Otis cables vs cleaning rods

[valnar]

I really like the Otis flexible plastic cleaning cables, along with boresnakes. I haven't thrown away my standard rods yet, but is there any reason to keep them? Considering how paranoid everyone is about cleaning from breech to muzzle, especially with hard-to-get-to barrels, is there any reason to return to a cleaning rod? Any particular reason an Otis cable with an appropriate jag doesn't do the same job just as good?

Just checking before I throw my few old rods away.

 

[barnbwt]

Boresnakes dirty with abrasive carbon can cause erosion of the crown if they are not pulled straight out in line with the barrel. If you are careful and use fresh/clean snakes, I imagine the risk is reduced.

TCB

 

[bigfatdave]

An Otis cable is not a boresnake, barnbwt.

The rod is useful for shoving crap out of the barrel - powder residue, lead fouling, squibs, etc. Sometimes if you need to really scrub something out it helps as well. Other than that, I only use a rod on pistol barrels, and a little scrap of segmented rod at that, with no handle, I just put the jag or brush on the end of it, set the rod up on the table, and shove the barrel down on it.

I wouldn't throw out old rods, but keeping them on top of the cleaning kit isn't needed either.

 

[chevyforlife21]

Well rods are just faster then Otis I can make 10 passes with the rod by the time I get 1 or 2 passes in with an Otis tilting the gun around trying to find the chamber I have Otis rods and boresnake they all have there perks and weaknesses

 

[rcmodel]

but is there any reason to keep them?

Not unless you stick your muzzle in the mud and need to knock the bore obstruction out.

Or ever want to lap a bore with JB Bore Paste.

Or use copper solvent and really work it in back and forth with a nylon brush.

Yea! I'd pitch them cleaning rods in the trash right away!
No, I wouldn't.

On the other hand, I wouldn't own a Bore-Snake.
I might keep an Otis kit in the range bag for field trips if I had one. But I don't..

I would have no use for one in the shop either.

rc

 

[valnar]

I don't understand. Everyone recommends that you clean from breech to muzzle (if possible) and don't pull it back out. So wouldn't you just be either
1) pulling the crap back into the barrel, or
2) pulling the jag backwards from the crown, or
3) taking the jag off, pulling the rod out, putting the jag back on, rinse & repeat.

Since the recommended way to use a jag is one direction, the same direction every time, I wonder why rods w/jags are recommended. Or am I taking their advice too literally?

 

[rcmodel]

You are taking it more literally then I ever took it.

We cleaned our National Match M-14's in Army AMU from the muzzle with a cleaning rod, back and forth as necessary. Because they were glass bedded in the stock.

On rifles I can't clean from the rear, I use a bore guide and clean from the muzzle.

I don't care which way a brush or jag goes, as long as it goes clear through and allows the brush bristles to start bending over the other way before it goes back through again.

rc

 

[ObsidianOne]

Not unless you stick your muzzle in the mud and need to knock the bore obstruction out.

Or ever want to lap a bore with JB Bore Paste.

Or use copper solvent and really work it in back and forth with a nylon brush.

Yea! I'd pitch them cleaning rods in the trash right away!
No, I wouldn't.

On the other hand, I wouldn't own a Bore-Snake.
I might keep an Otis kit in the range bag for field trips if I had one. But I don't..

I would have no use for one in the shop either.

rc

What's wrong with a Boresnake?
I agree that it's not an end-all, by far for cleaning, however, a couple passes can remove quite a bit of fowling. I keep one in my range bag.
I guess I could see how keeping an Otis kit would eliminate the need entirely for you, since you can do thorough cleaning, clear bore obstructions, and do a 'quick clean' if needed, so perhaps that's what you meant.

 

[rcmodel]

A Bore-Snake cannot clean hard carbon out of a bottleneck rifle chamber, or out of revolver chambers. They are not good for using copper solvent or JB Bore Paste to remove jacket fouling.

Brushing a few flecks of unburned powder out of the barrel at the range is not something I do anyway.
I just don't have any use for them that a cleaning rod can't do better.

rc

 

[Skyshot]

It's nice to have a rod to polish the inside of the barrel with. You can't do that with a snake or cable. I usually try to polish with JB bore paste if I have run a bunch of rounds through. I do like the cables though, beats carrying a CL rod afield.

 

[mookiie]

Rcmodel - I am going to have to disagree about bore snakes, they are convienat when you just shoot something to test function to run a quick clean on it. Yes you could use a rod or an Otis type system but the bore snake is fast and less hassle for quick cleaning jobs. Not that they replace rods u have to really have all that stuff.

 

[LoonWulf]

something to remember about all three, stuff will imbed in your cleaning equipment. I found this to be an issue with paintball markers, even with type III ano. Steel barrel material probably wouldnt be as badly affected, but it is something to think about. I have less of an issue keeping my rods from rubbing on the muzzle then the other two.
I use the snakes/cables as well as rods, but for different tasks. The snakes and cables work well for quick cleanings after hunts or times where only 1 or 2 shots were fired, and i dont want to do a full cleaning on the gun. If im doing any real cleaning i use a rod.

 

[Boanerges57]

if your otis bore swab ever gets stuck in the barrel or chamber have fun getting it out without a cleaning rod.
I love boresnakes, but use them infrequently. but i also clean infrequently, im of the shoot it dirty opinion for accuracy. I clean the bolt and action on a weapon but dont swab the barrel very often.

 

[Three Man]

LoonWulf the problem with the paintball is as you stated is that the paint ball barrels are usually some type of aluminum.

You know like the sand paper, aluminum oxide sand paper.

 

[LoonWulf]

Not exactly the same thing Three Man, and not for the same purpose, but look at how well AO sandpaper scratches the hell out of most metals.
Type three ano is amazingly hard stuff. Even standard cosmetic anodizing is fairly scratch resistant. I used to use fluffy mops and shotgun mops on my markers.
My point was that even soft cotton if its had hard things embedded in it will ware. It dose not take much for a muzzle crown to be made out of round, and if you dont pull strait the cords will rub, and usually in the same spot.

 

[Zednut]

I have 3 boresnakes I keep in 3 separate compartments and used in order. They get used from the muzzle side with a guide cap. They carry enough surface area to keep goop from getting into the action. First snake gets the cleaners on it. Second one gets used dry. last one is sprayed with Eezox for protection/storage. They get cleaned by shaking in a jar of soapy water after each use, rinsed and hung to dry. The 1 reason I switched to this is that its impossible to damage your bore....period. The second reason is that the last inch or so of the bore and the exit crown are the most important part of the bore. Cleaning from the back with a rod and patch pushes all the crud and carbon accumulated on a small patch where???? out the muzzle and crown, does that make sense? Think of it this way, if your arm was dirty and you got a big gash in the middle of it...the doctor would begin by rinsing and cleaning the wound and working outwards away from it, protecting the wound... not the other way around pushing the dirt into it.

 

[earplug]

The Otis cable is handy to pull through my revolver barrel and cylinders while at the range. Just a moist patch. I cut the rifle length cable in half for this job.
A rod can be spun with a electric drill or pushed back and forth.

 

[FruitCake]

For the range and quick clean the cables are good. For a serious cleaning and scrubbing the rods work the best. Honestly I just scrub back and forth and have never had any kind of issues. I just use the right size brush.

 

[P5 Guy]

I have never used a BoreSnake(TM) and most likely never will.
I have an Otis(TM) in my range bag and use it for corrosive ammo cleaning at the range.
I will always use a cleaning rod for thorough cleaning at home.

 

[Averageman]

You havent lived until a boresnake decides to break off in your barrel because it hung up in the chamber.
I went back to Otis and wont buy another Boresnake.
I still have 5 or 6 cleaning rods and intend to keep using them.

 

[jcwit]

I've watched Brian Zins use a bore snake at the regional bullseye matches. I have a hunch he knows what he's doing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Zins
http://www.nrablog.com/post/2009/01/31/Who-is-Brian-Zins.aspx

With that said I prefer to use a rod if its possible to clean from the breech.

 

[crossrhodes]

Cleaning Rods

Otis is a nice compact in the pocket thing, other then that, it's nothing special nor does it do anything special...it's just NEW and different. Are new shooters getting that lazy about putting a few rods together? If you damage a crown or bore and foul up an action from muzzle to breach cleaning. Well, I think you have bigger problems then a dirty rifle. The bore snake is OK, for a quick field PM but that's about it. I think they work better on handguns then long guns.

 

[jcwit]

Are new shooters getting that lazy about putting a few rods together? If you damage a crown or bore and foul up an action from muzzle to breach cleaning.

I only use one piece rods. I do carry a steel 3 pc in my range box for emergency use tho.

For those rifles I have that can not be cleaned from the breech I use either a weed whacker line or Otis kit.

 

[jluther820]

I use them all, but my favorite cleaning tools are chopsticks, dental pics, and medical swabs...