barrel cleaning question

timandkimandshea

timandkimandshea

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
173   0   0
Location
Ontario
Hi there
After shooting my newish 597 today, I wanted to clean the barrel, I'm in the back shed, I'm in a hurry. I spy a coil of aluminium wire, is straightened it out and used it to push a couple of oiled patches thru the barrel. My question, is the aluminium able to damage the bore of the rifle? It had some rough spots/burrs but my thought was that it being a soft metal it wouldn't harm the barrel. Any thoughts??
Thanks
 
a basic cleaning kit can be had about anywhere (walmart/canadian tire, aswell as gun stores (imagine that!)) for $10-$15, I think what you are doing is just plain silly, even the basic kit will come with solvent, oil, patches, AND even a propper cleaning rod.
 
You can pull a patch through with weed wacker line, melted to a small ball on the end with a lighter. The ball end pulls the patch.
 
a basic cleaning kit can be had about anywhere (walmart/canadian tire, aswell as gun stores (imagine that!)) for $10-$15, I think what you are doing is just plain silly, even the basic kit will come with solvent, oil, patches, AND even a propper cleaning rod.
Click to expand...

For $10-$15, you won't get a proper cleaning rod. What you will get is a multi piece aluminum rod, that I would never use on any of my rifles, because they flex against the rifling.
 
timandkimandshea said:
Hi there
After shooting my newish 597 today, I wanted to clean the barrel, I'm in the back shed, I'm in a hurry. I spy a coil of aluminium wire, is straightened it out and used it to push a couple of oiled patches thru the barrel. My question, is the aluminium able to damage the bore of the rifle? It had some rough spots/burrs but my thought was that it being a soft metal it wouldn't harm the barrel. Any thoughts??
Thanks
Click to expand...

What are you thinking????? Buy a kit. End of story. Respect your gun.
 
funny 9 posts and no one answered the question that OP asked: will aluminum wire hurt rifling. Doubtless, the OP does have proper cleaning equipment elsewhere but was in a hurry and far away from his regular cleaning station.
I cannot answer this but since bronze brushes don't scratch the bore and fine rifling, i don't suppose aluminum would do that either. Hopefully it was aluminum, not steel wire.
To add to this, bronze is harder than aluminum, in my opinion, and since aluminum is softer than copper and bronze is an alloy of copper and tin (making it harder than copper by itself), then it must be much harder than aluminum. Therefore, since bronze does not hurt rifling, you should be OK there.
 
Last edited:
Het Stubblejumper,, I had no idea about those multi piece aluminum cleaning rods,,, Whats better to use?
Click to expand...

A good one piece rod, like a Dewey, or Tipton, along with a proper bore guide if cleaning from the breach. With actions that have to be cleaned from the muzzle, use a muzzle protector, to keep from damaging the crown.

A lot of guys like the screw on tip so you can use a mop or a jag. Thats why they like the one piece rods.
Click to expand...

Most people use one piece rods, because they are more rigid, and they don't have joints that can be out of line leaving sharp edges to rub on the lands.

As for aluminum, aluminum is softer than barrel steel, but aluminum oxide is harder than barrel steel.
 
stubblejumper said:
A good one piece rod, like a Dewey, or Tipton, along with a proper bore guide if cleaning from the breach. With actions that have to be cleaned from the muzzle, use a muzzle protector, to keep from damaging the crown.



Most people use one piece rods, because they are more rigid, and they don't have joints that can be out of line leaving sharp edges to rub on the lands.

As for aluminum, aluminum is softer than barrel steel, but aluminum oxide is harder than barrel steel.
Click to expand...

Good ....thanks on behalf of OP
 
stubblejumper said:
For $10-$15, you won't get a proper cleaning rod. What you will get is a multi piece aluminum rod, that I would never use on any of my rifles, because they flex against the rifling.
Click to expand...

I agree, I use a 1 piece coated cleaning rod, but the cheapo cheaning rod is a far better idea then what the OP is doing.
 
The weedwacker line is a good one and cheap to do. An Otis kit is the better dummy proof version of it. A pull through bore snake is a good mid priced option, just clean it regularly and don't let it dangle into the ground. I use 2 bore snakes (an older and a newer one) in succession so I don't pull the initial dirty one through twice.

Material hardnesss is not the main issue. Bill Calfee and several other big hitters with rimfires used super hardened steel one piece rods with bore guides, both for ckleaning and for pushing slugs. They dont flex as much in the bore. They will not imbed with debris. Think about how a soft fishing line wears grooves into hard ceramic guide inserts. they pick up dust, dirt , sand and other debris and thats what does the damage. A soft aluminum rod will pick up hard bits of carbon deposits and crushed glass (from the primer compound residue) and then swipe the lands as it bows in the bore from pressure. Most match rifle guys with quality rifles who use rods will only pull them through for this reason, not push.

A stainless or bronze brush should never be reversed in the bore as the bristles typically function by leaning in the opposite direction its being moved and are bigger than the bore diameter. A stainless brush can stipple a bore and bronze one can drive hard deposits into the sharp edges of the lands if reversed.
 
Do not use aluminum rods to clean your bore!!
Aluminum oxides, as Stubble pointed out are very hard.

Aluminum Oxide commonly occurs in its crystalline polymorphic phase α-Al2O3, in which it comprises the mineral corundum,
varieties of which are used as an abrasive owing to its hardness.

There are so many better tools to use to clean rifle bores.

Regards, Eagleye
 
The nonsense about aluminium rods are funny. Embedding glass from the primers and carbon particles? That's even funnier. What do you think happens between every shot? Yes, there are glass and carbon particles in the barrel which are then pressed against the bore by a lead slug traveling 1200 fps.

There are no worries about using an aluminium rod, just wipe it off and good to go. Aluminum oxide? Is the rod corroded, covered in white powder? That's aluminium oxide. Not there? No problem.

I defy anyone to show any wear caused by an aluminium rod in any bore. Not urban legends, or what the wife of a buddy who overheard a story of the......
 
Last edited:
Actually I believe I read somewhere that ALL aluminum you see is actually aluminum oxide, the reason being that aluminum is one of those reactive metals that instantly oxidizes (rusts) when exposed to oxygen, which might explain why whenever you see aluminum parts they are dull and grey, not shiny like freshly milled/polished aluminum.

Regardless, I like my carbon fiber one piece rod. It's good quality and long enough to clean all my rifles, something I quickly discovered those mult-piece rod kits can't do (not a problem for your 597, but who knows what you may own later).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom