Are "cables" better for your gun than cleaning rods?

avqpuggr · Sep 10, 2014

Here's an example of what I'm talking about (i.e., "Memory-Flex cables"):

HTML:

http://www.otistec.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=E22D613C4CE7411F89B6D1ED9C6A1FB5

A cable is dropped through the barrel so that the pull only ever goes in one direction. With a cleaning rod you have to pull the rod back out in the opposite direction.

Is using "Cables" better for the barrel? Is there any "health" advantage to the gun in using cables instead of rods?

Walkalong · Sep 10, 2014

I never saw anything but quality one piece cleaning rods at Benchrest matches. NEVER reverse a brush in the bore.

How soft is the cable. One thing one wants to avoid is sideways pressure on the throat area. If you don't use a bore guide with a cleaning rod you can damage the leade. I would wonder about using a cable if it was always off center when going into the throat area.

Nom de Forum · Sep 10, 2014

No.

Pretty much everything Walkalong posted is spot on. The real controversy can arise between advocates of coated versus uncoated one piece rods. Protecting the leade and the crown is important.

avqpuggr · Sep 10, 2014

Thanks guys.

Any particular setup you guys care to recommend for cleaning a 9mm Glock? What kind of bore brush, what kind of cable/rob, etc.

Thanks again.

Steel Horse Rider · Sep 10, 2014

My opinion is that you are waaaay overthinking the damage done by cleaning to a Glock. Unless you are recklessly cleaning your Glock for multiple hours every day I don't think you are going to have a detrimental affect on the accuracy. Use a rod or cable, don't overdo the cleaning, and enjoy shooting.

ron b · Sep 10, 2014

I have seen at 500 yd competitions some shooters going back an forth with a cleaning patch, the shooter with a near perfect score. Go figure

Sunray · Sep 10, 2014

A pull through isn't a cable and doesn't use one. It uses a piece of string with a brass weight on one end and a threaded brass threaded jag holder on the other. Usually used on semi-auto rifles or lever actions that are difficult to clean from the chamber end. Isn't better or worse than anything.

tiamat · Sep 10, 2014

The Otis cleaning cables the OP linked to are just that - coated braided stainless steel cables.

And to the OP, I think the advantage to a cable is that they roll up and store in a smaller package.

RustyShackelford · Sep 10, 2014

Post #4, Glocks......

RE #4:

Id look into the "bore snakes" from Hoppes or get a Otis Ripcord.
Remington has a new "SQueGGe"(check product spelling), see Youtube.com or www.remington.com .
Everybody & their grand-mother has videos/how-to clips online, youtube, viemo, Facebook, websites, etc for nearly every aspect of the Glock series.

There are also books, guides, DVDs, manuals, etc.
To me, you'll be just fine with a Hoppes Bore-Snake Viper or Ripcord with a good gun care product like FrogLube, LPX, Gunzilla or Ballistol. A bore solvent like Slip2000, Mpro7, Butch's, 7.62's, Sweet's will be okay.
I like non toxic, CFC free products like Frog-Lube or Ballistol. They have no fumes, odors and you can work with them with bare hands.
If you are shooting 1000s of rounds or use a lot of lead/hand-loads/carbon your Glock may need a bore solvent/cleaner but for general uses, a CLP will do the job.

Here are a few links/sites to see:
www.glockstore.com www.brownells.com www.glockworx.com www.mpro7.com www.midwayusa.com www.glock.com www.natchezss.com www.slip2000.com www.froglube.com www.nra.org www.gunvideo.com www.boatmanbooks.com www.customizeyourglock.com www.gunzilla.us www.paladin-press.com www.policehq.com www.galls.com www.uscav.com

nuccx2001 · Sep 10, 2014

I like the Bore Snake as well..... I have them for a bunch of Calibers and keep them in my range bag

stchman · Sep 10, 2014

Cleaning rods are usually made from aluminum or brass. These metals are FAR softer than the barrel.

Bore brushes are usually made from brass or copper. These metals are FAR softer than the barrel.

Cleaning rods and brushes cannot damage your barrel. If they could, the next time you shot a round, the barrel would be ruined.

If the gizmo above makes cleaning the bore easier, go for it.

avqpuggr · Sep 10, 2014

The Otis cleaning cables the OP linked to are just that - coated braided stainless steel cables.

And to the OP, I think the advantage to a cable is that they roll up and store in a smaller package.

This was the reason for my post. Are the cables just another way of getting the job done, or are they somehow inherently "safer" for the barrel or "better" than using a rod. Someone told me it's better for my barrel to drop something like the Otis cable through my barrel and pull the bore brush, pull the wipes through. The idea being that there is never rubbing going in the opposite direction of bullet travel.

when I use a rod to clean I start at breech and push it out, but then pull it back out.

I was wondering if there is consensus on this issue or if what I was told about cables vs rods is just opinion and not a generally accepted principle of cleaning.

Thanks guys for all the feedback.

PS: I only use quality brass brushes, etc. I'm speaking just to the idea of one direction of travel in the barrel that the cables seem to be designed for.

Nom de Forum · Sep 10, 2014

For a Glock you can use a pencil to push through a paper towel and and it will not really mater.

I think Walkalong and I assumed you were concerned about protecting the bore of a precision accuracy rifle.

Nom de Forum · Sep 10, 2014

stchman said:
Cleaning rods are usually made from aluminum or brass. These metals are FAR softer than the barrel.

Bore brushes are usually made from brass or copper. These metals are FAR softer than the barrel.

Cleaning rods and brushes cannot damage your barrel. If they could, the next time you shot a round, the barrel would be ruined.

If the gizmo above makes cleaning the bore easier, go for it.

It is not the metal the rod is made of it is the grit imbedded on the rod, the flexing of the rod in the barrel, and if it is a sectional rod the problem is aggravated. The is a reason why rifle shooters striving for the best accuracy use solid, relatively stiff rods, and take precautions to protect the leade, bore, and muzzle crown.

Potatohead · Sep 10, 2014

Is it really even necessary to only travel in one direction, as long as you dont reverse direction inside the firearm?

Baron_Null · Sep 10, 2014

stchman said:
Cleaning rods are usually made from aluminum or brass. These metals are FAR softer than the barrel.

The aluminum itself is far softer than the barrel, but the oxide coating that forms readily on the exterior is extremely hard. Aluminum oxide is used as an abrasive in many forms, including in sandpaper, and in a pure state can be used as a very durable and scratch resistant glass. The reason why aluminum guns are anodized can be primarily attributed to the fact that it makes the surface far more resistant to damage due to a relatively deep oxide layer.

So in short, the aluminum could still cause gradual damage to the crown if allowed to slide on it while cleaning the gun.

Nom de Forum · Sep 10, 2014

Potatohead said:
Is it really even necessary to only travel in one direction, as long as you dont reverse direction inside the firearm?

For someone wanting to take the utmost precautions they don't want the gunk they just put on the patch to go back into the bore. Changing the patch and going the other way is fine except you usually have a bore guide installed where you started and it will make pulling the patch back out difficult.

Potatohead · Sep 10, 2014

Thanks for answering.

XD Fan · Sep 10, 2014

I use one piece carbon fiber rods for my rifles.

Steel Horse Rider · Sep 10, 2014

Carbon fiber? NO, not carbon fiber! It is harder than steel!!!! :what:

Just trying to beat the "I told you so-ers".

stchman · Sep 10, 2014

Baron_Null said:
The aluminum itself is far softer than the barrel, but the oxide coating that forms readily on the exterior is extremely hard. Aluminum oxide is used as an abrasive in many forms, including in sandpaper, and in a pure state can be used as a very durable and scratch resistant glass. The reason why aluminum guns are anodized can be primarily attributed to the fact that it makes the surface far more resistant to damage due to a relatively deep oxide layer.

So in short, the aluminum could still cause gradual damage to the crown if allowed to slide on it while cleaning the gun.

That's reaching IMO.

mboylan · Sep 10, 2014

stchman said:
That's reaching IMO.

Nope not reaching. Of course if you and your rifle can't shoot sub-MOA, you probably won't notice. Benchrest guys use bore guides for a solid reason.

Theohazard · Sep 11, 2014

Nom de Forum said:
For a Glock you can use a pencil to push through a paper towel and and it will not really mater. I think Walkalong and I assumed you were concerned about protecting the bore of a precision accuracy rifle.

This. Lots of people here are answering the OP's question as if he were cleaning a precision rifle where the smallest scratch in the wrong place can ruin everything. But he's doing the opposite; he's cleaning a handgun, and a Glock at that.

Avqpuggr, it doesn't really matter what kind of cleaning method you use, your Glock barrel will be fine.

1911 guy · Sep 11, 2014

For a handgun, anything (nearly) will work. As far as rods go, most of the handgun rods I've seen are solid rods with no joints, so no worries.

Field Tester · Sep 11, 2014

How do you guys clean your revolvers then?

Are "cables" better for your gun than cleaning rods?

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