If you are talking about bronze bore brushes, yes, I have always used them. With out using a brush, I don't think you can get your barrel really clean.

Originally Posted by hberttmank

If you are talking about bronze bore brushes, yes, I have always used them. With out using a brush, I don't think you can get your barrel really clean.

+1 same here!

Your not going to get the lead out by just soaking that's for sure. Here's what I do. While at the range and the gun is still warm, I take some Shooters choice, and run a bore snake through it both ways. Then I leave the bore snake in the forcing cone of the gun, and let it soak till I get to the house. At home I feild strip it and go to work on the barrel with a bronze brush and patches till it's clean.
That old wifes tail about shooting a magizine of plated bullets last to clean the lead out is a joke to me.

Originally Posted by Baldy

Your not going to get the lead out by just soaking that's for sure. Here's what I do. While at the range and the gun is still warm, I take some Shooters choice, and run a bore snake through it both ways. Then I leave the bore snake in the forcing cone of the gun, and let it soak till I get to the house. At home I feild strip it and go to work on the barrel with a bronze brush and patches till it's clean.
That old wifes tail about shooting a magizine of plated bullets last to clean the lead out is a joke to me.

It does work to a point, but not worth it.It gets some lead out and forces some lead deeper into the rifling.........

I agree, just make sure it's a BRONZE brush, not a steel one.

I rarely use any brush inside the barrel. If I do, a bronze one is best. Don't use those fancy stainless steel ones in a barrel.

However, in my decades of barrel cleaning I think I've found the best method. At least it works for me. First, I soak the barrel with Hoppes solvent and let it soak. While it's wet, I use a patch rubbed into J-B Bore Cleaning Compound. Work the patch back and forth. On a really fouled barrel I'll soak the barrel with Kroil oil. While it's wet, rub back and forth with the J-B compound. Clean and shiny. Then coat with some Rem oil or use the Kroil.

Sounds like you guys are doing it the hard way. I use the stainless brush, put a cleaning patch over it&some rem oil. Push it through and when it's dirty. put a new patch, repeat.I have never noticed any barrel scratching and by the third or fourth patch the barrel is clean. If I buy someone's filthy used gun, I start with the stainless brush& a squirt of brake cleaner. If you hit plastic or wood w/ the brake cleaner have a oily rag nearby to wipe it off.

I shoot heavy, cast bullet loads in my six-shooters, and leading is sometimes a problem. I do clean out some of the lead by shooting about twenty-five rounds of jacketed bullet stuff.

When I clean my guns, if leading is still evident, I use one of those lead-removal cloths, cutting a patch sized square and scrubbing the bore with it. This is followed by a stainless steel bore brush (not a Tornado brush) until the leading is gone. If carbon traces remain, use Brasso or Sweet's 7.62 to remove the carbon. Dry and lightly oil to finish.

Does this harm the bore? My .45 Ruger has been cleaned this way since 1987 and just passed 17,000 rounds fired. It'll still cut playing cards.

Bob Wright

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

Does this harm the bore? My .45 Ruger has been cleaned this way since 1987 and just passed 17,000 rounds fired. It'll still cut playing cards.

Bob Wright

Many years ago, I was "fire lapping" my muzzleloaders to achieve greater accuracy (which worked, by the way) and in the instructions it explained (as I remember) that with normal barrels it would take something like 25 to 50 rounds to make everything "true" inside of the barrel. But with a Ruger, particularly a stainless, it would require more like 200 to accomplish the same thing because of the hardness of the metal...
I think Rugers are built like tanks!

Here's a little trick that gun traders use all the time on something their going to sell. Take Semi Crome or fine metal polish and work it up and down the barrel with patches. It will make it shine like brand new. Of corse if you do it all the time I would say, that would not be good for the lands in the barrel. It will get all the lead or copper out I can tell you that.

Most of the bristles on those brushes is a soft metal, but the main wire core that holds it all together is usually steel. I would recommend getting one with a brass core.

Get one of those scrubbing pads that look like real heavy steel wool..Cut off a bit and wind it on a brush,wire or nylon,and run that through your barrel a few times..It will remove the worst leading easier than anything and not hurt the bore..

1. Soak barrel with M-Pro7 for 5-10 minutes. (10+ minute if I get distracted watching MTV's Wild Boyz)

2. With a toothbrush, brush around chamber opening, muzzle and all around the barrel. Resoak again with M-Pro7.

3. Spray some M-Pro7 on bronze bore brush and brush from chamber to muzzle repeatedly. (Same direction of bullet travel.)

4. Run clean patch through chamber to muzzle.

5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until patch comes out white.

6. Once done wipe out access and allow barrel to dry.

Originally Posted by bompa

Get one of those scrubbing pads that look like real heavy steel wool..Cut off a bit and wind it on a brush,wire or nylon,and run that through your barrel a few times..It will remove the worst leading easier than anything and not hurt the bore..

You are right, Have been doing that to all my guns since the 70's. Even the one that I don't use cast bullets in.
I use Shilen barrels on my competiton guns and that was what he reccomended. You Think Im going to do that to a $800 barrel if it's going to mess it up.

+1 for using bronze brushes, have been for a number of years

Originally Posted by js

Any advice on the use of wire brushes being used to clean barrels...? After giving my Kimber a good field strip cleaning, I had a hell of a time getting the barrel clean and it still isn't as clean as I'd like it to be. I haven't used any wire brushes to clean the barrel, just a ton soaked (Hoppes #9) patches...

That's why they put them in the cleaning kit.

Hot damn, 5+ year thread necro. That's gotta be a record.

KG

Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

I agree, just make sure it's a BRONZE brush, not a steel one.

Just like you cannot scratch a diamond with glass, you cannot scratch stainless steel with bronze. Bronze is softer than stainless steel. I suppose if you did it enough it would wear down the stainless steel like water will wear down river stones. But for the real world, bronze is safe on stainless steel.

Having said that I usually wrap a cotton patch on the brush and dip it in Hoppes 9 and scrub with that. The patch holds some extra liquid and I suppose it reduces the contact of the bristles to the barrel. In any case it carries off the dirt really well.