Bore guides

[strungoutinheaven]

How necessary are these for cleaning a chrome-lined ar-15? I know they're not considered "essential cleaning equipment," however, pretty much everyone I've asked said to get one. And on the Dewey website, Brownell's, etc...there are muzzle guides, rod guides, bore savers, breech guides...which of these do I want?

Also, what's the best type of rod to attach a chamber brush to. Do I need a quality chamber rod, or does it not really matter? Can I use a section of a mil spec or sectioned brass rod, or do I need a coated steel one?

Any other borderline essential items, besides the usual cleaning rod, jags/loops, brushes, patches, and CLP?

Thanks.

 

[jlmurphy]

You want to prevent the cleaning rod from contacting the muzzle or the chamber throat. The abrasives accumulated on the rod will cut a groove in a surprisingly short time. Any irregularities at the muzzle will ruin accuracy, a good guide will prevent this.

 

[JNewell]

You're almost certainly going to clean the AR from the breech. The guide functions more to keep cleaner from dripping into the action than anything else. If you were a benchrest shooter, you might worry about protecting the rifling at the breech end, but you're not going to be looking for that kind of accuracy with this rifle, probably, and in any case the chrome lining is very, very hard - so for this rifle, it's really just cleanliness - which is not a bad thing.

 

[226]

iirc, you want to avoid contact with the crown. Bore guides and quality cleaning rods help. I use the Otis cleaning system which comprises a coated flexi-rod that you pull through from breech to muzzle.

Should you go with this, recommend purchasing only the components you need vice a cleaning kit that will have items (you pay for... and ) you never use.

- flexi-rod
- Otis patches
- bore brush
- t-handle
- slotted tip

Get the proper length flexi-rod, unless you have really long arms. As the rod exits the muzzle and is a couple inches out, the patch / brush should just be entering the chamber.

Check out their how tos.