Copper is a pain!!!

Discussion in 'Firearm Maintenance, Modification, Safety And Trou' started by Eagle Rider, Jul 4, 2016.

  1. I had a bunch of Federal Fusion Ammo to use to get on paper with the new BAR. All told maybe I fired 8 rds. This stuff guilds barrels! So now the fun part... getting the copper out. I bought a bottle of Tetra Copper Solvent Gel and followed the instructions, it didn't even touch it. After calling Tetra I came to find out there are a bunch of tricks to getting this stuff to work. First off, it won't etch the barrel because the ammonia content isn't over 5%. As such it can be left in the barrel to work longer. Also, one treatment won't do, it has to be done several times to clean the copper out of the lands and grooves.

    Here is what they told me"
    1- start with a dry barrel and run a stiff brush through several times in an attempt to mechanically loosen some of the copper.
    2- Send a wet patch with any solvent through and dry with patches thoroughly. This to draw out anything loosened up when the barrel was brushed.
    3- Saturate a bore mop with the copper solvent throughly and push it through the barrel, repeat this step a bunch of times and really load the barrel with the stuff. Its a gel so it will just sit in the barrel and act on the copper. I let the rifle sit about two or three hours before I worked on it again.
    4- go to a nylon brush and vigorously run it through the barrel. Some reaming gel will get on it. Then dry patch using an aluminum or plastic jag until the barrel is so dry you get a lot of resistance. This does two things, it puts a material into the barrel that won't react with any of the remming gel and it assures all of the gel is gone.
    5- Next flush with your favorite solvent, I use #9. soak patches and run them through to ensure you got all of the gel washed out.
    6- Do the same in the chamber with a nylon chamber brush incase any gel leaked back in there.
    7- Again dry patch.
    8- Finally, send an oiled patch through using your favorite oil. I use Hopes T3.

    In my case I got the vast majority of the copper out but will probably wait a week and rettempt as there was still a little streaking near the muzzle.

    Last thing (and sorry this is so long). I do think Federal changed the process in producing the Fusion jackets. These new ones seem to de-anneal more often in the barrel (had it happen with a model 700 custom build as well). The jackets seem Core Lockt soft now.

    Anyway, I hope this is use for some who have been plagued with a coppered bore. My story pertains only to the Tetra gel, make sure you seek out the right info for whatever copper solvent you settle on.
    BrShooter and SHOOTER13 like this.
  2. SHOOTER13

    SHOOTER13 Guest

    Good Advice...Thanks !!
  3. Planetcat

    Planetcat .410

    That is very interesting info. I almost exclusively use Fusion ammo in my .308 BAR, .30-06, .300 win mag, and .270. The bullet performs fantastic on deer sized game. I've never had any issues with copper fouling, but I think I'll send an email to Federal to see if they changed the copper jacket material on their fusion ammo. I sure hope not. It's very hard to beat for the price.
  4. Well got all of it out. Only to shoot her again today, oddly enough the groups got better after a few rounds down range. Seems that some copper is acceptable... Live and learn.

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