What is the need for brushes.

[Old Savage]

Not to step on Joe's thread. But what are they supposed to accomplish? This was my post on his thread.


Personally with a few rifles with 1000 to 1450 rds through them I never use brushes and they all will do and inch or better. I use Sweets or Cr10 to remove the copper then Breakfree or Hoppe's or the like or Shooter's Choice ( think that tends to have less shot deviation with a first shot after cleaning). Just cottton patches.

[Malamute]

But,...but, it seems like you're doing something to use a brush.

I think they have their place, but if you can get your guns clean without nthem, you don't need them. Rougher bores may be more of an issue, getting fouling out. I use them some, but not a lot.

[J Miller]

Well, lets see ... I was taught to use a brush to break up the carbon fouling to aid the solvent in doing it's job.

That's why I use brushes on rifles that shoot jacketed bullets.

If'n you don't wanna use the brushes, and you have a system that works for you, great.

Joe

[olyinaz]

What about bore snakes?

Oly

[J Miller]

What about bore snakes?

Oly

We don't have any bored snakes around here. My cats keep them entertained.

Joe

[Modoc ED]

Dang it Joe!!!! "olyinaz" asked a perfectly good, serious, question, and you have to bugger it up with a joke about bored snakes and your cats. I've got to say though that your reply to "olyinaz" was kinda funny.

As to "olyinaz's" question, I use bore snakes on a regular basis these days and they work fine.

TIP: Got a .444 Marlin? Clean it with a .410 shotgun sized bore snake.

Don't anybody pay attention to me or Joe. We're being a bit catty here.

[Bruce]

OS,

I made this same response in Joe's thread, but it can't hurt to put it here also.

"I have not used a brush in the last few years, except on newly acquired (used) guns that have a crude buildup that you can visually see. Once I discovered how good Wipe Out is, there is no need for brushes anymore. However, I do use many more patches now than in the past. It takes more because the Wipe Out works.

There is a liquid version in addition to the foam and I use it more often than the foam, but both work well. As the add says, try it on a barrel that you think is clean. I did, and threw the other cleaners away."

http://www.sharpshootr.com/wipeout.htm

I can not even consider using a Bore Snake, because IMHO it (the rope) becomes coated with the material removed from a barrel and you are essentially putting it back into the barrel. It would be like reusing a dirty patch.

[El Chivo]

I rarely use the brushes, but I imagine the bristles cleaning out the corner areas between the lands and grooves. It seems to me the patches clean the flat surfaces and bristles get in the corners.

[Nath]

These ere' bored snakes! Do you drag m' through by their tails or tongues?

Do they leave a foul smell like our grass snakes?




N

[Old Time Hunter]

Not to step on Joe's thread. But what are they supposed to accomplish? This was my post on his thread.

To get the little lead filings out.

[kimwcook]

Well, just so happens I'm in the process of cleaning my Les Baer. I used some patches with Shooters Choice and I could see some fouling sticking in the grooves near the lands. I got my Hoppe's Bench Rest copper fouling solvent out and I just happened to read the directions and in they include the use of a brush. I use a brush when I have heavy fouling and obvious deposits left behind after a straight solvent patch run. If the bore looks clean after using just solvent I don't use a brush, but if there is, the brushes come out.

[SFRanger7GP]

I seldom (if ever) use a brush on anything that I just shoot jacketed ammo in. For BPCR and lead, I have to use brushes.

I love bore snakes!

[Sixgun]

I use brushes about 98% of the time but..............98% of the time I am shooting old leverguns with sometimes so-so bores and cast bullets. With nice perfect bores, I do not see a need for them.

Its easy to tell if you need them. After swabbing out several times and getting some clean patche results, run a brush down the bore and then another clean patch. A nice smooth bore will usually only produce a little dirt where a hundred and twenty year old Winchester most always produces more filth. It almost makes you think your in downtown Philly or any other major city. ----------------Sixgun

[Old Savage]

The only two things that I have found that will get all the copper and other fouling out is Sweets or CR10. I use the Shooter's choice to clean those out and protect the bore after they have stripped it. It appears to me that no other solvents will get the copper and thus overlaid fouling out in anything like a reasonable time to clean them. I do have all excellent bores though.

[rogn]

Ive done some serious benchrest competition in years past and have killed a couple of good barrels, probably with a brush. Now I use the good fouling removers and nylon brushes. JBcompound takes care of the serious stuff. If you want to see what a brush does to the bore, take a piece of polished steel and make sevefal firm strokes over it with a bore brush then wipe it off and look carefully with a magnifying glass, you may not need the magnifier. The amount of scratching that this will produce in soft barrel steel is really amazing. Ive found that a reasonably good barrel does better with as little cleaning as possible. Ive run about 1oo fullbore rounds thru a 7nn WSM without cleaning and no loss of accuracy, I then followed that with over a 100 rounds of reduced vel cast bullets and no loss of accuracy. If I cleaned diligently with a brush i think id see more fouling now. Pardon the long wind.

[KCSO]

On really rusty guns you can see the pits much better after you brush.

[Old Savage]

rogn, is that the home of the watermen?

On the barrels - that is what I thought might be the case.

[rogn]

OS the watermen are here but are quickly becoming a dying breed.

[Old Savage]

That is sad but happening in many ways in a lot of places. Had an uncle who carved primitive decoys on the Delaware. Gave me his Robeson knife that he used bought in 1936. Of course back then they didn't know they were carving primitive decoys. They only thought they were carving decoys. Some are worth thousands now.

[JB]

Bore snakes are generally frowned on by the serious benchrest shooters. Unless they're pulled perfectly straight every time (and that's a lot harder to do than it looks) they feel you're causing uneven wear to the barrel. I for one feel brushes are needed for through cleaning. It's the amount of cleaning and how often that's open to huge debate. I'd never clean one of my top shooters without using a quality rod and bore guide. I'm not nearly as concerned about by hunting rifles, but I do baby the expensive target guns.

[J Miller]

My method of using a brush is the minimalist approach. A solvent soaked brush is run through the bore a couple times to saturate it, then the rifle is set muzzle down on a folded rag to let the solvent work and drain out. After that generally a couple clean patches, then a solvent soaked one, and repeat until clean.

I use muzzle guides when I clean from the muzzle, and depending on the rifle I've got chamber guides I can use from there.
I also do not strip all the copper out of the bore each time. I've never seen any reason to. I don't let it build up, but some won't hurt.

I've tried numerous bore solvents over the years, some of which should be Hazmat regulated as they'd cause instant chemical induced headaches with the slightest skin contact or inhalation of the fumes. Others that evaporated so fast there was no way you could keep the bore saturated long enough for the solvent to act. So I use Hoppe's #9. It works for me and the smell and is acceptable to us. In my present location I'm loathe to stink up this tiny house with other solvents I don't know about.

I've seen others who have used their bore brushes as if they were trying to lap the bores, I do not do this. A little brushing, a lot of soaking is what works. Even with pitted bores like my No4 Mk1 has.

I simply cannot see doing away with the brush totally, nor do I buy the theory that a brass or bronze brush that is made from a softer material than the steel barrel can damage a barrel with reasonable use. That makes no sense to me.
I agree with Bruce when he said: "I can not even consider using a Bore Snake, because IMHO it (the rope) becomes coated with the material removed from a barrel and you are essentially putting it back into the barrel. It would be like reusing a dirty patch."

Joe

[Malamute]

I use them in reverse, I use a patch soaked with solvent to get the process started, then brush a little to remove whatever the solvent loosened up, then more patches to get the last bits out. I'll sometimes brush again if the barrel is badly fouled or dirty, but will run the solvent soaked patch thru before hand to let it work. Always start with a solvent soaked patch tho. Don't really need a brush to put solvent in the barrel.

[C. Cash]

For shooting Jacketed, the solvents like Hoppes Bench rest work well, especially when sitting in the bore overnight. But when shooting cast at 2000 fps. and above out of the 356 Win, bronze brushes are a timesaver at times. Doesn't take but about 20 passes to really get the lead off the bore walls. Brushes are good for forcing cones on the Rugers as well....have never learned how to avoid the forcing cone lead and a brush makes pretty short work of it. As you've noted OS, as guns are shot they smooth out a good bit and need less brushing. My Ruger Super Blackhawk doesn't lead up at the forcing cone anymore after much use.