Cleaning with brush - forward only?

[dmoran]

I suppose that almost anything can be done badly. The best shooters that I know, some world record holders, run their brushes in both directions. I suppose that I should add that I take more than ordinary caution when using cleaning rods, use very good guides, and coated rods, that I wipe off frequently. As to Mr. Krieger's instructions, if I were in his business, I might give equally cautious instructions, but alas, I am not.

I agree, anything can be done badly. Combine that aspect with the obvious misalignment of a dropped down brush and the abrasive effects of fouling that John Krieger advises against, makes it a no-brainer to me.
Opposite of you, the best shooters I know, some of who are world record holders, do not pull their brushes back into the barrel.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I use plenty of Iosso in the throats, and run my bronze brush in both directions. I have used coated Dewey and polished steel rods. Never hurt a barrel yet. But I take care in the process to keep the rod straight and not let the brush come out the muzzle farther than it needs to.

 

[BMW]

I just run a few patches down the bore and then finish it off with a bore snake. Of course my rod is a single piece rod made from solid ivory.

The night before graduating from boot camp, we did an extensive cleaning of our weapons before turning them in for the last time. (M16A1) Drill Sargent came around with a bronze brush on a metal rod mounted in a drill. High speed, up and down, in and out.

 

[JarheadAZ]

It's been well over a decade since I stopped using metallic brushes of any kind, when I took delivery of my first high quality barrel, an LW-50 in .260 Rem.

IMHO, a brush is needed, as an applicator for solvent; and only a nylon brush, preferably with an aluminum core, so there are no false positive copper indications. Mine gets rinsed with rubbing alcohol and removed once it extends beyond the muzzle. The rod gets wiped down with a soft cotton shop cloth after each pass through the bore. Fouling grit can turn a cleaning rod into a burnishing rod.

IMHO, the real work gets done by the solvent, and this requires soaking time. Once soaked, I use a longer cut patch with a long steel slotted tip. For example, with a .260, I cut a 30 cal patch in half in a rectangular shape. It will fit easily down the bore and the extra area absorbs more dirty solution. It gets removed from the slotted tip when it extends past the muzzle.

Lately, I do more and more of my cleaning with Gunslick Bore Cleaning Foam and patches after the soak. It took a borescope to convince me just how effectively it breaks down fouling.

Greg

 

[Mark Walker in TX]

Bronze brush, only a few strokes, and only one way for me...

 

[Immike]

I only brush with spray Kroil not solvents.

 

[snakepit]

I have had good results using the Crown Cradle which they call the bore guide for the Muzzle End of your barrel.

They list the benefits as: Prevents the bore cleaning rod from dragging against the bore.
Prevents the cleaning jag from coming into contact with the muzzle crown.
Acts as a "squeegee" by removing carbon particles from the nylon brush.
You can attach a empty water bottle to it and it will catch all cleaning patches and dirty
cleaning fluids.

The link/website is http://crowncradle.bigcartel.com

 

[Dusty Stevens]

A proper benchrest quality jag cannot come into contact with the crown no matter what you try to do to make it short of bending it over after it leaves the muzzle.

 

[DBailey]

Bronze brush, only a few strokes, and only one way for me...

I think everyone on our team cleans barrels differently.
Personally, I scrub the living hell out of them.