Bore snake for a handgun?

[GuyWithQuestions]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum, but it’s handgun related so here it goes. I usually clean my handgun bore with a cleaning rod and cleaning patches. Does anyone know if bore snakes are effective compared to the rod and patches? I saw one for a good price at a local store. Do you just put solvent on several spots towards the front end of the snake (right before the brass brushes and again after that and after some of the dry stuff), and some gun oil on the snake just a little before it ends? I know some use a slight amount of oil in the bore and wipe it off to help offer protection from corrosion, while others avoid oil completely in the bore after they use solvent.

 

[brett30030]

I don't put anything on mine. I run a patch/mop thru first and let it soak then pull the snake thru a couple of times dry. Then another patch to see if it's clean before oiling.

 

[Rustynuts]

I spray the gun barrel itself, then spray some on the front end of the snake, including the brass brushes. Works great and is safer than a rod. Just run it through3 or 4 times. You don't need to spray it each time though. I use CLP spray and don't put anything on afterwards. The CLP will do as good or better job than an oil. When the snake gets too dirty, you can throw it in the washing machine. I'd put it in a mesh laundry bag so the brushes don't scratch up your machine! I have 32, 380, 40, 45, and 12 gauge snakes!

 

[weisse52]

I love the bore snake for that quick clean after coming home from the range. I also agree that it might be safer than a rod if you are using the rod from the muzzle end.

I also spray the barrel and the some on front of snake. CLP is good stuff.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I don't put anything on the Snakes themselves, just on the bore.

 

[SAWBONES]

Bore snakes are fine for superficial cleaning of the bore, but they don't produce cleaning that's even close to a few rounds of patching>brushing>patching.

I use them when finished shooting, before departing the range, while the bore is still warm, but never as a substitute for proper cleaning, except with .22LR pistols.

 

[spwenger]

I Use Them All The Time

I have come to prefer water-based solvents, such as M-Pro-7, for handguns, due in part to no additional toxicity from solvent fumes. I place a few drops of such a solvent on the forward section of the Bore Snake. While I rarely shoot cast bullets anymore, I find that even with students who do, two passes through the bore generally suffice. On revolvers of the .38/.357 persuasion I use a .40-caliber Bore Snake for the chambers, which usually require about four passes.

The Bore Snake may not always remove all the crud that builds up between the end of the .38 Special case and the step to the throat when .38's are fired in a .357 magnum revolver. My choice for that situation is to put a new bronze-gauze patch on a Lewis Lead Remover and feed it in from the rear of the chamber, only until it reaches the step to the chamber. A few twists of the tool at that point remove the crud. I then back the tool out of the chamber, to avoid sizing the patch to the smaller diameter of the throat, and repeat on subsequent chambers. After that treatment, the Bore Snake finishes the job nicely.

Some people who use autoloaders and are in a hurry like to feed the Bore Snake up through the magazine well, to clean the feed ramp in the process of pulling the Bore Snake through the barrel. Others caution against doing so in polymer-framed pistols, for fear that the brushes in the Bore Snake will score the polymer surfaces.

If you use a water-base solvent, rinsing the Bore Snake with hot water from the tap after use removes virtually all of the residue and flushes it down the drain.

 

[tipoc]

Bore snakes are handy for a quick cleaning at the range or in the field. They do not clean as well as a brush and patch. One reason for this is that they trap and collect the dirt on them so that after a while it's like running a dirty patch through a gun again and again.

They have there place. I use them at the range when I'm going from shooting 38 to 357 and .44 Spl to .44mag. They quickly clear out a good deal of the build up and prevent sticking cases.

But not a serious tool for cleaning.

tipoc

 

[Lonestar49]

A must..

...

IMHO, bore snakes are in a tie with Q-tips.. wonderful tools of the trade.


Ls

 

[SGW42]

I use one in addition to my regular cleaning regimen. I wouldn't use JUST a Bore Snake for cleaning the bore.

I like them a lot, I own one for every caliber, except .22, which I've never seen for sale, if they make them. Would buy one if I saw it.

 

[Shooters Plus]

I like them a lot, I own one for every caliber, except .22, which I've never seen for sale, if they make them. Would buy one if I saw it.

http://shootersplus.com/cleaning___tools

Zack
Shooters Plus

 

[Mot45acp]

Wal Mart has em for "Rim fire or centerfire .22 caliber rifles." $12-$15ish

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I have been a fan of Boresnakes for cleaning my pistols for a few years now. (I use them on rifles as well but generally also use a rod.) As previous posters have noted, they are not a substitute for a thorough cleaning with a brush and patches. However, contrary to popular belief, one does not have to get a gun spotless after every range trip. AAMOF, doing so may actually be counterproductive because overzealous cleaning can put extra, unneeded wear on a gun. Of course, guns with a lot of metal fouling in the bore obviously need to be cleaned with a bore brush on a rod.

I generally put about 100 - 150 rounds through a handgun on any given range trip. Two or three passes through the barrel gets the bore and chamber clean enough so that accuracy is maintained and I don't have to worry about rust. I put several drops of Ballistol or FP-10 on the Borsesnake where the cord attaches and also where the embedded bristles are.

I'll use a rod, brush, and patches after every few range trips to do a more thorough job.

For my pistols and rifles in .22LR, all I do is clean the chamber with a Q-Tip and oil, and clean the action. I generally don't clean the bore as it isn't needed. For my .22 Magnum rifle I'll use a BoreSnake.

This works for me. My guns shoot well and reliably. YMMV.

 

[XDKingslayer]

I have a boresnake for all of my calibers. They are handy at the range if you need a quick cleaning. They don't replace a normal rod/brush/patch cleaning though.

 

[glockman19]

Bore Snakes...Great invention.

I will generally run one through all of my firearms before leaving the range.

I do however, completely clean them when I get home with Hopps #9, Brass brushes & Patches until it is completely clean.

 

[OldCowHand]

For smaller revolvers, but especially for semiautomatics, the BoreSnake allows some of the "around-the-corner" cleaning through the ejection port that a rod and patches don't (and it never loses a patch in a spot where it's difficult to retrieve). That said, the part of the revolver where I always have to spend the most time is the front of the cylinder.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Hoppe's Bore Snake is great for range work. I run one through the bore of both my rifles and handguns whenever I am testing a new reload recipe. Other then that...Nothing replaces a good old fashioned cleaning with bore brushes, patches, solvents and oils...

 

[possum]

i have a boresnake for every caliber firearm that i own. handguns included. i use em when i have been shooting fmj ammo, and it does a grea job, one or 2 passes and you are good, very rearely does it take more than that.

when i shoot lead it dosen't seem to work so well, so i use the ole rod and paches method. they do work great for all my rifle too.

 

[TX1911fan]

The OTIS kit is another good choice. I don't use my cleaning rod much anymore.

 

[ArmedBear]

I use BoreSnakes for 9mm, .38/.357 and .22 caliber handguns. I'm quite happy with them.

 

[ViperJon]

Guess it depends on what your standard of "clean" is.
I've found the Boresnakes get about 75% of the crud out, but if your a stickler you have to finish it off traditionally.

 

[CU74]

I have BoreSnakes in every pistol caliber we own, plus a couple for rifles as well. CLP on a 'snake after every trip to the range for our semi-auto pistols - disassemble and clean thoroughly after about 5-6 trips. I sometimes run a dry 'snake through revolvers while at the range if I'm shooting lead boolits and lots of them. I am more anal about my revolvers (wife only shoots semi-autos) and rifles - clean them "properly" with brushes and patches after every range trip.

 

[pinetree64]

I use bore snakes with CLP and or WD40 on most of my handguns and shotguns as a quick clean-up. They are great in the field.

 

[sevesteen]

I use a boresnake as the first step even if I am going to field strip and use patches and brushes. Not only saves time, it is one more confirmation that there is no round in the chamber before disassembly.