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Posted: 7/21/2025 8:35:30 PM EDT
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So what’s the proper way? Pull the bore brush in the direction of the bullet or just stick it in and pull back and forth a few times a call it good? I don't scrub the bore much on my 556, but do do it a bit on my AR9 and AR22. BTW, I done it both ways. |
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I run a couple wet patches (pushed from breech to muzzle) to get the heavy stuff and get it soaking. Then I put on a nylon brush, soak it, and scrub back and forth over and over. I'll stop and run a wet patch to check for cleanliness. Once I stop getting carbon, I stop. |
"Now none of the frightened soldiers moved, for they saw that cowardice and valor purchased equal plots in the sniper's killing field."
"Not interested in a lecture by either side”
- isaidme
"Not interested in a lecture by either side”
- isaidme
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Patches one way. Brushes either, depending on how carbon'd the grooves are. Whatever I use when I use JB goes back and forth. Let the chemicals do most of the work. |
"Technique isn't something that can be taught. It's something you find on your own." - Bunta Fujiwara
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I think the main concern isn't so much the bore itself but the crown or the breech. Given an AR15 usually has a muzzle device and given that the breech is well protected with a huge receiver it makes alignment much easier when you're using a cleaning rod. Of course pulling is always the best way but I never particularly liked the "short stroke" idea where you're going back and forth inside the barrel. Some of the older M1 garands and M1903s tend to have marks on the crown where someone shoved a cleaning rod down. It still shoots great though most of the time. |
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There really is no "right way", but here's one that always works. Run a wet patch down the bore. Use a GOOD bronze bore brush with solvent applied with a paint transfer bulb or eyedropper and run the brush through and out, then reverse and pull it back out. NEVER reverse the brush in the bore, that destroys the brush and can get it stuck in the barrel. Do this 8-10 back and forth passes..... most people way over brush. Let the solvent do the work. Run a wet patch through and let soak about 30 minutes. READ THE LABEL, some strong solvents like Sweet's 7.62 can damage a barrel after 30 minutes. After a soak run a CLEAN soaked patch through in one smooth pass and out of the barrel. Inspect it for green or blue stains indicating copper fouling. If you see any, soak more and run another clean soaked patch until there are no stains. Dry the bore and run a patch with oil or grease through to protect the bore. The key is using good bronze brushes and letting the solvent do most of the work. Brushes don't last long and a worn brush won't clean, buy in bulk. I've had zero luck with synthetic brushes. They're too soft to attack copper fouling. Use one-piece rods of hardened stainless steel or carbon fiber. Aluminum or brass rods can embed grit and scratch, and coated rods don't last long before the coating starts coming off. Screw together rods never mate perfectly and there's always a sharp edge that can wreck a muzzle or chamber. Use a transfer bulb to apply solvent. Dipping patches or brushes in the bottle contaminates it and ruins it. |
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I think the only issue I can think of with pushing is that some of these rods and cleaning products are very cheaply made. I've had cases of bloody knuckles where my hand would slip or the rod would break on a very tight fit patch. This NOS surplus Colt cleaning kit and otis clamshell with the cable are probably the two best ways I can think of and they both let you "pull" the patch or brush through the bore. My surplus colt cleaning kit is actually going on 5+ years now and hasn't let me down. Sometimes if a patch is too large, you can easily back it out before it becomes a major issue. I had cases where a push rod with a jag and patch would become very hard and it is impossible to back out so once you go in, you're committed to pushing that patch through. That and the whole scratching the crown or breech are really the only concerns I can think of when pushing a patch through. |
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Originally Posted By dalle0001: I think the only issue I can think of with pushing is that some of these rods and cleaning products are very cheaply made. I've had cases of bloody knuckles where my hand would slip or the rod would break on a very tight fit patch. This NOS surplus Colt cleaning kit and otis clamshell with the cable are probably the two best ways I can think of and they both let you "pull" the patch or brush through the bore. My surplus colt cleaning kit is actually going on 5+ years now and hasn't let me down. Sometimes if a patch is too large, you can easily back it out before it becomes a major issue. I had cases where a push rod with a jag and patch would become very hard and it is impossible to back out so once you go in, you're committed to pushing that patch through. That and the whole scratching the crown or breech are really the only concerns I can think of when pushing a patch through. Yeah, metal jags seem they can be problematic. I used to turn my nose up at the plastic ones, but now I see why plastic may be preferred. |
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