Cleaning Rods? Aluminum, Brass, SS, Carbon Fiber, Coated Steel?

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Solomonson

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Since I shoot mostly .223 and .22LR these days when it comes to long guns, I would like to buy a nice cleaning rod. What do you all recommend?

I've always used aluminum or brass screw-together rods. Given the amount of shooting I do, I'm beginning to wonder if I should try something different? Coated steel? Carbon fiber?

What about makers? Hoppe's, Tipton, Dewey, Birchwood Casey, Shooter's Choice, Raiseek, TurrMan, etc?

Thank you.
 
I like flexible glass rods (Hoppe's), but that's personal preference. They have their good points and their bad points, like anything else.
 
Polished steel, coated steel, haven't researched carbon fiber. No screw together rods of any kind. Use a bore guide, wipe the rod after every pass. Don't reverse brushes while in the bore, and spray the brush clean after every pass, unless you don't believe in brushes. All very personal and the debate is always "interesting".
 
Being in the milsurp "trade" cleaning countless rifles Ive owned like dozens of rods. Most were stuffed full of cosmolene infused with dirt and sometimes corrosion and even some odd foreign objects at times. After breaking several sectional rods of brass, steel and aluminum i made my own. One piece 1/4" mild steel 36" long. Both fitted with lathe turned rotating handles. One set up for 8/32 tips/brushes the other threaded for a mosin nagant rotating cleaning tip for just patch work. Both are now some 40 plus years old and continue to served me well
 
I don't like aluminum rods. They bend or break too easily and aluminum oxide is an abrasive--same material as sapphire/carborundum.

I don't like jointed/screw-together rods. All the ones I've had have eventually broken.

I like the one-piece coated steel rods. They are very strong and the coating is non-abrasive. I wipe it down during use to keep any crud/grit from getting on there and rubbing on the bore.

Next preference is uncoated one-piece steel rods. Again, I wipe them down during use to keep crud/grit from building up and rubbing on the bore.

I have never used any of the composite/glass rods, but I imagine they would work pretty well if they're good quality.

Whatever you use, do your best to keep the rod from touching the rifling, especially at the muzzle.
 
I like polished brass rods by Huey or Lewy . For heavy build up those 1/4 inch mild steel rods really get the sludge out of them .22 caliber bores.
PS ;For real I usually end up with brass one piece rods. Sorry about the kidding - I was just in that mood.
 
As mentioned Deweys and they are worth every penny. I have one in .22 and a .30 that I have been using for years. Jags are perfect and they make adapters for other jags.
 
At the level of 95+% of shooters and unless you're completely reckless, imo, it won't make a difference.

I still clean my almost 40 yr old 22 with the same basic almost 40 yr old Hoppes kit from the barrel & with out a guide. Contrary to some, the crown isn't egged out.

Having said that, a 1 pc brass rod seems like what I'd go to if I wanted to be more OCD about it. Seems like a good balance of pros and cons.
 
I like my carbon fiber Tipton rods. You can't permanently deform (bend) them, and they're more than stiff enjoy to push the tightest patch or brush you'd want to; if you commit poor planning, you can pound them through without damage.
 
Whatever you use, do your best to keep the rod from touching the rifling, especially at the muzzle.
As well as rubbing hard on one side of the leade because we are not using a good bore guide or rod, or both.
 
Not sure of the value of the cladding on one piece steel rods. We had one in the rack and it seemed to hold more grit than the bare steel. The latter can be wiped clean before and after and cleaning from the breech seemed to work well. Only Garands and others without clear breech access seemed to need a muzzle guide
 
I like polished brass rods by Huey or Lewy . For heavy build up those 1/4 inch mild steel rods really get the sludge out of them .22 caliber bores.
PS ;For real I usually end up with brass one piece rods. Sorry about the kidding - I was just in that mood.

I bet they do. I also bet you are really tired after shoving a .250" rod through a .224" hole.:D Yes, I saw the "for real" but couldn't resist.
 
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