I have used boresnakes. They're ok. I don't know if they give the most effective clean ever. I have lately been using a rod (steel) and brush. I can't help but feel like this method is a little abusive to the crown of the barrel. I also worry I will damage the firing pin hole if I go through the barrel too fast. Both of these problems can be remedied easily by going slow but I'm scared one day I'll slip up and do some damage. Does anyone use anything different to clean their nice revolvers besides a brass brush and a short rod? Perhaps a coated brush.

Use a brass muzzle guard.

Never heard of this. Thanks.

I use a heavy aluminum cleaning rod that came with a Lewis lead remover.  It's short, stiff, and aluminum so it will not hurt the barrel or crown.  I also take a heavy cleaning rag and fold it several times and push that through the frame to protect the recoil shield and firing pin hole from impacts from the end of the brush.  Works good for me.

Good idea with the rag. I will do that.

Been cleaning mine for years with either an aluminum or a GI pistol cleaning rod, patches and bronze brushes.  No issues.  Put the ring of the cleaning rod against the palm of your hand and wrap your fingers around the rod at a point where your fingers contact the muzzle before the brush or the patch tip contacts the recoil shield.

Among others Pro Shot sell brass cone shaped muzzle guards that slip over the rod.
Insert the brass guard into the muzzle and hold it while you run the rod.
You can buy brass guards that fit most all rods from Brownell's.

As for damaging the breech face, as long as the patch jag is brass and you use brass core bore brushes there's no way you can hurt a steel or aluminum frame.

Unloaded, preferably.

I use a brass pistol rod to clean my handguns.

As far as stopping the rod from hitting the recoil shield, get a Possum Hollow rod stop.  http://www.midwayusa.com/product/708357/possum-hollow-cleaning-rod-stop-27-to-45-caliber
They are available in two sizes.  

Use an undersize brass, or aluminum, cleaning rod, if you can.  For instance, a .22 rod to clean a .38/.357.  
For cleaning .22s, it's tough, as most .17 cal. rods, use a different thread, and are steel, though some, like Dewey, are coated.  They have to be steel, so they won't bend, in this caliber, it seems.

It does bother me, using a .22 rod, in .22s.  
For bore cleaning there, I think I'm going to try the bore snake, or Otis system, more often.

Unless you are using all lead bullets, and shooting huge volumes of ammo at one time, and not shooting your revolver for long periods afterwards, you don't have to use a bore brush every time.
If you're using jacketed bullets, in low volume, you can get most copper out with tight fitting patches, and copper solvent.  
If you're shooting .38spl, in a .357mag. gun, then you may have to brush the cylinder holes more often, if you use .357mag. in the gun once in awhile.

Some guns, like Glocks, come with a plastic cleaning rod and stiff plastic brush.

I like using them as general purpose bore and cylinder brushes because there's little chance of damage.

I mostly use boresnakes too.  I think I busted out my brushes and rod for a .45.  For some reason the big .45 barrels always look like they're dirty after using a boresnake.  Moreso than the smaller calibers.  But it's probably just because I can see in there better.  

The cylinders are easier with a rod and brush too.  Plus than you can go oversized a bit easier I think.

I use a brass bore guide and a hardened steel rod.   I stuff a rag in the frame to keep from hitting the firing pin hole.   If you get leading, wrap some material from a Chore Boy all copper scouring pad around a bore brush for a very tight fit.   Leading comes out easily and this will work on plastic fouling in a shotgun, too.

I really like Boresnakes but for revolvers I use an aluminum rod and brass bore brushes.  The reason being is the Boresnake does not do a good job on the chambers.  I shoot ALOT of 38 spl in my 357 magnum revolvers and I always conscious of getting the cylinders nice and clean so the fouling cant build up and prevent the magnums from chambering.
Good luck.

This is what I use...on all handguns.

Matters not weather it's rifle or pistol/revolver, my method is the same. I should mention I have a lot of boresnakes in various calibers but only in rifle length. I can use them in all my stuff.

I start out with a quick disassembly and running a boresnake a couple times (upsized usually by a caliber) (cylinders also in a revolver) and then a gentle dry wipe down with a soft rag, it will get most of the loose stuff out. From there I'll hose them down with either Hoppe's #9 or Hoppe's elite depending on the finish, run a wet patch down the barrel, cylinders with a coated rod and a cleaning jag. On a DA/SA revolver or anything else that's not practical to have a full run thru (like a 92 lever) and need to go from the muzzle, I'll put a small rag inside the chamber area in case I push thru too fast to protect the back side and also to catch anything from the barrel and let it work in a bit. As I clean with each use and also all my stuff once a year, I hardly ever need a bronze brush but I have them.

After things are loosened up, I'll start with the barrel (and cylinders) alternating between wet and dry patches until they come out clean, again leaving a rag in the chamber. Next is to use a rag to get what I can then a toothbrush  in the gap area, rag again and finally some Q-tips. I'll finish up with a light coating of rem-oil on the metal, Brownells friction defense on the contact points. It sounds like a white glove cleaning but it isn't. On a full blown out cleaning it's the above and Galco leather lotion on the slings, holsters if applicable and oddly some fuller wood floor cleaner and polish on the wood stocks (lightly of course and again with a sort rag).

Also and with my stainless firearms, every few years and before the lube/oil I'll do the cylinder faces and if a glossy finish like my vaqueros or the metal on my BSEV, feed ramps on a PPK/s or 1911's and so on, I'll rub them down with some mother's billet polish and a rag. It cleans the burn off the face and puts a really deep luster (considering it is stainless) on the surfaces and slicks up the ramps.

Here are some of the cylinders after the Mother's:



And the two vaqueros upper right: