Bore Snake

[Azzy]

I have a few, .30, .22 and 12ga. They work well, and you can clean them out by putting them in a delicates bag in the washing machine. Probably not something to do with clothing, but with towels it should be safe. (or rags... or work clothes.. ymmv)

The .22 one is the best out of the bunch, IMHO. I always have trouble getting .22 paches down the barrel and back out in one piece, and have had a few rods that would not fit them either. Give it a couple passes, and its good to go. on the 12ga one, i wet the fuzz on the front with Hoppes #9, and then the end with some Weapon shield. One or 2 passes is all I need for a nice clean shiny bore.

The .30 is more of a stopgap to clear out corrosive ammo before I can get home to do proper cleaning, and runs through after proper flooding with windex to neutralize potassium salts.

[max384]

As has already been covered, they're perfectly fine for any type of barrel that you would like to run them through. I clean mine with soap and water in the sink and lay them on the radiator to dry (I've actually only cleaned them once). The wife would be pretty pissed if I put a bunch of dirty boresnakes in her washer.

[Nate7667]

Dont get me wrong Bore Snakes are great, i use them all the time. Good for a quick field cleaning or getting the heavy stuff out before i head home.
But please dont just use these as the "end all" to cleaning your bore. Get yourself some quality jags, patches, and good carbon-fiber rod or a coated rod or a brass rod. Some quality solvent. hoppies is good stuff, but plain old Hoppies #9 will not remove copper fouling. Get some type of copper solvent and search for som good cleaning instructions. I know its been covered here.
You will be amazed at how dirty your bore is when you think its clean.

[Legion_Prime]

As has already been covered, they're perfectly fine for any type of barrel that you would like to run them through. I clean mine with soap and water in the sink and lay them on the radiator to dry (I've actually only cleaned them once). The wife would be pretty pissed if I put a bunch of dirty boresnakes in her washer.

This, I believe is what laundromats are for.

[kimber 22]

Guys - grow a set already!! Do your own laundry, and she'll never know....

Seriously though:

Use a delicates bag as was mentioned above (my wife bought me one for this exact purpose). Spray Shout on them first. I do mine with something like towels or heavy clothes, as suggested above. I hang them in the "gun room" to air dry instead of using the dryer. They work much better when I clean them periodically. I wash them either when cleaning starts taking too long or I can see dirt.

I agree that they are not an "end all" to cleaning, but they are the greatest cleaning invention ever. 762xIan and Nate7667 are correct. I do not spray oil directly on my snakes - I use a bore brush (so some of you may be looking at more oil going into the washer).

Solvents: Gunzilla.

http://gunzilla.us/

Try it, and you will forget every other cleaner you've ever used. I love that Hoppe's #9 smell, but my wife doesn't. She can't smell Gunzilla, and that is now the only cleaner I use. (Copperzilla for stubborn copper and lead.)

They will wear out - watch for fraying. You can increase their lifespan if keep them away from sharp edges like some feedramps have.

[Shadow Heart]

Dont get me wrong Bore Snakes are great, i use them all the time. Good for a quick field cleaning or getting the heavy stuff out before i head home.
But please dont just use these as the "end all" to cleaning your bore. Get yourself some quality jags, patches, and good carbon-fiber rod or a coated rod or a brass rod. Some quality solvent. hoppies is good stuff, but plain old Hoppies #9 will not remove copper fouling. Get some type of copper solvent and search for som good cleaning instructions. I know its been covered here.
You will be amazed at how dirty your bore is when you think its clean.

thats just what i was gonna say for the most part.

[sliverflinger]

I'm an old C&R type been married for forty years. After a while they get used to finding bore snakes in the washer, stocks in the dishwasher, and having to wash brass cleaning compound out of colanders . Not saying she's overjoyed , but I keep the ammo loaded and the rifles cleaned.

[PSUfan1]

I have one for all of my guns. I also have other cleaning equipment for a more in depth cleaning; however, the boresnakes get use a lot (especially if I'm at the range for a long time). I often will shoot 500-1000 rounds of .22 on a given weekend out of my bolt gun and my mosquito. The bore snake definitely helps out a lot (especially if i'm shooting crap ammo). I can run it through without having to pull the bolt or pull apart the sig (though both are very easy to do....

Bore snakes and hornady one shot... couldn't live without um. Not the end all be all for cleaning... but so damn convenient for many applications.

[wa3ra]

Wait until she sees the powder-coated parts in the oven!


I love my boresnakes!

[39flathead]

Unless one is a competition benchrest shooter, a boresnake is all that is needed IMO to clean the average plinking/once a year hunting rifle.
No crown damage, no scraping action due to a rod rubbing the bore.

I am amazed at how many posters seem to be still living in the "olden days", one run through with a boresnake is all I ever do.