The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Maybe.

Personally I never use them, they can encourage less than 100% bore cleaning in my opinion.

I always clean the rifles after a shoot, by flooding the bores with Bunox spray (fantastic stuff) then phosphor bronze bush, followed by 4x2 strips (both always in the direction of bullet travel) until the bores come up clean as a whistle!

Then oil up the bores for storage and back in the cabinet..

They're not meant to replace proper cleaning are they......some seem to think so?

I'd hope not, even on a smooth barrel they only get the big bits out!

My view is as follows:

Full Bore Rifle :- Clean thoroughly after every shoot. try and keep the rifling as clean as can be and remove any moisture - typically I shoot my fullbore rifles about 6 times per year so it makes sense.

Shot Gun :- I currently do a full clean every time, but I figure since I shoot a 60 bird shoot rarely - but would like to get out and do more of it. I could bore snake it after ever shoot to remove moisture and take out any surface carbon and lead - then once every couple of hundred shells clean it thoroughly, or before any long periods of inaction on the part of the bang-stick.

I ordered one from China a couple of days ago - less than £3 including shipping. I'll try to snap it before I put it in a gun. If it breaks I'm out three quid, if not I will invest in half a dozen.

Redcat

redcat wrote:I ordered one from China a couple of days ago - less than £3 including shipping. I'll try to snap it before I put it in a gun. If it breaks I'm out three quid, if not I will invest in half a dozen.

Redcat

Good call!

I just ordered a 20g one. I'll see how it gets on before ordering a 12g one. :)

I have five of the Chinese versions, 308 to 223, all of which came in an identical packet to the Hoppes, and none of which cost more than a fiver, posted from HK.
No matter what anyone says, they will clean a barrel better than a phosphor brush/dry patch. You just have to be a bit careful when pulling the starter cord through.
It's quite easy to keep it in the middle of the crown if you lay the rifle on a table and pull towards you with fingers guiding it.
I keep the tail end of mine moistened with 3in1 high performance lube, and just pull through once after every 50 rounds.
I wipe out the chamber with brake cleaning solvent prior to shooting.
Deep clean with solvents every 100-150 rounds.
Chuck the snakes in the wash when they get dirty.
Simples........

Pete

Pete wrote:I have five of the Chinese versions, 308 to 223, all of which came in an identical packet to the Hoppes, and none of which cost more than a fiver, posted from HK.
No matter what anyone says, they will clean a barrel better than a phosphor brush/dry patch. You just have to be a bit careful when pulling the starter cord through.
It's quite easy to keep it in the middle of the crown if you lay the rifle on a table and pull towards you with fingers guiding it.
I keep the tail end of mine moistened with 3in1 high performance lube, and just pull through once after every 50 rounds.
I wipe out the chamber with brake cleaning solvent prior to shooting.
Deep clean with solvents every 100-150 rounds.
Chuck the snakes in the wash when they get dirty.
Simples........

Pete

I am very sceptical Pete, or just old fashioned perhaps, but I haven't seen anything that will clean a bore better than Bunox/phosphor/ 4x2 patches (first patch soaked in Bunox) by the way..

But whatever works I guess, as long as they get put away completely clean, that's all that matters in the end.

for the last 100 years or so the Swiss army have used pull-throughs and grease to clean the bores on their rifles, the bore on my decades old K31 is shiny and the rifling is sharp. the important thing is not to pull the cord over the muzzle crown at an oblique angle, keep it parallel and jobs a good 'un