In cleaning my guns I use both the Bore Snake and a few passes with the rod and cleaning patches with Breakthrough and Militec.I clean my guns after every use because a clean firearm will be less likely to have problems and it makes it a matter of practice to give the gun a good visual inspection after each use to address small problems before they become big ones.One time after using my CS9 I noticed that a part was broken off when I cleaned the gun.It went back to S+W and the trigger relief spring was replaced without problem.......Peace Out and God Bless...Mike