Rastoff
US Veteran
Without knowing me or what I do or what my education is, a member here has accused me of not knowing my facts. Alright, I accept the challenge.
Because the metal being used is so much softer than the article being cleaned, it won't harm it. That is not to say that two materials won't affect each other when rubbed together; they will. The question is not will they affect each other, but how much will they affect each other? The answer is very little. The actual amount of that affect is so small that it cannot be measured after only one use. It would take many thousands of passes to have a measurable affect.
This is why cleaning rods are made of aluminum or wood or are coated with some material like vinyl or powder coating.
Measurement is something I know about. I have been a Metrologist for more than 25 years. In the lab we have the capability of measuring length to an accuracy better than +/-.5 micro inches (+/-.0000005").
Now, some here seem to be focused on the barrel only. That is a mistake. There is much more to the gun than the barrel. As I said before, the vast majority of mechanical gun malfunctions are caused by dirt. Dirt comes from various sources, but one of the major contributors is carbon from the firing of ammunition. Just because modern primers and powders aren't corrosive (some still are so, beware of what you're using), doesn't mean they don't make your gun dirty. Residue from firing the gun can get in the works and cause things to not move freely. Even unburned flakes of powder can get in the lock and prevent smooth action.
Further, more lubricant is not better. Grease and oil attract dirt. That dirt will cause your gun to fail. Use only the amount of lubricant necessary to coat the parts that rub. All grease or oil that squeezes out has no value and should be wiped away.
The Remington 870 is arguably the most reliable shotgun ever made. I fixed a broken firing pin on one once. The owner was one of those that believed cleaning was a waste of time. There was so much gunk built up in the firing pin channel in the bolt that the firing pin couldn't move freely. That was what caused it to break.
Gunsmiths are people just like anyone else. If a gunsmith gives me a piece of advice, but can't explain why, I won't accept it out of hand. That doesn't mean he's wrong, it just means I'm going to do my own research before I trust it.
So, when someone, anyone, tells me that cleaning my gun will do more damage than not cleaning it, I'm going to question it. The only support, in this thread, that has been offered to that claim is, "A gunsmith told me." That's not justification, it's just what someone said. I've offered up real facts along with sound reasoning as to why cleaning is good for your gun. Until someone can offer up solid evidence to the contrary, the idea that cleaning is somehow worse than not cleaning, it will stay in the category of a myth.
- Brass is an alloy made of copper and zinc.
- Copper is about 6 times softer than steel used to make gun barrels.
- Zinc is softer than Copper.
- Aluminum is softer than Zinc.
- Lead is softer than Aluminum.
- Wood is softer than lead.
Because the metal being used is so much softer than the article being cleaned, it won't harm it. That is not to say that two materials won't affect each other when rubbed together; they will. The question is not will they affect each other, but how much will they affect each other? The answer is very little. The actual amount of that affect is so small that it cannot be measured after only one use. It would take many thousands of passes to have a measurable affect.
This is why cleaning rods are made of aluminum or wood or are coated with some material like vinyl or powder coating.
Measurement is something I know about. I have been a Metrologist for more than 25 years. In the lab we have the capability of measuring length to an accuracy better than +/-.5 micro inches (+/-.0000005").
Now, some here seem to be focused on the barrel only. That is a mistake. There is much more to the gun than the barrel. As I said before, the vast majority of mechanical gun malfunctions are caused by dirt. Dirt comes from various sources, but one of the major contributors is carbon from the firing of ammunition. Just because modern primers and powders aren't corrosive (some still are so, beware of what you're using), doesn't mean they don't make your gun dirty. Residue from firing the gun can get in the works and cause things to not move freely. Even unburned flakes of powder can get in the lock and prevent smooth action.
Further, more lubricant is not better. Grease and oil attract dirt. That dirt will cause your gun to fail. Use only the amount of lubricant necessary to coat the parts that rub. All grease or oil that squeezes out has no value and should be wiped away.
The Remington 870 is arguably the most reliable shotgun ever made. I fixed a broken firing pin on one once. The owner was one of those that believed cleaning was a waste of time. There was so much gunk built up in the firing pin channel in the bolt that the firing pin couldn't move freely. That was what caused it to break.
Gunsmiths are people just like anyone else. If a gunsmith gives me a piece of advice, but can't explain why, I won't accept it out of hand. That doesn't mean he's wrong, it just means I'm going to do my own research before I trust it.
So, when someone, anyone, tells me that cleaning my gun will do more damage than not cleaning it, I'm going to question it. The only support, in this thread, that has been offered to that claim is, "A gunsmith told me." That's not justification, it's just what someone said. I've offered up real facts along with sound reasoning as to why cleaning is good for your gun. Until someone can offer up solid evidence to the contrary, the idea that cleaning is somehow worse than not cleaning, it will stay in the category of a myth.
However I don't smoke so I shoot and clean.
