And I clean so many barrels that over the years I simply don't have the time to fuss that much. I'm using the Boresnake more and more on everything.

I don't worry that much about "dirt after dirt" either. I used to, but now I've just moved on to other things to worry about. Besides, with the snake, there's no concerns about the rod or tips scratching or doing damage.

Bore cleaning seems to be one of the most controversial topics in all of gun-dom. And I certainly have found that I can only be so AR about this. I recommend Boresnakes highly--especially for .22's and 17's.

And then you start getting into 'old barrel; new barrel', so if you're like me, you're also cleaning old barrels on vintage Winchesters and such that are long past their prime. For those I probably would switch back to rod and patch, especially if it's a .30 cal or larger--shotguns, etc. And for older, less valuable guns, I find I use up products that I have on hand that maybe I don't favor so much.

Then you get into--"Why clean at all?" Frankly, with today's ammo, I consider that to be a fair question. I think it's only old habits that keep me doing the chores. And they really are chores, especially when you come home with six or ten guns to clean. And that's where the damage can be done, when you start going about it in assembly-line fashion. Try as I might to convince myself that I'm getting some kind of satisfaction out of cleaning, it is still a chore. No where near as fun as the shooting. I'm not sure I could blame a guy for saying' " to heck with it".