Barrel cleaning "issue"

JT

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I've been deep-cleaning an M1 Garand I bought a while back. The rifle's condition when I broke it down was a little puzzling. I found almost no grease residue anywhere, leading me to believe that the previous owner might have intended it as a wall hanger -- the rifle does look good and shows very little wear for a 1942 serial number. So I expected the entire rifle to have been cleaned and de-greased ... but ... when it came time to clean the barrel, it looked like it might not have been cleaned since 1942! I scrubbed thoroughly with a brush and ran a number of patches, which kept coming out filthy black. I finally re-brushed and re-patched and got it down to the point where the patches were not completely foul. Then I ran a soaking patch through and let it sit while I cleaned other components. When I came back to it, the first patch through came out solid green! I re-patched a series and repeated the soaking set-aside as before. Same result! Then I did it again, except I waited for hours. Same result! Then again, except waited overnight. Same result! A visual inspection shows a clean bore, but the patches tell the tale. Ordinarily, I'd say "copper fouling" and keep cleaning. But doubt creeps in -- I've run a bunch of patches and scrubbed a bunch with the brush. So what say you CFF experts? What is the residue and what -- if anything -- do I need to do differently to remove it? Thanks!
 
Ed's Red. Plug the muzzle and turn it muzzle down. Fill it till the chamber is full. Let soak for a while. Then try brush and patch again. If that dont do it sell it to me. Lol. You can google a recipe for Ed's Red if you don't already know what it is.
 
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Copper turns green as it oxidizes...... Could be?

Sweets 762, butches bore shine and montana extreme all do a good job of removing copper fouling. Keep in mind.... That if you scrub with your typical metal brush and you keep seeing small amounts of fouling on the patches ( while using the mentioned products).....its from the brush itself, not the bore.
 
Copper turns green as it oxidizes...... Could be?

Sweets 762, butches bore shine and montana extreme all do a good job of removing copper fouling. Keep in mind.... That if you scrub with your typical metal brush and you keep seeing small amounts of fouling on the patches ( while using the mentioned products).....its from the brush itself, not the bore.
Yep, no, this is after soaking the bore with a patch and leaving it set for an extended period, then passing a clean patch through. I'm going to have to pick up some copper solvent, but I thought there might be something else I was overlooking. I have never seen a barrel this fouled.
 
I pretty much quit brushing bores, or only very seldom when they came out with foaming bore cleaner a few years back. I had a can of Outers Foaming Bore Cleaner and man did it remove the copper! Just fill her full and lay on the side, 15 minutes later run a patch through (mine would come out an intense blue color), fill her full again and lay on opposite side. Follow with more patches, possibly preceded by one or two swipes with a brush and done, unless it was really bad and then repeat. I haven't been able to find that stuff recently though, only poor imitations that don't work nearly as well. :(

Found it. Never actually consulted the all powerful amazon I guess. This stuff:

A4P0_1_2014102865764998.jpg
 
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Ed's Red. Plug the muzzle and turn it muzzle down. Fill it till the chamber is full. Let soak for a while. Then try brush and patch again. If that dont do it sell it to me. Lol. You can google a recipe for Ed's Red if you don't already know what it is.
One hint ... make sure the muzzle tip is in a catch cup ... you’ll have some leakage from the gas port and Red’s ingredients can be a little harmful on some surfaces.
 
One hint ... make sure the muzzle tip is in a catch cup ... you’ll have some leakage from the gas port and Red’s ingredients can be a little harmful on some surfaces.



Absolutely. I should have mentioned that. Ed's Red can damage the finish on wood and other things as well. Nice catch.
 
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I don't brush either. Soak the bore with Hoppes over night. Run a bunch of patches through. Soak with Montana Extreme for 3 or 4 hours. Patch it out. Swab with Montana Extreme Bore Conditioner. Done. If it's real dirty, repeat. I'm not a believer in squeaky clean bores. I only clean when accuracy falls off.
 
Never knew that about the foaming stuff. I use it sometimes. Thanks for the heads up.
There is a very noticeable spot in the center of the living room of my girlfriend's rental house. :( Fortunately it's a natural spot for a rug. Not much you can do, it looks like it penetrated a ways into the wood.
 
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Do Not leave Sweets 762 in longer than the instructions say or the barrel will be etched.
 
Foam bore cleaner. Patches turn blue and then green. I've found green is for when. If it's green the copper has been in there a while. I have a Garand I will not sell but the bore looks like a classy girl from the trailer park, a skunk and horse all had a go at one another. However it shoots the best out of all my Garands.
 
I was wiping out the bore of i rifle i havent shot in a while with an oiled patch and thought of this thread....

20190324_151119.jpg
 
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Try a product named Wipeout. You wet patch and wait 24 hours continuing the process daily until the patches coming out clean, then you will have a truly clean bore. The other stuff is hapchance at best.
 
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