rifle cleaning rods
- Thread starter rar
- Start date
This! Except I only have 6 years use with them. The carbon fibre ones are my preference.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
For my target rifles I got started using Parker-Hale rod, jags and brushes. Their vinyl coated rods are OUTSTANDING. The Army bought black Parkerized P-H rods and bits for the FN C1 cleaning kits. 'nuf said. The only drawback is those rods were not coated. They are in fact pretty rough. That roughness is going to eventually lap or wear on the bore lands.
Decades ago my father found a P-H 'safari' kit version of their standard bore cleaning rod. If the complete rod is +/- 36", the safari rod is three screw-together sections, just like the army kit except bright yellow vinyl. Very slick and another plus to pack for an overseas trip without worrying about bending a rod.
Brushes, jags and other implements of destruction are one thing. A proper bore guide is another. This is a tube that slides into the receiver and nuzzles against the chamber so the oil and solvents don't drip off into the action. The secondary effect is to pre-align the rod so it is pointed straight and unwhipped as it passes into the leade and bore. Get one for each action length.
Decades ago my father found a P-H 'safari' kit version of their standard bore cleaning rod. If the complete rod is +/- 36", the safari rod is three screw-together sections, just like the army kit except bright yellow vinyl. Very slick and another plus to pack for an overseas trip without worrying about bending a rod.
Brushes, jags and other implements of destruction are one thing. A proper bore guide is another. This is a tube that slides into the receiver and nuzzles against the chamber so the oil and solvents don't drip off into the action. The secondary effect is to pre-align the rod so it is pointed straight and unwhipped as it passes into the leade and bore. Get one for each action length.
This is what I've moved onto, coming from coated Bore-Tech and Tipton rods.
I find the quality higher, and less hassle than carbon coated rods.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I used to have Parker Hale and these were fine for deer caliber and up rifles. I found thier small bore rod much to tight for my German smallbore Mauser.
Plus almost no one carries this brand of cleaning rod and jags anymore.
I moved to Pro Shot for small bore and Tipton for anything larger.
Plus almost no one carries this brand of cleaning rod and jags anymore.
I moved to Pro Shot for small bore and Tipton for anything larger.
sharp shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Essex county (Ontario)
I've never used a Tipton or PH. I do have a Boretech and haven't felt the need to switch although I may not now what I'm missing. I'm also not a competition shooter.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Sometimes a guy is forced to look for alternatives because of a specific firearm. I own a smallbore Mauser. It's got a 27.5 inch barrel. (26.5?) That's kind of long for a 22 rimfire and many cleaning rods just aren't long enuf even with a jag or brush screwed on.
Also fitting a cloth patch the jag using a PH rod often it would jam in the bore.
A friend advised me many smallbore rifle owners with a tight 22 bore use 5mm (.204) gear to prevent jamming the rod in your bore.
I have a few 5mm jags and much life is better cleaning them.
I cannot remember if this is the Dewey rod or Pro Line? Lol
Also fitting a cloth patch the jag using a PH rod often it would jam in the bore.
A friend advised me many smallbore rifle owners with a tight 22 bore use 5mm (.204) gear to prevent jamming the rod in your bore.
I have a few 5mm jags and much life is better cleaning them.
I cannot remember if this is the Dewey rod or Pro Line? Lol
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
Brutus - smaller jag - is sort of "fact of life" here - I use Butches Triple Twill Patches - I think they are thicker than others - I ended up with a Tipton brass jag set - almost always using one or two sizes "too small" to get a patch through a bore - so is not uncommon to be using 7mm jag for 30 caliber rifle, etc. I no longer care what the number on it says - I can feel the fit within that bore - I suspect I know what "snug fit" feels like - so I go with whatever gets that - regardless what the labels are saying.
I like the concept of carbon fiber so that there is no anxiety of stainless steel hitting softer barrel steel. I own two Tipton "Deluxe 1-piece Carbon Fiber" rods, diameter .22-.26 caliber. It fits my bolt action .22 rimfires no problem, and I also use them for my bolt action .270 and 30-06. The added flex in the .270 and 30-06 bores is acceptable to me because of the carbon fiber (and I use bore guides of course). I suppose I should buy the larger caliber diameter rods, but so far these work good.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Agreed. Just to be doubly sure I bought a rifle rod that's compatible for .17 caliber as well.
Just for more room.
I'm still using a couple of PH rods from the 70"s -80's - the adapter s were also available from other sources too -RJ
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Is very limited choices out here in boonies - about everything that I think is wrong - aluminum, 3 piece segmented - but was only thing that I could find to buy for .17 cal. I do note that the smallest jags in the Tipton jag kit - for .17" and for .204" - required that smaller thread in the end of the rod - they are too small to thread into my regular rod - which is likely too fat for those small sizes, anyway - but my one piece rod does (just barely) go down a .223 Rem or 22-250 Rem barrel. I had to peel some diameter off the .22 jag, for it to fit into a .22 rifle barrel, with 1 1/8" Butch's Patches that are here. I think I was cutting them in half to use? I often end up using that same jag in .243 Win with 1 1/2" patches.
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A polished stainless steel rod isn't going to hurt your bore.
Keep in mind also that the carbon fiber coating can become impregnated with small and micro debris, which if happens has a much higher level of damaging your bore than a polished SS rod.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I am no expert, at all, but I have made a number of laps - soft carrier that gets coated with very hard "dust" or grit - can cut into / polish very tempered steel with that. So my concern about cleaning rods is based on that experience - any hard carbon grit within bore - like loosened up from the grooves - can embed into a soft rod - making it work like a lap, I think. Will not be helpful to have a polished stainless rod rolling similar grit along - is the grit that will likely do the damage - so I am probably too fussy, but completely wipe off the stainless rod when I withdraw it from the bore - every time, even if doing 20 x full length stokes back and forth with bore brush in a grungy old milsurp bore.
I suspect similar can happen with the "pull through" type that use string or cord - that cord can pick up crap from within the dirty bore - so can become like a lap, I think - I prefer not to use them, but if I have no other choice, I am a bit careful to ensure that cord gets pulled through in very dead centre of the hole in barrel - not allowed to touch sides of muzzle, if I can help it.
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