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02-03-2009, 12:48 AM
At this point in your collection, you've started to acquire various sizes of bore brushes--sometimes in error--for your massive arsenal of firearms (both of them). Bore brushes are an odd lot: They are an essential tool in the maintenance of firearms, but seldom spoken of or given their due as the quintessential tool of firearms ownership.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/lineup.jpg
(Pictured from top to bottom: Tornado Brush for shotguns, Steel Bristle Brush for pistols,
Phosphor Bronze Brush for pistols, Phosphor Bronze Brush for rifles).
Let’s glean the brush in a bit more detail.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/brush41.jpg
The Core/Shank:
More than just a simple twist, the core is wound back into the base of the stem both to hold the bristles in place and to minimize the chances of the user inadvertently scratching the bore, throat, or chamber of the firearm being cleaned with a blunted or pointed edge.
The Bristles:
There are a variety of bristles on the market to accommodate the variety of cleaning methods and needs: Stainless Steel, Phosphor Bronze, and Nylon to name a few.
Big bore and heavy shooters will usually require bronze brushes, which are softer than the steel of the barrel but still hard enough to scour debris.
Occasional plinkers will be fine with the less abrasive nylon bristles; though some match shooters suggest using nylon exclusively when involved in a daily shooting and cleaning routine.
Heavily caked, rust pitted, or extremely fouled barrels will require stainless steel bristles, which are traditionally just a tad larger in diameter than bristles made of other materials for extra scouring power.
It should be noted that Stainless Steel brushes should be used with great caution and only as needed, as their improper or overuse can wear the rifling of the barrel and scratch the bore.
Another tool for Shotgunners is the Tornado Brush, made of steel and shaped in a manner that only the outer coils touch the barrel, it is an excellent choice for scrubbing plastic from the inside of a barrel.
The Stem:
The Stem holds this masterpiece together; most vendors will use a simple crimp there to mate the shank and the thread.
The Thread:
Set at an industry standard #8/32 for most pistol and rifle cleaning kits with shotgun kits tending to have #5/16-27 threads. To make matters even more confusing, some smaller brushes for the .17 caliber come with #5/16-40 threads.
Most cleaning kits that come packaged with rods will have adapters which will allow you to use the shorter threads with the longer rods.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/adaptor.jpg
Pictured is a pistol cleaning rod threaded at 8/32 with a 5/16-27 thread adapter,
the use of which greatly expands the usage of the pistol kit into larger bores.
Not just a brush:
As was mentioned on this site a while back in another cleaning write-up, the bore brush can wear many hats:
It can be used in a smaller size with a soaked jag to apply solvent and in the same manner to remove excess solvent.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/301.jpg
Wrapped for an application:
It can be used to determine the twist rate of a barrel's rifling: Place the bore brush on a rod and introduce it to the muzzle end. Make a mark on the rod where it enters the muzzle. Push the rod through, letting it twist as it goes, then note where that mark exits at the chamber side. The number of rotations divided by the barrel length is your barrel's twist rate.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/dot.jpg
A simple dot marks the spot that you will use for counting the rotations on longer barrels.
Quite a lot of uses for what most think of as just a cheap little tool!
Usage:
Manufacturers suggest that you run the brush in one direction only, as pulling the brush back through the barrel may actually flake the debris you’ve loosened back into the action. Another reason not to pull the bore brush backward is rod debris, which will be deposited right back into the barrel on your next cleaning pass.
Last is the unspoken advice that when you pull the brush backwards through the barrel on a single pass you have not allowed the brush to fully rotate and line back up with the rifling, essentially turning what was a rotating scouring brush attuned to cleaning in a rotating stroke, into a push rod Brillo pad.
The brush can be dipped in solvent itself or mineral spirits to clean it off, beware though that the solvent will wear down the soft brass bristles over time, so mineral spirits are the preferred method for cleaning. A small amount in a separate container with some vigorous shaking should do the trick.
Spare the Rod…spoil the firearm.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/arod.jpg
Pictured: Pistol cleaning rod and a Shotgun cleaning rod.
When it comes to rods, your options are plastic, steel, or brass; additionally you may find coated steel or coated brass rods. The choice is yours. As was mentioned earlier brass is a lot softer than steel so you're less likely to damage the barrel with a brass rod than one made of steel. To further protect your bore you should go with a coated rod. However, there is nothing wrong with the steel rod unless you are ramming it down the barrel and clanging all the sides. In that case, you should probably consider a plastic one…
But what if you wind up with the wrong size bore brush or boresnake?
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/77.jpg
hmmmm.....
Here's a miniature bore brush compatibility guide you can print out and carry with you. After all, the $1.57 you save could buy a single round of your favorite exotic ammo.
Miniature Bore Caliber guide (http://230grain.com/images/articles/bore/bindcalibers.pdf)
The majority of the bore brushes pictured in this article are from KleenBore, who graciously provided some background information. They provided no funds or favors; they're just a great company. Try their brushes--you'll like them.
--Note: You may grab this article in its entirety in PDF. Click Here (http://230grain.com/images/articles/bore/not_so_bore_ing.pdf)
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/lineup.jpg
(Pictured from top to bottom: Tornado Brush for shotguns, Steel Bristle Brush for pistols,
Phosphor Bronze Brush for pistols, Phosphor Bronze Brush for rifles).
Let’s glean the brush in a bit more detail.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/brush41.jpg
The Core/Shank:
More than just a simple twist, the core is wound back into the base of the stem both to hold the bristles in place and to minimize the chances of the user inadvertently scratching the bore, throat, or chamber of the firearm being cleaned with a blunted or pointed edge.
The Bristles:
There are a variety of bristles on the market to accommodate the variety of cleaning methods and needs: Stainless Steel, Phosphor Bronze, and Nylon to name a few.
Big bore and heavy shooters will usually require bronze brushes, which are softer than the steel of the barrel but still hard enough to scour debris.
Occasional plinkers will be fine with the less abrasive nylon bristles; though some match shooters suggest using nylon exclusively when involved in a daily shooting and cleaning routine.
Heavily caked, rust pitted, or extremely fouled barrels will require stainless steel bristles, which are traditionally just a tad larger in diameter than bristles made of other materials for extra scouring power.
It should be noted that Stainless Steel brushes should be used with great caution and only as needed, as their improper or overuse can wear the rifling of the barrel and scratch the bore.
Another tool for Shotgunners is the Tornado Brush, made of steel and shaped in a manner that only the outer coils touch the barrel, it is an excellent choice for scrubbing plastic from the inside of a barrel.
The Stem:
The Stem holds this masterpiece together; most vendors will use a simple crimp there to mate the shank and the thread.
The Thread:
Set at an industry standard #8/32 for most pistol and rifle cleaning kits with shotgun kits tending to have #5/16-27 threads. To make matters even more confusing, some smaller brushes for the .17 caliber come with #5/16-40 threads.
Most cleaning kits that come packaged with rods will have adapters which will allow you to use the shorter threads with the longer rods.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/adaptor.jpg
Pictured is a pistol cleaning rod threaded at 8/32 with a 5/16-27 thread adapter,
the use of which greatly expands the usage of the pistol kit into larger bores.
Not just a brush:
As was mentioned on this site a while back in another cleaning write-up, the bore brush can wear many hats:
It can be used in a smaller size with a soaked jag to apply solvent and in the same manner to remove excess solvent.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/301.jpg
Wrapped for an application:
It can be used to determine the twist rate of a barrel's rifling: Place the bore brush on a rod and introduce it to the muzzle end. Make a mark on the rod where it enters the muzzle. Push the rod through, letting it twist as it goes, then note where that mark exits at the chamber side. The number of rotations divided by the barrel length is your barrel's twist rate.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/dot.jpg
A simple dot marks the spot that you will use for counting the rotations on longer barrels.
Quite a lot of uses for what most think of as just a cheap little tool!
Usage:
Manufacturers suggest that you run the brush in one direction only, as pulling the brush back through the barrel may actually flake the debris you’ve loosened back into the action. Another reason not to pull the bore brush backward is rod debris, which will be deposited right back into the barrel on your next cleaning pass.
Last is the unspoken advice that when you pull the brush backwards through the barrel on a single pass you have not allowed the brush to fully rotate and line back up with the rifling, essentially turning what was a rotating scouring brush attuned to cleaning in a rotating stroke, into a push rod Brillo pad.
The brush can be dipped in solvent itself or mineral spirits to clean it off, beware though that the solvent will wear down the soft brass bristles over time, so mineral spirits are the preferred method for cleaning. A small amount in a separate container with some vigorous shaking should do the trick.
Spare the Rod…spoil the firearm.
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/arod.jpg
Pictured: Pistol cleaning rod and a Shotgun cleaning rod.
When it comes to rods, your options are plastic, steel, or brass; additionally you may find coated steel or coated brass rods. The choice is yours. As was mentioned earlier brass is a lot softer than steel so you're less likely to damage the barrel with a brass rod than one made of steel. To further protect your bore you should go with a coated rod. However, there is nothing wrong with the steel rod unless you are ramming it down the barrel and clanging all the sides. In that case, you should probably consider a plastic one…
But what if you wind up with the wrong size bore brush or boresnake?
http://230grain.com/images/articles/cleaning2/77.jpg
hmmmm.....
Here's a miniature bore brush compatibility guide you can print out and carry with you. After all, the $1.57 you save could buy a single round of your favorite exotic ammo.
Miniature Bore Caliber guide (http://230grain.com/images/articles/bore/bindcalibers.pdf)
The majority of the bore brushes pictured in this article are from KleenBore, who graciously provided some background information. They provided no funds or favors; they're just a great company. Try their brushes--you'll like them.
--Note: You may grab this article in its entirety in PDF. Click Here (http://230grain.com/images/articles/bore/not_so_bore_ing.pdf)