# Gun cleaning question



## tgill (Aug 13, 2010)

I am confused by this and was hoping someone on here might have the answer. I have always been told that you should only pass through your bore brush and patches in the direction of inside to out when cleaning a gun bore. I am told going in the opposite direction could effect the rifling and machining in the bore.. The problem is every time i buy a gun it comes with a cleaning brush with a ring on one end making it impossible to pass all the way through. So why are they made this way?


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## armywags (Feb 19, 2012)

all of the brushes like you describe that i have seen are a plastic type Bristol... from my understanding that rule only applies if you are using a metal type brush


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

I don't believe it's going to affect rifling in the barrel. The part that has always annoyed me was when cleaning a barrel from tip to chamber you put all the trash toward your chamber. Some has got to get in there but to each his own.


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## armywags (Feb 19, 2012)

countryjwh said:


> I don't believe it's going to affect rifling in the barrel. The part that has always annoyed me was when cleaning a barrel from tip to chamber you put all the trash toward your chamber. Some has got to get in there but to each his own.


 good point:notworthy:


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## Lloyd (Mar 13, 2012)

Yea with a plastic brush it does not matter, I always clean from chamber out because that just seemed natural


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## bigbulls (Mar 12, 2008)

It's not going to make any difference if you pull a brush back through but when it exits the chamber it will splatter gunk inside the action and you're gonna have to clean that out.

The loops are only used for applying solvent to the bore to let it soak. Such as a copper remover like shooters choice or Barnes CR-10.

For actual cleaning you need to get a cleaning jag. This is the piece that has the pointed tip on the end. The reason you want to use this instead of the loop is that the loop is only going to redeposit dirt where you just removed it. The jag will allow the patch to pop off when you pull the rod back through the bore.


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## shootnstarz (May 4, 2011)

Some rifles can only be cleaned from the muzzle end. Clean from the breech end if you can. Either way, if you wish to minimize wear a good quality one piece cleaning rod and bore or muzzle guides are highly recommended.

The above is correct, the slotted tip is just for applying the solvent. A jag of the proper size to match your caliber is used to remove the solvent and gunk. Push the patch through one time then trash it.

Also try soaking the bore with Hoppes and letting it sit overnight. You'll be amazed at the copper that will come out on the patch. Keep doing this until the patch comes out clean, if you're one who prefers to remove the copper from your bore.

BTW, I see no reason to ever put a metal brush in your bore. Soaking, patching and occasionally a nylon brush should remove anything that an aggressive metal brush will do, and with a lot less wear. Just MHO.

Rick


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## Thegunsmith (Mar 17, 2012)

All great points. And some you could never get the gun to be cleaned from the breech end. 

Some basic pointers regarding your question: in some rifles (usually very high end lapped barrels, the rifling and the loads are mated intimately to keep the tolerances high, and thus the accuracy high. 

Use of stainless steel or even phosphor bronze in an aggressive way could form micro scratches. In theory this should never happen, as the barrel hardness far exceeds the normal hardness of the wire bristles, but it does happen in reality if the surface is incredibly smooth (i.e. an finely lapped bore). You can see this happening in shotgun barrels as you don't have to look at anything but a reflection in the bore. I don't recommend tempting fate if you have such a gun, trust me on it. 

Now: if you use a swiveling cleaning rod, and a properly fitted brush, you should have minimal issues with most factory barrels. You can use metal (bronze, brass and copper, but NOT steel or carbide or stainless steel) on _most _barrels.

Note: using too fat of a brush does not clean better, it actually can cause problems with striations and dull the chamber ledge, causing lower velocities, and in some cases, eventually head space problems when combined with other issues.

Good solvent, tight patches and all nylon brushes are the setup I use for EVERYTHING, all my rods are coated and swiveling. 

Don't forget to get some big swabs, a nylon toothbrush and some microfiber cloth for internals, and some high quality jersey knit for light outside fouling.

If you use an ultrasonic cleaner ONLY use the brand's specific solvent, others can cause leeching, and DO NOT allow the piece to sit in the bath for longer than 3-5 minutes, or you risk cavitation on the finish.


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## Baitcaster (Oct 4, 2007)

Bore snakes work as well .


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