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Basic Question on Cleaning Rods

Phil3

I need more cleaning rods (new calibers), but am perplexed as to why a STEEL UNCOATED rod from say Ivys, is desired. That is steel against barrel steel. That does not seem like a good idea! Is an Ivy steel one-piece so strong, even for as 223, that it will not bend and touch the rifling?

As an aside, I have two Tipton carbon fiber rods for 223, and on one, the carbon fiber rod (36" long), as measured against a 38" long aluminum straight edge (accurate to .003" over it's entire length), is bent by about .200"! So much for a straight cleaning rod. Wonder how much damage that thing did to my Krieger barrel!

Phil
 
Phil3 said:
I need more cleaning rods (new calibers), but am perplexed as to why a STEEL UNCOATED rod from say Ivys, is desired. That is steel against barrel steel. That does not seem like a good idea! Is an Ivy steel one-piece so strong, even for as 223, that it will not bend and touch the rifling?

As an aside, I have two Tipton carbon fiber rods for 223, and on one, the carbon fiber rod (36" long), as measured against a 38" long aluminum straight edge (accurate to .003" over it's entire length), is bent by about .200"! So much for a straight cleaning rod. Wonder how much damage that thing did to my Krieger barrel!

Phil
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Barrels are lapped by getting abrasive embedded in a lead slug and working it back and forth. A lot of things being rubbed against another object can cause wear. What you have to remember is that hard particles embedded in something soft can cause more/the most wear. By using bare stainless rods, and keeping it clean, you are trying to LIMIT the wear, and not so much ELIMINATE it.

Danny
 
The counterintuitive principle is "soft cuts hard". One metal does not abrade the other. The grit that gets stuck on the softer metal abrades the harder metal. This is why you can use lapping compound and a large brass screw chucked in a drill to recrown a barrel. The lapping compound gets stuck to the brass and cuts the steel. This is also why you always want to use a one-piece steel (or maybe teflon coated) rod to clean a rifle barrel. No brass, no aluminum, no joints. I also always buy cleaning rods in person (not by mail order) so I can sight down each one and roll check it like a pool cue to make sure it's dead straight. IMHO, YMMV.
 
No worries with Pro-Shot productsstainless steel rods or their coated rods. They're the best I've used!!
 
I've used Dewey coated rods for as long as I can remember (been shooting for 40+ years) and have never observed any debris becoming embedded in them.

Never used stainless rods before so I have no experience with them. What about the crown area using stainless rods when pulling back through the barrel??
 
K22 said:
I've used Dewey coated rods for as long as I can remember (been shooting for 40+ years) and have never observed any debris becoming embedded in them.

Never used stainless rods before so I have no experience with them. What about the crown area using stainless rods when pulling back through the barrel??
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What about the crown area??
 
From what I have witnessed at ranges and matches over the years is most shooters do not properly size the jag and patch to the bore and end up causing a hellish bow in the rod because the patch is too tight. Likewise on the brush, a brush sized for the caliber will offer light resistance if saturated with bore cleaner on it's initial stroke and re-saturated after 2 or 3 passes . Most shooters don't keep the brush wet enough and then start to bow the rods.
I also make a habit of wiping the rod off after each use.
I transitioned over to Pro-shot stainless rods from Dewey rods and the Pro-shots are stiffer. Lucas bore guides with inserts that match your rod diameter aid you in keeping the rod parallel to the bore.
 
I have used a variety of rods over the years. My Dewey rod is the oldest one that still sees regular use. The coating is fully intact. I have had it so long that I replaced the original handle with the current version (that has better bearings) many years ago.

I do not have rod related crown wear issues because I am not in a rush when using the rod, and stop my strokes right when the brush or patch jag clear the muzzle. I do not remove the brush at the muzzle, nor do any of the short range benchrest competitors that I know, including several Hall of Fame members, and several world record holders.

The point about jag/patch fit is a good one. For a 6mm bore I use a .22 cal piercing style jag, with 1 3/8" square cotton flannel patches.

My intent is to carry as much solvent into the bore as possible, and not to have it be squeezed off into the chamber as it enters the bore. I short stroke several wet patches before brushing, and then run a couple more after brushing so that I will not get a false reading from the material that is abraded off of the bronze brush.

Another alternative that has worked well for friends are Pro Shot's polished stainless rods.

Whatever rod you use, spend some money on a high quality cleaning rod guide that has a bushing that stays on the rod, and plugs into the back of the guide. There are several to choose from that have this feature. PMA tool has recently come out with their own version. All PMA products are of very high quality.

Every time that I remove a rod from a bore, I wipe it off before I set it down or return it to its case, and take care not to set it down directly on a concrete bench, lest it pick up some abrasive particles that would be carried into the bore.
 
BoydAllen said:
I do not have rod related crown wear issues because I am not in a rush when using the rod, and stop my strokes right when the brush or patch jag clear the muzzle. I do not remove the brush at the muzzle, nor do any of the short range benchrest competitors that I know, including several Hall of Fame members, and several world record holders.
Click to expand...
Ditto
 
I have mostly Dewey rods and like them the best so far however I did buy a pro-shot rod to try and haven't used it yet but the quality is very good and wouldn't hesitate using it. I also wipe the rod after each brushing so I don't pull in carbon and dirt of sorts. I have never gotten anything embedded in my deweys but I don't have a microscope to check them. The deweys feel smooth to the hand after wiping.
 
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