia products brought on by working in printing shops way back so I DON'T use any ammonia containing products. I have smelled ammonia like odors while using Wipeout on occasion but haven't had ANY reaction to it so I don't think it was NH3 or NH4+ or ammonia byproducts produced by reaction to bore by-products.

I use more Patch-Out than the foam and the last can of foam I used up was over a year old and still working fine.

Copper/powder fouling/lead are layered in the bore but once you get that layering out and are down to bare metal Wipe-out doesn't have anything to work on and the patches come out clean...that's when your know the bore is CLEAN TO THE BARE METAL.

I don't clean that far anymore for most of my hunting rifles as most of my rifles shoot more accurate with a bit of powder/copper fouling, but I do clean down to bare metal on some of my high round volume varminters at least every 250-300 rounds or so...and use an automotive carbon cleaner as an adjunct at the same time.

I've used Wipe-out since if first came out and haven't had ANY problems with it...metal wise or stock wise as long as you follow the directions, admonitions and danger warnings.


Do a search for Wipe-out/foam cleaners here on A.R...Wipe-out has been vilified and praised to heaven exhaustively here and on other gun forums.

I have a shelf full of bore cleaners going back 65 years...every product sold including the electronic ones(except for the ones that got trashed )...Wipeout does the best job, in the shortest time for me...your experience may vary.

Luck

Thanks. I did read that, but the ammonia smell threw me. Thanks for the input. Just never had it happen before and certainly not on three rifles in a row.

I have used wipe-out and breakfree foam cleaners and they work great.The only issue is that after using them they do not leave the bore polished.Looking at my bore in strong light I saw what looked like a sticky coating of stuff or residue after I used a foam cleaner.I then used JB bore bright around a patch and a copper brush to remove it and after inspection in strong light I now can see a bore that is cleaned and polished to the metal.My gunsmith uses JB too after the wipe-out I believe for the same reason.

Larry check out Wipeouts web site or better yet call them and ask all the questions you can I did and it was a real help to my cleaning regime..

http://www.sharpshootr.com/

The Brown on your patch is carbon or burnt oil,
according to the boys at Wipe Out. If when you finish cleaning your gun and you plan on shooting it sooner than later do not put any oil in the gun the "residue" that is left is an anti corrosive will not harm your gun and will not burn creating the brown that you are now seeing.
Call them up and let us know your findings

I think I just lack patience this week. I did call them and they are very helpful. They are not far from me and offered to let me come down.

Last night I got thinking about the worst rifle and the carbon indication on the patches. So I got out the Remington non-embedding bore cleaner. Well, after 5 sessions with it the final patch came out something less that jet black. I have left it over night again with Wipe Out and will check on it again this evening. I am just beginning to think it has just never been cleaned, EVER. But I got it cheap for a Win Model 70 (albeit push feed), so I can live with it.

Ah Ha
There is your problem....
Push Feed actions foul more that Control Feed action..

Yah, for $250 I'll deal with it.

I use Wipe-Out, only leave it in the bore about 30 minutes, then dry patch it..Maybe two or three times, then I run a patch with Lighter fluid or alcohol and the two or three dry patches to dry the bore thoroughly, The I'll oil the bore well..When ready to use I'll run some dry patches and maybe a boresnake thru it, or just shoot two or three rounds...

I believe most folks just over clean a bore too death, its just not necessary, in fact its detrimental IMO..

BTW I only use the Wipe-Out and cleaners about twice a year, the rest of the year I just use the Boresnake..