Cleaning Rods/Jag Problems?

[Tomekeuro85]

What do you guys use? I used a coated .22 cal for my .223 and .308. When I clean my .308 it takes about 10 mins and the patches are squeaky clean. I clean my .223, however, and it takes over an hour and they patches never do come out perfectly clean. I use barnes Cr2.

However, I have come up with an idea of why its so hard to clean my .223. The rod I have is stainless steel coated with something, but on the jag the coating rubbed off, and its just exposed metal. Could the metal be rubbing against my bore and causing the black residue found on every single cleaning patch?

What kind of rods/jags do you guys use? SHould I buy a .17 cal rod and use it on my .223?

 

[ocabj]

I use a Dewey 22 cal coated rod (service rifle length) for AR-15 with standard Dewey brass pierce style jag.

It shouldn't take any longer to clean a .223 over a .308. Wet patches through it. Wet brush through it. Wet patches again. That should be it.

 

[Tomekeuro85]

I wish it was that easy for my .223. I dont know what the problem is.

My .308 cleaning routine...
Swipes 1-3 : 1 patch each soaked in barnes.
Swipes 4-6 : 1 patch each dry
Swipes 7-8 : 1 patch each soaked in barnes again, this time they come out 99% clean
Swipes 9-10: Dry patches
Swipe 11 : 1 patch with Hoppe's 9
Swipe 12 : Dry patch
Swipe 13 : Oil soaked patch

There you go, white patches.

For my .223 however......

Just like the .308 from swipes 1-10, but I can repeat swipes 1-10 for as much as 2 hours, and they come out black each time. Eventually I get furious and stop and leave it how it is. Accuracy doesnt suffer. .5MOA is common with reloads.

Gun has 250 rounds through it. Any thoughts???

 

[pauli]

i think you're cleaning too much.

 

[Tomekeuro85]

but it doesnt get clean. My .308 is done within 20 mins or less with clean patches. The .223 patches stay black until i get bored.

 

[pauli]

y'ever had a friend with an old car that's dead nuts reliable, but burns a quart of oil every 2000 miles?

if i were you, i would clean the rifle enough to ensure safe and reliable operation, and stop worrying about the lack of a mirror finish in the bore. you're getting half moa groups - don't complain about some powder residue!

 

[Tomekeuro85]

haha I guess you're right. I'm a freak about that kind of stuff though. I just dont like having dirty stuff, but as you say, some poeple cant get half MOA with perfect mirror finish, so why am I complaining?

 

[P95Carry]

With mention of jags - I have to say that Parker Hale jags are IMO way better than the slotted plastic deals most cleaning gear seems to come with. I do use some super long Dewey rods at times for real long barrels like Turk Mauser.

I am ex Brit (very EX) but used their stuff over decades and got some more a coupla years ago.

I am told they can be got thru sources here and cannot recommend them enough. Threads are different and so the appropriate rods are needed too.

The bronze brushes also are more ''bristle dense'' and stronger IMO and do a better job. The pic shows pistol stuff but ends suit both according to cal needs.

The jags permit a wrap of patch such that a good fit can be obtained in the bore, even allowing for more than one pass with the same patch without the ''fit'' loosening.

 

[asknight]

The rod/jag has nothing to do with it. Frankly, the Savage .308's bore is much smoother and fouls less than the Remington .223's bore. Remington bores are rough, and takes a lot of shooting to smooth out by itself. If you don't believe me, beg, borrow, or buy a borescope and compare the two.

I've not seen a Remington made in the past few years that wasn't a good candidate for a few sessions of hand-lapping and polishing.

 

[Firehand]

While back I got one of the Tipton carbon-fiber rods for my .30 cal stuff; flexible but won't take a bend, non-abrasive and from what I can tell non-embedding, I really like it.

I've got rifles that the bore shines like a mirror, but if you run an oiled or solvent-wet patch through, it will never come out white. I gave up trying.

 

[Ol` Joe]

If you are useing Barnes Cr with a uncoated brass jag you`ll never stop getting a dirty patch! the cleaner is a copper remover and disolves copper and brass. What you are seeing is the copper being leached out of your jag. The other jag must still have its coating on it or you would see the same with it.

 

[Lupinus]

I think you are a case of cleaning to much

Clean it with some patchs and be done with it without worrying about it beinf squeeky clean.