Is it safe to use a brass bore brush in a .22 Rimfire?
- Thread starter SVTNate
- Start date
Sorry, I also want to know where I can get a plastic cleaning rod (or coated metal) for my 10/22. I bought an Outers metal rod, and the bore is just too small to risk using the metal rod. I can safely use a metal rod in a larger caliber, but there is potential for dinging and chipping the barrel with such a tight squeeze.
I am not the guru here, but my answers would be:
-Yes, it is OK to use a bronze bristle brush. Just don't use steel.
-You should be able to find a 1-piece, coated cleaning rod for .22. Local stores here have them. Don't recall the brand. I think a Boresnake is a great tool for cleaning your .22, especially semi-autos. Lets you clean from the breach. I still use the bronze brush after 4-5 Boresnake cleanings, but the snake keeps it pretty clean.
-Yes, it is OK to use a bronze bristle brush. Just don't use steel.
-You should be able to find a 1-piece, coated cleaning rod for .22. Local stores here have them. Don't recall the brand. I think a Boresnake is a great tool for cleaning your .22, especially semi-autos. Lets you clean from the breach. I still use the bronze brush after 4-5 Boresnake cleanings, but the snake keeps it pretty clean.
Hey
I use a bronze brush sparingly, after solvents have had a chance to work. The first thing I do is run wet patches through with a clean wooden dowel, followed by a dry patch and a wet patch. This removes 80% of the deposits at least. Keep the bronze brush clean during bore cleaning with brake cleaner (careful of your eyes and skin).
The best rod I have found is available at Brownells and is made entirely of graphite, not just coated.
Dave R has it right about the boresnake. Just the thing after every range session. Again, use sparingly (I do it three times through) after solvents have softened the remaining deposits. Keep your boresnake clean by washng it between cleanings. Do a full cleaning after every thousand rounds or more. Never use a steel brush.
Nylon brushes are actually not good either. They are soft enough that grit may become embedded in the bristles and scratch your bore.
I use a bronze brush sparingly, after solvents have had a chance to work. The first thing I do is run wet patches through with a clean wooden dowel, followed by a dry patch and a wet patch. This removes 80% of the deposits at least. Keep the bronze brush clean during bore cleaning with brake cleaner (careful of your eyes and skin).
The best rod I have found is available at Brownells and is made entirely of graphite, not just coated.
Dave R has it right about the boresnake. Just the thing after every range session. Again, use sparingly (I do it three times through) after solvents have softened the remaining deposits. Keep your boresnake clean by washng it between cleanings. Do a full cleaning after every thousand rounds or more. Never use a steel brush.
Nylon brushes are actually not good either. They are soft enough that grit may become embedded in the bristles and scratch your bore.
Dave and Ledbetter have given you great advice. I would only add that a great place to buy all your cleaning needs, including a rod (and guide) is:
http://www.sinclairintl.com/
Great products, great prices, great service!
(not an employee, just a very happy customer
)
http://www.sinclairintl.com/
Great products, great prices, great service!
(not an employee, just a very happy customer
)Volquartsen says not to use a brush.
I bought a Volquartsen THM barrel and they advised against using any kind of brush. They advocated simply using a wet patch a few times through, let soak, and then running a dry patch. I made a custom pull through with some Spiderwire fishing line and by cutting down a hoppes slotted platic tip. It seems to be working well. Why Volquartsen suggests not using a brush? I don't know. Anyone else know? I just know since then I have not used a brush on my 10/22 barrel.
I bought a Volquartsen THM barrel and they advised against using any kind of brush. They advocated simply using a wet patch a few times through, let soak, and then running a dry patch. I made a custom pull through with some Spiderwire fishing line and by cutting down a hoppes slotted platic tip. It seems to be working well. Why Volquartsen suggests not using a brush? I don't know. Anyone else know? I just know since then I have not used a brush on my 10/22 barrel.
Bronze brush paranoia
Just like a cleaning rod, a bronze brush will attract and hold grit if not kept clean during bore cleaning. Volquartsen, like many .22 shooters, must feel that the benefits of brushing a .22 bore are outweighed by the risk of damage. I like a clean bore, so I brush, but carefully, keeping the brush clean between passes with brake cleaner spray (do it in a jar).
The pros and cons are regularly discussed at
www.rimfirecentral.com
where the members love to help new 10/22 owners with their projects and their shooting.
Regards.
Just like a cleaning rod, a bronze brush will attract and hold grit if not kept clean during bore cleaning. Volquartsen, like many .22 shooters, must feel that the benefits of brushing a .22 bore are outweighed by the risk of damage. I like a clean bore, so I brush, but carefully, keeping the brush clean between passes with brake cleaner spray (do it in a jar).
The pros and cons are regularly discussed at
www.rimfirecentral.com
where the members love to help new 10/22 owners with their projects and their shooting.
Regards.
Well I didn't order a THM, but I do have a Volquartsen stainless match barrel on the way. I cleaned the factory stainless barrel with my Outers metal cleaning rod and some patches soaked in CLP, then some dry patches.
I don't have a brush for a .22LR yet, so that's why I asked. I use the bronze on my USP's (and my old Glock), and I don't see why there would be a problem there. I suppose I could use nylon though, since I only shoot factory jacketed ammo.
I need to buy some quality rods and brushes, and some sort of compartmentalized box to keep all my cleaning junk, manuals, and bottles of lube/MPro7 in. Tackle boxes are normally too small to hold the MPro7 bottles, but my little CLP dropper would fit fine.
I know about Rimfire Central, but the site loads so painfully slow for me that I don't bother on a regular basis. That's odd, too, because I am on a dual T3 school connection.
I don't have a brush for a .22LR yet, so that's why I asked. I use the bronze on my USP's (and my old Glock), and I don't see why there would be a problem there. I suppose I could use nylon though, since I only shoot factory jacketed ammo.
I need to buy some quality rods and brushes, and some sort of compartmentalized box to keep all my cleaning junk, manuals, and bottles of lube/MPro7 in. Tackle boxes are normally too small to hold the MPro7 bottles, but my little CLP dropper would fit fine.
I know about Rimfire Central, but the site loads so painfully slow for me that I don't bother on a regular basis. That's odd, too, because I am on a dual T3 school connection.
yankytrash
New member
If it's still accurate after 38 years, keep doing whatever it is you're doing.
Although I havent met a fouling I couldn't conquer with the right combination of solvents and a few patches, I've never felt that a brush would do any harm if used sparingly.
Think of it this way - you send thousands of rounds of copper and lead through a bore at thousands of feet per second, so what's the occasional metal brush at 3 feet per second gonna hurt every once in awhile?
Brass vs. Steel!
I have to chime in here (Rare event on a non-ML issue).
Brass cannot hurt steel!!!!
Had this debate elsewhere, so I took a brass punch and placed it against my reciever and hit it with a hammer. After wiping away the small yellow spot of brass left on the steel, no mark could be found. Sorry guys, but butter can't cut the knife!
If you pick up an abrasive material embedded in the brush be it nylon or brass, it could erode the bore slightly. The same is true with your rod. Best advice I have is a stainless rod with a bore guide so the rod NEVER touches the bore.
I would never use a graphite or fiberglass rod as the glass fibers used to reinforce the rod are highly abrasive and can cut the steel.
JPM
I have to chime in here (Rare event on a non-ML issue).
Brass cannot hurt steel!!!!
Had this debate elsewhere, so I took a brass punch and placed it against my reciever and hit it with a hammer. After wiping away the small yellow spot of brass left on the steel, no mark could be found. Sorry guys, but butter can't cut the knife!
If you pick up an abrasive material embedded in the brush be it nylon or brass, it could erode the bore slightly. The same is true with your rod. Best advice I have is a stainless rod with a bore guide so the rod NEVER touches the bore.
I would never use a graphite or fiberglass rod as the glass fibers used to reinforce the rod are highly abrasive and can cut the steel.
JPM
hksigwalther
New member
Kleanbore and Dewey manufacture coated cleaning rods. Kleanbore also makes a 3 or 4-piece coated cleaning rod that usually comes in a kit with jags, lube, etc.
On my 10/22, I have the cleaning hole drilled in the rear of the action so that cleaning from the breech is possible. Of course the rifle has to be disassembled in order to do this. Most of the time, I have used a homemade cleaner made from a piece of weedeater line. I got a fairly stiff piece of weedeater line, melted one end to hold the patch on, and sharpened the other end to a point to poke through the patch. This allows you to pull a patch through the bore from the breech with no chance of cleaning rod damage and no dissasembly of the rifle. This is all pretty much old hat now that the boresnake has come on the scene. One thing that is great about the boresnake is that if I am shooting a whole lot of .22s out of my autoloaders in one day I can occasionally run the snake through the bore if I start getting the occasional jam fixing the problem right then instead of waiting to get home. I went for years without cleaning my .22 barrels with a rod. One day I decided to run a brush through my bores. I got chunks of lead that you wouldn't believe. It had slivers that looked like the grooves were filled in with lead. So, I recommend using a brush at least occasionally. I use a Dewey coated rod and bronze brushes. I buy the brushes from Sinclair International by the dozen since I use the same brushes in my .223 and my .22-250.
Me again
Coated rods don't work for me because the coating is easily scraped off by sharp rifling and then you have to clean the red plastic slivers out with a dowel and a patch. The graphite rod is tougher and doesn't "shed" anything. Also, grit can imbed in the soft plastic coating.
Those who won't use a bronze brush in their .22s are not under the misconception that bronze is harder than steel. The ones I have talked to feel that the likelihood of the brush holding grit or other abrasive impurities outweighs the potential benefit of running a brush through a match-grade barrel less than a quarter inch in diameter. It doesn't take much of a scratch to significantly reduce the accuracy of a match-grade .22 barrel. Ask Scott Volquartsen. While you're at it, ask him what the hell a "stabilizer module" is supposed to do.
Regards.
Coated rods don't work for me because the coating is easily scraped off by sharp rifling and then you have to clean the red plastic slivers out with a dowel and a patch. The graphite rod is tougher and doesn't "shed" anything. Also, grit can imbed in the soft plastic coating.
Those who won't use a bronze brush in their .22s are not under the misconception that bronze is harder than steel. The ones I have talked to feel that the likelihood of the brush holding grit or other abrasive impurities outweighs the potential benefit of running a brush through a match-grade barrel less than a quarter inch in diameter. It doesn't take much of a scratch to significantly reduce the accuracy of a match-grade .22 barrel. Ask Scott Volquartsen. While you're at it, ask him what the hell a "stabilizer module" is supposed to do.
Regards.
How bout a .22 Boresnake?
For my .22's I use the Boresnake pullthrough device in .22, (they come in various calibers and guages).
One pass is all it takes. For the Volqartsens and similar high end pieces with lapped chambers and bores, use _NO_ brushes, you'll scratch the nice shiney surface that you paid extra for, and accuracy will suffer.
For my .22's I use the Boresnake pullthrough device in .22, (they come in various calibers and guages).
One pass is all it takes. For the Volqartsens and similar high end pieces with lapped chambers and bores, use _NO_ brushes, you'll scratch the nice shiney surface that you paid extra for, and accuracy will suffer.
Bottom Gun
New member
SVTNate,
I've used brass/bronze brushes ever since I started shooting and have yet to harm a bore with them.
Your Outers rod is most likely aluminum and it's fine to use in your .22. Aluminum is softer than steel and will not harm it.
I use a one piece stainless steel rod for most of my cleaning nowadays. Of course I'm careful to use the bore guide on guns which need to be cleaned from the muzzle.
I've used brass/bronze brushes ever since I started shooting and have yet to harm a bore with them.
Your Outers rod is most likely aluminum and it's fine to use in your .22. Aluminum is softer than steel and will not harm it.
I use a one piece stainless steel rod for most of my cleaning nowadays. Of course I'm careful to use the bore guide on guns which need to be cleaned from the muzzle.
contrary to popular belief, stainless steel brushes aren't bad for your bore. they don't take out enough metal during regular cleanings to make a damn bit of difference in your rifle/pistol's accuracy. you would have to scrub your bore about ump-teen million times to remove enough metal to degrade accuracy, and by that time, you'll need a new barrel anyway!
go with dewey one piece cleaning rods and a bore guide.
bore snakes work very well too.
go with dewey one piece cleaning rods and a bore guide.
bore snakes work very well too.