Bore Snake

[Noz]

Just when I thought there was nothing more to worry about, up jumps the thread in which Bore Snakes were vilified.  I am a believer in them, I own at least one for every caliber I shoot, so I decided to see how well they work.

First it must be said that I clean only for black powder and have been known to wash the snake in dish liquid and hot water.  I soap them up and let them set then scrub them with my hands,  rinse and hang to dry.  I don't wash them after each cleaning but frequently

I chose a Uberti 1873 in 357 as my trial gun.  It was last fired (60 rounds, 125 grain coated bullets ahead of a full case of APP) at a match on 6 May. I squirted a Murphy's Oil Soap, peroxide and alcohol mix down the barrel and then set it aside while I squirted the same mixture down the Baikal double.  I pulled the Bore Snake one time through the rifle and inspected it with a LED light.  Clean and bright.  I ran a brass bore brush through it several times and then a jag with a cotton patch.

the patch came out slightly grey. I found an old bottle of Hoppe's #9 and used it to dampen a patch. Through the barrel several scrubbing passes.  Slightly grey.

A clean dry patch came out clean.  I can't see how I could get it cleaner.

I then turned to the shot gun and a single pass cleaned the plastic snake skin out and left bright and shining barrels.

I then used the Snake on the ROA barrels with the same results

I will continue using the Bore Snakes with confidence.

Now what else it there to worry about?

 

Oh, I know! I think my shotgun stock may be too short.

[DocWard]

I'm like you, I have at least one for every caliber I shoot. We got a bunch of them my last deployment, courtesy of the company, and I've never looked back.

 

I believe some people will hate and complain about a sunny day, just to be contrary. 

[Pat Riot]

I too, have them in every caliber and in pistol and rifle lengths. I no longer use them as my sole cleaning method. I think, for BP perhaps they are fine. I also think they are fine for occasional use but after my experiments with them overall I will not use them as a primary cleaning method.

 

I have always said though, ask a dozen shooters how they clean their guns and you'll get ten different responses. 

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I have always said though, ask a dozen shooters how they clean their guns and you'll get ten different responses.

 

 

Don't you mean "Ask ten shooters how they clean their guns and you'll get a dozen different responses?"

 

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

I just prefer not to use them. 

 

It's not that I don't have some or that I don't like them, I just prefer to us rods.  The bore snakes I have are kept in the hunting gear or the luggage.  I use them in the field if it is needed or for carry guns in case I get caught out in the rain on trips.  Cleaning for me is part of shooting.  I'm not in a hurry to stop shooting and I'm not worried about time when I'm cleaning guns.

[Sedalia Dave]

17 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I have always said though, ask a dozen shooters how they clean their guns and you'll get ten different responses. 

 

 

Pat that is a bald face lie.

 

Ask 10 shooters and you will get 12 different methods. Then after they all argue the virtues of the respective methods you will end up with at least 2 dozen techniques.    

[Utah Bob #35998]

Boresnakes are awesome. 

Rattlesnakes not so much.

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

I don't like Spiders and Snakes, and that ain't what it takes to Clean Me, Wackado Wackado Wackado. 

[Sedalia Dave]

2 hours ago, Noz said:

Just when I thought there was nothing more to worry about, up jumps the thread in which Bore Snakes were vilified.  I am a believer in them, I own at least one for every caliber I shoot, so I decided to see how well they work.

First it must be said that I clean only for black powder and have been known to wash the snake in dish liquid and hot water.  I soap them up and let them set then scrub them with my hands,  rinse and hang to dry.  I don't wash them after each cleaning but frequently

I chose a Uberti 1873 in 357 as my trial gun.  It was last fired (60 rounds, 125 grain coated bullets ahead of a full case of APP) at a match on 6 May. I squirted a Murphy's Oil Soap, peroxide and alcohol mix down the barrel and then set it aside while I squirted the same mixture down the Baikal double.  I pulled the Bore Snake one time through the rifle and inspected it with a LED light.  Clean and bright.  I ran a brass bore brush through it several times and then a jag with a cotton patch.

the patch came out slightly grey. I found an old bottle of Hoppe's #9 and used it to dampen a patch. Through the barrel several scrubbing passes.  Slightly grey.

A clean dry patch came out clean.  I can't see how I could get it cleaner.

I then turned to the shot gun and a single pass cleaned the plastic snake skin out and left bright and shining barrels.

I then used the Snake on the ROA barrels with the same results

I will continue using the Bore Snakes with confidence.

Now what else it there to worry about?

 

Oh, I know! I think my shotgun stock may be too short.

 

Use them all the time cleaning up after a weekend of shooting APP. Keeps me from having to disassemble my 92. I do use a Tornado brush on my 87 to remove the plastic snake skin. Then follow up with Ballistol and a bore snake.

 

Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun bores are clean and shiny every time. 

[Subdeacon Joe]

47 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Pat that is a bald face lie.

 

Ask 10 shooters and you will get 12 different methods. Then after they all argue the virtues of the respective methods you will end up with at least 2 dozen techniques.    

 

Plus endless arguments about what solvents.  

 

38 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Boresnakes are awesome. 

Rattlesnakes not so much.

 

 

You gotta get the right size rattle snake.  Pull 'em tail first through your shotgun.   

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Joe, fangs can scratch a fine barrel.

[Sedalia Dave]

4 minutes ago, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

Joe, fangs can scratch a fine barrel.

 

That's where getting the proper sized snake comes in. If he is the right size he'll have to close his mouth to fit down the barrel. 

[Pat Riot]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Pat that is a bald face lie.

 

Ask 10 shooters and you will get 12 different methods. Then after they all argue the virtues of the respective methods you will end up with at least 2 dozen techniques.    

 at first I thought "Wow...touched a nerve."

 Ya got me 

 

 

 

 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

24 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

That's where getting the proper sized snake comes in. If he is the right size he'll have to close his mouth to fit down the barrel. 

Welllll, that would depend on the size of the barrel vs. size of the snake.

 

So, you see, SIZE DOES MATTER.

[Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804]

What be this "clean" thing you guys are talking about?

[Tascosa, SASS# 24838]

Never used a 'bore snake'. Always used rods, patches, and a Lewis lead remover. But I think a bore snake is on the list when I next go to town. Got my curious.

Thanks.

[Pat Riot]

One of my biggest issues with Bore Snakes is the cleaning solvent doesn't actually get a chance to do it's job before the rest of the snake is wiping it out. 

[MAYOBARD SASS #13025L]

I put my firearm muzzle down in a coffee can.  I spray Ballistol down the barrel and in the action if it is a rifle.  I let them sit for a bit.  Then, I bore snake them from the forcing cone to the muzzle for revolvers, and from the action to the muzzle for long guns.  It gets my stuff clean.