Cleaning rifle from muzzle end

[hughmon]

How do you safely clean without damaging the crown, rifles where the cleaning rod enters the barrel from the muzzle?

I have a 10/22 and have just been very careful when inserting the rod and pushing it through. I have not any problems that I noticed.

Cleaning my new Marlin 336 after shooting a box of ammo to try it out, I followed basically the same procedure. However try as I might to avoid it the rod would bow a little bit as I pushed it through the bore and it would contact the bore.

I use a brass cleaning rod, and I noticed that little bits of brass dust around the muzzle. It looks like little bits of my cleaning rod were being shaved off at the muzzle.

This concerns me.

How should I be doing this? Am I concerned over nothing?

Thanks,

 

[SigMatt]

A .22 boresnake is your best friend for rifles that don't allow for easy breech end cleaning.

If you're going to clean from the muzzle, get a bore guide for your rifle to cap the muzzle for protection. It will keep your rod away from the edges of the crown and prevent it from being damaged.

You are not concerned over nothing. Damage to the muzzle crown does affect accuracy.

Matt

 

[hughmon]

I have seen bore snakes in stores. How do you clean them? I have not purchased one, because I was not sure how much use I would get out of one if you could not clean it effectively.

Thanks

 

[trbon8r]

Pick up an Otis cleaning kit. You can clean your 10/22 from the muzzle with no worries with an Otis kit. The Otis is one of the few products that really is as good as the hype.

 

[HoChiWaWa]

Pick up an Otis cleaning kit. You can clean your 10/22 from the muzzle with no worries with an Otis kit. The Otis is one of the few products that really is as good as the hype.

patches still suck even if the Otis is far better than a standard rod.

Go with the snake, you can wash them in the sink with some detergent.

 

[hughmon]

I googled Otis cleaning kits. Interesting idea. I wonder who sells them locally? I live in Frederick. I am also interested in the bore snake if I could reasonably clean it. Can you wash them my hand in the sink?

 

[joppaj]

Can you wash them my hand in the sink?

I have, seems to work just fine. Wear the rubber dish gloves when doing it, those brushes are kind of sharp when unexpectadly grabbed in a sink full of soapy water.

 

[navycrna]

The only thing with the Otis kits is that the brass bit that holds that patches does not fit cleanly in all guns. It doesn't fit at all into my XD's (I have to disassemble the slide to clean it). And if I recall, it doesn't fit very well into my 10/22 either.

That being said I do love the Otis system over all.

 

[hughmon]

I guess I will try both and see which seems to work best for me.

I am not so much worried about my 10/22, that poor thing has been teated like a red-headed step child, but my my new 30-30.

 

[navycrna]

I guess I will try both and see which seems to work best for me.

I am not so much worried about my 10/22, that poor thing has been teated like a red-headed step child, but my my new 30-30.

Oh the Otis will definitely work on any large rifles.

 

[slayr15]

+ 100 on the otis the best cleaning system i have ever used . navycrna have you tried doubling up on the patches when you clean your pistols? thats what has worked for me with the .40's and the .50ae.

 

[Rattlesnake46319]

You can find the Otis and boresnakes at Bass Pro. I'd imagine most similar stores stock them as well.

 

[navycrna]

+ 100 on the otis the best cleaning system i have ever used . navycrna have you tried doubling up on the patches when you clean your pistols? thats what has worked for me with the .40's and the .50ae.

It's not the patches themselves it is the brass holder. It ends up being to big to get through the ejection port on the XD's without dinging up the slide (I know it is just brass but it still makes me cringe when I have to scrape the slide in order to work the brass eye and patch into the barrell.

 

[trbon8r]

navycrna,

You don't necessarily have to use the brass end. On the other end of the Otis rod (or whatever they call it) you can thread on any plastic loop type cleaning jag. But I know what you mean, if you are having clearance issues with the short brass end, you might have trouble with the plastic type jags as well since most of them tend to be a bit longer.

On the XD, why not just take the gun apart though? You can get at the barrel so much easier cleaning it as a single piece. Disassembly on the XD is so easy, I can't see a reason to try and clean it while assembled.

 

[hughmon]

You can find the Otis and boresnakes at Bass Pro. I'd imagine most similar stores stock them as well.

Thanks, I have seen boresnakes, but have not noticed Otis kits. I will be on the look out next time I am there.

 

[slayr15]

Thanks, I have seen boresnakes, but have not noticed Otis kits. I will be on the look out next time I am there.

i know Dicks stocks them thats were i bought mine . Gander Mtn has them also.

 

[trbon8r]

patches still suck even if the Otis is far better than a standard rod.

Go with the snake, you can wash them in the sink with some detergent.

My problem with the bore snake is that you can't really wipe the snake down in between passes through the barrel. I'm not real keen on having all the same fouling and grit that clings to the snake being passed through my bore time and again. I'd rather have a clean patch each time.

 

[HoChiWaWa]

carbon and fouling is soft, the surface area of a boresnake is large, I don't think there is much of a problem in reality.

 

[trbon8r]

For a Remington 870 or your average Glock, I'm sure a bore snake is fine, but I'm not going to use something like that on my M1A with an expensive Douglas barrel. I'll be putting a clean patch on there for each pass with the Otis kit. The snake is not a substitute for a traditional type cleaning kit for most rifle applications in my opinion. Your mileage my vary though.

 

[joppaj]

The snake is not a substitute for a traditional type cleaning kit for most rifle applications in my opinion. Your mileage my vary though.

I will agree that a snake does not compare to a full disassembly and proper cleaning and lube. I had to laugh though at the thought of using one in a Glock. Anything that disassembles that easily, no excuse not to clean it thoroughly.