The Accurate shooter site is a great source for a lot tips and ideas. I use rod guide's and coated cleaning rod's.
I traded for a Rem 700 in .308 win at a gun show and found out too late the chamber had a bur at the start of the chamber that was pealing a strip of brass when cambering a round, after looking at the chamber with a bore scope it looked like probably a steel cleaning rod had been used with out a rod guide. I was able to remove the bur and the gun shoots fine now.
rod guides for both pistols and rifles.
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It does not take much to damage the crown. You may not see much difference in a factory rifle but it will be more noticeable in an accurate custom or target rifle.
Personally, I clean from the breach when possible using a bore guide and a coated rod. I'll use a muzzle protector of some type if cleaning from the muzzle.
Jointed rods are probably more guilty than anything, along with aggressive use.
There are as many ways to clean a bore as there are shooters, so pick a method that works for you.
I used a few different ways, never ruined a barrel. Just lately had a Bartlein barrel installed. I use Hoppies #9 a Tipton fiber rod and a brass cleaning jag. I don't use the "new" pastes in my barrels. wet a patch push it through and used dry patches until they come out clean, Really dirty powder may get a brass brush dipped in the hoppies and pushed through.
Has anyone ever damaged a bbl with a cleaning rod edge that appeared because the patch was too tight and the tip screwed out about 1/4 to 3/8"(est), thus exposing the edge of the rod, and when the stainless steel one piece rod flexed because the patch was way too tight, it jammed the edge into the rifling? .25 caliber is the issue here.
It's all chicken, even the beak!
Bronze rifle brush stuck in bore.
Opened a new pack of 243/6mm brushes to clean my Rem 40xb. Put it on my steel, nylon coated rod. Run it into the barrel from the chamber end, done this hundreds of times before.
Tight fit, pushing a bit harder. No go. Tried to back out, no go. Took a lot of muscle to push out the muzzle. Bent my steel rod.
Do check the diameter of new brushes with a micrometer first. My new rule.
I'd like to see an actual scientific study done on this - I've been skeptical about wearing out muzzles from cleaning rods and such when they are softer, generally much softer, than the barrel steel... Wearing off muzzle steel from a bronze brush, or banging an aluminum rod seems pretty darn challenging.
Could be ignorance on my part, but I've never experienced such damage and always suspected its mostly bull... useful though if you sell a bunch of specialized tools for cleaning rifles.
Aluminum is soft, but it does oxidize. Aluminum oxide is used for man made sharpening stones and sandpaper grit. Soft metals, like aluminum, tend to pick up grit from other sources and it can embed in an aluminum rod over time........just sayin'.
With the abrasive carbon and fouling a soft rod impregnates with this grit becoming a lap or file and will remove the harder material. A lead slug impregnated with the right compound will cut carbide not fast but it does. The aluminum rods impregnated with fouling are long laps if not kept clean.
Post 84 has a photo. http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?...el-Crown/page6
But not from wear.
There were crown photos on the web sight . They were magnafied, showing damage of the crown from cleaning. Pulling the brush back through the crown, if i rembember correctly. They may be a casualty of Photobucket?
Google "rifle crown photos" images.
Photos gone, ty photobucket. http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?63325-Crowns/page2
Last edited by 243winxb; 04-16-2018 at 02:18 PM.
I just use undersized brushes wrapped with Viva brand kitchen "paper" towels.Wifey buys them for me.Anyway,several wraps.....stroke the bore,tear off one layer,pull back through.Pull it all off,repeat.Got the idea 30 or so years ago from Ross Seyfried,American Handgunner.
Viva brand,too expensive for the kitchen,but OK for my guns,haha.
I have cleaned some heavily fouled barrels where the rifling had become indistinct. Took several hours of brushing. Shot fine afterwards.
Sounds like a great idea! It is kinda what I do with the Lead free cloth that is available from Birchwood Casey and perhaps others.Originally Posted by Shopdog
I simply cut small long strips of about 1/8" and wind them around a small size brass brush. A few passes thru the bore will remove even traces of lead.
It's all chicken, even the beak!
Most folks wll never shoot or clean enough to do any serious damage to a barrel, even with the worst cleaning rods and equipment and technique. But that doesn't mean that those who DO shoot a lot can't seriously affect their barrels by their cleaning techniques and equipment. Country Gent has it pretty well down pat, and his advice should be read, at least, even if not followed always. Some day it might explain why a very nice gun suddenly becomes a "has-been." But most will not believe it until they see it. And as stated by several above, it's often (if not usually) the grit embedded on a rod that causes the progressive damage, and NOT the rod itself. One would have to be pretty coarse to damage a barrel with a soft rod .... but it really does happen occasionally. Care in cleaning is just part of a good shooter's regimen.
I usually use a sectional aluminum cleaning rod, and I dont use a muzzle guide normally. I wipe my rod often to remove anything on it and try to guide it into the bore without scraping the rifling if cleaning from the muzzle. I also will remove the sharp edges from the section ends with some very fine sandpaper. I'd like some 1 piece rods, but i've always had hoppes or other lower grade rods.
I use Hoppes 9 for lead and powder and light copper fowling coupled with a bronze brush. I normally use a brass patch holder and not a jag. Slop the hoppes in, let soak a while, brush it with more hoppes, follow with a clean patch and see. If it needs more repeat. If not, then I run an oily patch followed by a dry patch.
I like brownells and tipton brushes. I prefer brass core for revolver so there isnt any chance of the brush core striking the recoil shield and causing damage. If I use a steel core brush for a revolver, I make certain I wont hit the recoil shield or cover it with several layers of rag.
That said... I dont have a super accurate target gun. Hunting guns is what I like, and I aint likely to damage the accuracy with anything reasonable.
A one piece rod can be a issue to travel with and not get bent or damaged. A very simple effective case can be made for them from pvc tubing. You need a piece of tubing with the inside dia slightly larger than the handle of the rod and as long as the rods overall length. A cap. A pvc to Thread connecter. And a threaded pvc plug, the ones with the male square drive work great. Cut to length glue cap and adapter on to pipe. allow to cure. I use a glue primer and pvc glue for this, apply glue to inside of parts and outside of tube for the best bond. Insert rod and thread cap in hand snug. now the rod cant be bent in travel. A handle can be affixed to the side of the tube with a couple screws if desired. All my 1 piece rods are stored in these tubes to protect them. Keeps them clean and straight.
Please go back and re-read my post number 25.--Thanks--Shuz
It's all chicken, even the beak!
Most High Power shooter only clean enough to "get thru the next match". This did a couple things. 1) first shot was closer to the fouled bore zero saving chasing zero till the bore normalized. 2) saved reduced the chance of rod wear or damage. 3) saved time after the match when hot and tired from the day. During the nationals when the rifle is used every day all day some didn't clean until the matches were over. 4 Days 66 rounds a day during nra week. I cleaned barrels just enough to get through the next days program. The gas pistons were cleaned before the first shot and after the last shot fired on the m1as. On my AR match rifle the Krieger barrel never seen a bronze brush ( a nylon brush was used to clean chamber. At the end of the day a wet patch wa s ran thru the bore with shooters choice kroil oil then a dry and another wet. I waited at the stat building for scores to be posted then the drive home ( about an hour ) once home unloaded gear and dry patched bore again.
No, never damaged a barrel
A 22 caliber cleaning rod in a 25 bore may flex enough? What diameter cleaning rod was in use?
The rod used was a Hoppe's stainless steel of .204" diameter. In measuring the very end of the rod where the tip butts up against the jag, the diameter has grown to .209". I am going to file the edge and reduce or eliminate this flare.
It is hard for me to understand how the edge of the rod could have touched the bore with the jag backing out only about 5/32". But who knows? Comments are appreciated.--Shuz
It's all chicken, even the beak!
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