Boresnake vs. bore brush

Kazaam · September 21, 2012, 12:40 AM

Which is better?! YOU decide!

SteelChickenShooter · September 21, 2012, 01:10 AM

11

Baylorattorney · September 21, 2012, 01:12 AM

I got a bore snake stuck in a barrel. Hell to remove. Won't do that again.

SteelChickenShooter · September 21, 2012, 01:33 AM

22

hnl.flyboy · September 21, 2012, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Only way to do that is to use the wrong size. Look at the package. Look at the color. Read the bore size on the package. You can't get a correct snake stuck in a barrel unless you are doing something wrong or you are too weak to pull it through and you only think it's stuck instead of really being stuck.

Bull. I had a brand new (second time being used) boresnake get stuck halfway down my shotgun barrel. As Baylorattorney said, it was hell to remove. A google search of "boresnake," "viper," and "complaints" will yield a bunch of experiences of the "improved" Viper boresnake breaking. A search for the two terms "boresnake" and "stuck" will show many more of the normal boresnakes snapping.

Kreyzhorse · September 21, 2012, 06:08 AM

Both have a purpose and place. I can't say that one is better than the other.

4runnerman · September 21, 2012, 06:39 AM

Steel Chicken shooter- You are dead wrong. I got one for my 223.What a pile of junk. The only good thing about it is ease of carry.
Used it maybe 3 times and gave it to some guy with an AR.

They get stuck a lot. Only way to be sure it won't get stuck is to pre-clean your barrel and at that point,,why use it then

Tactical Jackalope · September 21, 2012, 07:12 AM

I have one for 9mm, .45 and .40 it's been over 3 years. Never had an issue.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

Skadoosh · September 21, 2012, 07:15 AM

I suspect the problem crops up more when used in longer barrels such as rifles and shotguns...not so much in pistol length barrels.

hardhat harry · September 21, 2012, 09:30 AM

The only one I had an issue with is the .22 bore snake. I had to tie the pull cord to a door handle and grab the upper and pull like hell to get it through the barrel. The 9, 40 and 45 and 12 gauge work fine.

MLeake · September 21, 2012, 09:58 AM

I guess in steelchickenshooter's world, nylon cords never break. That was how a friend of mine had a boresnake stick in his rifle barrel.

Since he told me about that, I ceased using snakes. He, like BaylorAttorney, described a very unpleasant time removing the obstruction.

dayman · September 21, 2012, 10:49 AM

I'm not sure where on the spectrum the Otis kits fall, but I like them. They pack easier than rods, and don't get dirty like the snakes.

TheRaskalKing · September 21, 2012, 12:04 PM

I have no problems with mine. They work just fine, though certainly not perfect or indestructible. I like using them in rifles better than rods/brushes/patches. YMMV.

1goodi · September 21, 2012, 01:00 PM

I found it easier to place CLP in front of the brush and just after.

Jo6pak · September 21, 2012, 05:59 PM

I use bore snakes in rifles such as my M1 Garand and M1A so I don't have to clean them from the muzzle. The others I use a rod and brush

Gary L. Griffiths · September 22, 2012, 12:02 AM

Boresnakes do everything I want them to do, and I've never had a problem with one getting stuck. Of course, I use only the proper size ones for the gun I'm cleaning.

If I'm cleaning out a lot of fouling, I use a conventional brass brush and solvent, but for the most part, the bore snake with some eezox added keeps the bore clean and rust free.

FrankenMauser · September 22, 2012, 12:06 AM

Boresnakes are good for a quick "debris removal" at the range, or while hunting.

Proper brushes and disposable patches are for a proper cleaning.

And... I hope you weren't trying to incite a riot, since this is the new "9mm vs .45" topic.

shortwave · September 22, 2012, 12:34 AM

Ditto to what FrankenMauser posted.

dyl · September 22, 2012, 12:37 AM

That's strange, I've had mine for 3+ years and I never even felt like it was close to breaking or wearing out. I use the same one for 9mm, 38 special, .40 cal. I suppose only in handguns as my muzzleloader would be too loose.

I wish there were more bristles on mine, my favorite feature is that I can repeatedly floss back and forth with the cloth portion if everything has been loosened up first and the bore comes out shiny.

wogpotter · September 22, 2012, 08:28 AM

Brush.
Why?
Every time I've used a boresnake I can get more crud out afterwards with a brush.

phil mcwilliam · September 22, 2012, 08:22 PM

I use both. I have a lever action rifle that the bore snake enables easy cleaning from the breach, where a brush doesn't allow.
I tend to use the bore snake as a quick cleaner & the brush for a more serious cleaning session.
I have bore snakes in .17, .22 & .30 caliber. The .17 bore snake is the only really tight fitting bore snake that I own, & it does sometimes feel like it may break in my .17hmr. To alleviate the problem I crimped the wire brush part of the bore snake with pliers & this made it a bit easier to pull through.

impalacustom · September 23, 2012, 01:53 AM

Boresnakes are like using wood dowels for slugging a barrel. They work great until they break.

mitchntx · September 25, 2012, 03:59 PM

http://20-20.8m.com/index.htm

Patch worm ... small, multiple calibers, cheap, easy to store or transport.

F. Guffey · September 25, 2012, 10:45 PM

I make a bore snake, impossible to stick in the barrel, there is something that can be said for cleaning the barrel from one end to the other at the same time, it beats the patch on the end of the cleaning rod.

F. Guffey

10-96 · September 26, 2012, 03:32 AM

I straddled the fence on those bore snakes a long time. I didn't want one for serious cleaning, just a quick removal of loose debris, cobwebs, and whatever else may have found it's way in there. I feel like I cheated the odds- I buy one caliber smaller than the rifle it's intended for, ie: .17/20 cal for .223 rifles and pistols, 7mm for .30 cals, and .40 for .45's. I never expected to use one for serious cleaning anyhow, so they serve my purposes.

View Poll Results: Which is better?
Boresnake	14	24.14%
Bore brush	22	37.93%
Both	22	37.93%
Voters: 58. You may not vote on this poll

September 21, 2012, 12:40 AM	#1
Kazaam Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2012 Posts: 109	Boresnake vs. bore brush Which is better?! YOU decide!

September 21, 2012, 01:10 AM	#2
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	11 Last edited by SteelChickenShooter; September 21, 2012 at 01:47 PM.

September 21, 2012, 01:33 AM	#4
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	22 Last edited by SteelChickenShooter; September 21, 2012 at 01:47 PM.

September 21, 2012, 06:08 AM	#6
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Both have a purpose and place. I can't say that one is better than the other. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

September 21, 2012, 01:12 AM	#3
Baylorattorney Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2011 Posts: 177	I got a bore snake stuck in a barrel. Hell to remove. Won't do that again.

September 21, 2012, 06:39 AM	#7
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,577	Steel Chicken shooter- You are dead wrong. I got one for my 223.What a pile of junk. The only good thing about it is ease of carry. Used it maybe 3 times and gave it to some guy with an AR. They get stuck a lot. Only way to be sure it won't get stuck is to pre-clean your barrel and at that point,,why use it then __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; September 21, 2012 at 01:11 PM.

September 21, 2012, 07:12 AM	#8
Tactical Jackalope Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2010 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 6,429	I have one for 9mm, .45 and .40 it's been over 3 years. Never had an issue. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

September 21, 2012, 07:15 AM	#9
Skadoosh Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2010 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,016	I suspect the problem crops up more when used in longer barrels such as rifles and shotguns...not so much in pistol length barrels. __________________ NRA Life Member USN Retired

September 21, 2012, 09:30 AM	#10
hardhat harry Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2010 Location: I've moved... Posts: 233	The only one I had an issue with is the .22 bore snake. I had to tie the pull cord to a door handle and grab the upper and pull like hell to get it through the barrel. The 9, 40 and 45 and 12 gauge work fine. __________________ "Let me live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend to man."

September 21, 2012, 09:58 AM	#11
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	I guess in steelchickenshooter's world, nylon cords never break. That was how a friend of mine had a boresnake stick in his rifle barrel. Since he told me about that, I ceased using snakes. He, like BaylorAttorney, described a very unpleasant time removing the obstruction.

September 21, 2012, 10:49 AM	#12
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	I'm not sure where on the spectrum the Otis kits fall, but I like them. They pack easier than rods, and don't get dirty like the snakes. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum

September 21, 2012, 12:04 PM	#13
TheRaskalKing Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2012 Location: The Hometown of JMB Posts: 212	I have no problems with mine. They work just fine, though certainly not perfect or indestructible. I like using them in rifles better than rods/brushes/patches. YMMV. __________________ "Freedom and reason make us men; take these away, what are we then?" -Sometimes your best defense is a good reminder of your common sense- Springfield Loaded 1911 - HK USP Compact 9mm - SA XDM 4.5 .45 - Browning Medalist .22 - Ruger 10/22 - Browning Superposed O/U - Remington 1100 - Remington 720 .270

September 21, 2012, 01:00 PM	#14
1goodi Member Join Date: March 14, 2011 Posts: 85	I found it easier to place CLP in front of the brush and just after.

September 21, 2012, 05:59 PM	#15
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	I use bore snakes in rifles such as my M1 Garand and M1A so I don't have to clean them from the muzzle. The others I use a rod and brush __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.

September 22, 2012, 12:02 AM	#16
Gary L. Griffiths Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2000 Location: AZ, WA Posts: 1,466	Boresnakes do everything I want them to do, and I've never had a problem with one getting stuck. Of course, I use only the proper size ones for the gun I'm cleaning. If I'm cleaning out a lot of fouling, I use a conventional brass brush and solvent, but for the most part, the bore snake with some eezox added keeps the bore clean and rust free. __________________ Violence is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and valorous feeling which believes that nothing is worth violence is much worse. Those who have nothing for which they are willing to fight; nothing they care about more than their own craven apathy; are miserable creatures who have no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the valor of those better than themselves. Gary L. Griffiths (Paraphrasing John Stuart Mill)

September 22, 2012, 12:06 AM	#17
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Boresnakes are good for a quick "debris removal" at the range, or while hunting. Proper brushes and disposable patches are for a proper cleaning. And... I hope you weren't trying to incite a riot, since this is the new "9mm vs .45" topic. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

September 22, 2012, 12:34 AM	#18
shortwave Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2007 Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO Posts: 5,970	Ditto to what FrankenMauser posted.

September 22, 2012, 12:37 AM	#19
dyl Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,310	Yours broke? That's strange, I've had mine for 3+ years and I never even felt like it was close to breaking or wearing out. I use the same one for 9mm, 38 special, .40 cal. I suppose only in handguns as my muzzleloader would be too loose. I wish there were more bristles on mine, my favorite feature is that I can repeatedly floss back and forth with the cloth portion if everything has been loosened up first and the bore comes out shiny.

September 22, 2012, 08:28 AM	#20
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Brush. Why? Every time I've used a boresnake I can get more crud out afterwards with a brush. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

September 22, 2012, 08:22 PM	#21
phil mcwilliam Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2007 Posts: 573	I use both. I have a lever action rifle that the bore snake enables easy cleaning from the breach, where a brush doesn't allow. I tend to use the bore snake as a quick cleaner & the brush for a more serious cleaning session. I have bore snakes in .17, .22 & .30 caliber. The .17 bore snake is the only really tight fitting bore snake that I own, & it does sometimes feel like it may break in my .17hmr. To alleviate the problem I crimped the wire brush part of the bore snake with pliers & this made it a bit easier to pull through.

September 23, 2012, 01:53 AM	#22
impalacustom Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 492	Boresnakes are like using wood dowels for slugging a barrel. They work great until they break.

September 25, 2012, 03:59 PM	#23
mitchntx Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 358	http://20-20.8m.com/index.htm Patch worm ... small, multiple calibers, cheap, easy to store or transport.

September 25, 2012, 10:45 PM	#24
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	I make a bore snake, impossible to stick in the barrel, there is something that can be said for cleaning the barrel from one end to the other at the same time, it beats the patch on the end of the cleaning rod. F. Guffey

September 26, 2012, 03:32 AM	#25
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	I straddled the fence on those bore snakes a long time. I didn't want one for serious cleaning, just a quick removal of loose debris, cobwebs, and whatever else may have found it's way in there. I feel like I cheated the odds- I buy one caliber smaller than the rifle it's intended for, ie: .17/20 cal for .223 rifles and pistols, 7mm for .30 cals, and .40 for .45's. I never expected to use one for serious cleaning anyhow, so they serve my purposes. __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.