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Copper fouling & cleaning

zipperzap
I used some copper cleaner on my SKS bore. I followed the instructions but the patch had no blue on it. I've put around 1000 rounds through it since I've had it. I've been told you won't get much copper fouling unless you're using high velocity rounds. What's the story on copper fouling? Is it something you only have to worry about when using high velocity rounds?
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8 comments

Date Votes
  • A J Christ
    High velocity rounds are just one of a few factors that contribute to copper fouling. One that (in my experience) seems to be a big one with AK's and SKS's is a lot of them have rough bores that greatly conribute to copper fouling. There are a few ways to get it back out and none of them quick and easy. Use a good, there are many, mostly personal preference, copper fouling solvent, follow directions and go to it. Most of the chemical based cleaners use amonia, this disolves copper and cause the cleaning patches to come out either green or blue. Use a stainless steel brush as the cleaner will attach your bronze brushes, reducing it's effectiveness on the intended copper fouling.
    I got a good deal on a 300 Win Mag because it had lost it's accuracy due to copper fouling of the bore. I've been cleaning it weekly (more or less) for about 6 months now and still don't have all the copper out. Just takes a lot of time and patience.
    Some AK's and SKS's do have a nice smooth bore, someone may have the time to lap it or there may be another good reason why you are not getting copper fouling. If it's accuracy is to what makes you happy and it is not getting worse, shoot it and enjoy.
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  • zipperzap
    Thanks AJ - mine are smooth and the better quaility bores - Russian and Albanian - chromed. I've heard that the Yugos are pretty rough due to Stalin refusing to send Tito any Soviet chrome - have senn a few but never shot one. Mine are scoped/very accurate, like to keep them that way.

    Thanks for the Info.
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  • Ray Boone
    Fouling is not a result of velocity, but of temperature and friction. The way velocity is obtained is to increase pressure- so increasing pressure/velocity will increase the potential for fouling. However, as has been mentioned, a very smoothe bore will reduce the fouling, by reducing friction, and thereby, reducing the temperature. At some point in the increases of velocity a rough barrel with a slow velocity load will pull the same amount of copper from a departing bullet as a smooth barrel with a higher velocity load. I have not seen the graph of that function.
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  • bpost
    In my experience if you use a simple powder solvent, like hoppes, it will not remove much copper. Try some of the new foaming bore cleaners, they are magic, and much safer than the older amonia based slovents. I cleaned my Rusian SKS after a couple of hundred rounds and the foaming bore cleaner seemed to get all the copper out.
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  • cgun
    i use outers foul out electric rod, works great. and you do not have to scrub bore, with wire brushes.

    <P>
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  • zipperzap
    cgun - how's that work?
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  • Ray Boone
    The Foul-Out works well BUT you have to watch it like a hawk, because it is very easy to endup ruining your barrel with it. The fluid for copper is blueish- the instruction say to check it something like every 15 minutes for any change in color and to not leave it in over 2 hours. If there is any rust in the barrel, the fluid changes its composition and turns orange- then the inner surface of the barrel is subject to being dissolved. I have one and like it, but pay particular attention to the first time yhou use it in a barrel, especially if the barrel is older and might have a speck of rust somewhere in it.
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  • PJ
    Try Wipeout. Foam the bore, leave it overnight, then patch it out. Magic!
    Pete

    "Be kind to your neighbor, he knows where you live"
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