Cleaning Rods?

Several years ago I purchased a couple of Bore Tech cleaning rods. After a short time they started to shed their coating. I called the company to complain. They blamed it on my use of Lucas metal bore guides claiming that the guides shaved the coating off. I checked the bore guides and found no burrs or sharp edges to justify their claims. I went back to Dewey rods and have had no problems since. I will never use another Bore Tech rod again. I like their cleaning solutions but not their rods.
I tried their cleaners last 2 yrs. Carbon is good. Copper is really weak compared to Sweets. And the Bore cleaner, is going to a friend who likes it. Big jug. I went back to Butch's at range. At home Patch Out....
 
a side comment on cleaning rods
it's a TOOL and as with any tool it is only as good as the USER.
LOOK around at a match and you will see what i mean.
people that cannot obtain a straight in and out stroke,,,flexing the rod all over the place
they think a guide will correct their error..it will not

set the rifle at a height that allows the arm to stroke in and out INLINE with the bore.

again its only as good as the user
 
Coated Dewey's have been my choice since...forever. I've tried others but keep coming back to the Dewey's.

On the .17 cal Dewey's that don't use a ferrule (jag and brush thread directly into the rod), I found some .050 stainless steel balls and filled the rod with them to stiffen it up. A piece of lead 'squirt' with a bit of epoxy on top seals it and keep the balls in place. Makes a big difference in those flexy little rods. Works on the Pro Shot rods too.

Tried a Bore Tech once. Once. ;)

The best thing for any brand rod is a Lucas rod guide.

Good shootin' -Al

Al,

Many years ago my Dewey rod handles got hard to turn. Seems that bumping the handle can cause internal dimples in the handle. Took them apart, and found the plastic handle was used as a "race" for the rod bearings.

So........I added two trimmed steel washers, to eliminate handle contact with the bearings.

Still working well.

Kevin
 
Got some pairs of Dewey for 30 years. Coating is almost as new. Bronze or copper insert at the working end are tarnished in some way. Using MrHomeMade "plactic" rod guides with "plastic" inserts (PP, Delrin). Almost no clearance in between rod/insert:guide.

Only Dewey drawback that comes to my mind is some wear due to the steel balls running directly on the plastic handle material. After 30 years of use, I recently have a handle that was not turning anymore. Just washed out the red plastic dust inside the handle with wd40. I once had an assembly nut chosing freedom and a nice hunting party to recover the steel balls spread all over the place.

Also have some work-hardened stainless steel rods (quite the same material used for under water hunting spears). The fist I made was for a .311 Russian Mosin-Nagant, and the next ones for 5.45 74 type AKs (rod guides/inserts fit on muzzle brake threadings). No commercial rods matched inner bore diameter, commercial steel rods did. Like them.

My firm belief is that rod diameter should match land diameter as close as possible. The less the rod is free to flex under push inside the barrel, the lower pressure it will apply on lands. Should the rod dia matches the land dia perfectly, the rod cannot apply any pressure on the lands. No contact pressure/load, no wear. Glass fiber cleaning rods are a different story.

Other keypoint is to keep the rods as clean as possible and avoid all kind of contamination at best. I store my rods in "plastic" tubing "rod holders" that can be secured to my cleaning craddle, and thoroughly swept the rods with a cotton cloth before placing them back in the tubes after use / +brush washing. See many having their rods laying on concrete bench tables. BAAAAD !!

I saw many guys with the "high elbow syndrom" wining many matches. So, should lands, rod, rod guide and insert correctly match, I don't think "high elbow" has anything to do with barrel wear. It will for sure add to rod coating wear if any, and rod insert's rear wear.
 
Al,

Many years ago my Dewey rod handles got hard to turn. Seems that bumping the handle can cause internal dimples in the handle. Took them apart, and found the plastic handle was used as a "race" for the rod bearings.

So........I added two trimmed steel washers, to eliminate handle contact with the bearings.

Still working well.

Kevin

Solid info, Kevin...thanks for sharing it. ?

Good shootin' -Al
 
a side comment on cleaning rods
it's a TOOL and as with any tool it is only as good as the USER.
LOOK around at a match and you will see what i mean.
people that cannot obtain a straight in and out stroke,,,flexing the rod all over the place
they think a guide will correct their error..it will not

set the rifle at a height that allows the arm to stroke in and out INLINE with the bore.

again its only as good as the user

Yep
 
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