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

So you are saying you have damaged a barrel before use of a bore guide? What barrel damage did you experience before you started using bore guides?

Never wanted a segmented rod anywhere near my crown.

This appears to be the top of the line option for coated segmented cleaning rods. Way too expensive for emergency use only.

https://www.proshotproducts.com/30-...it-with-Pro-Tuff-Coated-Rods-_p_775.html

Like GeoW, I am also interested in anybody who has evidence that a cleaning rod, of any sort, damaged a hunting rifle's barrel enough to be either seen through a bore-scope--or to affect accuracy in a barrel that's been shot a lot. Not saying it couldn't happen, but would like to hear about it.

Back when I first heard/read about bore-guides there weren't many on the market. So I made my own, with case fired in that rifle, with the primer pocket drilled out to a large enough diameter to accommodate the rods I then owned.

Haven't seen a Raleigh salve can in a long time. Brings back memories.

No idea if they make a difference to the bore or not, I use bore guides to keep crap out of my action, trigger and woodwork.

This one should amuse you then, I carry my 'Oh Shit Kit' in an old gal 1911 squad cleaning tin.

Not seen one of those. Cans like that do come in handy.

One of my spare one piece rods stays in the truck at all times. It rides nice on top of my back seat and has for years with a .22 caliber jag on it.

I once took a 2 inch section of a barrel, faced off each end square and slid it onto an old pitted cleaning rod from a military rifle. I slid the barrel chunk back and forth on the rod hundreds of times, deliberatly trying to damage it. Didn't seem to affect it at all. I think those old rifles with the worn muzzles were from countless times getting wet and corroding.

That makes sense--but it also could partly be from the cleaning rod itself getting wet and corroding, at least in older military rifles where the rod's carried in a slot under the barrel.

It was the rifling I was trying to damage, not the old rod.

I understood that--but it doesn't mean an old pitted rod might not be factor in damaging the muzzles of barrels on older rifles, which were often made of softer steels.

Ever seen the inside of a brand new Savage barrel? Now watch it shoot 1/2 moa out of the box.

Concerning field rods:
For 25 years I carried a packet of US GI cleaning rod sections with a loop tip piece and some patches for wiping snow and goo from bores accidentally plugged. It came in really handy several times. The kit was useful for 7mm and larger bores.

A new 6.5 rifle required a new field rod. The best replacement for the 30-cal set seemed be a product from KleenBore, their S170 "Universal Multi-Section Cleaning Rod Set with Vinyl Pouch .22-.45 Cal."
.

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From mfr's blurb: Developed for field use, this compact and lightweight military style rod set has been supplied to the US military for its reliable use over the years. Cleans .22-.45 Cal. 30″ Length. ...

This rod is likely to replace my GI sectional rod. The short "adapter" section accepts standard tips with 8-32 threads.

--Bob

Yep, have seen many--partly due to having been sent several for rifle reviews. Have mentioned a few times here and there that they shot very well despite the reaming rings common in 'em.

Which is why I often installed Dyna Bore-Coat in Savages, so I didn't have to clean the damn barrels so frequently while "test-shooting" the rifles. But in the past couple years have found new Savage barrels to be much smoother. Maybe they were listening....

I bought several of these a year ago for myself and a few hunting buddies after one of them plugged a muzzle in muddy conditions. Very handy to keep in the hunting pack for emergencies. I wouldn’t make a habit of cleaning a bore with it, but for field use it is the best I have found yet. I keep a USGI rod kit in the trunk of my car.

[img]https://www.atsko.com/rapid-rod-gun-cleaning-rod/[/img]

Some of the Blue Sky Garands out of Korea in the 90's had muzzles that appeared mechanically worn, and it looked like cleaning rods could have been the culprit. I saw some of them.

Blue or black tape on the muzzle keeps that from happening.

AYE !!!

One of the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder is excessive time spent in ritualistic behaviors.

I like the carbon fiber one-piece rods best, but have a bunch of steel ones as well, none coated. I wipe between passes. Some of my rods have a brass “funnel” that centers them from the rear of the receiver, and also in the muzzle on larger bores for those rare times when I need to poke a case out. I also have an MTM bore-guide that fits in the majority of the bolt-actions I have that keeps the rod centered. Still, I have serious doubts about a clean rod causing any damage, except maybe if it was allowed to ride repeatedly against the crown on something like a rimfire with its tiny lands. New chemicals do a great job and reduce the scrubbing required.

I don’t clean my barrels except at need, and usually just run a patch with solvent or CLP* down them befor putting them away for an extended time. My rifles shoot well, and don’t rust, which is the point of the exercise for me. Just ordered one of those rapid-rods for field emergencies, but also for use shooting clays, where I’ve had a shell get stuck in the chamber on occasion.


Lately, I mostly use Clenz-Oil. Like Ballistol, it doesn’t harm stock finish, and seems to do as well as anything. They make a compatible grease too. Veteran-owned.

Several of my rifles are lever action .30 cals., I cut off a .243 case just behind the shoulder and use this to protect the crown when using a steel or aluminum cleaning rod. Using a cut off case of a caliber smaller than your rifle's bore will eliminate damaging the crown when cleaning from the muzzle.