HOPPE'S SOLVENT RINGS THE BELL ONCE AGAIN

[chief38]

I always maintain my guns and clean them anytime they get shot. Over the last 30+ years I have been using a CLP of one brand or another and have been very happy with them. Currently, I am using G96 Synthetic Gun Oil CLP with which I'm quite happy with. Started using that just recently and feel it is better than even the Breakfree CLP (and Breakfree CLP is great).

Yesterday, I decided to give my USGI M1 Garand stock and hand-guards a re-oiling coat of 100% Tung Oil which I do every 5 years or so. Tung Oil dries quickly and gives the wood a satin finish and a bit of protection. I like it much better than working with boiled Linseed Oil.

While the wood parts were drying (over night) I decided to strip off the old grease and give the gun a good cleaning. Instead of using my normal CLP cleaning procedure I figured what a perfect time for a "olfactory fix" of good 'ole Hopped Solvent. I haven't used it in a while because my wife is not a fan (can you imagine)! Anyway, I was actually cleaning a clean gun and was amazed at what the Hoppes (an old bottle) still pulled out! Again, this was on a "clean" gun!

So after rethinking things, I have decided that once in a while any rifle that is shooting FMJ vintage military rounds should get at least one good cleaning a year with Hoppes (more if your wife won't complain about the scent), even if cleaned with normal CLP's after a Range session. After using the convenient CLP's for so long, I forgot just how much better Hoppes will clean a rifle's bore. Now I do know that even a CLP will remove more dirt if you go back and re-clean a cleaned gun after a week or so, but the Hoppes actually removes copper way better than any CLP will ever do. The Garand is now ready for inspection!


The best part is that I got my Hoppes fix!!

 

[rockquarry]

For all gun cleaning except copper removal and hard carbon deposits, I've found nothing works better than Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red. Even for mild carbon fouling, either of these are fine.

I have no idea how many newer products I've tried in the past several decades. For routine work, some of these have worked as well or almost as well, but none are better and they all cost more.

 

[chief38]

I have never had issues with Hoppes cleaning ability - it's always been great and I really never stopped using it for deep cleaning. I just like the ease of use, low odor and "all in one" purpose of the CLP. I shoot way too often and like to always clean my guns after shooting them, the CLP makes it easy, quick and does everything all at once. Because I always keep up with them, they never get all that dirty and the CLP does a nice job.

However I will now make sure I do a deep clean with the Hoppes once in a while.

NOTE: The Hoppes bottle I have is the huge old glass bottled version and is the original formula. I do use it outside and wear really good gloves & eye protection. They have since taken out certain chemicals for safety on their new production and so I don't know if the new stuff works quite as well.

 

[Baxter6551]

I also clean mine every time I shoot them and only use Hoppes with a finishing patch of Balistol. On center fire rifles I generally wet the battles with Hoppes and let it sit overnight for several nights until the patches mostly stop coming out green.
I use Breakfree at the range on occasion.

 

[chief38]

Ha - I just gave away 3 brand new bottles of Ballistol after trying it (heard how good it is). I just could not take the smell - even the day after!

 

[mauser9]

Yeah Hoppes sounds tough to beat for bores. Gravitating back to it more after trying Breakfree CLP. Works good on my 1100 for cleaning after a couple rounds of Trap shooting.

 

[stansdds]

CLP products, in my opinion, are a compromise designed to be a field expedient and simple to use, adequate in the field, but not the best method. They are supposed to clean, lubricate, and protect, but I have found that a real solvent like Hoppes No. 9 is far better at cleaning, but provides no lubrication or protection. So I use Hoppes for the C and a real oil and/or grease for the L and P parts.

 

[Retired W4]

I think my wife is used to the Hoppes#9 by now. Sweets 7.62 is another animal though. It removes all of the copper from the bore, even the stuff you can not see.

 

[dave1918a2]

When I come home from the range I run a wet patch(Hoppes) through the bore. Then I wet mop the bore with Hoppes and let all the guns sit for a couple of days. Then i run a tight patch through the bore and am still amazed at the crud Hoppes removes.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

There's a reason Hoppes has been the Gold standard for so long.

I clean with Hoppes and finish up with a light coat of CLP for protection.

 

[rockquarry]

I never found much use for CLP. For cleaning, it's a secondary cleaning solution at best, but may work if you have nothing better. The only use I've found for it is putting it on a soft cloth for a gun rubdown and I'm pretty sure any plain oil would work as well or better. I think CLP is most useful to non-gun folks, or they think it is, kind of like using a bore snake for cleaning a barrel.

I can see the military using CLP for everything. Instead of having a good solvent, a lube, and a preservative, they prefer a mediocre solution that will do a minimal to fair job for all three purposes. Makes more sense, I guess, than carrying three solutions.

 

[Rpg]

I've been using Hoppes #9 since I got my first 22 when I was 7. I've been using it ever since without any problems. I've never found a reason to use anything else.

I like it well enough to have stocked several quarts in the old glass bottles over the years. I can't imagine that I'd need more than that in my remaining years.

When Barnes first released their homogeneous (copper) bullets I bought a bottle of ammonia based cleaner for the rifles I used the Barnes in. It didn't work any better than Hoppes. I stopped playing with the homogeneous bullets because they take up too much cartridge space compared with lead core projectiles.

I've still got 7/8 th of a bottle of the ammonia stuff somewhere around here. Next time I see it I'll dump it.

 

[chief38]

CLP products, in my opinion, are a compromise designed to be a field expedient and simple to use, adequate in the field, but not the best method. They are supposed to clean, lubricate, and protect, but I have found that a real solvent like Hoppes No. 9 is far better at cleaning, but provides no lubrication or protection. So I use Hoppes for the C and a real oil and/or grease for the L and P parts.

I agree 100% and that's why I will now break out the Hoppes every so often in the cleaning cycle. Since I really do keep up with my hardware and always clean them right after shooting them, they really never get that bad, so for me the CLP's are adequate normally - but after a while, Hoppes will fill my Lanai with the pleasant scent once again.

I recently started using the Synthetic CLP from G96. I was using the Breakfree CLP prior and I find that the G96 is a bit better on cleaning - if anybody is interested.

 

[handejector]

Try Hoppe's "Bench Rest 9". If it is the same formula as my very old bottle, it is very good stuff for dissolving copper.

 

[rockquarry]

Try Hoppe's "Bench Rest 9". If it is the same formula as my very old bottle, it is very good stuff for dissolving copper.

It's good and it works, but like Shooters Choice and a few others, it works slowly unless the buildup is very slight. Overnight is best. There are more modern copper removers that work no better than BR#9, but they are much faster acting.

 

[Marksman]

I've used Hoppe's #9 for 60+ years, I also use Butch's Bore Shine and Bore Tech Eliminator. Find them all to be excellent products, Hoppe's has stood the test of time having been used by generations of shooters.

 

[Buzzzer]

Pretty regular Hoppe's user here as well. My wife actually likes the smell of it...

 

[Beemerguy53]

If there was a men's cologne that smelled like Hoppe's #9, I'd buy it...

 

[cracker57]

I have a cz varminter in 204 ruger with well over 3k down the tube. it has never seen a brush and I have only used the foaming bore cleaner, shoots as good as it ever has and the bore looks like a mirror...

 

[chief38]

Try Hoppe's "Bench Rest 9". If it is the same formula as my very old bottle, it is very good stuff for dissolving copper.

I believe they took out the benzene and made it more environmentally compatible. They also now claim it to be safer for humans but supposedly the new stuff still works well.

My large glass bottle is really old and I believe it to be the original formula. I can't even recall when I bought it but it's got to be at least 30- 40 years old. When it's finally gone, I will try the new version.

I had a bottle of the bench rest 9 but when I moved it didn't survive. Don't recall using it - just never got around to trying it.