Majorlk
Member
I hope you than put some other protectant through the bore. WD-40 is a very poor product to use on firearms except to free up stuck screws. Even plain RemOil is better than WD-40 and it's pretty much at the bottom of the list.
Hoppes Bore Snake
- Thread starter dan01
- Start date
I hope you than put some other protectant through the bore. WD-40 is a very poor product to use on firearms except to free up stuck screws. Even plain RemOil is better than WD-40 and it's pretty much at the bottom of the list.
Maddmax
US Veteran
In the "cleaning my gun" vein, I finally found a good tool to clean the inside of the upper - a baby bottle brush. It has a big fold of plastic foam on the end that I spray with CLP and then run it back and forth inside the upper, using the bristle part of the brush to scrub with. Between the foam and the bristles, it takes a dozen or so strokes to get back to bare, clean polymer. I then run a rag through the upper to remove leftover CLP. It hangs next to the snakes.
Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottle Brush (Colors Vary) - Dr. Browns - Babies "R" Us
$4.49 at CVS.
You can also try your local pet/fish store. They have tons of different brushes for cleaning filters,tubes,tanks and about anything you can think of.
Majorlk
Member
REDTAIL
Member
I use EEZOX on my bore Snake also. I like the 4x4 idea,Now why didn't I think of that.?
I have and use bore snakes for about every caliber (including shotguns) except .22 lr. Mostly because they almost never get cleaned, including Winchester 52 match rifles. Only when there's a noticable accuracy degradation does the dedicated cleaning equipment come out. Usually to address the build up just in front of the case mouth. In such cases a single piece rod used in conjunction with a bore guide is used.
The waxy film left by the bullets is one of the best bore protecting "devices" out there. A friend has a seriously rusted (now cleaned and painted) Ruger pistol recovered from a swamp. It's so bad that the alloy parts were gone altogether. But the bore is fine...because it wasn't cleaned.
Note also that after cleaning, most .22 rf's require laying down a new fouling layer before the zero stabilizes and the groups optimize. Especially noticable in more accurate rifles. If changing ammo, shoot some number of rounds into the backstop before checking accuracy and zero so that the new coating for that ammo is established.
The waxy film left by the bullets is one of the best bore protecting "devices" out there. A friend has a seriously rusted (now cleaned and painted) Ruger pistol recovered from a swamp. It's so bad that the alloy parts were gone altogether. But the bore is fine...because it wasn't cleaned.
Note also that after cleaning, most .22 rf's require laying down a new fouling layer before the zero stabilizes and the groups optimize. Especially noticable in more accurate rifles. If changing ammo, shoot some number of rounds into the backstop before checking accuracy and zero so that the new coating for that ammo is established.
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Tie it to a door knob and it will pul through nice and easy
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I have been shooting for 30+ years and Rem Oil in the pump bottle is some of the best stuff out there.
Gatillo
Member
Oh, Lord, cue photoracer.
Majorlk
Member
RemOil is basically mineral oil; it has a high water content. As a protectorant, it's pretty much on the bottom of the list - just a couple of notches above WD-40.
Majorlk
Member
I totally agree with this. It's not just .22s; virtually all barrels are more accurate after a few fouling shots.
Your previous statements, not so much. But then again, they are your rifles; treat them as you wish, but you will find very few top shooters who agree with your "never clean" philosophy. It's not particularly good advice to give to new shooters.
One doesn't need to spend 30 minutes scrubbing a .22 bore, but a couple of passes with a BoreSnake and one of the CLPs beats doing nothing by a long shot.
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trky chsr
Member
Honestly I don't know why everyone has so much difficulty with these. I have used the 22 model since they came out and I pull it through dry with no problem. This is for my pistols and rifles. I'm not exactly huge at 5'7 and 170lbs. I also use them for my larger calibre guns. They are tight (which you want) but I still manage no problem. I still use patches and brushes especially to remove lead. TC
Majorlk
Member
I think the answer is two fold: (1) manufacturing variations where the leader fastens to the head of the snake and (2) the very tight .22 bore, compared to larger calibers, which does not allow for much of said variation.
Yesterday I bought another .22R for my grandson's 15-22 and tried it out. The "head" of the snake is noticeably slimmer than my original and it ran through both rifles with what I consider to be a proper amount of effort. I had no problem holding the upper in one hand while I pulled the snake with the other.
Kayback
Member
Major, quick question, why a 7mm AND a .30?
KBK
KBK
Majorlk
Member
Why not?
Seriously, the .30's brushes are a tad too snug in my Rem .280 and 7mm TCU barrels. BoreSnakes are only $13 at my LGS, so I got one of each.
Isn't more better?
rraisley
Member
On mine, it appeared to simply be the very end, which would partially know or kind, and not allow it to enter the barrel. Then I'd have to either pull my guts out, or get an ice pick and pull the end out, stretch it straight, and pull again. Cutting off the last 1/4" has cured this completely, and I'm sure there is no difference in cleaning. It just took a small but frequent problem and made it into a non-issue.
Majorlk
Member
I have no problem with the tail of mine. This supports my theory of manufacturing variations.
For .22 rim fires (and not even .22 WMR) only! Everything else gets cleaned. The .22 LR is an odd duck. It requires more cleaning in the breech end than most firearms to keep fouling from preventing bolt closure in semi-autos. But most .22 rf barrels are rather soft. Many are free machining leaded steel. The throat and muzzle are particularly fragile.
If you don't expect to shoot a .22 rf for a long period, then it's not a bad idea to at least oil the bore to keep the lead residue from corroding, but otherwise, let your group sizes tell you when cleaning is needed. Could be many thousands of rounds! In the case of my 8 3/8" 617, it's probably had the bore cleaned once in 15 years and it shoots now better than when it was new. Shot it today, actually, in preparation for squirrels tomorrow. My uncle's Winchester that I inherited and value over far more expensive rifles has been cleaned almost not at all in 40 years. Hideous on the outside, but still accurate and in fine shape in the bore. The Winchester 52-C and E rifles have a special bore guide made, but it's used only when bringing them out of storage or when changing lots or brands of ammo. (Lots of 5000, generally.)
BTW, Eezox (mentioned previously in this thread) is marvelous as a corrosion block. As a lube, maybe not so much.
Majorlk
Member
I've seen more .22 barrels over the years that have been ruined by such neglect than I have seen in good condition. To each his own firearms abuse.
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