Jeff Thomas
New member
A couple questions, please ...
Up to now, I've used 12 gauge shotgun patches to wipe down the frame, bolts, etc. on firearms I'm cleaning. And, I went to buy patches today, and began to wonder if there is a cheaper way. (1) Would cotton diapers or some other fabric be a cheaper way to go when cleaning everything but the bore? (2) What is the cheapest source for decent patches? They seem pretty expensive, considering how many I can run through when I'm trying to get a firearm really clean. Seems like I got through interminable patches trying to get it to come out clean. Even in a bulk bag, I'm paying $8 per bag (# of patches varies, depending upon size of the patch.
Second point ... bore snakes. I hear some people rave about these things, but there is something I don't understand. I have people suggest to me that I run a patch through the bore once, so I don't keep spreading the residue in and out of the bore. To be frank, I don't follow that advice, because it seems like I'd use up an entire bulk bag of patches if I did that. So, if you use a bore snake, doesn't the thing get dirty in short order? And, when it does, how do you clean it? In other words, do you just use the snake a few times, and then clean it somehow? I assume you don't simply toss it ... they're pretty expensive.
Thanks for your help. Regards from AZ
Up to now, I've used 12 gauge shotgun patches to wipe down the frame, bolts, etc. on firearms I'm cleaning. And, I went to buy patches today, and began to wonder if there is a cheaper way. (1) Would cotton diapers or some other fabric be a cheaper way to go when cleaning everything but the bore? (2) What is the cheapest source for decent patches? They seem pretty expensive, considering how many I can run through when I'm trying to get a firearm really clean. Seems like I got through interminable patches trying to get it to come out clean. Even in a bulk bag, I'm paying $8 per bag (# of patches varies, depending upon size of the patch.
Second point ... bore snakes. I hear some people rave about these things, but there is something I don't understand. I have people suggest to me that I run a patch through the bore once, so I don't keep spreading the residue in and out of the bore. To be frank, I don't follow that advice, because it seems like I'd use up an entire bulk bag of patches if I did that. So, if you use a bore snake, doesn't the thing get dirty in short order? And, when it does, how do you clean it? In other words, do you just use the snake a few times, and then clean it somehow? I assume you don't simply toss it ... they're pretty expensive.
Thanks for your help. Regards from AZ