I am relatively new to firearms. I have been using breakfree clp for all my cleaning, lubing, etc. When I bought ammo, I paid attention to it being the correct cartridge, nothing else. Now I realize that when I've used copper ammo, I should have been cleaning with something different. I bought the Sweets whatever it is for cleaning copper buildup. I'm waiting for it to come in the mail. I was wondering two things:1. Should I clean all my firearms that may have used copper with the Sweets, then clean again with the CLP?2. Could I have damaged my firearms? I have some stainless steel, some blued. I have been using .22's, 9mm's, and .38 special.
Agree with Jeff. Don't worry about the copper fouling, concentrate on the powder fouling. Burned powder will attract and hold moisture. I clean guns first with Hoppe's No. 9, which is a powder solvent, then BreakFree, which is a general purpose cleaner/lubricant, then wipe down with Eezox, which is a rust inhibitor. Ballistol is a good gun oil. I lubricate my AR-15's with Machine Gunner's Lube. Eezox is one of the best rust inhibitors available. You have not damaged your guns.
BreakFree-CLP is an excellent general-purpose cleaner for firearms. It won't harm metal or plastic parts and it might stain bare wood, but overall it's my first choice for cleaning chores. Cleaning solvents specifically intended to remove copper fouling are only useful when trying to clean copper fouling from the inside of rifle barrels. Most handguns don't generate enough pressure to cause copper-fouling inside their barrels. BreakFree-CLP can remove fouling from the inside of rifle barrels, but it is less efficient than dedicated copper-cleaning solvents. It will do the job. But it may take longer. I like Shooter's Choice MC-7 for cleaning rifle barrels. But other products, like Hoppe's #9, Sweet's 7.62 and Foaming Bore-Cleaners marketed by Gunslick or Outers or BreakFree also work well. Be sure to follow manufacturer's directions and heed the warnings on their labels.
Copper and lead leave fouling.. When the fouling fills the rifling grooves- expect accuracy to fall off Any solvent and a bore brush will push fouling out. Sweets has a good amount of ammonia and lifts copper with less effort Most folks who need Sweets are rifle shooters -- bench rest shooter in particular fire a lot of rounds thA promote copper fouling... You could shoot your handguns for years to see enough copper to need it. CLP is ok... Ballistol works well and Hoppes 9 is pretty universal.
