No, I have a ton of brass and stainless steel brushes but I stopped using them years ago. I just use nylon, and if there is stubborn crud I dip them in very fine polish (chrome polish) and rub til it's gone.

Theoretically, since copper is softer than steel, it won't do any significant damage in a lifetime of cleaning. But, rock is harder than water, and moving water carved the grand canyon out of solid rock.....

BTW, pro shooters say most people clean their barrel bores WAYYYY too often and barrel makers say cleaning the bore applies far more wear than shooting does because of this. On the Enos forum, some pros say they clean their guns frequently but the bores only once in a while. There is a logic to it: the next bullet fired will always move whatever shouldn't be there out of it's way.

 

thanks for the input...im asking because the cleaning kit my brother got me i believe is brass.

 

thanks for the input...im asking because the cleaning kit my brother got me i believe is brass.

I've used brass brushes dozens of times and I don't think they damage the bore used in moderation, some people disagree. Brass brushes have been used for decades.

I just use nylon because they will do the job with less abrasion.

 

i started off using a copper (maybe brass? not sure) brush, but now i use the plastic one that came with my XD.

Theoretically, since copper is softer than steel, it won't do any significant damage in a lifetime of cleaning. But, rock is harder than water, and moving water carved the grand canyon out of solid rock.....

a lot of erosion done by a river is caused by sediment suspended in the water causing abrasion on the surrounding riverbed, not just the water itself.

 

i started off using a copper (maybe brass? not sure) brush, but now i use the plastic one that came with my XD.





a lot of erosion done by a river is caused by sediment suspended in the water causing abrasion on the surrounding riverbed, not just the water itself.

Ah, the sand blast effect...... a similar thing occurs using brushes or cleaning patches as they pick up the hard carbon grit in the bore.

 

I read that article about using brass or stainless steel brushes and how they can cause wear. I see how it applies to high-end stainless steel barrels but I don't think it is as much of a concern with the carbon-steel barrels that are more common. I use nylon brushes to apply the bore cleaner and strictly use cotton patches until clean.

 

i used to use copper but all i use now is nylon and i use my copper about every tenth cleaning to get it good and clean

 

barrel makers say cleaning the bore applies far more wear than shooting does because of this

What makers?

a similar thing occurs using brushes or cleaning patches as they pick up the hard carbon grit in the bore.

A tight fitting, rifling engaged, copper plated slug being driven by 20,000+ psi of burning hot gas is much worse. Yet people don't seem to have a problem with that.

I have yet to see any evidence that brass/broze/copper brushes do any harm to a barrel. Or even stainless brushes for that matter. Nylon is an abrasive material by the way.

 

Theoretically, since copper is softer than steel, it won't do any significant damage in a lifetime of cleaning. But, rock is harder than water, and moving water carved the grand canyon out of solid rock.....

Incorrect. Gravel, sand, and debris carried by the water carved the grand canyon.

 

I've always used brass or copper brushes. Don't use stainless.
I see it this way shooting thousands of copper jacketed bullets, about 1000fps will wear out the barrel more than running a brass brush through the bore a few times a month.

 

i dont know how you can say nylon is very abrasive try pulling on a nylon rope verses steel

 

No, I have a ton of brass and stainless steel brushes but I stopped using them years ago. I just use nylon, and if there is stubborn crud I dip them in very fine polish (chrome polish) and rub til it's gone.

Theoretically, since copper is softer than steel, it won't do any significant damage in a lifetime of cleaning. But, rock is harder than water, and moving water carved the grand canyon out of solid rock.....

BTW, pro shooters say most people clean their barrel bores WAYYYY too often and barrel makers say cleaning the bore applies far more wear than shooting does because of this. On the Enos forum, some pros say they clean their guns frequently but the bores only once in a while. There is a logic to it: the next bullet fired will always move whatever shouldn't be there out of it's way.

+1,000.

 

thanks for all the input...think im going to use the brass/copper when needed.

BTW this isnt for my XD, for that i use the brush it came with, this is for our other guns that didnt come with brushes.

 

I use plastic brushes. I let the chemical due its part first, then patch, then brush.

OS

 

I use plastic brushes. I let the chemical due its part first, then patch, then brush.

OS

+1 good advice.

 

What makers?

I have seen various posts over time warning about excessive cleaning. As I said, the pro shooters who hang around the Brian Enos forum recommend cleaning the gun frequently and the bore rarely.

here's one mans opinion:

"It is a sad fact that with the great improvements in better barrel steels, non-corrosive primers, and less erosive propellants, probably as many of today’s barrels are ruined by improper cleaning as by neglect. "
http://www.exteriorballistics.com/reference/rifleinout.cfm

A tight fitting, rifling engaged, copper plated slug being driven by 20,000+ psi of burning hot gas is much worse. Yet people don't seem to have a problem with that.

That's unavoidable if you shoot. The point is, additional abrasion in the cleaning process can be reduced.

Quoting above source:

"Bullet Friction

Bullet friction, as it pertains to barrel wear, is frequently a topic of discussion among shooters. While this friction causes some wear, it is the least measurable factor in barrel life."

I have yet to see any evidence that brass/broze/copper brushes do any harm to a barrel. Or even stainless brushes for that matter. Nylon is an abrasive material by the way.

You think nylon is more abrasive than steel? OK.

 

+1 good advice.

Yes, another good move is to hold the barrel up and hose the bore out with brake cleaner (gunscrubber) spray to run the free carbon out before you start scrubbing. Hard burned carbon is abrasive as you drag it through the bore.

 

what is the throat of the barrel?

 

what is the throat of the barrel?

The area past the chamber, just before up to where the lands and grooves start.

 

what is the throat of the barrel?

The part where the bullet is in when it chambers up into the barrel.

 

What makers?

Scheuman for one:


An opinion on bore cleaning from the Brian Enos forum:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=52131

Nothing but bullets through your Glock's bore?, The Wil Schuemann School of Barrel Cleaning

My Personal Practice has become to never clean the bore of my barrels. I do use a brass rod to scrape the deposits out of the chamber. But, I've learned to leave the bore alone and it very slowly becomes shinier and cleaner all by itself. Years ago I occasionally scrubbed the bore with a brass bore brush. But, doing so always seemed to cause the bore to revert to a dirtier look with more shooting, so I eventually stopped ever putting anything down the bore except bullets...

From - http://www.schuemann.com/Content/clean0.htm

Shuemann's talking here about pistol barrels made of 416 stainless steel. But I am curious if anyone will admit to no longer cleaning the bore of of their stock oem Glock barrels?

it is a valid method.

I only clean the chamber of my .22 match gun, my .45 open gun. They are the two I am most concerned with accuracy.

I have a stock G23 that is a few years old (about 3k thru it, all fmj) and has never seen a bore brush. I don't shoot it a lot but it's one of my most accurate stock guns. When I clean it, I just make sure the chamber's clean and run a patch down the bore. It might just be me, but I swear the bore is shinier than the day I got it.

I used to clean My Schueman open gun barrels with an eletronic/liquid bore cleaner (I forget the name of that thing) and my guns would always shoot larger groups after cleaning till they were shot a bit. Needless to say I don't bother to clean hangun barrels much any more.

I agree, I only shoot jacketed bullets and I only clean the chamber, the outside and the ramp of the barrel. In my open guns I clean the comp occassionally as needed.

I follow Wil's advice and only clean the chamber. Ironically, I'm using Masterblaster bullets with his barrel which he recommends against. (He recommends against moly coated bullets in general). Seems to be working fine for me.

I only shoot jacketed bullets thru my Limited and Open guns and Precision Black bullets in my SS. I have never cleaned anyhting but the chamber in any of them. All are very accurate and reliable.

 

Hmmm...how could the barrel get shiny if it wasn't cleaned regularly? Is there some type of carbon bond that is created with residual soot and heat from firing that shines it after shooting alot? Anyone test this?

 

Hmmm...how could the barrel get shiny if it wasn't cleaned regularly? Is there some type of carbon bond that is created with residual soot and heat from firing that shines it after shooting alot? Anyone test this?

Could be surface stress hardening, could be polishing, could be the hard carbon fills in the surface voids and the passing rounds smooth it level.

I've seen barrels "shoot shiny" but attributed it to the rough cutting job done on the grooves and the natural polishing effect of the bullets passing by over time.

 

The part where the bullet is in when it chambers up into the barrel.

isnt that the chamber?

 

isnt that the chamber?

Yes, I meant the portion of the barrel that is in contact with the brass when it is chambered. That's what I have seen called the throat.