Hoppes Bore Snake

[Majorlk]

Thanks for the info.

I asked because I've read about people using a rod and a hammer to get their BS out of the barrel. That isn't something I could do to one of my firearms.

Then they are doing something wrong in the first place, IMHO.

I haven't used a BS on a rimfire, but I like them for my big bore rifles and pistols. I grew up using a rod and patches, and now I use an Otis kit. I'm a big fan of the Otis kits.

The BS is all I use now, even on all the .22s.

 

[Majorlk]

I have broken two of the bore snakes and getting them back out is NOT a problem. FYI, the two I broke were purchased about a year ago.

What broke - the leader/snake joint?
Were they Vipers or the regular BS?
What caliber?

Just curious ...

 

[dan01]

I got the bore snake thing right.....Cleaned every bore in the house......Even works on larger calibers.......Hooray!

 

[Majorlk]

I got the bore snake thing right.....Cleaned every bore in the house......Even works on larger calibers.......Hooray!

It does a great job getting WildCat poop out of the bore!!!

 

[dan01]

FYI....Used up about 1000 rounds of 40g WildCats thru my Colt C 4 and S&W mod 2206 pistol with a couple of FTFs and no remarkable mess....Just normal carbon dirt.......Go figure...............Seen the New Remington stuff????...I'm waiting for reviews.

 

[Majorlk]

Yes, It broke right at the connection between the leader and the cleaning portion of the BS. They were both the regular bore snakes.They were both 22cal.

I use them on all my long guns and pistols and only have difficulty with the M&P 15-22.

Interesting ... I have the same level of "difficulty" pulling the snake through my 10/22 and 77/22 as I do the 15-22.

 

[tk421991]

Could just be a .22 caliber thing, because I have one in .30/.303 and never had a problem pulling it through.

What I do is stick my rifle's barrel on my shoe, drop the weight down the barrel, then set the rifle down on a table/shooting bench and pull it through, wrapping it around my hand and wrist as I go.

Only problem I've ever had with the Bore Snake is that if you let the brush and the rest of it touch, the brush might stick on to the fabric of the rest of the Bore Snake.

I even put it in a small draw-string bag and drop it in the laundry. I might need to replace mine after nearly 2 years of use. It's getting a little frayed. But it's still better than a brush and rod.

 

[wbear]

Was told by Hoppe's customer service that a very small amount of bore cleaner should be placed on it just before the brushes. Contrary to what most people would think liberal amounts of cleaner or oil makes it harder to pull thru the bore. The liquid soaks into the fabric and swells it. Now before anyone disputes this remember I am only relaying what Hoppe's said.

 

[Majorlk]

Sounds logical.

 

[MWark]

I absolutely love this tool. I have a dozen of various calibers.

 

[Majorlk]

I have a solution for those (most of us?) who are having a hard time getting the .22/.223/5.56 rifle-length bore snake through your 15-22 ...

Don't use it!

Instead, use the .22 pistol bore snake. The leader is long enough for a 16" barrel and the diameter is fractionally smaller, making it far easier to pull through. It is still sufficiently snug to give the barrel a good cleaning, especially with a couple of passes, and you don't have to have a second pair of hands to hold the upper.

 

[Razer1]

I use the boresnake as well and never even thought of them breaking off in the barrel. Now I am a bit nervous as the 22 one is pretty tight. But they work so danged well.

 

[rraisley]

I use the boresnake as well and never even thought of them breaking off in the barrel. Now I am a bit nervous as the 22 one is pretty tight. But they work so danged well.

Even if they break, I think you'd be able to get the remainder out easily. In my experience, the tight part is the thick end going into the chamber. Oftentimes, there's a small knot or kind that makes it harder. Making sure it is not kinked helps. Once the end is in, it comes through okay.

But yeah, it's darn tight!

 

[Razer1]

They work so danged well though. When I first tried one on my AR15 as some one at work suggested I try one, I thought, what is this magic?

 

[Majorlk]

A while back I mentioned that plastic pill bottles were a convenient storage medium for BoreSnakes, especially if you have more than a couple. Here's how I have organized mine.

Each is in its separate, marked bottle with some magnets (I had a bunch of little ones, but no big ones, on hand) glued to the tops. It took a tall bottle for the 12-Gauge snake.

I fastened a strip of steel to a 1x2 and screwed it to the floor joists above my workbench and then just stuck the bottles on the steel strip.

They are right at hand when I need them, but out of the way otherwise.

(Yea, I know gauge is mis-spelled on the bottle. )

 

[TacoDaTugBoat]

A while back I mentioned that plastic pill bottles were a convenient storage medium for BoreSnakes, especially if you have more than a couple. Here's how I have organized mine.

Each is in its separate, marked bottle with some magnets (I had a bunch of little ones, but no big ones, on hand) glued to the tops. It took a tall bottle for the 12-Gauge snake.

I fastened a strip of steel to a 1x2 and screwed it to the floor joists above my workbench and then just stuck the bottles on the steel strip.

They are right at hand when I need them, but out of the way otherwise.

(Yea, I know gauge is mis-spelled on the bottle. )

Pretty cool system. Just got my first for the 15-22. Picking the rifle up on Tuesday, so I wanted to read up on how to use it before the first shot. Sounds like it will be a little trickier than I first thought.

So, general consensus is to only use a few drops of oil before the burrs, and maybe a couple more near the tail? Going to want to do a quick clean so I can get a few rounds down before dark.

 

[rraisley]

So, general consensus is to only use a few drops of oil before the burrs, and maybe a couple more near the tail? Going to want to do a quick clean so I can get a few rounds down before dark.

I put a patch with lots of solvent or oil on a slotted tool, and wipe out the bore first, letting it soak in while I clean the rest of the gun. Then I add a good bit of lube to the front end of the bore snake, and pull it through until I'm happy (and hopefully the bore is too).

 

[Majorlk]

Pretty cool system. Just got my first for the 15-22. Picking the rifle up on Tuesday, so I wanted to read up on how to use it before the first shot. Sounds like it will be a little trickier than I first thought.

So, general consensus is to only use a few drops of oil before the burrs, and maybe a couple more near the tail? Going to want to do a quick clean so I can get a few rounds down before dark.

I don't put any "oil" on the BoreSnake; I use CLP - a couple of squirts on the front section and that's it. I pull the snake through three times and that's the end of it. It take all of one minute to clean the bore.

The bore is the easiest pert. Cleaning the bolt face and the inside of the upper where the bolt slides is more time consuming.

 

[Majorlk]

I put a patch with lots of solvent or oil on a slotted tool, and wipe out the bore first, letting it soak in while I clean the rest of the gun. Then I add a good bit of lube to the front end of the bore snake, and pull it through until I'm happy (and hopefully the bore is too).

To each his own, but unless you go 5,000 round between cleaning, it's over kill.

Whatever floats your boat, 'er bore.

 

[Mike McLellan]

I saw a snake once, but I got scared and ran away!