So I just bent my cleaning rod, its a standard threaded joint style.

God the brass brush was a pain in the ass and so was the keyhole attachment for the patches.  

Maybe the cheap kit I bought from Amazon was a terrible idea.

Can anyone recommend me a cleaning kit with a decent barrel rod?

Or should I just use snakes and only use a rod every 500 or so rounds?  Anyone have their own cleaning routine/frequency they want to share?

I don't clean a barrel anywhere close to that often especially on an AR. When I do give a barrel a good cleaning I use a one piece rod from Dewey.

Run a bore snake down mine at the range before I put them away.  

Clean every 500 rounds or so.  

Dewey rods are your friend for the latter.

A few ideas here. If you only shot acouple of hundred rounds, you can use a CLP oil like Breakfree or Slip EWL on a patch. The trick is to let it soak for at least 15 mins.
When you want to do a heavier cleaning like every other or every third time to the range and use the bore solvent and brush set up first. Then finish with the CLP.
Also pull the rod thru, not push. Get a good G.I. cleaning kit. And last don't forget to put the chamber brush on a short section of rod with some good bore solvent and twist it into the chamber say once or twice a year.

Boresnake

G.I. rod and boresnake is all I use

I've been using the same cleaning kits the government was handing out since I first enlisted back in 1972 or so.

No need for all this made in China crafty bullshit that doesn't last !!!!!

If it was good enough in 1972 ... it is good enough now.

I think Cabella's sell's a Mil-Spec cleaning kit for around $30.

No need for a one piece rod if you have the good multiple piece rod the military issued.

Ain't no Chinese crap going in my American AR !!!!!!!!

MURICA!!! FUCK YEA

 

Yes, I do still have all of my original issue stuff ( that I could get away with ) from back in the 70's, field gear, sleeping bags, shelter halfs, poles, pegs .... even a good number of 20 and 30 round mags.

When I go camping it is with that stuff ....... living in the past can be fun!!!

That is kinda cool that you still use that stuff. The things I have gotten rid of I wished now I hadn't like that 65 Mustang.  

otis breech to muzzle cabels for cleaning and bore snakes for in between

How were you using the cleaning rod? If you are pushing from the chamber to muzzle, to prevent bending the rod at the jointed section, you should insert one section at a time starting with the one with bore brush , when you reach the barrel extension thread another section, and do this until your bore brush is out the muzzle.

Now the easier way which will not booger up a sectioned cleaning rod, is to completely assemble your cleaning rod except for the handle. Then push the handle end of the rod through the barrel extension, and just out the muzzle. Attach the handle to the rod, and pull the bore brush through from chamber to muzzle. Once the rod is removed, repeat the process again until brushed enough.

Your biggest issue is probably thr size of the patchs you are using.

Boresnake. Sectioned cleaning rods are the devil.

Boresnake.  2-3 passes down the barrel and GTG.  Been run through many, many classes with no issues.

I like the Otis kits with the flexible "cleaning rods".  You can wrap the end around your hand to pull it through but if you don't put the patch on right, it can still be a bear to pull through.

Here is a couple old threads on the subject....to save me two finger typing skill effort.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_7/568531_Best_items_kit_to_buy_for_a_new_guy_.html

To add to that Ive become a fan of the Otis 3-Gun and MSR kits as well.

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=3&f=7&t=634883

HTH

+1

Do you even Boresnake, Bro?

But seriously. You'll never go back.

Thanks guys for the tips.

Maybe I am being overzealous by taking my AR apart and cleaning it after each range trip, which is maybe 150 rounds.

Going to get this "Otis" kit and use a boresnake every time after the range and use a brush maybe twice a year.

When I grow a pair (and a money tree for the press) and start reloading my own rounds I might invest in one of these vibro-baths that should make every single cleaning tool obsolete but the oil/lubricant and snake.

No you're not .... but some might be a little lazy.

When I went through Basic Training we had to tear down and clean our issued M16 EVERY TIME we returned from the range.

The worse part was the DI who gave your weapon the WHITE GLOVE INSPECTION.

He knew where to stick that white glove and after a while you learned how to clean the weapon good enough for him.

Call me over zealous, call me anal but when I get back from the range I make sure I could pass that white glove test .

We always used RBC ( Rifle Bore Cleaner ) and LSA ( Lubricant, Small Arms ) back then .... today there are many similar chemicals.

Keep it clean .... keep it lubricated .... and it will keep you happy !!!!





.

I clean my rifles after every range session, whether it's 10 rounds or 1000 rounds.

I've been cleaning my AR in the same manner, and for a good stretch from 2005 to 2010, all I shot was the AR (High Power Service Rifle). During that stretch, my practice sessions only consisted of an average of 50 rounds per day, and matches were usually 80 round aggregates. I pretty much shot every weekend, and maybe averaged 1.5 range trips (either practice or match) per week. So assuming 52 weeks in a year, I probably cleaned my rifles about ~58 times and ~20 times (my practice gun and competition gun, rotation) each year, respectively.

That said, I've never bent a rod. I used Dewey and Pro-Shot rods, coated and stainless steel, respectively. I always use a bore guide, previously a Sinclair delrin bore guide, now a Lucas bore guide.

Important to use a rod only as long as necessary to clear the muzzle with a bore guide inserted in the chamber. This helps minimize flex due to length of the rod.

The next thing is to make sure you use patch and jag combos that are just tight enough such that the rod isn't overly difficult to run through the bore.

My tip for cleaning the 22cal bore of an AR is to actually use a .20cal rod and jag. What I'll do is use a 20cal Dewey coated and a 20cal Pro-Shot pierce jag with a 1-1/2 or 1-5/8 patches or two 1" (or slightly smaller) patches off centered. The overly large patch on the 20cal jag makes for a lot of patch material to run through the bore. The two very small patches offcentered on the small jag makes for a snug fit if I want a good wipe in the bore (but still manageable).

I still use a 22cal rod with 22cal brush for brushing.

So take a look at the Dewey 20C-32 (20cal, 32") and a 20cal Pro-Shot pierce-style jag for patches.

Also look at the Dewey 22C-30 (22cal, 30") rod. This is usually what they recommend for the AR since it's just long enough for a 20" AR with a bore guide. I would get this rod anyway, since you'll want this at the very least for brushing.

I use the Otis pull through kit.

I typically use a one piece rod or a bore snake, but I have also used GI rods for years.
Either you bought a POS knock off or you are not using it correctly.
To put it in perspective back when I ran an arms room broken rods were very rare, but it does happen especially if a person does not keep the sections screwed together tight.

Go watch TiborosaurusRex's YouTube vids on precision rifle cleaning regimen and bore condition monitoring. You're way over-doing it.

Here is what I bought and just recently snapped in half.  Link!

Have an Otis .223 kit and a Hoppes snake coming soon.

Good plan.  Instead of a traditional bore snake, take a look at the Otis Ripcord.  It's a little more rigid than a boresnake being a plastic encased braided wire cable covered with Nomex.  I've used both and I think the Ripcord does a better job.  When I do give my barrel a regular cleaning, it's amazing how little residue there is.  Whichever you use, try to do it while the barrel is still warm before you leave the range.

Also, before you use the Otis kit, be sure you know how to apply the patch.  If done right, it's a nice tight 360 degree fit in the barrel.  If done wrong, you'll use both arms and both legs to pull it through....spoken from experience.

Do you clean your cars engine every time you take it for a spin?

You're over doing it, and over cleaning is one reason that military weapons have such issues. White glove cleaning is nothing more than filler for excess time and the fact that people base true weapons cleaning off the amount of time it takes for drill sergeants to tell each other dirty stories had been a real problem for real conversations on true weapons maintenance.

With lube your guns will run 1000s of rounds without cleaning. As for the bore it doesn't need to be spotless and the precision sitting gurus did very little cleaning on their barrels to keep from affecting accuracy in a drastic way.

Don't push the brush/patch tip through the barrel.

Pushing puts the rod in compression and bends it so that it rubs the lands as it moves through the barrel.

Pulling the brush/patch tip through the barrel puts the rod under tension and it will stay straight if you pull it straight.

Clean from chamber to muzzle.  The idea is to remove the crud from the chamber/barrel, not push the crud back into the chamber, barrel extension and upper receiver.

I noticed when I got my Rem. M700 varmint special in .223 that it took way more time/patches/strokes to clean that my M1A (.308).  For some reason the .223 (whether bolt action or AR15) just seems to get dirtier or is just way harder to clean than .30 caliber barrels.

The suggestion to run the patch/brush with bore cleaner on it through the barrel and let it soak for a few minutes should be followed.  Give the solvent time to loosen/break up the crud, then brush a few strokes and then use patches to clean out the stuff the solvent and brush broke loose.  If you need to repeat the solvent/brush/patch cleaning then do it.

Oh, don't change direction of the brush in the barrel.  The bristles bend away from the direction of travel of the brush and stopping and trying to reverse direction will damage the bristles (bend, kink, break them) and the brush will not be as effective any more.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for the advice!  Maybe one day I will get one of those vibro baths and just soak the whole upper and drink a beer...... poof clean....

Just like the TM9 says.

B

It only took me 5 minutes to find that pulling worked and pushing didn't.

And I'm kinda slow  

Here is how I do it, quite easy:

Run two patches soaked in hoppes  #9 through the bore.  Then shoot the bore fill of wipe-out foaming cleaner.  Wait twenty minutes, run two set patches through.  Repeat as necessary.

Yes.  I actually use an oil filter on ALL my cars to clean the oil.  I take it you don't?

The good thing about a cleaning rod vs a cable is that you can reverse direction is the patch gets stuck.  I've got them all, sectional cleaning rod, one-piece, bore snake, and the Otis cable thing.  I'll usually default to the sectional rod and patches.  Pull the brush and patches as opposed to trying to push them.

This, although, like the poster I quote, I've quit doing frequent brush cleans on my barrel.  I usually just run patches with BF through it until they're clean. I used to be a stickler for a serious cleaning after every shoot.  The Dewey rod works well, though.

idk if anyone has posted yet, but you're supposed to pull the rod out the muzzle end like a bore snake, not push.

boresnake

All great advice, but I think this is the OPs problem. There's no reason a standard .22lr cleaning rod shouldn't work.

I have 2 cleaning "styles".

Part 1.  After im done shooting at the range I will run a bore snake through the barrel a few times while its still alittle warm (not HOT).  If I happen to have my cleaning rod with my i may run a wet patch through the barrel and then a dry patch. Usually I dont bring it unless I'm doing a workup load and the rod needs to be used for a stuck case or something.  

Part 2.  Depending on what gun it is (reg shooter orprecision rig).  Reg shooter I will run the normal wet patch, brush, dry patch and repeat 1-2 times (usually dont clean till 800-1000 rnds).  I dont bust out the copper cleaner till I see alot of copper in the barrel.  precision.  I dont go crazy on.  Same as above. wet patch, brush, dry.  Dont clean till 200-300 rounds but dont go aggressive on.  If I notice my groups opening up for "no reason" then I will clean it till everything is gone.  I just know it will take 20-30 rounds to "bed" the rifling before i can go for groups again.

Get an OTIS system & you'll never look back. Boresnake once in a while just for fun.

This.

This.

This is what I bought with my ar yesterday.  Takes up about as much space in my bag as a 100rd box of .223.  I clean my guns everytime I shoot them (I was brainwashed into this habit at the age of 7).  Cleaning the ar is definitely easier than cleaning the .50 cal flintlock.

Steel, jointed GI cleaning rods are perfectly fine for barrels you don't care about or that other people (like, the taxpayer) paid for.  

For like $25 Dewey rods are great.   The boresnake is also fine for routine cleaning and in fact one company that actually cares about accurate barrels (Kidd) is just recommending boresnakes because a lot of people suck at cleaning barrels or damage it more than they help (for example by cramming a steel jointed cleaning down the front of the barrel like it says in the TM . . . LOL)

You are overdoing it.   Your drill instructors were looking for stuff to yell at and harass you about.   That's their job. Read this article:

http://www.slip2000.com/blog/s-w-a-t-magazine-keep-your-carbine-running/

Anyway, after the first five rounds the rifle is going to fail the white glove inspection.  Does that mean it's only good for five rounds? Of course not!