Bore snakes

[shovel leaner 7,648]

The only time a bore snake will damage your rifle is if you pull it on an angle. A bore snake will not and should not replace a proper clean , but it is a good thing to pull through after a few shots in between proper cleans . 

[Meece 1,957]

On 03/08/2019 at 11:18, Deker said:

Why use a Bore snake, they are NOT the one time does it all solution, and in rifles can actually cause damage.

Bore snakes were developed as a quick pull through for shotguns on site where you couldn't clean properly, the reason being some years back many propellants were corrosive so it was a good idea to get them out of the barrels asap.  Things have changed and the need for a Bore snake in Shotguns has virtually disappeared.

There never really was a need in rifles, just the marketing people trying to convince the world they were essential.

No Bore Snake will ever clean a bore like decent solvents/brushes/patches/etc.

Chuck it away!

 

Spot on.  it might look clean if you shine a light down a barrel  but It's not until a barrel is cleaned with something like Ed's red  (Google it) and a phosphor brush that you see how much crap is in there. The liquid comes out like waste oil and after about 5 》》10 patches they start to come out clean that you have something approaching a clean barrel. A shotgun barrel just shoots but a rifle like my target rifle may take many shots to resettle down. ( my 22lr target rifle takes about 50 rounds to settle back in to a one shot hole group).  I have known some people who have had their rifles for over 20 years and never cleaned them once without loosing that sort of accuracy.  A lot of people have very random ideas about cleaning ect but if you point the gun st a target and you hit where you aim why mess about with what works. But then again some people couldn't hit a barn door from 10 paces. 

[delswal 3,817]

I had a .22 rimfire for ten years never cleaned the barrel, never had the need to it never faltered, my mate cleaned his regular but shot no better, each to their own I guess 

[BGA 117]

I enjoy cleaning my rifles. They get a full clean after every outing. 

I have a bore snake that I use if I am in a rush when I get in, then they get a full clean the next day. 

I can't understand how anyone could damage a rifle using one unless they tied one end to the rifle and the other end to their car and drove the full length of the A1.

Use the correct one for the calibre, pull it straight out. Don't use one with knots in and check it doesn't have any nicks fraying or cuts. 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Are rubber ones safer for the barrel?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F252600801393

[Gav 1,708]

I've rods, brushes, jags and mops for the .308 and .22, but with the .17 been so small I've only seen one set to do the job, so I use a brass wire doubled in half to pull patches through, which serves a purpose, but once I've used all the ammo up I have, I'm getting rid of the mouse gun and swap it out for a .22 hornet I think, I'm too tight to invest in new rods etc for something I'm not going to keep.