204 Cleaning Questions

[FireBallGuy]

I have looked high and low in all of my local gun shops and NO ONE sells a 20 cal cleaning rod. All they appear to say is use your 17 cal stuff which I think is wrong. Brushes dont fit properly, patches are too small. Only option appears to be a bore snake and I really dont like those at all. SO I suppose the big question is, how are all of you guys cleaning your 20 cal guns? Any advise would be most helpful. Thanks all.

[Merrifield]

I think the .17 rod is correct, the .20 brush and jags will fit. Check out Midway or similar site for broad selection.

[FireBallGuy]

Have yet to see any 20 caliber specific cleaning parts up here. I will check it out. Thanks.

[acloco]

There is 20 cal specific cleaning rods/etc. The 17 cal rods are that much smaller, of course.

Check your favorite online retailer or your local gun shop.

[FireBallGuy]

Going to go into the store tomorrow and give them heck!!! Seems all the brands they carry m ake 20 cal cleaning stuff so maybe it is time they get some on the shelf!!! Thanks guys.

[skipper]

Dewey makes a 20 caliber cleaning rod that will work just fine. Mike Lucas makes the best bore guide around. That combination will work wonders. Don't forget to get a rod long enough to exit the muzzle with the bore guide in place. Most of this stuff can be ordered on line at Sinclairs, if you can't find it locally. The lug recess wheels work great for cleaning behind the lugs.

[Pydpiper]

I just received my Dewey rod/brushes/mops and jags right from Dewey. The whole batch cost about $50 to have it shipped to my door here in Canada, a very fair price.
Haven't had a chance to use it though, my Lucas bore guide wont be here for a couple more weeks.
The Dewey rod came as "20cal/22LR"

[FireBallGuy]

Superb guys!!!! Thanks for your help. Going to get all over this now.

[brokeasajoke]

Ive had luck with a 17 rod and jag w/6mm precut patches. My 20 brush fits the 17 rod

[roundman67]

at the risk of sounding ignorant, is there somthing wrong with the bore snake?

[Captqc]

Roundman, nothing wrong with a boresnake, they just don't do as good a job as the rod/brush combo. I will carry a boresnake for quick field cleanings but use the rod for through cleanings. Hope that helps. Gary

[rayfromtx]

The boresnake is a gimmick. Think about it. The first patch or two removes the powder residue. Do you want that covering your boresnake? The brush then mechanically loosens the carbon layer with a chemical designed to cut it. The boreshake has some little brass nubs sticking out of it that are designed to do the same thing but they are quickly worn down. A patch to remove the loosened carbon is followed by a copper solvent. Are you going to put a second chemical on your snake or use two different snakes? Perhaps the solution is to use two new snakes each time you clean the rifle. Is it worth 20$ per cleaning to avoid carrying a rod and some patches? You already are carrying a rifle that is somewhat more bulky and heavy. When I started to get more heavily into shooting I bought a few snakes. I would send them to you for the cost of shipping but I keep them around to show new shooters what a marketing gimmick they are. I hope I have helped someone avoid falling for the boresnake trap without insulting any good men on this board.

[greystone]

Make sure all the thread sizes are compatible. You can get all the 20 cal stuff from Midway, Midsouth, Siclair. I believe everything I have is 5-40 size. Dave

[sniper model 12]

I like the Dewey rods. I found a Kleen Bore kit at the local store the other day and got it for $15. I love the 3 in 1 solution followed by Sweets #7 copper remover. Found a good jag that I like and works well. . . .clean gun.

I also try to clean the rifle within 24 hours after shooting it. The best cleaning I have achieved was within an hour after shooting while all of the dirt was still loose and fresh.

I am a slow operator when it comes to cleaning. I'll take may time (up to 1 or 2 hours) cleaning. Note: I do get interupted a bit with the kid and the wife.

[birddog]

I use Bore Tech Bore Sticks (they come in size .20cal). I think I found the best price on them from LockStock.com. They are wonderful instruments. Combined with a Lukas bore guide, a very good combo.

Birddog