How far out for bronze brush ?!!

[adam]

I have been told not to push my bronze cleaning brush right out of the muzzle when cleaning, but to only let the first quarter of its length to come out before pulling it back through the bore. Apparently pushing it right out will cause possible damage and also lead to premature crown wear ! Whats your verdict chaps ?

[glenn asher]

I've always pushed the brushes all the way out, before reversing them, the bristles last longer that way. Benchrest shooters usually unscrew the brush and bring the basic rod back thru, put the brush back on, pushing only one direction, that seems too busy to me, but then again, I don't have that kind of money in my rifles.
I DO know that reversing the brush in the bore is very detrimental to brush life, if it doesn't get stuck in the bore. I suspect everyone has his own methods, and eagerly await other's comments, I might learn something useful! Excellent question!:mrgreen:

[Rick in Oregon]

The bronze brush should ALWAYS completely clear the muzzle, and NOT be reversed while still in the bore; this is established cleaning doctrine. Bronze is much softer than steel, so will not damage the muzzle crown by completely exiting. You do want to carefully pull back through the barrel so the brush properly centers on re-entering though. If not done correctly, even though the bronze is softer than barrel steel, some erosion can occur over time.

Whether or not you remove the brush for the return trip down the bore is up to you; I run mine both ways for more abrasive/cleaning time in the bore prior to patching it clean and dry.

[skipper]

I short stroke the brush in the throat area of the barrel a couple of times and then send it all the way out of the muzzel. I unscrew it and withdraw the bare rod. Then I run a patch through from breech to muzzel to get out everything the brush loostened. Then I repeat the process until I get a clean patch.

I have had problems reversing some brushes in the bore before, but not since I started using the Dewey No-Harm brushes in .20 caliber. They will reverse direction without sticking. Brushes are cheap. $500 barrels aren't. If the brush exits the muzzle, unscrew it and pull the rod back out without the brush. To me the biggest risk is knocking a chip in the muzzel with the brush while trying to pull it back through the muzzle. The problem area is where the brush screws into the rod. A lot of times the brush is a bigger diameter than the rod right there. That lip is going to get pulled across the crown if reversed.

If the whole brush doesn't exit the crown the bristles will keep it centered in the bore and should prevent damage to the crown if you reverse it. Always use a bore guide!!!

[WrzWaldo]

And if you have/use a composite style cleaning rod you will pull the end of the rod off if you do not fully exit at the muzzle.

[Rick in Oregon]

On short-stroking: Most sources such as Sinclairs do not advise this unless using a worn out brush for caliber, wrapped with a patch using JB compound or similar abrasive for cleaning the throat area or stubborn, very fouled barrels. The new 'no-harm' Dewey brushes are the exception to this practice.

As Skipper mentioned, a bore guide is a critical piece of equipment that should always be used.

[adam]

I have had trouble pulling a fresh new brush back down the bore when only allowing the first part to exit the muzzle, And on my old rod actually pulled the handle off !!
To further this subject I also brush 10 strokes for every round fired, whichis why i asked about the possible damage caused to the crown. Again the 10 strokes to one round is advice i was given

[Rick in Oregon]

adam: The reason you have trouble with the brush is that YOU SHOULD NEVER REVERSE A BRONZE BRUSH IN THE BORE! This is written everwhere, and has been a long established doctrine of rifle cleaning for decades.

With repeated reversing, you can actually cause 'pock marks' in the bore from the brush, and if done at the muzzle, accuracy will suffer, and you'll create small voids for copper to build up within.

No wonder you've pulled off the rod handle! It was not designed for such use.

[skipper]

The reason I short stroke the brush in the throat is because that is where the powder turns to a very hard, almost porcelain like substance. It builds up on both sides of the lands. RE-10X seems to be the hardest to get out. Benchmark cleans up with a lot less scrubbing. When I only push the brush down the bore towards the muzzle, it only gets one side of the grooves clean. The only way I know to get the other side clean is to reverse the brush.

I used to use a .17 caliber brush for cleaning my .204 because the .20 caliber brushes were just too tight. The Dewey No-Harm brush is a perfect fit. I do short stroke my brushes but usually not at the muzzle. The problem area is the first few inches past the end of the chamber.

Rick,

How do you get the back side of the lands and grooves clean? I'm open for suggestions.

[Rick in Oregon]

Skip: I'm not sure what you mean by the "back side" of the lands and grooves, as they run linear to the bore. If you mean the left side of the lands and grooves in a right hand twist barrel, I use the below procedure.

I use Holland's oversize bronze brushes with bronze core for a tighter fit to all my barrels. This really helps scrubbing out all the carbon and copper residue/fouling. On really hard buildup of carbon, I use a worn out .204" brush wrapped with a Pro-Shot 1-1/8" patch gooped up with JB Compound and short stroke the throat area.

If that fails to break it all up, I then move on to Holland's Witches Brew which has always cleaned the worst offending barrels. Like you, short stroking 2" at a time in that area really scrubs out the crap and restores the barrel to like new condition every time.

Also, by running the oversize bronze brush both ways in the barrel after exiting from the muzzle, the "back side" of the lands/grooves gets the same treatment as the "front side". Many times I'll apply solvent to the brush as it protudes from the muzzle just for this reason.

[Bayou City Boy]

I'm with you all the way on your procedures, Rick.....

I would never reverse a bore brush in the bore under any circumstances...at either the throat area or the muzzle.

And as has beens stated, many serious BR shooters do remove the brushes at the end of the muzzle and do not pull the brush back through. However, if its done carefully with a good brush, very little harm can come to the muzzle crown to affect varmint hunting rifle accuracy. Hunting rifle accuracy is miles away from consistent BR accuracy...

And short stroking a barrel with a bare brush leaves me with a bad case of goose bumps...

To each their own I guess... -BCB

[adam]

Ok fully exiting the muzzle it is then. Thank you lads yet again good knowledge from people who live this calibre

[KVW]

I have a ? about this subject. You said that you go 10 times for every shot. That seems a little extreme to me. I have been taught to go 1 time for each shot. Am I wrong with this? I have been cleaning mine this way for a long time with no problems so far. Anyone chime in and let me know how many times you go with a brush per shot.

[WrzWaldo]

I don't think you can put a hard number on required strokes per rounds fired.

You just brush and patch until it's clean.

[cracker]

everyone say's that bronze is softer then steel so no harm will come with long hard scrubbing. ever think how water can cut thru stone after years and years of running over it like in a trout stream. to much brushing will wear on a barrel. clean till it's clean then clean no more.
Sportingly
Cracker