Boresnakes

O

OrangePwrx9

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Joined
May 30, 2009
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Location
North of the Fingerlakes-NY
Anyone else clean their guns with these? They work well cleaning revolvers from the breech. They also work well with the semi-autos when you want to forego the hassle of taking the gun down to clean it. On some SAs they get you around the flying parts problem.

I usually dip the brush end in Hoppe's #9, leave the middle dry, and hit the tail with CLP or RemOil. A couple passes in the barrel seems to do the job. Quick & Easy, though you do have to keep them clean. When ready to throw them in the washing machine, I'm thinking of using those bags the ladies use for nylon stockings.

If you use these, how do you do it? Any insights on why or why not with Boresnakes?

My hands are shaky (hereditary) so getting a patch on a jag and getting it down the barrel can be a problem. Boresnakes have turned out to be a blessing.
 
W.E.G. said:
Not the ideal way to clean any gun.

Vastly better than doing nothing.

Easy to transport.
Click to expand...

+1

I have them... I usually pull them through the bore before and after a shooting session just to break the crud up... but nothing beats a full clean. They are quick and handy, however, and that's what I carry in my range box... a .22, a .30, a .41, and a .45... that pretty much covers what I shoot.

I would think putting them in any sort of nylon bag... the bristles would pick it to death, and you might wind up with a big wad of nylon snarled up on your snake.
 
I have a couple in my shooting bag, for each caliber. Just in case something needs doing at the range. Since most of mine are Rugers, I haven't used any, yet. So all the regular cleanings (with rods) are at home, after every range trip.
 
I prefer to carry the little multi-piece "G.I." type cleaning rod you can buy anywhere, but cheap on Amazon.

Its Chinese.

$15

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0897C6PRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

GI cleaning rod kit.jpg

Chinese botched the thread pattern. Chinese should have made it 8-36 (which is normal thread pitch for any cleaning rod accesssory you might buy in the U.S.)
Instead the chinese made it 8-38.

You can buy an inexpensive adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008P8F4Z...&crid=332DQRZXN9CRC&amp=&sprefix=8-36+adapter

cleaning rod thread adapter.jpg

You gotta KING KONG the adapter into the threads because, while the adapter is correct for 8-38, the recess in the threaded end of the rod is too tight to allow the adapter to thread into the rod without using KING KING force. Pliers mandatory unless you really are KING KONG. I knew this going into it, and I was able to successfully install the 8-36 adapter.

Throw away the brushes that come with the kit once you've installed the adapter. Otherwise, they will get mixed up in your cleaing accessories and cause all sorts of grief in the future. Throw away the crummy solvent bottle. Because it LEAKS.

Once the 8-36 adapter is installed, you can make a little accessory kit that includes a jag, and a patch-tip, and some brushes. So the rod-kit, plus the accessories costs about $30.

Immensely handy.

Bore Snake costs about $15, but has limited utility, and limited life-span before it becomes nasty.

I chastise all my range buddies when they have some bore-emergency, and have nothing to clear it.

Rest assured, a BORE-SNAKE will do you no good when you have a case stuck in the chamber.

So, for little extra bulk, you can go the route of a take-down rod, and have a whole lot more versatility.

And yeah, the shotgun guys who basically NEVER clean their guns except for a bore snake, the bore snake is good enough.

I'm a rifle guy. Its OK if you have a Bore Snake. But next time when you come out with me, bring your cleaning rod. There is no good reason - EXCEPT LAZINESS - not to have one.
 
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I like them and use them quite a bit on handguns - revolvers in particular. I put a lot of effort into ensuring that the guns and loads don't leave behind significant metal fouling, though. The boresnake is great for quickly getting rid of powder fouling, but that's about it.

I spray some WD-40 around the brush area on the snake and pull it through the bore. Then a little more WD-40 and a pass through each chamber. If there is any leading I will rip it out with metal wool on a brush, then another pass with the boresnake. Then WD-40 on a rag to wipe off the exterior of the gun, and a quick (dry) brushing under the extractor star. If the gun will be used again within the next few weeks, that's the extent of my cleaning. And I do wash the boresnakes in mesh bags meant for a lady's underlovelies.
 
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Many shooters are obsessive cleaners. I am of the clean only when the gun tells me to school. Bore Snakes keep my guns from telling me to do so for a long time. That makes me a huge fan. To be fair I have a lot of guns and don’t shoot any of them all that often. Very few see more than 100 rounds a year and none see more than 4-500.
 
Bore snakes have their place. Replace them before you think they need to be replaced though as breaking one off in the bore is a BAD time. I haven't done it yet, but if you look around there are often threads on the 'net about how to get a stuck one out of a bore.
 
They're great for shotguns and smoothbores. I don't particularly care for running a dirty one through a rifled bore. I have them for all the bore sizes I possess. I keep them clean and will use them dry for a final pass if anything.

For the shotgun, I have a dirty one and a clean one. I'll rinse the bore out with a cleaner, then pass the first snake through a few times until it is clean. The second snake is used to wipe any remaining residue or to apply a light coat of oil or protectant.

For revolvers, I prefer the cable type snakes that have a threaded brass end into which I can screw a round jag. I impale a round patch with the jag, screw it onto the cable end and then pass that from the forcing cone out the muzzle. It's a bit slower since I must unscrew and screw the jag on for each new patch.

My rifles are bolt-action and I can use a rod from the breech end.

In the field, a bore-snake cannot be used to clear a bore obstruction. I carry a rod in the 4x4 for that purpose. A broken bore snake could be removed with something similar to a muzzleloader's patch puller, but it would be a greivous job in the field (hunting).
 
I like the ones without the brush if I can find it. I keep one in my kit when I head to the hunting property. A good way to clean a bore real quick when you come in from a wet day hunting.
 
Run them thru my barrels when they are still warm at the range. Its not a substitute for cleaning. They can be useful when shooting dirty ammo. It's just another tool, nothing good or bad about them, they are useful when they are useful.
 
I use bore snakes on all of my guns. They really come in handy on revolvers as I really do not like running those hand held rods with the screw on brushes from the muzzle. I like to spray clp into the barrel and let it sit for a few minutes then I pull the snake through twice. Thats all. I will use those handheld rods with a a brush for the individual chambers on the cylinder though. For my autoloaders the process is about the same except sometimes I will opt to not use a snake and just use one of the handheld rods with a brush (sometimes nylon sometimes copper) and then a few patches to clean out then a final patch with some clp on it. I wash the boresnake using hot water and some lather from ivory soap. When the bristles start to look frizzled or the threads start coming apart, its time to toss it and get a new one. Also, never use an oversized one as that is an easy way to wind up with a broken pull cord and the snake lodged inside the barrel.
 
IMHO modern powders burn so clean that these tools are just fine. I see it as a to each their own.

Go out back shoot 50 rounds out of your center fire rifle then stick a bore cam down her nose and look, not that bad, even rimfire is not that bad.

Do what works for you.
 
I use one occasionally for a quick cleaning. As others have noted it is possible to break off in the bore and create a major problem. Primarily for that reason I don't use one a lot.
 
OrangePwrx9 said:
I usually dip the brush end in Hoppe's #9, leave the middle dry, and hit the tail with CLP or RemOil. A couple passes in the barrel seems to do the job. Quick & Easy, though you do have to keep them clean. When ready to throw them in the washing machine, I'm thinking of using those bags the ladies use for nylon stockings.

If you use these, how do you do it? Any insights on why or why not with Boresnakes?
Click to expand...

I usually wet the first few inches with bore cleaner (usually Hoppe's) and pull the snake through the bore a half dozen times. It is not as good as a real cleaning but MUCH better than putting a gun away dirty. I find bore snakes particularly useful for .22 rim fire weapons where it is hard to keep a cleaning rod off the rifling at the breach end of the bore.
 
W.E.G. said:
I prefer to carry the little multi-piece "G.I." type cleaning rod you can buy anywhere, but cheap on Amazon.

Its Chinese.

$15

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0897C6PRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 1126693

Chinese botched the thread pattern. Chinese should have made it 8-36 (which is normal thread pitch for any cleaning rod accesssory you might buy in the U.S.)
Instead the chinese made it 8-38.

You can buy an inexpensive adapter.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008P8F4Z...&crid=332DQRZXN9CRC&amp=&sprefix=8-36+adapter

View attachment 1126694

You gotta KING KONG the adapter into the threads because, while the adapter is correct for 8-38, the recess in the threaded end of the rod is too tight to allow the adapter to thread into the rod without using KING KING force. Pliers mandatory unless you really are KING KONG. I knew this going into it, and I was able to successfully install the 8-36 adapter.

Throw away the brushes that come with the kit once you've installed the adapter. Otherwise, they will get mixed up in your cleaing accessories and cause all sorts of grief in the future. Throw away the crummy solvent bottle. Because it LEAKS.

Once the 8-36 adapter is installed, you can make a little accessory kit that includes a jag, and a patch-tip, and some brushes. So the rod-kit, plus the accessories costs about $30.

Immensely handy.

Bore Snake costs about $15, but has limited utility, and limited life-span before it becomes nasty.

I chastise all my range buddies when they have some bore-emergency, and have nothing to clear it.

Rest assured, a BORE-SNAKE will do you no good when you have a case stuck in the chamber.

So, for little extra bulk, you can go the route of a take-down rod, and have a whole lot more versatility.

And yeah, the shotgun guys who basically NEVER clean their guns except for a bore snake, the bore snake is good enough.

I'm a rifle guy. Its OK if you have a Bore Snake. But next time when you come out with me, bring your cleaning rod. There is no good reason - EXCEPT LAZINESS - not to have one.
Click to expand...
the op has tremors hence the difficulty using a jag. i imagine thereading the rod together would be even more difficult.
 
I started using them a couple of years ago to do a quicker post range cleaning when I bring a variety of guns, as I prefer to keep them clean, oiled and ready for use.

They aren’t a perfect substitute for thorough cleaning/decoppering-deleading of the chamber or bore if one really needs it, but they keep the excess down, leave a bit of oil inside to help against rust and can do it in a reasonable amount of time. :)

I will entangle some strands of copper chore boy in the bristles to help, especially when lead-load revolvers were on the docket that day. This little extra seems to be keeping stuff in shape. (Maybe? Maybe not?)

Again, not a perfect substitute. But they are better than nothing at keeping things ready to go.

YMMV. :thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
Same as several others have said.

I use them at the range. A quick clean before heading home.
When ladder testing, a pass through between loads.

Like them especially for shotguns.

I also carry a small cleaning rod / kit in the range bag.
 
Jimbo80 said:
Many shooters are obsessive cleaners. I am of the clean only when the gun tells me to school. Bore Snakes keep my guns from telling me to do so for a long time. That makes me a huge fan. To be fair I have a lot of guns and don’t shoot any of them all that often. Very few see more than 100 rounds a year and none see more than 4-500.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly !
 
Riomouse911 said:
I will entangle some strands of copper chore boy in the bristles to help,
Click to expand...

Nice. Thanks for that tip. :thumbup:





I use bore snakes in conjunction with Ramrodz cleaning swabs and Hoppe’s no. 9 on my handguns. I also use Hornady One Shot CLP. I do use traditional methods for deep cleaning.
 
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