New model 12, question about cleaning.

[old_dood]

First post here, hello everyone. I bought a 12 LRPV in .223 and some Butch's bore shine for cleaning. The instructions on the Butch's say that patches turning blue would indicate copper build up. I've seen that blue color when cleaning a Garand. I've got about 400 rounds down the new 12 and have cleaned after every session of between 90-100 shots. I've never seen any blue on any patch. Is that unusual or is the Butch's not really designed for removing copper. Thanks

[Westcliffe01]

If you have a good barrel, you just may not get much copper fouling. Are you shooting light bullets ? Those do not have that much flanking surface and may produce less fouling than heavy ones.

[82boy]

Welcome to the site,
Butchs is EXCELEANT for removing copper, and carbon fouling. Butchs is soo good, it is what the majority of benchrest shooters prefer. When you clean your barrel, do you let the solvent sit in the bore for a few minutes before you patch it out? Any solvent needs a few minutes to work. You may just have a good barrel that doesn't copper up. When I clean a barrel I use a good bore guide, and pierce the pacth off center of the jag on the first pass. I soak the pacth, and use a liberal amount of Butches, and puch the patch through, the first patch wil be black, or brown in color. I then push a second patch pierced center of the jag, and soaked with a liberal amount of butches, and push it through, this patch should be blue or green. Then I run a bronze brush soaked in buthces for 20 strokes. I then put 2 more heavy soaked patches of butches throught, you should get more blue or green. I then let this sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. I then patch the bore dry with about three patches. Most times these patches will be white, and showing that all the coper is out.

[old_dood]

If you have a good barrel, you just may not get much copper fouling. Are you shooting light bullets ? Those do not have that much flanking surface and may produce less fouling than heavy ones.


Welcome to the site,
Butchs is EXCELEANT for removing copper, and carbon fouling. Butchs is soo good, it is what the majority of benchrest shooters prefer. When you clean your barrel, do you let the solvent sit in the bore for a few minutes before you patch it out? Any solvent needs a few minutes to work. You may just have a good barrel that doesn't copper up. When I clean a barrel I use a good bore guide, and pierce the pacth off center of the jag on the first pass. I soak the pacth, and use a liberal amount of Butches, and puch the patch through, the first patch wil be black, or brown in color. I then push a second patch pierced center of the jag, and soaked with a liberal amount of butches, and push it through, this patch should be blue or green. Then I run a bronze brush soaked in buthces for 20 strokes. I then put 2 more heavy soaked patches of butches throught, you should get more blue or green. I then let this sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. I then patch the bore dry with about three patches. Most times these patches will be white, and showing that all the coper is out.

a good barrel is what I was hoping to hear. I usually shoot 60-69 gr, bullets Sierra, Hornady, or Berger, both FB and BT. Yes, I do let the solvent soak in using a 1 1/4" round patch on a 20 cal. jag and use a Lucas bore guide. I have also tried a .223 Iosso nylon brush with patches afterwards and still no blue. The only reason I haven't used a bronze brush is that they would most likely give a false reading when checking for copper build up. One other thing. I did do a "break in" of cleaning after a shot for the first 5 and then cleaning every 5 for the next 45. thanks for the replies.

[Westcliffe01]

Yep, not shooting VLD's or such in the 80gr range, and you probably have a pretty good barrel on your model 12. My 12 and 10PC fouled considerably less than some of my other barrels. My Icon in 308 was the worst, worse than a WW2 Mauser....

[acemisser]

a good barrel is what I was hoping to hear. I usually shoot 60-69 gr, bullets Sierra, Hornady, or Berger, both FB and BT. Yes, I do let the solvent soak in using a 1 1/4" round patch on a 20 cal. jag and use a Lucas bore guide. I have also tried a .223 Iosso nylon brush with patches afterwards and still no blue. The only reason I haven't used a bronze brush is that they would most likely give a false reading when checking for copper build up. One other thing. I did do a "break in" of cleaning after a shot for the first 5 and then cleaning every 5 for the next 45. thanks for the replies.

I have a shilen barrel on my 22-250 and have never gotten any blue on a patch yet..I use the break free foam cleaner and let it set over night sometimes..Still no copper..I think it is the smoothest barrel I have ever had as far as getting copper fouling in it..

Have one on the 308 as well,and the same thing..NO copper fouling what so ever...Someone please explain this to me..why is there no copper fouling? Now the heavy barrel on my rem sps in 308 is a different story all together..With the same cleaning tec..I get a nice pretty blue on the patchs....