Ammonia based bore cleaner

[clfergus]

Have a new Howa rifle that calls for a 20 shot break in procedure with an ammonia based cleaner. Aside from windex, my CLP doesn't say ammonia on the can nor does balystol.

Anyone know of a cleaner that contains ammonia?

 

[kludge]

Look for a "copper fouling" type bore cleaner. There are several. I have used Shooter's Choice. Note: ammonia turns blue in the presence of copper, so keep cleaning until the copper is gone... fair warning though... brass brushes contain copper too so there's some judgement involved.

 

[Chippp1961]

Butch's Bore Shine

 

[srad]

Humpy's White.
2 parts 10% janitors Ammonia (Ace Hardware, $3/qt.)
1 part extra concentrated Ivory or Dawn dish soap
Destroys copper wicked fast

 

[M67]

Sweets 7.62

Just a warning though, use in a well ventilated place. Stuff kills brain cells. Does a damn good job though

I like using Slip2000 products though

 

[GIJEW]

I used to use Sweets 7.62. I've found that Mpro-7 does a great job of cleaning metal fouling without the fumes.

For cleaning heavy copper fouling they have a 2nd product called Mpro-7 cop-out, to be used after the regular cleaner

 

[sloughfoot]

Hoppes Benchrest copper solvent. Sweets 7.62. Both are good. I have one pint of the Hoppes and several gallons of Hoppes No9. Because Hoppes No9 has always pulled up all the copper efficiently. Dwell time on Benchrest and 7.62 is short. They are both powerful.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

All the cool kids at Friendship are actually using windex down the barrel between shots. Crazy, I know, but it works

 

[oldpink]

One of the ammonia-based copper removers is the above mentioned Shooter's Choice, which I have used once in a great while.
Just follow the instructions on whatever ammonia-based copper remover to the letter, and I mean that.
Neglecting to follow the instructions and not getting every trace of the copper remover out of your bore can and will permanently damage your barrel.
It's also critical that you not leave it in your bore any longer than instructed, for the same reasons.
Shooter's Choice is fantastic stuff, but it's intended to be used seldom, with good old Hoppe's No. 9 and the other less stringent cleaners for your normal cleaning duty.
One other application where I've found that Shooter's Choice is very nice was when I removed all copper fouling from my brother's WWI-era Enfield 1917 that had decades of heavy fouling.
After a judicious application of SC, then removing all traces of the SC and the fouling with it, I was able to get acceptable groups out of the ancient rifle.

 

[M67]

All the cool kids at Friendship are actually using windex down the barrel between shots. Crazy, I know, but it works

For black powder or for center fire?

 

[Tactically Fat]

All the cool kids at Friendship are actually using windex down the barrel between shots. Crazy, I know, but it works

It's because they heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from this one guy's uncle Jim-Bob who read about it on some BBS service back in 1994.

Windex is a MYTH. It's nothing but expensive water. There's not enough ammonia in it, even in the ammonia-containing formulas, to matter one bit.

Windex = expensive water.

Those who know better don't use Windex.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It's because they heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from this one guy's uncle Jim-Bob who read about it on some BBS service back in 1994.

Windex is a MYTH. It's nothing but expensive water. There's not enough ammonia in it, even in the ammonia-containing formulas, to matter one bit.

Windex = expensive water.

Those who know better don't use Windex.

I mostly agree with this, BUT Windex does contain surfactants which do help with the cleaning. But it would do that with or without the ammonia. I use Windex (actually windshield wiper fluid) to rinse my milsurps after shooting corrosive ammo. I know that water would work just as well for neutralizing the corrosive salts, but the surfactants do a little pre-cleaning which makes it that much easier to do a regular cleaning once I get home from the range.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Windex and windshield washer fluid is nothing more than expensive water.

Mix up your own using a bit of detergent and a gallon of water.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

LOL. Some of the kids were using water.

 

[Tactically Fat]

LOL. Some of the kids were using water.

Water is just about perfect for cleaning out corrosive salts after firing corrosive ammunition because, unlike ammonia, it'll actually dissolve them AND act as a flushing agent. But that type of cleaning is a different ballgame than attempting to chemically & mechanically remove lead and copper from a barrel's innards.

 

[davedolli]

It's because they heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from this one guy's uncle Jim-Bob who read about it on some BBS service back in 1994.

Windex is a MYTH. It's nothing but expensive water. There's not enough ammonia in it, even in the ammonia-containing formulas, to matter one bit.

Windex = expensive water.

Those who know better don't use Windex.

What he said!

Dave

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

But that type of cleaning is a different ballgame than attempting to chemically & mechanically remove lead and copper from a barrel's innards.

True.

 

[Reverend Dreed]

Urine is ammonia based

 

[ART338WM]

I will suggest what I use to use with great success. Barnes CR-10 if it's still being made. First time I ever used it was on my M700 SST/SYN in .338wm. I tried it after I felt I couldn't get any more copper out with other cleaners I had on hand. Gotta tell you after my first 15 minuet (timed) soaking I was blown away with just how completely blue the first and many subsequent patches came out. Barnes developed it in conjunction with their all copper bullets for obvious reasons. It worked lights out for me and was relatively easy to use. But there are a few things you will HAVE to keep in mind when using ANY/ALL ammonia based copper removers.

#1-Do not under any circumstances leave ammonia based solvents in your barrel for longer than 15 minuets (this was per my CR-10 directions) as doing so risks pitting your barrel.
#2-If you use cleaning attachments that are made from or have parts that are made from copper or brass you will NEVER be able to tell if you have all the copper fouling out because the ammonia salts will dissolve the attachments and the resulting will end up on your patches as blue making you think you still have copper deposits left in your barrel. You will need to use nylon bore brushes made with other than brass as the support rod and nickel plated jags as I do, these items are widely available on the net.
#3-Make sure once you're done using the ammonia based copper cleaner you flush it out of your barrel completely as well as remove it from any other part or area of your rifle it gets on. Same goes for your cleaning rods.
#4-They stink like all he!!. I caught heck every time I ever used them indoors as my family hated the smell and I was in the basement no less!!!.

There is no doubt ammonia based solvents are excellent at removing copper fouling, I no longer use them because I found IMHO something better in Wipe-Out.

I no longer use any such ammonia based solvents for copper removal. I have been using Sharp-Shooter Wipe out foaming bore cleaner for well over 10 years and are completely satisfied with it. Wipe out has but one and only one negative. It works rather slow. But it works completely and I use about 1/10th the patches I once used with conventional cleaners.

Having said that, I am going to give the liquid version a try for economic reasons as a liquid will go farther than a foam. AS a matter of fact, I just cleaned two rifles with Wipe Out foam and it was as simple as spray, plug both ends, let soak about 1-1.5 hours run a few patches down the bore, repeat and 3 hours and 20 or so patches later I was done.

 

[lmyer]

Have a new Howa rifle that calls for a 20 shot break in procedure with an ammonia based cleaner. Aside from windex, my CLP doesn't say ammonia on the can nor does balystol.

Anyone know of a cleaner that contains ammonia?

Butch's bore shine is what the Benchrest Shooters that I know use. You can smell the ammonia and the bottle comes inside of it's own included outer container. I push a few tight patches on a jag with a coated 1-piece rod every 10 or so cleanings to strip copper. Personally I follow it with Kroil to clean out the Butch's Bore Shine and stop the copper-dissolving action. I always use a bore guide as I wouldn't want to leave that stuff in my action.