Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Steel gun cleaning rods

After spending a lifetime of using steel cleaning rods without a problem, we suddenly found out we were all destroying our rifle bores using steel rods. We switched to coated rods.

In the process of putting minimalist cleaning kits together, mainly for the cleaning rod functionality in the unlikely chance of a stuck cartridge and more importantly being able to clear the bore of debris in case of some event.

Thinking this through logically, it seems highly unlikely a steel cleaning rod could damage the bore if used prudently. Engine parts run at high RPM's with a film of oil protecting the parts, it would seem if it was possible to harm the bore with a steel rod a light film of oil on the offending rod would love that problem.

Is equipping each rifle with emergency only backup steel USGI M10 cleaning rods for compactness and strength a bad idea? All main rifle cleaning is done on the bench with coated rods just in case steel rods do destroy rifle bores.

What is your opinion on steel versus coated cleaning rods?

Get a better quality segmented rod than the USGI model. I haveva nice stainless one which has served me well in my shooting box.

I have owned a Gradient Lens Hawkeye borescope since 2002--which provides a much brighter and sharper view than the present inexpensive digital models. One of the first things I did was look at the rear of the barrel in front of the chamber in my older rifles, especially those that had been "pre-owned."

Have yet to find any visible cleaning-rod wear, and they all group very well. The primary example might be the Remington 722 .257 Roberts made in 1953 that was my paternal grandmother's, after it had been passed around various other members of the family.

Have found damage in the muzzles of even older rifles, especially military. But you don't need a bore-scope to see that.

I have been using these steel Parker Hale rods since the nineties and have had no issues. The handle on the short one doesn't rotate as I use it to clean the chamber with paper towel wound around the brass jag.





This is my field kit...for any obstructions in the paddock I pull a projectile and drop (half-ish) the powder then fire what is left to clear the barrel. Never been an issue with that.
The pull through cleans everything up.




I am not fond of segmented rods, particularly not the steel military variety.

All is folly. The introduction of any foreign object into a rifle bore is the kiss of death. There is no substance on Earth, perhaps in the solar system that is as fragile as the steel of a rifle bore. Metal rods cause massive dents if they contact the surface. Even if they don't contact the surface, the proximity of a different metal creates a minute, but harmful, reaction that damages both surfaces. This is exacerbated by the presence of cleaning solutions, each of which creates its own destructive properties by itself as well. The act of sending a bullet down the bore under great hear and pressure does unspeakable things to the poor steel. Once this has been done, any process intended to alleviate the distress it has caused (ie:cleaning) only makes things worse. The solution is a new barrel for each shot; after all, they are making new barrels every day.

I too have heard that argument about steel rods being hard on bore. but I have also heard another argument with the coated rods or foreign matter can get embedded into the coating and act kind of like a sandpaper if you would..

I use what I've got and try to keep everything clean

Always carry a rigid cleaning rod on hunting trips or to the range. A boresnake will clean well, but is useless to remove a stuck cartridge case.

when one-piece came out, my dad (RIP) and i bought a Tipton or whatever it was called one-piece coated cleaning rod. it was good for .22 - 50 calibers. i bought quite a few years ago, a one-piece ss cleaning rod for .204" caliber.

i got "rope brush puller" that is .264"? cal, .429" cal and .510" cal. for field use.

Dewey rods, wiped clean after each pass. Right , wrong IDK. Works for me.

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Get a better quality segmented rod than the USGI model. I haveva nice stainless one which has served me well in my shooting box.[/quote]

I have not found a stainless commercial rod as strong as the M10 USGI rod sections. What brand are you using?

This project is inspired by a stuck cartridge case and lost my chance for the second doe one day hunting this past season. Shot another doe the next day for meat,
but in 50 years of hunting, I finally see the need to carry a cleaning rod in my hunting bag. On an expensive hunt, it could ruin your day.

I use a coated one piece rod at home. I use a segmented aluminum rod for shotguns.

I was once small game hunting in the winter. It had snowed an inch or so the night before. I headed up a steep draw. The center was covered with ice from a seep that was smooth as glass unknown to me under the snow. I went for a long unplanned trip. The barrel of my 22 rimfire rifle filled up from muzzle to chamber. Had to go back to the truck and get a spare rifle.

If I intend to stray far. I like any kind of solid or segmented rod I can pack.

The Scheels rifle cleaning kits come with a nice segmented brass rod. I keep one in each vehicle and one in the duffel I use for hunting clothes.

The only coated cleaning rod I have has 1/2 of it's coating gone from solvents

Same here. Just wiping it off shows how much gunk can be in a barrel.

Me too…

I have many gun cleaning rods, my favorite are the bore tech.
Something not yet mentioned is that the rod really does not matter if you use a rod guide
I have a rod guide for every rifle I own most are Possum hollow or Lucas, best investment in gun care you can make and very affordable also

i bought an old Winchester 88 in 308 from two little old ladies, one of whose husband had just died. This was in Spartanburg SC somewhere around 2005 or so. I drove 4 hours to buy the gun and when I got there and examined it, the barrel was about a smooth bore from the muzzle. At that time I did not have a flashlight and could not see the entire bore. I recon the man who owned it had no other way to clean it but from the muzzle. I had to buy it because they looked like they needed the money, so I gave them $300 and bid them good bye. I killed a deer with it, but passed it on to another collector. It was not a horrible shooter maybe 2 inches at 100 IIRC with WW 150 grain soft points. All that to say, I use a carbon fiber cleaning rod.

My choice is carbon fiber rods.....or

SS one piece rods

Best advise would be using a correct sized bore guide

Thanks for the tips on one piece cleaning rods but this is my go to and preferred rod and what I normally use for cleaning. I am not asking about 1 piece rods. The topic of this post is compact, sectioned, strong and reliable cleaning rods for emergency or field use only. So far, the M10 military surplus steel rods are a compelling choice for this limited to no use case.

Carbon fiber are one pc rods