Do you use bore "snakes?" Do you clean em?

[Prof Young]

Riflemen . . . ah . . . women . . . ah . . . Riflepersons:

Do you use bore snakes and if so, do you cleam em? How do you clean em, and how often?

I'm thinking toss them in a pillow case and toss them in the washing machine.

What do you think?

Live well, be safe
Prof Young

[Creature]

Dont bother. Get yourself a good cleaning rod, brush and jag. Keep the boresnake in the range box for occasional use only.

[Steamboatsig]

I like my bore snakes. I like your idea about putting them in a pillowcase. I was wondering how to wash them myself. Good call.

[WLJ]

Yes, into a wash bag (or pillow case)then into the washer.

[mikejonestkd]

I use them on my plinker .22 rimfires and they work nicely for a quick cleaning job.

I use a lingerie bag for them and wash them with the car towels and shop rags.

[comn-cents]

Dishwasher works wonders

[Creature]

They are different story when they break...

Search "boresnake stuck" in this forum.

[Lashlarue]

I used to spend as much time cleaning my guns as shooting them. I never put a gun away dirty.The boresnake has changed all that.The first few times I followed the boresnake with my normal cleaning routine, a total waste of time. Two passes with the bore snake, a light oiling and I'm good to go.Instead of spending two hours, I'm done in less than 15 minutes.I use the rifle length snakes , even in my pistols.....

[Nnobby45]

I only use my bore snake if I shoot the gun I'm carrying at the range. Cleans out the chamber and polishes up the feed ramp before I reload with carry ammo. I clean the gun properly when I get home.

I'd wash it the way I store it. Folded lenghwise along it'self with the cord wrapped around it--in the washing machine.

Like the Tico tool for shotguns, it seems to perform it's function without need for much cleaning if getting the fouling out of the chamber and off the feed ramp are what you're looking for.

Not a replacement for proper cleaning.

[Creature]

Not a replacement for proper cleaning.

Exactly.

[mikejonestkd]

My use of them is strictly limited to rimfire .22s, mostly because there is almost no fouling to remove after a day at the range with them. A few passes with a Hoppe's soaked snake, then a dry patch and a light oiling and the bores are as good as they are going to get.

several manufacturers are not recommending that you do not clean the bore of a .22 rimfire with normal use, as the modern ammo is cleaner and leaves less residue than ammo from ' back in the day '.

Centerfires are another story, with their high pressure, high temperatures, and copper fouling you need to use a good cleaning rod and brushes.

[JWT]

I have one for .22's and have tended to give it limited use. Use it primarily on my Ruger Mark III because it's a pain to strip and reassemble so I run the snake through the bore and clean off the feed ramp and then do a better cleaning job every few trips to the range.

Have to admit I'm a bit 'afraid' of the things after reading the various threads about getting bore snakes lodged in the barrels after the chords break off.

[kiwi56]

I use my Bore Snake at the range and at home once I have put the the brush through the bore and then finish off with cleaning patches.
Here in New Zealand we have a product called Simple Green which is a mild oil dispersant. I mix a 50/50 solution of Simple Green and warm water and leave it to soak for an hour or two giving it a good stir up and repeated dunkings every fifteen minutes or so.

[Chipperman]

I use Bore Snakes for "finish" cleaning after getting the majority of gunk out with a jag and patch. They consequently do not get very dirty, so I have not cleaned them. I think a washing machine in a pillow case sounds like a fine idea, though.

[wogpotter]

I clean mine after every use, I have to as I put solvent on the front area before the embedded bristles.

My usual trick is dishwasher detergent in the sink & wash by hand. Follow with rinses till there's no bubbles & drip dry.

While I have a use for the bore snake (quick, handy field cleaning) it is absolutely not suitable, or capable of cleaning properly. I will always clean fully with rod, jags, brushes & patches when I get back home.

If you doubt me, run a few solvent soaked patches thru any "bore-snake cleaned" bore then get back to me when you see what's left behind.

[uncyboo]

I use them for a quick bore swabbing and clean them after every use with Gun Scrubber Solvent, as I don't want the copper dissloving bore cleaner I use to eat up the bristles.

As most have said, however, boresnakes are handy, but will never take the place of a "real" cleaning for my guns.

[James R. Burke]

Dont use. Just me.

[Nnobby45]

Here in New Zealand we have a product called Simple Green which is a mild oil dispersant. I mix a 50/50 solution of Simple Green and warm water and leave it to soak for an hour or two giving it a good stir up and repeated dunkings every fifteen minutes or so.

Be a little careful with Simple Green. It's a great degreaser, but SigSauer advised me it can take the anodized finish off some parts if left on too long.

[Dallas Jack]

I take the brushes out of my bore snakes and just use them to pull through the barrel every ten shots. Works especially well on rim fires.

To clean, toss in with the laundry after a spritz with Oxy-Clean. Works great.

Dallas Jack

[jman841]

love them for my .22's. I try to clean my weapons after shooting, but always run the boresnake through just to give it a quick clean.

and yea, throw it in a pillow case that u dont care to much about and wash away.

[seanie]

I use a bore snake when I clean my .223 Saiga. It's a pain to get in there with a rod.

[trooper3385]

I use the bore snakes during deer season if I shoot a gun. It's usually not shot more than once or twice, so I use the bore snake when I get home. After the season, or after shooting more than once or twice, I pull out the cleaning rod and clean them properly.

[pilothunter]

Quote:"I used to spend as much time cleaning my guns as shooting them. I never put a gun away dirty.The boresnake has changed all that.The first few times I followed the boresnake with my normal cleaning routine, a total waste of time. Two passes with the bore snake, a light oiling and I'm good to go.Instead of spending two hours, I'm done in less than 15 minutes.I use the rifle length snakes , even in my pistols....."

I agree. I've bought used rifles with bright clean appearing bores, a few swipes with a Boresnake proved the "look" to be wrong. Powder residue you could see puff out of the barrel. I have seen accuracy improve markedly using a boresnake after 2 or 3 range trips and cleanings with some (used) rifles. And I have seen them work wonders on shotgum barrels too. If you want to clean a lever rifle or semi-auto from the muzzle with rod and brush, have at it. I prefer to clean from the action/chamber outward and not deposit residue or other cr*p into my actions. This showed me that they are just as good for my bolt guns too.

[Creature]

I have seen accuracy improve markedly using a boresnake after 2 or 3 range trips and cleanings with some (used) rifles.

By how much? Can you 'quantify' this improvement with grouping measurements?

[T.A.Sharps]

If you value your rifles as more than just plinkers to kill time with, you should not use bore snakes accept where a cleaning kit can't be used.

I have one for a quick field cleaning where I can't use a kit. On a hunt its was good to have with a little bottle of oil, both fit easy in my pocket, and was quick to use when I needed it. I have one for a 12ga and a 45. It works good for cleaning out dirty revolver cylinders too.

However, if you use it for normal cleaning you are using the same dirty patch over and over again, regardless of what people say about washing the snake.

No matter what you use to clean it out, there will still be bits of copper and lead building up in the material of the snake.