New Technique in cleaning rifle barrels

[Kracken McGraw]

Just thinking here, that if a guy had a steel Pro Shot rod, bored out the primer pocket of a fire formed case, he could perfectly center the rod in the bore for support, in addition to use a bushing supported Rod guide.

I am going to try this on an old hunting rifle

Patches and brushes would be a no go used the regular way.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I had a Lawton barrel come back from MMI Trutex some years ago and proceeded to clean it. I got the grime out, borescoped it, but wanted the inside finish back to stainless steel. I chucked up a rod in my drill, brass brush and loaded it up with Iosso bore paste. Borescoped, beautiful barrel one of the best looking ones I ever had. It shot good too.

 

[Greg Y]

This is funny. I saw a multi page debate on another site about how a bore snake could/would ruin your barrel. I just giggled and enjoyed the nonsense.

 

[dgeesaman]

This is funny. I saw a multi page debate on another site about how a bore snake could/would ruin your barrel. I just giggled and enjoyed the nonsense.

Well anything soft will cut hard steel if it has the right contaminant on it. Brass, bronze, nylon, carbon fiber, hardened steel rods, coated steel rods, pull cords.

But it’s never that simple. Corrosion / passivation creates ceramics. So while the base aluminum metal is soft, aluminum oxide outer layer (on an aluminum cleaning rod ferrule) is plenty hard. So is the chromium oxide on surface of stainless steel. And iron oxide is hard stuff too.

Windborne dust and dirt is often more rocky than muddy in many areas. That’s bad stuff.

The force applied to the barrel bore has much to do with it too. Bore guides minimize (and hopefully eliminate) the contact pressure. Using a pull through should have no contact pressure if it’s being pulled dead straight in line with the barrel bore. Fortunately most people don’t screw that up, but I still see it happen sometimes.

I’m not convinced that barrel fouling (amorphous carbon and copper) is a sufficiently hard contaminant to cut steel but I do remove it as I go as much as I can.

I think there is way too much time spent blaming particular cleaning products and tools and not enough on contaminants. A contaminated rod or brush is what we should be warning against.

 

[DShortt]

I have been using IVY RODS for several years now upon the advice of an older shooter at our club, any opinions on these polished stainless rods vs damage to the bores??

Well anything soft will cut hard steel if it has the right contaminant on it. Brass, bronze, nylon, carbon fiber, hardened steel rods, coated steel rods, pull cords.

But it’s never that simple. Corrosion / passivation creates ceramics. So while the base aluminum metal is soft, aluminum oxide outer layer (on an aluminum cleaning rod ferrule) is plenty hard. So is the chromium oxide on surface of stainless steel. And iron oxide is hard stuff too.

Windborne dust and dirt is often more rocky than muddy in many areas. That’s bad stuff.

The force applied to the barrel bore has much to do with it too. Bore guides minimize (and hopefully eliminate) the contact pressure. Using a pull through should have no contact pressure if it’s being pulled dead straight in line with the barrel bore. Fortunately most people don’t screw that up, but I still see it happen sometimes.

I’m not convinced that barrel fouling (amorphous carbon and copper) is a sufficiently hard contaminant to cut steel but I do remove it as I go as much as I can.

I think there is way too much time spent blaming particular cleaning products and tools and not enough on contaminants. A contaminated rod or brush is what we should be warning against.

Agreed. I make my own cleaning rods from drill rod and make aluminum handles with a pair of actual roller bearings in them. I use drill rod because contaminates can't embed themselves into it and wipe the rod frequently with a clean shop towel to keep contaminates removed.

 

[Greg Y]

100% agree on potential abrasives....but from a realistic perspective, you're a long way from lapping diameter, and you'd likely be luck to pull the rope enough times to do damage to the barrel before you needed shoulder surgery.

With that said, is the dust/grit sitting in the barrel more likely to be an issue when a bullet is fired vs the rope pulled? The bullet pushes air, the rope tapers up from zero contact to interference.

If it's a money making rifle, I get it....but on a field gun, I'd never worry.

 

[X Count]

Make your own rods. Use linial guide rail. It's case hardened and centerless ground. Use sealed ball bearings in the handle and replace if you feel ANY rotation resistance.

Bronze brushes are the best way to keep ahead of carbon fouling.

I'd say "gouges" in bores would more likely from rods with burrs on them after being run over bolt stops or fixed ejectors. Wipe the rod down with paper towel after every use of the patch or bronze brush. It will keep it clean and you will feel any burrs on the rod.

 

[loinhunter]

After my military years (many years ago) I have been a graphics guy/sign manufacturer, image editor, and print output professional since 76. Even my limited brain understands that steel is significantly harder than bronze.

Oh wait! Didn't I read (back in the day when people did such a thing) that the superior iron age supplanted the inferior bronze age?

The silly crap you see today! I use bronze brushes, bore guides with non-carbon rods and out of habit, bore guides even with fiber rods. I regularly clean and or trash my bronze brushes. I soak then it an old Mason jar filled with cleaner.

Next thing we'll hear is that we need to cut off our penis!

Looks like you just knocked Eric Cortina’s April 1st video into the weeds with that last bit! Time to anneal a cigar!

 

[BigBolt]

I just stack it up to the cancel barrel culture.

 

[Knotwild]

This is a real simple internet problem. People ignore the science (known facts) and pursue something that does not agree with the science as if it is fact. This happens because every idiot has access to the internet and voicing their thoughts. Look at the mask issue with Covid. Science says masks can't work on viruses. But I heard every known opinion of why they were helping. But no one told me the science changed.

I used bronze brushes for 30 something years and I never heard of a carbon ring until I joined this forum. I also knew that my barrels are harder than bronze.

 

[BoydAllen]

This is a real simple internet problem. People ignore the science (known facts) and pursue something that does not agree with the science as if it is fact. This happens because every idiot has access to the internet and voicing their thoughts. Look at the mask issue with Covid. Science says masks can't work on viruses. But I heard every known opinion of why they were helping. But no one told me the science changed.

I used bronze brushes for 30 something years and I never heard of a carbon ring until I joined this forum. I also knew that my barrels are harder than bronze.

And then there is the common practice of misrepresenting what "science says". A lot of fellows stop reading when they have found something that agrees with their particular opinion. In the field of firearms, it is common for fellows to not properly understand the problem and to misapply the "science". Speaking of firearms, my advice is to do your own testing, and not in a way that is going to automatically give you your preferred result.
Added a few minutes later on the science of wearing masks:

Frontiers | Face Mask Use in the Community for Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Background: Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of wearing face masks in the community to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Methods: Systematic review and ...

www.frontiersin.org

 

[DShortt]

And then there is the common practice of misrepresenting what "science says". A lot of fellows stop reading when they have found something that agrees with their particular opinion. In the field of firearms, it is common for fellows to not properly understand the problem and to misapply the "science". Speaking of firearms, my advice is to do your own testing, and not in a way that is going to automatically give you your preferred result.
Added a few minutes later on the science of wearing masks:

Frontiers | Face Mask Use in the Community for Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Background: Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of wearing face masks in the community to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission.Methods: Systematic review and ...

www.frontiersin.org

Very well stated. Keep your eyes open and don't look to verify any pre-determined conclusions IF you want to really find out what is happening.

Very sage advice from Boyd here. It is very true.