anyone have a boresnake break off in the barrel?

Can't say that I have, and I've had several for a few years now.

Not yet.

My son & I both use BoreSnakes and haven't had any problems with them. They pull thru fairly snugly so I think they'll eventually wear out but I don't see any wear in mine yet. Mine don't get very heavy use, however, 'cause I only use them in places where it's just not practical for a proper cleaning like out in the Prairie Dog fields and at the range on busy days.

Maybe you just got a weakly built one. Do you use it often?

I've never heard of it happening, but that doesn't mean it hasn't.

I think I'm going to trot down to Cabela's and buy some of those. They sure look like they speed up cleaning.

I have heard of them getting stuck in the bore but I have never heard how they got them out. I don't believe it is a lot of fun. you might try a search because I think it was this forum where I seen it. I had a couple of them and used them without problems but when I heard of them getting stuck I threw them away. it looked like a real hassle that I didn't want to ever happen.

Yes -

Sort of. I found out that you shouldn't throw them all into the washing machine at once, it tends to tangle them up and frays them pretty good. Yeah, I'm single and yeah, I tend to do stupid things when it comes to washing stuff- A frayed one doesn't slide through a barrel very well - and they can be a bugger to get back out. But I like the darned things enough I bought new ones.

I can't understand what would happen if one did break.

Surely one end or the other would still be hanging out of the barrel far enough to pull it back out.

Anyway, the only use I have for them is some old guns that can't be cleaned with a rod from the back.

Everything else gets a proper cleaning with a rod, brushes, and patches.

rc

Yes I had one do it once in a .243, and it was a nightmare. I coudl not reach the end of it through the chamber with a pair of slim hemostats and from the muzzle it was down about 4". I ended up taking a fired case and threading it onto the nose of a bore guide and filling the neck and shoulder of the case with a putty that hardened around a 4' deck screw that was centered in the neck. Then I backed the screw out, inserted teh casing and guide, inserted the screw with a long magnetic screwdriver and carefully turned the screw into the tail end of the boresnake and was able to get it out far enough to reach with a pair of hemostats. It helped that I soaked the boresnake with Kroil for 2 days before doing this

Would a wire coat hanger work?

I wish they'd make them a little longer. I honestly don't like the idea of them being shorter than the barrel. It's never happened to me, but it's something I always worry about.

I never owned one, but after reading this, I would sew dental floss to the back end of any I ever might have before I used it. It sure would be longer than any barrel it was used on.

It stands to reason that if it breaks pulling it to the muzzel, the best way to get it out is pulling to the breech.

I shoot flintlocks that have a breech block and I can assure you getting things stuck in a bore like that isn't any fun.

Herein lies the problem. The BoreSnake has a brass bore brush built in the middle of the snake. It jams easily if you change direction once started down the barrel. Sort of acts like a one way clutch...
Joe

Yes
And it was the .22 rifle snake.

They get the big stuff out, but after I run patches through I'm still getting crud out.

Washing it could help, but it didn't do much in my case.

Even if the boresnake does break, it would do it at the connection from the pulling cord and the front part of the cleaning cord. In a carbine barrel, if that does happen I could probably get it back out by pulling the remainder out through the breech or muzzle end.

Has anybody done a real test to know if this device really does work? It's not very inspiring to put 500 rounds down, run a 'snake a few times, then run patches and still get crud out.

Well,I'm going against the grain here, but I hardly use brushes and rods anymore and have nine bore snakes.A spritz of wd40 [just a little] slicks a new bore snake right up,and prevents jamming.Jamming usually occurs when you try to 'scrub' by grabbing each end,and pulling back and forth.DON'T do this.DON'T ask me how I know...it's easy enough to clear though.You have someone else pull,while you push, on an appropriate size rod
I have never had a bore snake break on me,and I have used them since they first came out,but I HAVE had the brush part wear out,from strong solvents,and LOTS of use.I just bought a new one when ever they quit getting a gun clean ,and used the old one for black powder.I label those 'BP' and use them for .45-70,.45 long Colt, .38/.357 .44 ,.36 and .31 Remington percussion revolvers.

.
Boresnakes are like anything else. They will wear out.



For $12, you get years of use, once they don't clean the gun well anymore get a new one.


I don't wash mine in a washing machine, I clean it in boiling hot water and let it dry.


That way it doesn't get beat up.



I've never had a Boresnake wear out though, and never had one start doing a poor job of cleaning a gun.

.

They're all I'll use on my Mosin Nagant. Shoot corrosive ammo through it, boresnake it with a .30 caliber snake that has some solvent on the head, and then use a shotgun swab on the chamber. 3 or 4 passes with the boresnake and I'm done. Never had any corrosion on it.

never had a problem with my snakes.

i have a .44-.45 for my pistols.
a .30 cal for my rifles
a 20 gauge and a 12 gauge for shotguns

I have read of this happening before.

And everytime it is a nightmare.

I use a standard brass or aluminum rod cleaning kit and have never had a problem even with 22 lr rifle cleaning so I don't understand the appeal of the things.

Just do not fold over the cleaning patch when you put it in the rod and it will go right into and out of a 22 bore pretty easily.

no, but i have heard of it. one thing that i learned (the hard way) was NOT to wash them in the washing machine like they suggest. the rest of the snake gets tangled up into the "brush" portion of it, and ends up snagging and tearing when you try to get it apart. HAND wash them, you will be a lot better off!
personally, i do not use my snakes for the primary cleaning method. i get the worse of it out the conventional way, soak the barrel several times with copper remover, and then, i run the snake through to make certain i have it completely clean. an oily patch, and then it is ready to be put away. i do admit to packing a snake when i go hunting though. if for some reason, i need to clean the innards out in the woods, this is a good compact way to go.