cleaning a rimfire from the muzzle

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super7

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I've got a rimfire that I have to clean from the muzzle end. I have the piece of weed wacker line that I use with a patch occasionally but I like to use the old brass brush. What can I use to protect the crown when cleaning with a rod from the muzzle end? Thanks!
 
See if you can make a muzzel protector/bore guide from a drilled out .20, .16 or .28 gauage shotgun hull. Drill the primer pocket out (so that your rod is just barrely clearence fit) , trim the hull back to go round the front site (if there is one). Slide it over the bore and voila!

This trick also works with a 12ga hull and the flash suppressor of an M14/M305/M1A centrefire rifle too.
 
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Just curious, what gun is it that you are cleaning from the muzzle?

On the lower end guns I wouldn't be too worried, but if its a real nice gun cleaning from the muzzle can sometimes be hazordous. I found that the muzzle protectors didn't work so well, as it was extremely hard to get brushes through them and they often got in the way more than helping. Instead on one gun that I had to clean from the muzzle I found it best to just very carefully push it through and pull it back, ensuring the crown would not be damaged in anyway.
 
I have found it just as easy to insert the brush CAREFULLY into the muzzle and then pinch the rod between my thumb and finger. Thumb and finger holding rod and resting on muzzle, natures bore guide:D
 
Hi, I am curious about this too, I have a browning BL-22 lever action that has to be thoroughly cleaned. I have had this gun for over a year, easily I have put 2000 rounds through it, and my only cleaning has been with a bore snake that I soak with nitro solvent. I run it through about 5 times, let the solvent penetrate, then I take my second bore snake (kept dry) and run it through a couple of times. It works ok but it isn't the best at deep cleaning copper fouling/and lead fouling. My groups are decent, but I know they could be better. (as they were during the first 100 rounds or so), So please fill me in on a better way. I am way too nervous about using a cleaning rod, as I scratched up a Win model 94 in 30-30 a few years ago using the muzzle cleaning method. The groups opened up 2 inches more with the same ammo after that debacle.
 
I use the knobby thing with my aluminum rod for my 10/22, but if I had a fancier more expensive barrel on it, I'd probably just upgrade to a one piece nylon rod. I really can't see how nylon could damage steel. Still be careful, by all means, though.
 
You can buy a brass muzzle guide that is funnel shaped and assists with centering the rod in the bore. A nylon coated rod should help, as would a synthetic or aluminum cleaning rod.

Not convinced that 22 rimfires build up lead or copper in the barrel and suffer from degraded accuracy. Do they hit enough velocity to deposit lead and copper on a broken-in barrel? I can put a 1000 rounds through my CZ452 and nothing seems to suffer. Just clean the wax and grime off the bolt face, wipe down and regrease the bolt. On the other hand, who am I to argue with your experience with your gun? Different gun, maybe a different story.
 
For my 10/22 I use a bore snake so I don't have to go down the muzzle with a brush. Then I use a coated cleaning rod for smaller calibers such as .17, .204 etc. I don't add a brush. Instead I fluff out a cheap Q-tip, wet both ends with Hoppes bench rest cleaner. Then I put it in the muzzle. Now I use my fingers to guide the cleaning rod towards the breach which in turn pushes the Q-tip down the barrel. I do this a few times, then I do the same thing with dry Q-tips until they come out clean :D

I got tired of having issues with cleaning patches getting stuck and I won't use a brush from the muzzle to the breach.
 
If the brush is brass and the rod is aluminum, how can it do any significant harm to the barrel?

I assume that most rods sold these days are aluminum, not steel, but maybe I'm wrong.
 
Aluminum rods are, in fact, about the worst metal you could put down a fine bore. Any oxide that forms on the aluminim rod is harder than any steel, and will abrade the bore. Better to use a coated steel rod or even a good, stiff, uncoated one. I also only use brushes that are ALL copper & brass. [no steel or aluminum] FWIW, I do not bother to brush a 22LR rimfire bore, simply because I have never seen any need to do so. I just clean with soft cotton patches and solvent, followed by dry patches. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Eagleye said:
Aluminum rods are, in fact, about the worst metal you could put down a fine bore. Any oxide that forms on the aluminim rod is harder than any steel, and will abrade the bore. Better to use a coated steel rod or even a good, stiff, uncoated one. I also only use brushes that are ALL copper & brass. [no steel or aluminum] FWIW, I do not bother to brush a 22LR rimfire bore, simply because I have never seen any need to do so. I just clean with soft cotton patches and solvent, followed by dry patches. Regards, Eagleye.
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:agree:

I think Aluminum rods are just about the worst way you can damage a bore - especially the 3 piece ones.
 
Is a three piece steel rod good for cleaning a rifle? It's a Gunslick rod set. Steel 3 piece free spinning handle, comes with a muzzle guard along with both styles of patch pushers. As I have a Lever action my rifle is clean from Muzzle. I'm just wondering if I should keep it? People here say get the 1 piece rods. I got the lecture about the aluminum from the guy who helped me pick out the Gunslick Rod set so I stayed away from aluminum. I also got the foaming Bore Cleaner from same company along with a Rifle Bore brush Phosphor bronze to help clean it. Is what I got any good? Any help would be nice. I know I can't go wrong with .22 patches so I won't bother asking about them.

C.K
 
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Agree!

Grizzlypeg said:
You can buy a brass muzzle guide that is funnel shaped and assists with centering the rod in the bore. A nylon coated rod should help, as would a synthetic or aluminum cleaning rod.

Not convinced that 22 rimfires build up lead or copper in the barrel and suffer from degraded accuracy. Do they hit enough velocity to deposit lead and copper on a broken-in barrel? I can put a 1000 rounds through my CZ452 and nothing seems to suffer. Just clean the wax and grime off the bolt face, wipe down and regrease the bolt. On the other hand, who am I to argue with your experience with your gun? Different gun, maybe a different story.
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I do not clean any of my .22 barrels. Some after 20 yrs - and they still shoot fine. Cleaning takes out the conditioning left in the barrel by the ammo. No heat and pressure in a .22 to lead foul it. Cleaning rods do more damage than good due to the shallow rifling. My 1950 BSA Martini ISU rifle shot one hole at 50 yds. We cleaned the bore and it opened up to 1 inch. Took about 150 rds to recondition the bore to shoot 1/16 inch again. There is however a lead ring that builds up at the end of the chamber just prior to the rifling that must be cleaned out as it is detrimental to accuracy. There was a guy in the Ohio bench rest society that made a special tool for this to make it easier. The society did extensive testing with .22 rail guns and found the only benefit in a bore was a light swab with a dry bore mop and clean carbon fibre rod between each shot for a small improvement in accuracy.
 
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