Stainless Steel Bore Brushes
- Thread starter sewwhat89
- Start date
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You may get a few opinions on this but mine is that stainless is harmfull to a propperly maintained barrel. Bronze or plastic for me. The only stainless tool that I would use for cleaning a bore is that spiral tornado looking brush used for cleaning plastic and lead fouling from a shotgun (smooth) bore.
Just one mans opinion.
Just one mans opinion.
Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Never use a stainless bore brush on a stainless barrel and personally I would just say never use then ever.
There is no need and they are very hard on barrels, especially stainless barrels.
Kirby Allen(50)
There is no need and they are very hard on barrels, especially stainless barrels.
Kirby Allen(50)
davewilson
Well-Known Member
let's try this another way.every object has a certain hardness.the closer in hardness an object is to another,the easier it will scratch it.if the object is the same hardness,it probably will scratch it. stainless STEEL brush,,,,,STEEL barrel. make any sense? this is why cleaning jags are made of brass,aluminum,plastic or anything that's much softer than steel.
LB
Well-Known Member
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I have seen more and more people using SS bore brushes cleaning rifles at the range as of late.
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You see a lot of people doing a lot of different things, at a public shooting range. Walk the line and take it all in. Some are knowledgeable, and some just bought the gun, and the cleaning equipment at Walmart. Not a good indicator; and there are generally other clues, like a rolled up gun case as a front rest, or two boxes of factory ammo on the bench, not retrieving the brass, lots of clues.
Good hunting. LB
I have seen more and more people using SS bore brushes cleaning rifles at the range as of late.
[/ QUOTE ]
You see a lot of people doing a lot of different things, at a public shooting range. Walk the line and take it all in. Some are knowledgeable, and some just bought the gun, and the cleaning equipment at Walmart. Not a good indicator; and there are generally other clues, like a rolled up gun case as a front rest, or two boxes of factory ammo on the bench, not retrieving the brass, lots of clues.
Good hunting. LB
Dave you are correct and you reminded me of another thing. Similar metals that contact each other will "gall" or smear. It is similar to what happens to a drill bit that slips in the drill chuck when making a hole. The drill is softer than the chuck jaws but they are both steel. The drill bit will have balled up material on it. This is why bushings are made from brass or zinc or babbit material when a steel shaft is spinning in them. If the bushings were also steel they would destroy themselves in short order even though the steel bushing is harder and tougher than the brass ones.
I imagine that this could also happen on a microscopic scale with a ss brush and a steel bore.
I imagine that this could also happen on a microscopic scale with a ss brush and a steel bore.
davewilson
Well-Known Member
gall,smear,scratch,it's all the same thing.
chris matthews
Well-Known Member
I'll second everybody here and as a smith give my opinion- RUN like hell from them!!!!!!!!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Bronze or nylon only..........
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have seen more and more people using SS bore brushes cleaning rifles at the range as of late.
[/ QUOTE ]
You see a lot of people doing a lot of different things, at a public shooting range. Walk the line and take it all in. Some are knowledgeable, and some just bought the gun, and the cleaning equipment at Walmart. Not a good indicator; and there are generally other clues, like a rolled up gun case as a front rest, or two boxes of factory ammo on the bench, not retrieving the brass, lots of clues.
Good hunting. LB
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It is a private range, and the guy is shooting a custom rifle, Norma brass, custom benchrest, etc. He takes a couple hours just to shoot two groups. I count him as an eccentric fanatic. But his brother is a shadetree gunsmith I believe, and he is the one who told him to use the brushes. I put more trust in Kirby Allen, even if I have never met him, than I would in any wannabe at the range. Thats why I started the thread. I knew he and other smart/experienced shooters would chime in.
[ QUOTE ]
I have seen more and more people using SS bore brushes cleaning rifles at the range as of late.
[/ QUOTE ]
You see a lot of people doing a lot of different things, at a public shooting range. Walk the line and take it all in. Some are knowledgeable, and some just bought the gun, and the cleaning equipment at Walmart. Not a good indicator; and there are generally other clues, like a rolled up gun case as a front rest, or two boxes of factory ammo on the bench, not retrieving the brass, lots of clues.
Good hunting. LB
[/ QUOTE ]
It is a private range, and the guy is shooting a custom rifle, Norma brass, custom benchrest, etc. He takes a couple hours just to shoot two groups. I count him as an eccentric fanatic. But his brother is a shadetree gunsmith I believe, and he is the one who told him to use the brushes. I put more trust in Kirby Allen, even if I have never met him, than I would in any wannabe at the range. Thats why I started the thread. I knew he and other smart/experienced shooters would chime in.
LB
Well-Known Member
The key thing is that while stainless steel is NOT particularly hard, it's advantage is that it resists heat better than chrome moly, due to the nickle content. It isn't as hard as other steels, so it does gaul (especially against another stainless) and a bore brush of any alloy stainless, even 18/8 would be harder than bronze, brass or nylon.
Maybe you could say that the solvent would prevent gauling and scratches, but I doubt it?
Aside from the possible damage, and work hardening and subsequent brittleness, I question the ability of that type of springy design to get into the rifling grooves? That alone is plenty of reason to be cautious.
I love all things stainless, thermos bottles, watches, pipe fittings and brushes; just not bore brushes.
Good hunting. LB
Maybe you could say that the solvent would prevent gauling and scratches, but I doubt it?
Aside from the possible damage, and work hardening and subsequent brittleness, I question the ability of that type of springy design to get into the rifling grooves? That alone is plenty of reason to be cautious.
I love all things stainless, thermos bottles, watches, pipe fittings and brushes; just not bore brushes.
Good hunting. LB
