Boresnake vs rod and patch?

I've used bore snakes at matches where I'm shooting high and fast round counts between stages, or during a Prairie Dog shoot...

I usually have one that is saturated with solvent and a dry one for follow up...They are quick and easy for knocking out the debris build up, but each firearm gets a thorough cleaning the old fashioned way when back at the motel...

I think that under extreme conditions they have their place, but not a substitution for proper maintenance...

Yesterday, while at the range, I ran into the resident gunsmith and he had his Hawkeye Borescope available.. I had been having problems with my CZ .204 with inconsistent grouping.

After inspecting the barrel with the borescope, we determined that there was a build up of powder residue that extended about eight inches from the chamber and the rifle had been "Cleaned" the night before...

It required a vigorous application of Isso Bore Cleaning Paste (slightly more aggressive than JB Bore Paste), to get it out...I can only think that the previous owner had failed to get it all out before I purchased the rifle..
 
Originally Posted By: ab_bentleyYou know those carbide eyes on your fisihing poles, check out a few somtimes. Ones that have been used have grooves in them, from what little ole' fishing line. Think of your barrel as the eye and the snake as the line. There's no way you pull a straight line from the bore and as such you'll damage your barrel. No Bueno. ADam

I'll throw my opinion in on this one, and you know what opinions are like.

Anyway I can't say I've ever seen a barrel with that kind of damage. Nor do I think that a patch leaves perfectly every time, nor does a snake being run a few times equals running multiple miles of line over the exact same spot year after year after year. Kind of like saying my mom drove a red car and died of cancer, so I won't drive a red car. Because I don't want cancer. The correlating fact doesnt correlate to the result.

I guess in theory if you ran a snake, a lot, in the exact same spot and pulled it close to 90 degrees to the bore like a fishing line, eventually, after many years, you would see the wear. But one way or the other I wouldn't count on that as being a determining factor on whether or not I use a snake. If my barrel is so soft that a soft cloth will damage it if used a few times, the gun has more issues than the cleaning method.

Everyone will have the preference, no worries on what they are
smile.gif
If you rod it, use the right equipment (1 piece) and do it right. If you use a break down rod, pull don't push. If you push a sectioned rod and screw up your barrel, I might buy the action from you
laugh.gif
 
And of course a gun that NEEDS a good cleaning, the snake isn't the route to take. It's not designed to be a 1 size fits all solution. It's a tool to be used when the tool is appropriate. A wrench works great as a wrench, works very badly as a hammer.

When I got my duty shotgun I completely wore out a 1/2 dozen brushes and spent over a month trying to get the bore clean even spinning a brush on a drill to grind out the years of neglect. Then did the same with a brush wrapped in steel wool and finally saw metal that wasn't lead. Not the route I'd take on anything other than a really old smoothbore 870, and if I had taken the snake out of the box I'd still be running it 15 years later
laugh.gif
Gotta luv duty issue.
 
Boresnake is a GOOD field expedient.

Tipton carbon fiber rod, bore guide, brass jag/patch holders and hard nylon brushes do it for me..well good flannel patches and usual chemicals.

EXCEPT on .22LR where use a product called PatchWorm-basic weedwhacker line with a stop- pierce a patch, wet it down and run it through bore..clean the action w/old toothbrush.

The only firearm I clean from the muzzle/crown are pistols.

Most but not all cleaning gear is constructed of material that is NOT as hard as barrel steel.
 
Back
Top