Alright, here is the deal.

Up until a few years ago, I was the guy using the aluminum sectioned hoppe's rod.  Well, after getting my first precision AR, I changed my ideas of what needed to be done.  So I started buying quality cotton patches along with other equipment, but found these new patches to push REALLY hard down my barrel, is this correct?  I was used to how easy those synthetic patches "slid" through the bore, but have my doubts they did much cleaning...

SO, it came to pistol cleaning.  I despise the fact I cannot clean from the breach on  my revolvers.  However, I HAD been using an aluminum rod and a muzzle guide I got with my steel cleaning rod.  Worked fine, no problems with "rubbing" against anything with that plastic muzzle guard.  However, I orderd a Tipton carbon fiber 12" rod so I could be worry free.  However, it's a thicker rod, and won't fit any of my muzzle guards.  

So today, I was out of town and had to clean my new 686.  I found out it would not fit my muzzle guards so tried it without... big mistake.  Those cotton patches are tough to get through and even harder to get through without touching the sides of the muzzle with the rod.  

Well after making a few runs through the bore, a couple gouges in the brass (meaning, I could see it had hit at some point) and a few rub marks on the carbon fiber part.  Is it probable I did major damage?  I inspected the muzzle, and found almost all the rifling had some extremely small burrs hanging off of them, but they did NOT look like cleaning problems, they appear facing "out" of the barrel, like they are leftover from the rifling procedure.  Any thoughts?  Am I screwed here?

What equipment do you guys use to avoid damage?  I'm thinking about drilling my old plastic muzzle guard out to fit the new rod when I get home. I obviously need to find SOMETHING.  I just hope it's not too late.  I just can't help but feel a little pissed if I would have just stuck with the aluminum this never would have happened... .  Live and learn I guess.  Hopefully I can avoid this in the future and I haven't already done bad damage.

Thanks,
Gundraw

It sounds to me that your best bet is to get some patches that *properly* fit your bore. You may also have to get some new jags, but at the very least you should get something that fits better than what you describe.

Carbon fiber against steel for one cleaning session probably didn't do anything you'd be able to see or notice.

For most of your cleaning, a Boresnake is sufficient. Save the more severe methods for when you really need them. More firearms are ruined by improper cleaning than by shooting. Look at the muzzles of some rack-grade Garands to see what over-enthusiasm with a cleaning rod can do.

Find a case whose neck will fit into the bore of your revolver, cut it off below the shoulder, and voila! A muzzle guide.

Quoted: It sounds to me that your best bet is to get some patches that *properly* fit your bore. You may also have to get some new jags, but at the very least you should get something that fits better than what you describe.

Synthetic patches "slide" through VERY easily.  However, I was told all cotton patches, although they took much more to get through, did a better job cleaning...  Is this not true?

The problem is that it was BRASS against steel.  Would that have done anything noticeable?

Gundraw

Brass against steel is never the problem. It's the little hard abrasive particles that have a tendency to get embedded in brass that does the damage.

Again, it's unlikely that a one-time thing caused any harm that you could see without a microscope. Just don't make it a matter of habit.

The problem with cotton patches is that they absorb fluids instead of just coating the bore with them, i.e. it takes a lot more solvent to clean with cotton than with synthetics.

Two options for pulling tight fitting patches through.  First use something like the Otis, a plastic coated steel cable.  Or put the rod through the bore from the muzzle, and then screw on the slotted patch holder and pull it through from breech to muzzle.  Of course, I do recommend you use a bore guide.  Get a new one that fits your rod.

Cut your patches down there too big!

Otis makes a flexible pistol rod. Great for cleaning revolvers from the chamber to the muzzle. BSW

I seem to remember someone cleaning their M-1 Garand with a 2-way cleaning jag. Does anyone know where to get one of those?