I was wondering if anyone has had any bad experience with their bore snakes? I bought one but after looking at the brushes on it and how tight it fits in the barrel, ive held off from using it again. Im not sure about using it on a rifle let alone a 12 gauge with a smooth barrel... wont the brushes scratch and damage the inside of the barrel???
Bore Snake damaging barrel?
- Thread starter AccurateJay
- Start date
Which is much harder, barrel steel or brass/bronze brush?
The brush will not scratch the steel unless there is something harder imbedded in the brush, like a wayward diamond or something harder than barrel steel.
The brush will not scratch the steel unless there is something harder imbedded in the brush, like a wayward diamond or something harder than barrel steel.
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Good info here from a reliable source. Not just some keyboard drivel that is common on internet forum posts.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/gun_cleaning.htm
R
http://www.chuckhawks.com/gun_cleaning.htm
R
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I use boresnakes a fair bit, never had a problem personally. Just keep them clean by washing them after use, never drag a dirty one down the bore again. They are good for a quick barrel swipe/clean, heavy fouling will need patches, rods what have you for deeper clean. I like to put a dab of solvent on the bristles and a bit of oil where the nylon end gets fat. Also keep the end off the ground or other dirty surfaces when you go for the pull through, pull it through as straight as possible as well.
A guy at the club checks for barrel obstructions in his S&W 41, with a length of coat hanger. Personally, I wouldn't use that method with my Norincos.
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I still clean my guns at home with a rod and patches and all that stuff, I just bought the bore snake for a quick and easy way to clean in the field. I just wasn't sure if it was going to do harm the odd time I use it. Seems like there are still a bit of mixed reviews. Thanks guys
- Location
- Calgary, AB
Would love to know how it could possibly damage a bore. It's cloth and bronze.
In my opinion, nothing beats the old method of patches.
Taking the time to clean your firearms gives a certain amount of satisfication in my eyes.
But; from my experience, boresnakes are all fine and dandy for a quick pull through and that's about it. Take your time and enjoy your passion
Taking the time to clean your firearms gives a certain amount of satisfication in my eyes.
But; from my experience, boresnakes are all fine and dandy for a quick pull through and that's about it. Take your time and enjoy your passion
bullets go down the barrel dude, it wont hurt your barrel, ive been using them for a long time. The brass will bend easy, you have no worries. Just keep an eye on them as they don't last forever and you don't want one to get stuck in the barrel cause the string snapped.
My thinking on the boresnake is that you're puling the same dirty snake through your bore not knowing what sort of crap it's picked up from previous use and from whatever it's stored in.
I've been using boresnakes for years. the accuracy of my rifles has not suffered but then again, I'm not a competing bench rest shooter so don't need to be constantly cleaning my rifles.
I always have both a carbon fiber cleaning rod kit and a bore snake on my person at all times on hunting trips.
I always have both a carbon fiber cleaning rod kit and a bore snake on my person at all times on hunting trips.
I use WipeOut to clean my bores with cleaning rod and brass jag. I use a bore-snake only at the end of the day after a hunt or range time as a quick tidy up before going into the case or if it's been snowing/raining etc as an expedient to ensure a clear bore.
I don't believe it can replace a cleaning rod but rather be used to supplement.
In any event, I'm always careful to go slowly and pull straight through as opposed to off to one side. I believe this is the reason that many military surplus firearms have oblong chambers and/or damaged muzzles.
I don't believe it can replace a cleaning rod but rather be used to supplement.
In any event, I'm always careful to go slowly and pull straight through as opposed to off to one side. I believe this is the reason that many military surplus firearms have oblong chambers and/or damaged muzzles.
Just google "Shoot to Live." It is a WWII military training manual with all sorts of good information. One of the bits of information in it is a newbie using a "pull through" cleaner on an angle. It can be quite difficult to keep any type of pull through straight when you are pulling it through the bore. Any angle at all and no matter how soft the material it will eventually damage the crown. As Guntech says. No self respecting/knowledgeable competition shooter would or will use a pull through type bore cleaning device.
Many milsurps have issues with worn crowns. That is one of the reasons so many of them are counter bored.
Using a bore snake occasionally may not cause any grief. Using one on a regular basis will. Even if the fiber the snake is made from seems soft it is still abrasive. If you don't believe it take a piece of nylon or polypropylene rope and rub it a few times against the side of your barrel Watch how quickly the bluing disappears. That blue only penetrates about a half thou so it goes very quickly. Still it won't take a lot to take a few thou off the edge of the crown and down inside for a half inch or more.
It's your snake, your rifle. You choose. Before you do, ask yourself if you can pull that snake absolutely true to the axis of the bore. If you can do that every time you should be OK.
Recently at the Penticton gun show I traded for a lovely Kleingunther in 30-06. It was immaculate. The trader was a walk in and he asked me if I was willing to trade him along with some money for a Ruger #1 chambered in 308Win I had on the table that was in the same shape. It seemed like a fair deal with the cash included but something just wasn't right. I asked him what was wrong with the rifle and he told me quite truthfully "seeing as I asked" that he just hadn't been able to get the rifle to shoot consistently and that a 6 in group with any factory ammo he had tried was the best it would do.
Well, we made the deal and he had to sweeten it a lot more. Nice rifle but if it needed a new barrel there wasn't any profit in it. When I got it home I checked out the muzzle wear with a set of wear gauges I picked up at a surplus sale over 40 years ago. It's a go/no-go gauge that fits into the muzzle and has circular marks on it to indicate the diameter at the crown. This rifle was worn badly at the crown and down for about a half inch.
Just to be sure, I took it to the range and put a couple of dozen rounds of different factory loads through it. It wouldn't group. I had put my go to Burrix fixed four power on it to make sure it wasn't the scope etc.
Pulled the receiver from the stock and chucked up the barrel in the lathe. It only took a few minutes to clean out the offending last bit of the bore. Slight over a half inch (15mm) and the bore gauge said it was a good as new.
Put it all back together and took it to the range. All was well. It shot several factory loads into slightly over 2cm. Likely hand loads would do better. This was premium ammo though from Lapua so maybe not. Anyway it was now acceptable to offer for sale. It didn't last long. It was a very nice looking rifle with fantastic grain in the stock.
There is only one reason for that muzzle wear and that was improper use of a pull through or dirty bore snake.
Guntech isn't giving you his reason for not using a bore snake lightly. I am willing to bet he has run across this situation on more than one occasion. It is actually something I have come to expect on milsurps, especially Lee Enfields and Garands.
Many milsurps have issues with worn crowns. That is one of the reasons so many of them are counter bored.
Using a bore snake occasionally may not cause any grief. Using one on a regular basis will. Even if the fiber the snake is made from seems soft it is still abrasive. If you don't believe it take a piece of nylon or polypropylene rope and rub it a few times against the side of your barrel Watch how quickly the bluing disappears. That blue only penetrates about a half thou so it goes very quickly. Still it won't take a lot to take a few thou off the edge of the crown and down inside for a half inch or more.
It's your snake, your rifle. You choose. Before you do, ask yourself if you can pull that snake absolutely true to the axis of the bore. If you can do that every time you should be OK.
Recently at the Penticton gun show I traded for a lovely Kleingunther in 30-06. It was immaculate. The trader was a walk in and he asked me if I was willing to trade him along with some money for a Ruger #1 chambered in 308Win I had on the table that was in the same shape. It seemed like a fair deal with the cash included but something just wasn't right. I asked him what was wrong with the rifle and he told me quite truthfully "seeing as I asked" that he just hadn't been able to get the rifle to shoot consistently and that a 6 in group with any factory ammo he had tried was the best it would do.
Well, we made the deal and he had to sweeten it a lot more. Nice rifle but if it needed a new barrel there wasn't any profit in it. When I got it home I checked out the muzzle wear with a set of wear gauges I picked up at a surplus sale over 40 years ago. It's a go/no-go gauge that fits into the muzzle and has circular marks on it to indicate the diameter at the crown. This rifle was worn badly at the crown and down for about a half inch.
Just to be sure, I took it to the range and put a couple of dozen rounds of different factory loads through it. It wouldn't group. I had put my go to Burrix fixed four power on it to make sure it wasn't the scope etc.
Pulled the receiver from the stock and chucked up the barrel in the lathe. It only took a few minutes to clean out the offending last bit of the bore. Slight over a half inch (15mm) and the bore gauge said it was a good as new.
Put it all back together and took it to the range. All was well. It shot several factory loads into slightly over 2cm. Likely hand loads would do better. This was premium ammo though from Lapua so maybe not. Anyway it was now acceptable to offer for sale. It didn't last long. It was a very nice looking rifle with fantastic grain in the stock.
There is only one reason for that muzzle wear and that was improper use of a pull through or dirty bore snake.
Guntech isn't giving you his reason for not using a bore snake lightly. I am willing to bet he has run across this situation on more than one occasion. It is actually something I have come to expect on milsurps, especially Lee Enfields and Garands.
