A short post with over 50 years experience with phosphor bronze cleaning brushes

[chief38]

I've been ordering stuff from Brownell's since the 1970s and always been satisfied. The problem I have with Brownell's and many other gun places these days is they are "out of stock" on so many things.

Yes - I have to order from Midway USA once in a while because Brownell's is out of stock of certain items. Midway is a good company but think Bownell's has a slightly higher line of house branded products.

 

[GnarlsR2]

What, guns need cleaning?

NO... and apparently you don't have to change oil in your vehicle.

I had a next door neighbor once that NEVER changed the oil in his vehicles.

 

[Mercury]

A helpful post, thanks. I stopped using nylon brushes years ago when I learned that they didn't work well as barrel brushes. I do use them for cleaning magazines, which never seem to get grimy enough to need something stiffer.

 

[Repeater]

I use nylon brushes only to clear unburnt powder residue from chambers and cylinders while at the range. They're pretty much useless for actual cleaning.

 

[PauldL]

I really like Southern Bloomer cotton cleaning patches ( although I will give Brownells a try )
Southern Bloomer cotton cleaning patches are made about 45 minutes from my house in Bristol, Tennessee

 

[65-2x2]

NO... and apparently you don't have to change oil in your vehicle.

I had a next door neighbor once that NEVER changed the oil in his vehicles.

I don't change it either, I just top if off if it gets a couple of quarts low. Engine oil doesn't even work will until it turns to the consistancy of honey.

 

[GnarlsR2]

I don't change it either, I just top if off if it gets a couple of quarts low. Engine oil doesn't even work will until it turns to the consistancy of honey.

 

[ARgon]

I don't change it either, I just top if off if it gets a couple of quarts low. Engine oil doesn't even work will until it turns to the consistancy of honey.

And the color of blackstrap molasses.

 

[chief38]

Thanks Chief, I will look into the Brownell's brushes. As brushes go, I have never been really satisfied with shotgun brushes. As a former trap shooter shooting 25K rounds a year, I found that standard brushes did not work for cleaning chambers and forcing cones. There was a great guy ( Roger F ) that used to show up at the larger trap shoots and State shoots that had his own chamber cleaning brush that he sold. Hard bronze about 4" long on a handle. Man, did that ever remove the plastic in the barrels. Roger passed way too young, but I think the 3 packs of Marlboros a day had something to do with it. I have one, and guard it with my life. It is just a better mouse trap.

Brownell's also sells "Chamber Brushes" which are s slightly larger diameter and stiffer brush for cleaning Chambers. I have a dozen or so in stock in 38/357 as well as in 45. These get used on the occasion that a revolver's Chamber or forcing cone area needs a little extra cleaning power. If these slightly larger diameter brushes are used in the bore they will get out leading better that a bore sized brush however the bristles don't last very long before falling out as they were not meant to be used in bores which are tighter.

 

[diecidecimi]

Am I a butcher? Neglecting the Lewis lead remover, I'm used to remove lead from forcing cone, rifling and revolver chambers ( often after shooting .38spl in .357 revolvers) wrapping copper ChoreBoy around a worn bronze brush.

 

[DartonJager]

I do an exhaustive amount of firearm cleaning. I even buit two of my own vibritory wet firearm and firearm parts cleaners. Had two old Lyman 2500 vibatory dry media brass cleaners I no longer used after going to wet HUGE DIY SS/media wet tumblers. I brainstormed and realized they could be repurposed to be made into a wet vibratory gun parts and HG cleaner. What I made worked out so well over about 8 months I bought three more Lyaman 2500 dry media cleaners I found used online for very little money and built a vibritory claner that could take an AR-15 separated into its upper and lower assemblies.

I have 90% Pro-Shot bronze bore brushes because about 25ish? years ago I found an online store selling Pro-shot phosphorous bronze bore brushes at a very significant discount if you bought them in lots of 50 so I really stocked up in every caliber I owned and I knew odds were I would buy in the future. I am amazed at how well Pro-Shot bronze bushes worked for me.

But then about 15 years ago discovered Sharp Shoot R's Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner and Accelerator and no matter how badly my high powered rifles carbon or copper foul one overnight soaking after saturating the barrel with Sharp Shoot R Accelerator then with Sharp Shoot R's Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner, plugging both ends of the barrel and its 8-10 patches from filthy black and blue patches to patches as 90-95% as clean coming out as going in and I used NO bronze brushes at all as the Wipe-Out WILL attack bronze brushes.

Only drawback to Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner is it is NOT fast acting and needs a minimum 4 hour soaking to be effective and 8-12 hour soak on a badly copper fouled rifle barrel . But it is non-toxic and has a almost no odor and my purchase of a Teslong borescope 4 years ago proved to me just how well Sharp Shoot R Wipe-Out works.

I've tried 90% of every last firearm bore cleaning solution ever sold I swear it and none worked better than Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner but what sold me forever on Wipe-Out was no odor (VS OMG CR-10 Copper cleaner) I used 95% less effort and 95% fewer cleaning patches VS all other bore cleaning solvents I ever tried. I shoot 300wsm, 300wm, 7mmSTW 338wm, 450 Bushmaster, 308Win, 6.5x55 Swede and AR-15's regularly and Wipe-Out is a God Send of a bore cleaner. I now own six gun cleaning cradles so I after I clean their chambers and bolts, I can just lineup 2-6 high power rifles fill them up with Wipe-Out plug both ends come back 6-12 hours later 8-10 patches each and I'm done.

With my HGs I made a jig that allows me to place the slide in one of my vibritory cleaners with the sights out of the cleaning solution and the rest of the field strip gun submerged come back in an hour remove the barrel fill up the barrel with Wipe-Out plug both ends let sit for four hours 4-6 patches later and its clean. Oil and grease as needed reassemble and go shooting.