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OK To Leave Hoppes in the Barrel?

20K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  bmcgilvray 
#1 ·
Hi All,

My cleaning procedure for long guns is

1) Run soaked patch down barrel
1a) Use bore brush only if it really, really needs it

2) Clean bolt/bolt assembly

3) Run dry patches through the bore until one comes out clean

4) Lightly oil bore with a patch, followed up by a dry patch

Since leaving the bore soaking in solvent (in my case, Hoppes #9) seems to leech crud out from the metal, I'm wondering if it's OK, in your experience, to just leave a light coating of Hoppes in the barrel in lieu of oil?

I would think this would be especially beneficial to older guns.

If, however, there is damage it'll cause that I'm not considering, I'd like to know before I start trying it!

Thanks,

Josh <><
 
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#3 ·
As Bud said, bad idea. Not only because of rust, but because it can make it's way into your trigger and action parts and that's not good either. But I do have a cure for your troubles, get on Midway and order yourself some "wipeout" bore foam. Fill the tube with the foam with a boreguide in place, let it sit, run a couple patches. Your barrel will be as clean or cleaner than the day it was bought. This stuff is like color T.V., once you use it, you'll never go back.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=784639
 
#4 ·
Hmmm...I never had any rust problems by leaving Hoppe's No. 9 in a rifle's bore. As it says on the bottle, it prevents rust. I've got several rifles that were acquired from my best old shooting friend. To throughly clean the bores of his rifles after use he'd stand them up in the corner muzzle down on a soft rag after swabbing their bores with Hoppe's. He'd push a dry patch through the bore and another wet Hoppe's patch every few days. He'd keep this up for upwards of a month until he got no more green patches from the bores. Of course this was before the days of our more high-powered copper solvents but to this day his rifles have sparkling bores and some of them he purchased new 70 to 80 years ago. His 1937 vintage Winchester Model 70 .220 Swift has a lovely bore and out shoots my Ruger 77 V Swift.

I wouldn't however depend on Hoppe's as a long term protection against rust and certainly not against the effects of corrosive priming compounds. And yes it is true that it will drench your rifle's action if gravity is allow to play havoc with it.

I no longer use Hoppe's for soaking in order to remove copper fouling but sure did use it and leave it in bores for several days at a time in the past when there was nothing better for the purpose. Hoppe's would still be a slow but sure way to remove copper fouling. I still go through gallons of the stuff for general purpose gun cleaning though.
 
#9 ·
Hmmm...I never had any rust problems by leaving Hoppe's No. 9 in a rifle's bore. As it says on the bottle, it prevents rust.

I wouldn't however depend on Hoppe's as a long term protection against rust and certainly not against the effects of corrosive priming compounds. And yes it is true that it will drench your rifle's action if gravity is allow to play havoc with it.
+ one on this. i use it to clean my guns, i must be old school. but it works. yes i run a oil patch down the barrel. the bottle states it will prevent rust and to some factor it will.
 
#5 ·
Gents,

With all respect, could that stuff that you say is rust, that it eventually causes, actually be stuff from the bore that you didn't know was there? That happened with me and a .22 rifle once. I found I was out of oil. I was a teenager and short on money.

The rifle I intend to do this to is my Mosin M44. I'd rather do it this way than use the harsher chemicals or a brush.

I shoot it at least three times per week, so it's not like it would just sit.

Hoppe's is something like 85% kerosene IIRC and I thought that kerosene had light lubricating properties?

Not being argumentative, but this is the first board where anyone has said "bad idea."

Would you mind explaining your positions? Why would they rust? <----- that sounded a bit pompous; it wasn't meant to be. Just a real question.

Thanks, and I appreciate your answers so far.

Josh <><
 
#13 ·
That is strange. I have had guns with Hoppes 9 left in them for years (one as long as 30 years). The bores still are as shiny as new. Don't get me wrong, these were cheaper guns for which I was not overly concerned. However, from personal experience I have reached the conclusion that Hoppes does not cause rusting. Of course, the barrells were thoroughly cleaned with a final swabbing of Hoppes before they were put away for storage. It may not be according to what the experts say, but that is about as long a test as I could conduct in one lifetime.
 
#7 ·
I use foam bore cleaner if need be, but never leave Hoppes #9 in the bore. will it rust a barrel? Maybe , depending on the metal composition of the barrel. I will not risk it personally.
 
#10 ·
That was a good question Josh... I'll be honest, I would have thought it woudn't hurt! :blink: Now I know better!
 
#11 ·
Yea,I have used hoppe's #9 for 50 years...never had a problem with it,but it was so ingrained in me to always follow with a dry patch and a little oil...then a final wipe down, that that action may have diluted the original solvent cleaning....this is some great info here...thanks folks!
 
#12 ·
I've never had a problem with Hoppe's in the past 50-odd years I've been shooting, but I don't have a moisture problem in the house. I'll leave Hoppe's in the bore if I'm going to shoot again the next day, but anything going in storage gets wiped out with a little Rig grease.
 
#14 ·
Chemistry: Hoppes is ammonia-based- it oxidizes copper. Leave the bore wet with NH3, and with your steel barrel, it will form (IIRC) cupric iron-oxide, aka, "rust" but more agressive. Someone with better memory or a working knowledge of chem can correct/clarify, but that is basically it.

If you want to leave your bore "wet", run a patch with a penetrating lube down the bore, something like Kroil, Marvel Mystery Oil,or Tetra Gun. They won't provide long-term corrosion protection, but will loosen gunk. The ammonia reaction is the reason the Marine Corps, and related sniper schools taught to patch over two days- get it all out, and to finish with the dry patch and an oil patch, if being stored.
 
#15 ·
I got through chemistry by the skin of my teeth so my guns don't rust when Hoppe's is left in them.
 
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