Green is Good

GI-45,

I would have to guess that the Hoppe's #9 is a more effective copper solvent than whatever cleaner you were using before. Green indicates that you're cleaning copper (bullet jacket) deposits out of the barrel. Ever seen a copper cooking pot that tarnished? Or what the sponge looks like after you zap it with some copper polish?

Fear not, you've done your Garand a favor . Good luck & good shootiing!

/TCP

 

OH MY GOD!! YOU WIPED OUT THE GREEN COATING THAT PROTECTS THE RIFLING. !!! THAT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE WWII. Box it up and I'll pay you scrap prices for it. I'll be generous and even cover your shipping. Hehehehe.
Now what you have experienced here is the copper being washed out with the good 'ole #9. Smelled great to, didn't it? But the real trick is to run a wet patch through the barrel and let it soak while you clean the rest of the gun. Some guys even let the rifle sit overnight with the #9 wet in the barrel. But remember, with the gas system, you need to clean the M1 upside down to keep the solvent out of the gas piston.( I'm assuming the Garand is the same as the M1a?)
Mmmmmmm....Garaaanndd......( my next rifle?)

 

Whew! Thanks gents, that takes a load off my mind. I've cleaned both of my firearms several times before, and the patches always came out grey or black, but never green!

I'm assuming the Garand is the same as the M1a?

As far as I know, the two rifles are very similar in that respect. Many of the parts are interchangeable.

 

If you really want to do some serious copper removing, try Sweets 7.62. It is some nasty (ammonia) smellin' stuff, but it gets copper fouling out like nothing else. I like to dry the bore then follow it with some Shooter's Choice to get the remaining powder residue out.

 

what you can do to really hurt the barrel with that rod is to NOT USE a muzzle guide when cleaning. muzzle guides fit the barrel and center the rod so it does NOT scrape the crown. wearing the crown on the barrel is a very easy way to destroy accuracy

 

Amen, jwp...

I'll also add cheap cleaning rods to the list. By cheap, I mean the typical aluminum jobs you see. They flex too much and the crud from the bore sticks to them. They act like a carbide tipped bit (from the inbeded crud). When they flex they do bad things to the bore. Spend the $$ on a good one-piece steel cleaning rod to go with your bore guide. I found a reasonably priced coated steel rod from Klean Bore, about $10.00. It even includes a guide for rifles that must be cleaned from the muzzle.

 

Did you ruin your Garand's barrel? Actually, you probably did it more good than you realize by finally getting rid of perhaps decades of fouling -- still, it is a bit terrifying when you see pure green patches clearing the muzzle.

I had these same thoughts myself when I put my CMP rifle through its first Hoppe's session. This brought back a funny memory or two for me.

Chuck

 

SO, How often should I use Hoppe's instead of CLP?