Cleaning Rods?

[SourMash]

I'm in the market for some cleaning rods and I have a few questions...

Do the coated ones (Dewey) have any problems with the coating coming off?

Anybody know of any problems with Pro-Shot stainless steel rods?

What would you buy?

 

[Onmilo]

Use a one piece rod, material doesn't matter if the rod is kept clean.
I have owned and used my Dewey coated rods for years with no evidence of the surface finish coming away from the rod.
Stainless steel rods offer more tensile strength over brass without taking a permanent bend, Graphite rods are even better but can embed material in the surface if not kept clean.

 

[Coal Dragger]

I use Dewey coated rods and haven't noticed any separation of the nylon from the underlying stainless steel. Been pleased so far!

 

[Maverick223]

I have never had any trouble with the coating coming off, but I have retired most other rods in favor of the Tipton CF rods and Otis coated flexible stranded wire rods (for guns that must be cleaned from the muzzle). BoreSnakes are also great cleaning tools, but they are incapable of a thorough cleaning (but make for a good field cleaning kit IMO).

 

[Walkalong]

My Dewey coated rods have held up extremely well. Any good one piece rod will work. Use a bore guide and wipe it down every time it comes out of the barrel.

 

[JDGray]

Been very happy with my Tipton carbon fiber rods, and the Lucas bore guides

 

[hometheaterman]

My Dewey had the coating come off after about 2 or 3 uses. Or it started coming off and just got worse as time went on. Then it bent slightly. I just never was happy with it. The handle worked, but even it didn't feel great in my hands. I replaced it with a Tipton and have never looked back. The Tipton is soo much better. There is no coating to strip off, if it bends, it bends right back to it's original shape as it just can't bend and stay bent. The handle on it is great. I just can't say a bad thing about it. If I ever buy another it will be a Tipton. I highly recommend them.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I have used Dewey for years with no problems. The oldest is at least ten years old. Until hometheatreman's post I had never heard single word against them.

I have no experience with Tipton, primarily because once I found Dewey I saw no reason to try anything else.

 

[FlyinBryan]

ive accumilated about a dozen one piece rods over the years.

coated dewey rods, tiptons, and some 4 dollar fiberglass composite ones. (ive also got boresnakes in several calibers, but they generally stay in ziploks in the tool box)

none have had problems.

 

[hometheaterman]

I will say that my problem of me bending the Dewey rod was that I was using it improperly, and used a smaller rod than I should have been and was pushing a really tight patch through a muzzle loader. That didn't have to do with the coating coming off though. That's the main problem I see with a coated rod is the coating wearing off over time. That being said, I've done that with my Tipton too and it still didn't bend. The Deweys are light years above the cheap 3 piece rods you get in many cleaning kits, but the Tipton is so much better imo.

 

[Walkalong]

I will say that my problem of me bending the Dewey rod was that I was using it improperly, and used a smaller rod than I should have been and was pushing a really tight patch through a muzzle loader. That didn't have to do with the coating coming off though.

Oh contrare. It has everything to do with the coating being rubbed off. Plus you can possibly damage the rifle doing it wrong over and over.

Use a bore guide, the proper size rod, and keep the rod straight. If you can not keep from bending the rod, the patch is too tight. It does not have to be that tight to be effective.

 

[hometheaterman]

No, it didn't have anything to do with the coating being worn off, as the coating started coming off long before I bent the rod. The coating literally only lasted a few uses before it started coming off. I later bent the rod by my own stupidity trying to push a tight patch through a muzzle loader. That being said, I've abused the Tipton a lot more and it's still straight. However, it can't really bend and stay bent. It would have to break unlike aluminum. It also doesn't have any coating coming off, but then again it doesn't have a coating to come off. So while, I admit that the reason the Dewey got bent was my fault, I've been about as rough on the Tipton and it's not given me any issues. The coating coming off on the Dewey, however, wasn't from me improperly using it. The only thing I did that some might consider improper is clean a couple of guns from the muzzle end as they were semi auto's and you couldn't clean them from the breach end.

I've also read several other reports of people saying that they are long time Dewey users, but that their rods they have gotten in the last few years have had the coating start coming off. I don't know if there is any truth to this or not, but I've read more than one report of it.

Even if the coating doesn't come off on most of them, why buy one when you can buy a Tipton that doesn't even have a coating to come off, doesn't have the possibility of bender, or any of the other negatives of the Dewey, but yet doesn't cost that much more?

 

[stork]

Both my Dewey rods are in excess of 25 years old. I have heard of problems with coatings and bearings a few years back, but have never seen any issues with mine. And mine get used a lot. Also, I never clean without a boreguide.

 

[JohnBT]

The ejector on a 1963 Marlin Mountie will definitely scrape the coating off a Dewey rod if you don't secure the ejector out of the way. That's why they put the little screw there, to secure it. Or maybe it's the extractor, I can't recall. You would think I'd know the names of the parts after 47 years. :banghead:

John

 

[Walkalong]

What scrapes the coatings off any rod is rubbing against an edge going in and out of the barrel. It is quite easy to do from the front, and not hard at all from the rear if not using a bore guide. All my Dewey rods are fairly old, so perhaps the newer ones are not as durable. I dunno.

 

[Walkalong]

The ejector on a 39A will do the same thing. Ask me how I know. :banghead:

 

[Maverick223]

[The Tipton CF cleaning rod] also doesn't have any coating coming off, but then again it doesn't have a coating to come off.

That's not true, the CF/graphite rods have a coating on them as well. IIRC it is a urethane based coating used to prevent picking up debris and protect the rod from environmental damage (which isn't especially necessary for a cleaning rod).

 

[bpl]

Get you some Tipton CF rods and you can throw your aluminum/brass/stainless rods in the trash 'cause you'll never need them again!

 

[awgrizzly]

The ejector on a 39A will do the same thing. Ask me how I know. :banghead:

Do you lock down the ejector on your 39A before cleaning? If not, you will see a screw head on the ejector. Using a small screwdriver, press the ejector down into it's housing and hold it there while you turn the screw head with another screw driver. The ejector will be held down out of harms way. Be sure to free the ejector when done. I done learned the hard way... nearly destroyed an aluminum cleaning rod. <=o[

 

[rcmodel]

I have had excellet success with Kleen-Bore stainless steel rods in the shop.

Unlike Dewey rods, they use standard 8-32 thread brushes & jags available at Wallyworld.

Dewey uses a male 8-32 thread nothing fits unless you buy the adaptor end from Dewey.



BTW: If you are cleaning a Marlin .39 without locking the ejector down out of the way, you are doing it wrong.

I have replaced more Marlin 39 ejectors broken by cleaning rods then all other reasons combined.

rc

 

[JohnBT]

Not wrong, just dumb and forgetful. Scaraaaaaaaaaaaape.

I have Dewey, Pro-Shot, Tipton rods and I can't remember what else. And then there are the rods I got from my dad when he moved to THE HOME.

I still have the 3-piece Daisy aluminum rod that came in the metal cleaning kit with my 1955 BB rifle. You never know when I might need it.

JT

 

[SourMash]

Well you guys changed my mind. I was leaning towards the Pro-Shot stainless steel rods but now I think I may check into those Tipton carbon fiber rods.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I use Dewey one-piece brass rods for my small bore and large bore rifles, and my shotguns. I've used them for years and never had a problem with them.

I'm not familiar with stainless steel rods. I wouldn't use one unless it was coated, out of fear for damaging the rifling.

Good luck!

 

[Maverick223]

IMO the cheap Wallyworld ("Winchester" brand) single pc. coated steel cleaning rods aren't all that bad if you are on a budget and it is long enough (IIRC they are only 26 or 28in. long)...otherwise the Tipton CF is the ticket.

 

[jhansman]

I picked up a Tipton .22 cal carbon fiber pistol rod on Midway last year on sale, and I am really impressed with it's quality. I like my Deweys, but one day they'll be replaced with Tiptons.