Author Topic: boresnake (Read 1162 times)

TC4ME · « **on:** March 20, 2004, 12:57:49 AM »

Does anyone use the boresnake to clean their pistols? I have read that some people remove the brush before using. Why remove the brush? I use the boresnake on my rifles seems to work well.

Shorty · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2004, 10:45:27 AM »

I don't have a BoreSnake for .22, but I wouldn't mind having one. I use one for all of my rifles and handguns that won't allow cleaning from the breech with a rod. I can't imagine why anyone would remove the brush portion.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2004, 11:04:21 AM »

I have a question for the boresnake users. How do you keep the thing straight while withdrawing and from putting excessive pressure to any side and damaging the crown? Do you use a bore guide with it like with a rod or what?

DropTheHammer · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2004, 09:10:55 AM »

I used one to clean my 6" Taurus Tracker (.17 HRM) when I first bought it becaused I didn't have a .17 rod at the time. Worked out fine. Probably will use my Dewey rod now, but will keep the Snake in my range bag.

michbob · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2004, 12:37:01 PM »

They are really handy at the range when you're shooting a couple hundred rounds and things get grungy. And you can stick them in your pocket when it's time to go. They seem to clean the bore as well as with a rod, of course, that may be me......

TK, being made of nylon (?), and only running them through once or twice, I don't believe a snake would do significant bore damage if you pull them out at a bit of an angle.

Michbob

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2004, 02:44:19 PM »

Quote from: michbob

They are really handy at the range when you're shooting a couple hundred rounds and things get grungy. And you can stick them in your pocket when it's time to go. They seem to clean the bore as well as with a rod, of course, that may be me......

TK, being made of nylon (?), and only running them through once or twice, I don't believe a snake would do significant bore damage if you pull them out at a bit of an angle.

Michbob

That's what had me worrying about that concept. The idea that you have a soft material that some sort of abrasive material could imbed itself being pulled at an angle out from the muzzle. It just seems to me that it would eventually damage the crown. I think there was a statement made somewhere that more 22 rimfires are damaged by improper cleaning than are worn out from shooting.

Shorty · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2004, 03:43:27 PM »

Since you're drawing the Boresnake from the breech, any effect on the crown would, I think, only polish it to advantage!
Any damage to a crown by over-cleaning .22's might be by cleaning from the muzzle with an aluminum rod. That'll definitely do it!
BTW, boresnakes can be WASHED! I have mine soaking in detergent as we speak. How many of us wash a bronze brush? :wink:

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2004, 04:12:42 PM »

Ok Shorty, then what about that same effect on the throating if you are pulling from the ejection port on the breach end. Would it not have the same effect on the side of the throat. I can see where an aluminum rod run from the breach end of an open barrel without a bore guide would have the same effect.

By the way you clean the brushes with either spray brake cleaner or if you like to spend more money then Birchwood Casey's Gun Scrubber. Blows it right away and dries very quickly so it can be used again very quickly.

Shorty · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2004, 01:34:56 PM »

Krupinski,
The throat is already, well, throated. so you're not likely to effect it. The crown, however, is much more critical. It must be square and uniform because, as the bullet emerges from the muzzle, the gasses behind it blow by the base of the bullet. If there is any lack of uniformity, the bullet will be tipped.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #9 on:** March 25, 2004, 03:11:56 AM »

Quote from: Shorty

Krupinski,
The throat is already, well, throated. so you're not likely to effect it. The crown, however, is much more critical. It must be square and uniform because, as the bullet emerges from the muzzle, the gasses behind it blow by the base of the bullet. If there is any lack of uniformity, the bullet will be tipped.

Sorry Shorty, but I don't buy into that at all. Although the crown is more critical than the throat, I can see no reason to intentionally cause wear to one side of the rifling at that throat.

You can say that the convience of using such a tool occasionally is worth any eventual wear, and it would probably be so depending upon how precise you want to keep your weapon. In some it probably would not practically matter, and it others it would be a mistake. I guess it would all depend upon the use for that pistol or rifle.

michbob · « **Reply #10 on:** March 25, 2004, 02:40:23 PM »

TK. You may have a point, but typically while cleaning the bore, if one drops the weighted end through the barrel, then turns the muzzle UP, the free end of the snake is hanging freely down, putting very little wear on the throat.

Embedding of grit is a problem with almost any cleaning method, be it a snake, aluminium rod, brass rod, etc. And sorry, but I'm leary of putting a steel rod in a steel barrel.

In my case, I'm at approximately 5000ish .22 rounds, and after 4 or 5 snakes, I haven't noted any visible wear, nor noted loss of accuracy.

Michbob