Cleaning the bore question

[Pipper]

I recently bought a bronze bore brush that was marked as being appropriate for both 40 and 45 caliber pistols (I have a 40 cal Walther P99). Being a new gun owner, I tried to cram this thing down the barrel while cleaning (from the action to the muzzle). I gave up pretty quick when I realized that the brush just wasn't going to make it all the way through. A police officer friend looked at the brush and said it was made for a 45.

My question: will my attempt at using this brush damage the rifling in the barrel? I read (in a Hoppe's cleaning guide) that you don't want to let the steel rod touch the rifling, so I'm concerned about this situation as well. I shot very well the first session at the range prior to cleaing. After I used the brush, though, the gun seemed to shoot low and to the left.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Jim V]

If the bronze bore brush, even if it was a .45 brush in a .40 bore, damaged the bore on your pistol the steel in the barrel was gawdawful. I can not see how a softer than steel brush would hurt the bore. There could be damage from the cleaning rod (if steel but not aluminum - allowing for a new cleaning rod that did not have a chance to get grit embedded in it).

I think the shooting problems come from worry athat you damaged the bore and not from actual bore damage itself.

However, I could be wrong, I have in the the past but I would not bet on it.


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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"

 

[Mike Spight]

Pipper:

I agree with Jim...there's no way the bronze brush could have damaged your bore...there just isn't that much difference between a .40 and .45 caliber. Figure that the bronze bristles do flex and you were running it through the bore after dipping it in Hoppes #9, or something like that, and there won't be any problem.

As for it shooting low/left now, I think you might be psych'ing yourself out. Relax...you didn't hurt the pistol!

Mike

 

[Pipper]

Thanks for the help. You're both right, I probably was psyching myself out. I've got a lot to learn, but shooting is really fun, and I'm consuming info daily.

Thanks again!

 

[Jim V]

Pipper, I am sure we all have managed to psych ourselves out after doing something to or with our firearms. Way back when, just after the invention of light, I got a .45 brush stuck in a 9m/m barrel. I got the brush out with no damage to anything but my mental state. It took me a long time to be able to shoot that Browning HighPower well after that.

Welcome to the shooting world. Enjoy and learn.



------------------
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"

 

[Rod WMG]

Use this technique at your own discretion: I'm not endorsing it or condemning it. One well-known gunwriter years ago advocated buying the next size (in caliber) bronze brush for cleaning chores precisely because it would be slightly oversize and do a better job of scrubbing the bore in his opinion.