Cleaning, one patch or two?

A

alinwa

oft dis'd member
So I was running low on 1 3/8 patches shooting a 6mm and I grabbed up some 1 3/4 ........ and realized something, I'm habituated to a certain method!!!

I've been using 2 corner-to-corner 1 3/8 patches for 35yrs...1 1/8 for .22's....

80% of the time I find myself using this method, so

ONE patch or TWO??

What say you?
 
I don't recall ever intentionally using 2 patches at once. I have by mistake a few times, then they get stuck in the leade and I have to remove the bore guide and push them out from the other end.

I use round jags, not the slotted kind. I'm using Wipeout and Accelerator for almost all cleaning, so I'm basically just pushing on through. I only scrub for stubborn carbon in the corners, using either penetrating oil or that Remington stuff with the abrasive in it that you have to shake up. It's been a long time since I used a brush, J&B or nasty smelling chemicals.

I only use Pro-Shot patches because they are the best flannel. I have a bunch of sizes and I only know them by their look, not their measurement. I have some round ones that I like for .30 caliber. I also use the round ones for .22 and I think I use the 1-1/8" for 6mm.
 
vtmarmot said:
I don't recall ever intentionally using 2 patches at once. I have by mistake a few times, then they get stuck in the leade and I have to remove the bore guide and push them out from the other end.

I use round jags, not the slotted kind. I'm using Wipeout and Accelerator for almost all cleaning, so I'm basically just pushing on through. I only scrub for stubborn carbon in the corners, using either penetrating oil or that Remington stuff with the abrasive in it that you have to shake up. It's been a long time since I used a brush, J&B or nasty smelling chemicals.

I only use Pro-Shot patches because they are the best flannel. I have a bunch of sizes and I only know them by their look, not their measurement. I have some round ones that I like for .30 caliber. I also use the round ones for .22 and I think I use the 1-1/8" for 6mm.
Click to expand...

For .25 and .26 caliber I use the Pro-Shot 1-1/8 for loose patches with Accelerator and Wipeout. 1-1/2 and 1-3/4 for tight patches.
 
I use one at a time. Fewer to pick up afterwards. If you're concerned about surface area go with a bigger single patch and use a smaller jag.
 
Anyone here ever wrapped a patch around a nylon brush? Ive done this a couple of times and know a couple of guys that do it all the time.
 
are we talking push thru on a jag or a wrap patch
i tend to use the size that fits
i find usgi 5.56 patches make a good push thru on 30 cal
and usgi 30 cal make good wrap in 30 cal for bore paste
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I guess I'll hafta' take a picture.....see if I can get it blurry enough that the site will accept it.
 
I have wrapped a patch on a nylon brush when using J-B paste. It works good. Fortunately, I don't need to do it much.
 
So, the reason I use two is so that I can adjust the tension better than just using offset. Using only offset I'll sometimes feel that the short side isn't carrying it's load......using two lets me center up.

For instance I'll run my first wet patch of Montana Extreme loose to clean out the main gunk, then another loose to coat the bore with solvent, then a third wet patch but a bit tighter and I'll short-stroke this one spending a little extra time in the throat and the muzzle.

I just realized I do have a pic here..... it's of the browned-up gunky looking ME that recently came out of a Ronsonol can. I grabbed up my drip-spout Ronsonol can after it's been setting for a few months and it looks rusty.

So I took a picture. But this picture does have the 2 patches setup, 1 1/8 size, configured for my first pass thru a 6mm bore

20190705_161134.jpg
 
Apparently I prefer a looser patch fit than you. I use a .22 piercing jag with a single, centered 1 3/8" square patch, for 6mm bores. I have never seen the advantage of squeezing the solvent out of a patch as it leaves the chamber. My barrels pass bore scope inspection. I use a bronze brush after the first round of patching.
 
The whole deal is about how the patch and jag fit the barrel. Find a jag and patch that gives you the feel that you prefer an go with it. Preferably, buy several jags and a whole bunch of patches when you find the right fit and you're all set for a while. The reason alinwa is using two patches is that feels right to him and if nothing else feels right then just keep doing what you're doing. I always just used one patch but there was a time or two I had to use two because I ran out or left 'em home.

Bottom line here is that I recommend to alinwa to try to find a patch/jag combination that he likes rather than use two patches. I do know that alinwa deals with more than one caliber, rather than just a 6mm like myself, and that makes it a bit more difficult...quite a bit actually. We're almost talking about rocket science here.
 
I have maybe 15 "pierce type" jags. Some with razor sharp metal inserts, some all brass, some AL etc. Like Boyd I don't wring solvent into my chamber so fit and amount of solvent are critical.

Interesting to me though that none of you use two :)

Back in the late 80's, early 90's I got the impression from the IBS guys out East that "this is just how you do this part"........ I remember getting a 20min tutorial from Lee Euber in the late 90's including how to use (2) patches and how to clean your bronze brushes to make 'em last, finishing with LockEez (which I never bought into LOL)

Bore guides were just coming onto the scene and "more barrels are worn out by cleaning than by shooting" was the mantra.
 
BTW Boyd........ that patch isn't a soggy as it looks.. I had exactly 5 drops, arranged on the tips of a pentagon, or the tips of a Betsy Ross star :) (ooops, I just made it political!) but they all blurred together while I got my phone.
 
Now that I've seen a picture, I realize the brilliance of the adjustability of the two-patch setup. Never would have thunk of it, probably because I wear my brain out all week on computer-geek work and don't have much left over to be dreaming up gun solutions.

Maybe if I'd have stayed a machinist all those years ago and hadn't moved into that nice clean programming job I'd be up there with Al.
 
One patch or Two?

Down here in Texas,where we have a lot of seasoned Benchrest shooters,Ive never seen,or heard of any Benchrest shooter, intentionally, use more than one cleaning patch at a time. Not saying that it doesn’t happen. Ive seen patches made out of all kinds of material. Saw some made out of some type of paper. Saw some that were cut to size with scissors.

One shooter had a reputation for recycling used cotton patches. He would pick up the used patches, take em home and wash em. I actually saw him pick up the patches. Saw him use the recycled ones at the next match we attended. The washing failed to get out all the blue and black, but I suppose they worked just fine. This fella just kept putting regular whoopings on all us.:D

My take on the patch thing is ,do whatever rocks your boat. Nothing wrong with a little field expediency. I spend more time, at a match, making sure I primed and charged all my brass.:D:


Glenn
 
Well just so you don’t feel alone Al, I often use two patches just as you describe. I play with everything from 17’s to 50’s and the two patch method works great when I need a little tighter fit. Usually it is just making sure the bore is spotless after either lapping the bore with lead and abrasives, or after chambering/crowning and installing a new barrel. Don’t want any crap in there when the first shots are fired!
 
Another way to skin the cat! I turned my 6mm jags down to .125 and use 1 3/4" square patches made by Pro Shot. Because of the material Bore Tech patches are to tight. I spear the patches about a 1/4" in from one of the corners. Works slicker than a whistle.
 
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