How to clean the cleaning brush?

[HoldBreathAndSqueeze]

Hi all,

I recently purchased my first rifle, and am still coming to grips on how to look after it and all the accessories properly.

At the moment I am using Hoppes no. 9 bore cleaner and also the Hoppes benchrest copper cleaner. I am using a nylon brush and I can’t seem to find out how to clean the brush? Soap and water? White Spirit?

Can someone please advise?

[SCJ429]

I just blow mine out with compressed air. I also have not had much luck with Hoppes, try a little Boretech especially the Cu+. You will be amazed how good it is on copper fouling.

[Stix]

White spirit is apparently the go...

I use something like that in a little jar-(i ask all my friends(all 2 of them) to keep their crushed chilli etc jars for me for this purpose)...put the brush in there after every scrub & shake the sh!t out of it...pull it out, towel it off & let it dry while i let the solvent do some dissolving & i patch it out.

Once all clean let the jar sit for a few days & the carbon copper & crap will sink to the bottom...you can throw the entire lot out, or if you suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (like this other poor sod i know), once its all settled to the bottom, you can carefully tip the spirit into another jar so as to not disturb the crap at the bottom of the jar...wash out that jar, top up with more spirit & repeat the cycle.

Yes Im booked in for counsilling to addres my OCD ...& also booked into year seven of primary school so i can learn to spell councilling...& adress...

[Andrew1au]

Brake cleaner. But not a cheap one. Wurth is a good brand.

[Member-Deleted]

Just wondering what is the supposed best copper remover from barrels I know most will have their favorite but which comes up most used
I've been using Sweets for awhile on my 22-250 s/s barrel but don't seem to get much copper at all on the patches
I've started using it on the 7mm as well but likewise with it either they have no copper fowling or Sweets is no good
Some thoughts on the matter would be great I know this is a little off topic I do apologise
cheers

[straightshooter]

HoldBreathAndSqueeze
Simple method is to have a small bottle (100 - 200 mls) nearly filled with turps. With the brush still on the cleaning rod give it a good swirl around in the turps and then when you take it out give it a flick to shake off most of the remaining turps. After a couple of years you might need to replenish with fresh turps.
A better cleaning method is first use Hoppe's copper solvent on a correctly fitting bronze brush. 5 -10 strokes and let it stand for an hour or two or overnight. Patch it out with a tight patch. Now repeat the process with a nylon brush and leave for another overnight. Patch out again with a tight patch. If there is very little or no colour on the patch then congratulations the barrel is acceptably clean so now oil and put away.

See above.
For Sweet's to work it needs repeated agitation so best approach is to use a nylon brush and a liberal coat of Sweet's. It however it is not so good at removing carbon fouling from the corners of grooves. Carbon is insoluble so any claim that some solvent is a carbon remover is fanciful. Only mechanical removal works.
My opinions have evolved over many years of cleaning many rifles with the benefit of a borescope for over 20 of them.
There are a wide variety of theories about cleaning barrels but many seem to be dreamed up by people who engage in 'solitary pleasures'.

[Homer]

G'Day Fellka's,

HBAS, I have a a small bottle, with a screw top lid, that is full of Mineral Turps (MT).
After I have used the brush (Bronze or Nylon), I dip it in the MT to (hopefully), neutralise the bore solvent.
I then remove the brush, shake off the excess MT and let it dry out, before putting it away.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
Homer

[HoldBreathAndSqueeze]

Thank you all very much for your replies. I will be paying a visit to the local hardware store for some white spirit or mineral turps, whichever they have in stock.

As SCJ429 suggested Hoppes doesn’t seem to be the best for getting rid of copper quickly, waiting for Bortech to be restocked at my local gun shop. Then the cleanup will be soap and water for the brushes I believe, as Bortech is water soluble.

[Gamerancher]

Do not use a bronze brush with copper solvent. Most of the copper residue you patch out has come from the brush. Use nylon brushes for copper solvents.
The Sweets needs to be kept sealed as much as possible or it breaks down and is not as potent. The ammonia evaporates out of it if left opened.
To answer the OP's question, I've always used metho to clean Hoppe's out of brushes. A squat jar full, stick brush in, agitate, flick dry, re-use.

[Stix]

For what its worth...im led to believe that mineral turps/metho etc leaves a residue.

This is apparently why the white spirits is better (it apparently leaves no residue).
(Although at the moment im out of white spirits so using metho).
For me, mineral turps just doesnt dry in between scrubs & its too oily.

As well as cleaning out my brush in a jar of white spirits (or metho) i also patch out my barrel with it to ensure all solvent is removed or at least neutralised.
Then i finish with a couple of patches of oil down the bore.

Gamerancher is right...dont waste your time with bronze brush if using copper solvent.

[brett1868]

Just wondering what is the supposed best copper remover from barrels I know most will have their favorite but which comes up most used
I've been using Sweets for awhile on my 22-250 s/s barrel but don't seem to get much copper at all on the patches
I've started using it on the 7mm as well but likewise with it either they have no copper fowling or Sweets is no good
Some thoughts on the matter would be great I know this is a little off topic I do apologise
cheers

This stuff, but use in a well ventilated area and allow it to sit in the bore for 3-4 mins before patching out. I use this in the BR50 with brilliant results, I verify cleanliness using a borescope cause I'm that fussy

http://brtshooterssupply.com.au/products/robla-solo-mil-100.html

[HoldBreathAndSqueeze]

For what its worth...im led to believe that mineral turps/metho etc leaves a residue.

This is apparently why the white spirits is better (it apparently leaves no residue).
(Although at the moment im out of white spirits so using metho).
For me, mineral turps just doesnt dry in between scrubs & its too oily.

As well as cleaning out my brush in a jar of white spirits (or metho) i also patch out my barrel with it to ensure all solvent is removed or at least neutralised.
Then i finish with a couple of patches of oil down the bore.

Gamerancher is right...dont waste your time with bronze brush if using copper solvent.

Many thanks Gamerancher and Stix, I just got back from the hardware store with some white spirit. I haven’t used the bronze brush just the nylon so all good. I’d hate to eff up the barrel, it’s only shot 40 rounds so far and 20 of those were during the running in. Most of my time has been spent cleaning the rifle rather than enjoying it! I can’t wait till it’s sighted in properly and I can get down to some quality shooting.

[No1_49er]

This stuff, but use in a well ventilated area and allow it to sit in the bore for 3-4 mins before patching out. I use this in the BR50 with brilliant results, I verify cleanliness using a borescope cause I'm that fussy

http://brtshooterssupply.com.au/products/robla-solo-mil-100.html

Yep, that's the stuff! Biggest problem with it, if you can call it that, is that it's only available in Au in 100ml bottles. The web site shows that it is available in 1ltr bottles https://www.ballistol-shop.de/Robla-Sol ... S_246.html
And while you're shopping at BRT, get some aluminium or stainless jags as well. They do not show a false positive for copper fouling. Brass ones do because of their metallurgy.

[marksman]

I just clean my brushes in water most solvents are water soluble, the ones I use are
I dry the brushes out properly after but don't have any problems with doing it under the tap and they do come out very clean
when getting copper out I look down the muzzle looking for evidence of copper, I don't go by the clean patch so there is no copper theory
I also polish the throat of my barrels usually between around 200-300 fired rounds, stops the roughness from fire cracking ect... works for me
I like to use bore tech eliminator for bad cooper, it works very well and you can leave it in the barrel

[Member-Deleted]

Thanks people i'll see if I can get some


And marksman do you only wash your barrel out with water or wash out the copper cleaner with water ?

[marksman]

no no
I wash the cleaning brushes out with water
after a thorough clean I put a patch of inox down the bore

[Member-Deleted]

Ahh ok,
please don't tell anybody I asked that stupid question