Patch cutting sizes?

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NY Yankee

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With all the information on the web now, I thought there might be a chart listing the optimal cloth patch sizes for different calibers and gauges. I like to sit and cut my own as I have a plethora of linen, flannel and T-shirt material on hand. I'll never have to buy patches again. Do you prefer squares or rectangular strips?
 
The cotton patches I use are 3" sq.
32 cal uses 1 patch but it's REALLY tight
.380 - 41 mag I use 1 patch
44-45 I use 2 patches at the same time.

.22 uses 1 patch cut into 4 equal pieces
 
You can taken a large peace of patch, say 5x5 inches. put on the jag, then push it in the muzzle until it starts to get hard. Then just mark with a pen, pull it out and you can see how big to cut it. If in does not get very hard to push in double up the patch.
 
Same. Since the weight of cloth varies, every patch is cut slightly different when you're not buying a bulk bag of the same ones. I used to cut up old t-shirts etc. for patches, then I wearied of fiddling around with them and found a great deal on a huge bag of pre-cut ones. Now I'm set for quite some time, and I use the old socks and T-shirts as oil rags when I change the oil in the vehicles.

Stay safe.
 
Do you prefer squares or rectangular strips?

I do not use square, round or triangle; that does not mean I do not make my own, no one would recognize my patches as patches. I started using the wife's pattern/cutting board and her cutting wheel. Little did I know the cutting wheel would cut the pattern board, anyhow she got involved.

It was about the time cheap labor came available overseas, a company that designed and made uniforms for major contracts decided they could save money and compete so they closed with a warehouse full of material; It would seem there was no use for left over material so they duped the material in dumpsters. With all of this new found material I changed my method/technique for cleaning barrels, my wife was happy because I did not need her green pattern board. I did as her what is going to happen when I run out of new found material; she suggested I wash the new found material or learn to sew.

F. Guffey
 
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I prefer cotton flannel material. I also prefer the ones from ProShot as their quality is consistent. I use 3" square for 12 and 20 with a brass jag - really gets the bore clean after spraying with a solvent. 3/4" for .22 and 2-1/4" for 38/9mm
 
I use old hole saws that I grind the teeth off of, then sharpen the edge with a stone. I have a set that includes 3/4", 1", 1.25", 1.5", 1.3/4", 2", 21/8" 2.25" 2.50" 2.75" and 3". I put several layers (up to six layers) of my patch material on a scrap board, chuck the hole saw in the drill press on slow, and cut patches 4-6 at a time. Takes no time at all to fill a zip lock 1 quart bag filled with patches.
 
I mostly use 1 and 2 inch squares. For smaller bores, I just cut the 1" patches to size as needed, but it depends if using the push through jab, or the little thing with the loop to pull the patch through. sometimes a patch can get pushed through on top of the cleaning brush, just to do it quicker - if I don't want to swap the tool on the end of the cleaning rod or get another rod out.
 
I use old cotton t shirts cut twice caliber width 10 to 12 inches long. Patch is cut at the muzzle after setting the ball. Whoops wait a minute, you guys are talking “cleaning patches”. Same source old t shirts but mostly cut into cleaning rag size. 10x10. Bore cleaning is now mostly done by those nifty form bore swabs that screw onto the cleaning rod, sold on Amazon. Last forever washable with a little Dawn.
Cleaning and bore oiling.
 
I buy pre cut, various sizes. I've use fabrics of various kinds but the pre cuts are cheap, easy to find in their package, they work and I am lazy.
 
I eye ball them for 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 flannel which works well for 12 gauge shotgun and for 30.06. and .50 and .54 muzzleloader Cut them in half for .270 and .38 , .357 an .45 muzzleloader. Cut them in 1/4 for.22 LR. Flannel works great because it absorbs a lot easily. Or for smoke poles, a couple of drops and fold them in half and then in quarters and squeeze and liquid will disperse evenly through the entire patch.
 
My patch supply sack has t-shirts, socks and a set of trapdoor jonnies that finally gave out. I was always scared to actually utilize the trapdoor. I had a terrible experience once when I forgot to tuck away the back and straps of my overalls, pretty much scarred me for life. Because of the different thicknesses of my patch material I cut something like an isosceles triangle. The long part threads through the jag and is adjusted by pulling toward or away from the bulk as needed to fit the bore or chamber.
 
Any reason the OP doesn't simply use a pre-cut and
pre-lubed strip of pillow ticking and cut at the muzzle ?

Simple, transportable, and perfect fit every time....


.
 
I haven't used patches for better than 25 years now for rimfire or centerfire, and only cut patches wrapped around a wool-mop for shotguns. Instead, I prefer "dedicated" caliber size felt cylinders that are pulled through a bore using weed-whacker line.
Most all of the good synthetic solvents these days don't require scrubbing of a .22 rimfire bore any longer, just need a soaked felt plug, pulled through, let it sit for 15 minutes, or so, and then a couple of dry plugs to pull the gunk out the muzzle end. They do also make a felt plug with a bit more of an aggressive attitude that has tiny brass ribbons imbedded that will help with stubborn lead removing:

BSiQfEql.jpg
 
Same same same. I mostly buy them pre-cut but often get some that are the wrong size because even the makers are pretty indifferent to these variations, so they change fabric a tiny bit, and despite the same dimensions, now I have to sit there trimming a bit off each side of hundreds of them.

I do make a point to buy large quantities, so even if dumb sized I only do the fixing once every few years then they just sit in the box waiting for me.

As far as SGWs little felt things, never used those for bores, but I do have some for locking recesses, both on ARs and 700s. They work brilliantly well, far better than any other method at 1/50th the time. Stick them on a chamber cleaning (e.g. non-spinning, short) handle. Highly suggested and now I have gotten into understanding how little bores need cleaning, I use them as part of the action/chamber cleaning much more than straight patches, anyway.
 
Such an interesting read on all manner of variations of patches used. When I repurpose and old t-shirt for firearm cleaning patches, I just cut up a variety of sizes. Some are small 1"×1" , but most range from 2" to 4" rectangles. I place stuff a big pile of them in a repurposed, wide mouth brass spitoon that sits on my bench. I just grab the size I need while cleaning.o_O
 
I haven't used patches for better than 25 years now for rimfire or centerfire, and only cut patches wrapped around a wool-mop for shotguns. Instead, I prefer "dedicated" caliber size felt cylinders that are pulled through a bore using weed-whacker line.
Most all of the good synthetic solvents these days don't require scrubbing of a .22 rimfire bore any longer, just need a soaked felt plug, pulled through, let it sit for 15 minutes, or so, and then a couple of dry plugs to pull the gunk out the muzzle end. They do also make a felt plug with a bit more of an aggressive attitude that has tiny brass ribbons imbedded that will help with stubborn lead removing:

View attachment 961979
Tell us more about this method. Where did you find these felt plugs.?
 
I'll get the felt "plugs" from either Brownells or Amazon. The plain white plugs in 500 count bags and the more aggressive green plugs with bronze impregnated ribbons in 80 count bags.
 
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