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Cleaning out zinc fouling. Need help

Home › Forums › General Reloading Discussion › Cleaning out zinc fouling. Need help

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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  • November 12, 2025 at 8:13 pm #540109
    Nathan Dively
    Participant

    Howdy,

    I’m running 9mm idaho nuke silvers out of my competition gun. Performance is great but the fouling is horrendous. I have tried Breakfree CLP, Mpro 7, Tapco, hoppes bore cleaner. Used stiff nylon brush, copper brush, copper tornado and steel tornado. Hoppes bore cleaner seems to have done the most work. Been at it for a couple days. Anyone else have lots of fouling and was able to get 100% out?

    “Mine doesnt do that”- not helpful response.

    “It shouldn’t be doing that” – also not helpful response.

    “Your crimp is too tight”- Tell me your crimp measurement. I understand these are crimp sensitive. “Light crimp” is not a measurement. My taper crimp is .378 to .379. I do get single digit SD’s with velocity and they print real tight groups at 20 yards.

    Current load:
    4.0 gr TG
    1.065- 1.07 OAL
    .378 taper crimp. Lee factory crimp die.
    Mixed brass

    Thanks in advance!

    November 24, 2025 at 7:48 am #540470
    Dominic Domenici
    Participant

    I had petty heavy fouling with the 130 silvers.

    I used JB bore cleaner with a patch around a brass brush. Took a while but got it out and seems to lessen or prevent future zinking.

    December 1, 2025 at 11:50 am #541130
    jdh1962
    Participant

    I had terrible fouling too, Hoppe’s #9 with copper Chore Boy wrapped around a slightly used bronze brush worked OK for me, but it took a while. Bore Tech Eliminator turned the fouling black, as if it oxidized it, but I can’t say it made it any easier to clean.

    December 29, 2025 at 6:20 am #542166
    John McMahon
    Participant

    What worked for me:

    Step 1: Soak several cleaning patches in Montana X-Treme Copper Killer and stuff them down the bore until full. Put in a ziploc bag and allow to sit overnight. Fouling should scrub out easily after that. Any stubborn spots can be removed with JB Bore Cleaning Compound on a patch wrapped around a jag and applied vigorously.

    Step 2: Go back to using RMR’s excellent copper-jacketed bullets.

    I love RMR’s products in general, and I like the fact that they think outside the box, but the zinc-jacketed bullets simply don’t work for me.
    I echo all of the OP’s caveats regarding advice from other users. I would add that I know how to load Hi-Tek coated bullets so that there is no swaging of the base or damage from over-crimping, and if that careful process isn’t good enough for a particular bullet, then that bullet is not for me.

    December 29, 2025 at 6:28 am #542167
    John McMahon
    Participant

    I should also add that (like the OP) I was using TiteGroup when testing these bullets. I am open to the idea that a slower/gentler powder might produce better results.

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