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Posted: 7/11/2013 11:02:43 AM EDT
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I know there will be some that come here and tell me not to use one; all you people go away.
Now to the question. I've heard that the first time you run one through your 5.56 upper it seems impossible to pull it through. What have you all done to make it easier? I've got one but am scared to use it for fear of it getting stuck. |
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I know there will be some that come here and tell me not to use one; all you people go away. Now to the question. I've heard that the first time you run one through your 5.56 upper it seems impossible to pull it through. What have you all done to make it easier? I've got one but am scared to use it for fear of it getting stuck. You've heard wrong, or those people bought a .45 boresnake and just try to use it on every caliber of firearm they own. To specifically answer your question, I have never done anything to "make it easier" because that has never been necessary. Buy the right size, follow the instructions. |
| In my AR the regular boresnake was just fine. I bought a boresnake viper and it was very difficult to use even after several uses, I actually ripped the string off the last time I used it. Thankfully it didn't bust until some of the material was out of the barrel so I was able to grab it with channel locks and pull it out. With that said I bought another viper and it worked just fine and was only difficult for for the first use. I think the one I busted was defective I wish I saved it to take pictures but I was so pissed I threw it in the trash. |
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In my AR the regular boresnake was just fine. I bought a boresnake viper and it was very difficult to use even after several uses, I actually ripped the string off the last time I used it. Thankfully it didn't bust until some of the material was out of the barrel so I was able to grab it with channel locks and pull it out. With that said I bought another viper and it worked just fine and was only difficult for for the first use. I think the one I busted was defective I wish I saved it to take pictures but I was so pissed I threw it in the trash. Do you think the first one may have been mis-packaged? Was it possibly a .243 or .257 bore snake that had been somehow sold to you by mistake? They don't appear much different, but would make use much more difficult. I started to pull a .308 bore snake thru a.284/7mm barrel and quickly caught the mistake (pulled it back out). Was in a dark tent was my excuse 
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In my AR the regular boresnake was just fine. I bought a boresnake viper and it was very difficult to use even after several uses, I actually ripped the string off the last time I used it. Thankfully it didn't bust until some of the material was out of the barrel so I was able to grab it with channel locks and pull it out. With that said I bought another viper and it worked just fine and was only difficult for for the first use. I think the one I busted was defective I wish I saved it to take pictures but I was so pissed I threw it in the trash. Do you think the first one may have been mis-packaged? Was it possibly a .243 or .257 bore snake that had been somehow sold to you by mistake? They don't appear much different, but would make use much more difficult. I started to pull a .308 bore snake thru a.284/7mm barrel and quickly caught the mistake (pulled it back out). Was in a dark tent was my excuse very well could have been. bought it at a big box store and the packaging is easy to open maybe they got switched. I'm happy with the Viper I have now |
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In my AR the regular boresnake was just fine. I bought a boresnake viper and it was very difficult to use even after several uses, I actually ripped the string off the last time I used it. Thankfully it didn't bust until some of the material was out of the barrel so I was able to grab it with channel locks and pull it out. With that said I bought another viper and it worked just fine and was only difficult for for the first use. I think the one I busted was defective I wish I saved it to take pictures but I was so pissed I threw it in the trash. That's the one I have, the Viper. Guess I'll give it a try, they work great on my 20 and 12 guage 870s. |
| I have noticed the Vipers are a bit stiffer before they get broken in after a few passes compared to the regular ones. You will not hurt your barrel by using them and the pressure and friction are nowhere near what a round passing through generates. I suppose if you are worried and have a slightly larger caliber firearm around, run it through that a few times to mash down the brass brushes on the snake a little. |
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i use them on all my rifles. I would say it takes about 8 lbs of pull to get it through. If you feel it getting stuck dont force the issue. I do keep a clean snake that I spray with oil to lightly coat the bore when I am done and that one pulls through the easiest.
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Check the brass weight- it should have "22" stamped on it. I think the color is unique to evey caliber and rifle or pistol stock number, but I'm not sure. A snake is about the only thing I use, but I clean after every shoot...
1. Anyway, I seperate the upper and hold it muzzle down. 2. Then drop the weight through. 3. Then lift the upper verticaly until I can grab the string. I tug on that a bit; just until the bigger braided part gets in the chamber. 4. Then I flip the barrel over, so I'm pulling UP, not down. I give the upper a little shake or twist - it's imperative the whole snake feeds through with no twists/flops or kinks. Having the weight of the snake hanging helps to ensure it will run through with little or no hangups. 5. Then it's just a smooth, steady tug. The string WILL compress a bit as it stretches. I wrap my hand around all the excess as I pull it up. 6. Repeat 5 or 6 times. DONE! NOTE: This is with the original, not the new Viper. |
If you have soft, delicate hands like I do  ...or if you're just bone idle like I am, here's a solution for annoyingly snug Bore Snakes.
1- Make absolutely certain you have the right caliber. 2- Check again for no knots after you drop the brass end all the way through, 3- Grab a section of USGI cleaning rod. Throw the end of the snake string around the rod in a clove hitch, and you've just created a t-handle that makes pulling easier. |
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I give mine a light spray of CLP. Never had an issue.
Get a thick cylinder shaped object. Wrap the excess pull string around it, and you can reel it right out if it does seem too tight. The only ones who get them stuck are using pistol models so they don't have enough excess rope to get a good hold on it. That or they're incompetent. |
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The first time I used my boresnake was on a .22lr rifle. Talk about impossible.
I tend to step on the end and pull up to get more leverage. After the first pass the following passes are exponentially easier! Just relax and realize that you would NEVER damage your rifle with a piece of stretchy string. absolute worst case scenario? it snaps and you need to pull it out with pliers from the other end and buy a new one. Good news is that it wont snap. |
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I use mine all the time. Never had an issue. Same here. Have one for each caliber I own, never an issue. The one thing you also have to be careful with as you're trying to pull the snake through is that the other end doesn't get hung up on the upper receiver. Sometimes the looped end has gotten caught on the forward assist or a rail and of course if that happens, it'll never go through. Just spray a little CLP on the end with the brush and it should go through. No to hijack this thread but since we're all talking about it, how many people CLEAN their boresnakes? If so, how often and how? |
| I used mine on no less than 15 M16A2s this past weekend so I have I idea what you're talking about. Works fine on 20 inch rifles. Yes, they do sometimes need a little extra muscle, but if it sticks a little, I just wrap it around my hand a bit and I'll harder. It will break in a bit and you'll have no problems. |
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Same here. Have one for each caliber I own, never an issue. The one thing you also have to be careful with as you're trying to pull the snake through is that the other end doesn't get hung up on the upper receiver. Sometimes the looped end has gotten caught on the forward assist or a rail and of course if that happens, it'll never go through. Just spray a little CLP on the end with the brush and it should go through. No to hijack this thread but since we're all talking about it, how many people CLEAN their boresnakes? If so, how often and how? Quoted:
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I use mine all the time. Never had an issue. Same here. Have one for each caliber I own, never an issue. The one thing you also have to be careful with as you're trying to pull the snake through is that the other end doesn't get hung up on the upper receiver. Sometimes the looped end has gotten caught on the forward assist or a rail and of course if that happens, it'll never go through. Just spray a little CLP on the end with the brush and it should go through. No to hijack this thread but since we're all talking about it, how many people CLEAN their boresnakes? If so, how often and how? That's a great question... How do you even clean it? Mine hasn't been cleaned since Afghanistan. 
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I've cleaned my bore snake twice since I've had it and only when the extra solvent that comes out when running it through comes out black due to the carbon fouling. I'm just curious how other people clean theirs.
I roll up the string part of the snake and wrap a rubber band around it to keep it secure. Then I throw the entire snake inside a delicate garment laundry bag and throw it in the washing machine with a little extra soap. I clean the washing machine afterwards in case some oil residue is left behind. I've also read that people have just dunked them in a sink or bucket of water with some dish washing fluid and just scrubbed and rinsed it over and over then just hang them dry. |
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