AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
Video-will bronze bristle brushes harm a barrel?
- Thread starter AckleymanII
- Start date
If I were to use a brush it would be bronze, just don't reverse it in the bore and you will be fine.
Paul
Paul
I use bronze brushes but only for 10 passes to loosen residue. After that wet and then dry patches on a jag until I am happy. I am not shy about strong ammonia based solvents but they do not stay in the bore over a couple of minutes and then are mopped out with conventional solvents. After 30+ years of match shooting have never lost a barrel before it's time.
I’ve worked with metal all my working life. As a mechanic, machinist, welder, I’m very familiar with metal and hardness. I need to understand metals and hardnesses every day in my job.
The only reason i say this is because I’ve read here a few times that a bronze brush will damage your barrel. And then there is the deadly Aluminum cleaning rod dragging down the barrel as you clean it with your bronze brush. Oh my the horror of this! Others say that you should only use a plastic brush and plastic rod only once in a while so they don’t damage their barrel.
Well folks don’t listen to these people that say this because it’s totally wrong. There is a great reason that the warriors of old in the Bronze Age won battles, because bronze was stronger than copper swords. When steel blades can around they sliced right though the bronze blades. Then better steels we’re made and the cheap steel blades were now inferior.
The same thing is with your barrel. Your barrel is made of some of the best steel today. Do you really think a bronze brush, or aluminum rod is going to damage it? To damage a steel barrel by cleaning you need a material that is harder than the barrel, and bronze or aluminum ain’t that metal.
The only reason i say this is because I’ve read here a few times that a bronze brush will damage your barrel. And then there is the deadly Aluminum cleaning rod dragging down the barrel as you clean it with your bronze brush. Oh my the horror of this! Others say that you should only use a plastic brush and plastic rod only once in a while so they don’t damage their barrel.
Well folks don’t listen to these people that say this because it’s totally wrong. There is a great reason that the warriors of old in the Bronze Age won battles, because bronze was stronger than copper swords. When steel blades can around they sliced right though the bronze blades. Then better steels we’re made and the cheap steel blades were now inferior.
The same thing is with your barrel. Your barrel is made of some of the best steel today. Do you really think a bronze brush, or aluminum rod is going to damage it? To damage a steel barrel by cleaning you need a material that is harder than the barrel, and bronze or aluminum ain’t that metal.
Nonsense. I've used bronze bushes for 50+ years and never had any issues attributed to them. On the contrary, they do an excellent job of removing carbon. Never had a carbon ring form in any of my rifles.
I do use appropriately sized brushes with bronze cores and loop ends. Also, a rod guide is essential to protect the throat. I also use a quality single piece rod, i.e., Dewey, that rotates the brush through the bore. I believe if you follow these simple procedures, you will never harm you bore with a bronze brush and do a really good job of removing carbon.
The anti-bronze brush group has never explained to me how a bronze brush ruins a barrel were as a bullet speeding down the bore a 2700 to 3000+ f/s and slamming into the lands doesn't.
This reminds me of the myth prominent in the 60's that neck sizing extents case life and improves accuracy.
However, if you sleep better at night not using a bronze brush then by all means don't use one.
I do use appropriately sized brushes with bronze cores and loop ends. Also, a rod guide is essential to protect the throat. I also use a quality single piece rod, i.e., Dewey, that rotates the brush through the bore. I believe if you follow these simple procedures, you will never harm you bore with a bronze brush and do a really good job of removing carbon.
The anti-bronze brush group has never explained to me how a bronze brush ruins a barrel were as a bullet speeding down the bore a 2700 to 3000+ f/s and slamming into the lands doesn't.
This reminds me of the myth prominent in the 60's that neck sizing extents case life and improves accuracy.
However, if you sleep better at night not using a bronze brush then by all means don't use one.
SEM
Gold $$ Contributor
Nonsense. I've used bronze bushes for 50+ years and never had any issues attributed to them. On the contrary, they do an excellent job of removing carbon. Never had a carbon ring form in any of my rifles.
I do use appropriately sized brushes with bronze cores and loop ends. Also, a rod guide is essential to protect the throat. I also use a quality single piece rod, i.e., Dewey, that rotates the brush through the bore. I believe if you follow these simple procedures, you will never harm you bore with a bronze brush and do a really good job of removing carbon.
The anti-bronze brush group has never explained to me how a bronze brush ruins a barrel were as a bullet speeding down the bore a 2700 to 3000+ f/s and slamming into the lands doesn't.
This reminds me of the myth prominent in the 60's that neck sizing extents case life and improves accuracy.
However, if you sleep better at night not using a bronze brush then by all means don't use one.
I neck size because I'm to lazy to lube the case each time
Absolutely correct, a bronze brushes will not harm a steel barrel. I learned this ~60 years ago when I first started working with metals. However, it's what the bronze brush digs up that can harm the barrel as carbon is held within the bristles that can do some damage as it's pulled back and forth within the barrel; kinda like the oil in your car that suspends particles and can do damage when there's too much is in the oil and the oil needs changing (or else). 
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Oh No!!! I ruined my barrel with a bronze brush!
www.longrangehunting.com
What about crown damage using bronze? I heard so many horror stories (about ruining a good barrel) when I first started shooting matches that I changed my routine. I only push a brush one direction- then unscrew and repeat, rather than have it exit and then pull it back toward the chamber. Is this still good, solid advice or just an old wives tale?
Dan
Dan
With lots of butter...
and salt, and not that pink frilly salt either.
So if the rifling spins to the right, my brushes must be unscrewing on the back stroke??
jackson1
Silver $$ Contributor
Spent my life in the machine shop. Have you ever tried to polish 0.001" off a shaft, with emery paper? Been using bronze bushes for carbon all my life. An oversized bush with Isso on carbon rings. Never reversed a brush while in the bore and carefully started the brush on the return stroke, along with bore guides. No hole shooters involved. Terry is currently re-barreling 6 of my rifles. Maybe he can weigh in on my sucess or lack thereof, with my cleaning methods. Most of the barrels were not shot out. I just wanted to upgrade.
"in the bore"
Never thought this was even possible. Those brush bristles lock up solid.
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
BUT!!! Don't go to your local HI store and buy a "brass brush" and expect it to be harmless on steel surfaces. These days, they are mostly brass plated steel wire, and much more aggressive than ya might want to use on your grand daddies old Winchester.
I haven't seen any bore brushes with this problem - thank God. jd
I haven't seen any bore brushes with this problem - thank God. jd
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm pretty sure it's not the bronze itself - it's potentially hard carbon on the bristles that some are concerned about. If there is a particle there and everything lines up right, the particle can scratch the crown when the brush is pulled back into the barrel.
It's also important to include which discipline we are referring to.
If I've got it right, benchrest shooters would be concerned about anything that would impact accuracy by .01 MOA. In my discipline, an impact of .1 would be fine [ie., not noticed].
I think somewhere on this forum is an interview of 10 or so top benchrest shooters. Most were fine with using bronze brushes as long as they were not pulled back into the muzzle. One was fine pulling the brush back into the muzzle provided the bore was first wet patched out and the brush was carefully pulled back.
It's also important to include which discipline we are referring to.
If I've got it right, benchrest shooters would be concerned about anything that would impact accuracy by .01 MOA. In my discipline, an impact of .1 would be fine [ie., not noticed].
I think somewhere on this forum is an interview of 10 or so top benchrest shooters. Most were fine with using bronze brushes as long as they were not pulled back into the muzzle. One was fine pulling the brush back into the muzzle provided the bore was first wet patched out and the brush was carefully pulled back.
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
Why was the chamber end of the barrel so fouled, if the brush did such a good job?
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