Are "Bore Snakes" bad?

Bore Snake

I have one for each caliber. I agree with the majority of the responders to this post that they are great for a cleaning right after shooting. I use them for both semiautos & revolvers. Two passes through barrels and cylinders will make a more thorough cleanup at home alot easier. After using the bore snake, I also take a Q-tip with a dab of CLP and wipe the residue off the feed ramp of my semiautos. That also leads to an easier cleanup later.
Tom
 
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I use my bore snakes in addition to using a brush, mop and paper towels. I use solvent and toothbrush to clean the feeding ramp and chamber, then run a solvent soaked paper towel through the barrel, then brush, towel, snake, snake, oil-mop. The snake is fed in such a way that it impacts the feeding ramp. It works for me and I don't have to constantly clean the snake.

I'm trying to figure out what to do when I have a moly-coated barrel on my rifles, or when I use "Tetra Gun" products on my pistols. Tetra Gun claims that everything will cleanup with nylon and thus reducing wear. No such thing as a nylon bristle snake. Right?
 
I always take one along hunting. Takes up no space, weighs nothing and can literally save the day when you get dirt, snow or whatever down the barrel.
 
I use one for oiling my duck gun after I clean the barrel, but I'm still not enthused. I don't use the same patch twice when cleaning and I'll be derned if I'm going to run a dirty boresnake through a good barrel.

And I can't figure out how a boresnake is going to remove a plug of mud or ice out of a shotgun barrel. Maybe if it had a 2 or 3-ounce weight on the end it could break the plug loose - maybe.

To each their own.

John
 
johnbt: The bore snake won't remove a plug of snow or ice, but a handy twig will. Then use the bore snake to clean up the mess.

It's no Dewey rod, but it's better than nothing when I'm way back in the woods and traveling light.
 
A couple years ago, my hunting partner`s 20 guage 870 Wingmaster got plugged with mud. We stopped, I cleaned out ALMOST all of the mud with a stick, scraping the barrel walls until only a tiny residue remained when finished. (We did not have a Boresnake, or any other means of cleaning it further) Even though I did the best I could with the stick, after the first shot, he had a bulge in the barrel towards the end, with a split running down the middle of it! Dont EVER try to clean a barrel in a half-assed manner like we did. Spring for the $20, and get some kind of portable cleaning kit! Good shootin`-
 
Above post reason why I use the Otis Kit.

Nothing wrong with Boresnake. I just happen to own the Otis, and no need for me to purchase something else--in various calibers/gauges. Economics. Plus I have removed obstructions with the Otis. Sometimes carry whole Kit, sometimes just the size for what I'm using. Not associated with Otis, just my experience.
 
I am the same as most of the others - I like them. Bought one on a whim and had since acquired a .355, .40, .410, .429, .45, 12 Ga, 20 ga, .22 rifle, .243, .264 and .30 caliber one.

To clean the feed ramps I run the snake thru the mag well and thru the barrel so it cleans all at once.
 
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