How To Use A Bore Snake To Clean A Rifle

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Cleaning air rifle with a bore snake

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October 17, 2016 at 2:42 pm Link

On many air rifles, even on PCP's with magazines, breech is big enough so one can easily put the bore snakes brass end in and clean properly from the right side.
So, to me, bore snakes look as an easy and practical way of cleaning air rifle barrel
But, where ever I've been searching online, people are not using bore snakes for cleaning air rifles. There are thousand ways of cleaning air rifle bore with patches and various pull through contraptions but nobody's using bore snake.

Is there some obvious reason that I've missed?
Some hidden danger in using bore snake for cleaning air rifle barrel?

Thanks!

October 17, 2016 at 3:29 pm Link

In my opinion a boresnake works perfect for cleaning the barrel but there is a downside: if there is an o-ring inside the barrel it will be easily damaged by the brass brush.

I've used a boresnake viper from hoppes to clean my barrel, never seen any damage of using it. There are three brass brushes in the viper, I removed two of them to minimize the risk of potential damage. The brass brush is there for removing hard fouling, since I shoot with lead only there is no real need for the brass brush. A couple of weeks ago I trimmed the brass of the last brush because I didn't need the brass. After trying to pull the boresnake through the barrel I found out that the brass brush is the connecting part between the pull cord and the boresnake itself. Long story short, I had the pull cord in my hand and the boresnake was still inside the barrel So I have to get a new one someday…

The regular boresnake however has a direct connection between the boresnake and the pull cord so with that there is no harm in removing the brass brushes. The downside of the regular boresnake is the rather thick pull cord which could make it difficult to lower the pull cord through a .22 air rifle barrel. These boresnakes are made for .22 firearms which have a slightly larger bore in most cases.

Hope this helps;) But remember, always be careful using metal in an airgun barrel (except pellet materials ofcourse), the material is softer than firearm barrels so damaging it is easier. Brass is softer than the barrelsteel but with improper use you can still damage it.

October 17, 2016 at 3:47 pm Link

I use boresnakes all the time . Some you have to cut the weight so it'll go in the breech . I leave brushes in one or heavy cleaning..Otherwise I remove brushes , on PCP guns I would always remove brushes just in case

October 17, 2016 at 6:35 pm Link

I use boresnakeds also. Mine don't have any brushes, but I don't remember the brand. Picked them up on a trip through Cabelas.

October 18, 2016 at 3:39 am Link

Forgot to mention, I always remove brass brushes!
There is no need for them in PCP airguns

You are right "JoeWayneRhea", weight needs to be cut to fit the breech in most cases

@broekzwans
I'll remember not to buy hoppes viper since I always remove all brushes

After all, it seems that I'm not the only one who uses bore snake instead of rods or a pull through with patches

Any other experiences with bore snakes, good or bad, post them here as it seems that bore snakes are very, very easy to use (if you can fit the brass weight through the breech) and do get the job done.

October 18, 2016 at 9:06 am Link

JohnL57

Participant

Member

United States

I used one with brushes to clean my friend's badly fouled Sumatra. He'd been shooting on full power and had the bore leaded up badly. I had to clean from the muzzle which required cutting off the weight and using a crown saver from the breech to grab the bore snake and pull it into the barrel. I had the rifle upside down with the muzzle pointing down so the solvent would run out the barrel rather than into the gun. I needed an extra pair of hands as I don't have a gunsmith vise! I had hold of both ends of the snake and worked it back and forth, keeping the brushes well away from the breech O-ring. The cleaning helped but the gun is no tack driver.
John

October 18, 2016 at 10:41 am Link

Paio

Participant

Member

Brazil

I too use boresnakes all the time and love them. For LW barrels I keep the brass brush (I really think it cleans the rifling – and when I do that my group always tightens). For ST barrels and remove them. I also remove the barrel o ring before cleaning and replace it. At the range, when I need, I use cleaning pellets.

October 18, 2016 at 10:31 pm Link

The airgun-specific .177 Bore Snake from Hoppe's doesn't have the brass bristles embedded, so it won't tear up O-rings. I don't know if they make airgun-specific ones in other calibers, but they should! If not, buy a regular one and cut the bristles off with a side cutter. Careful, they go flying and will get stuck in your rug and end up in you feet, if you're not careful.

I've done several other methods, but the bore snake is by far the best. Just put a little Goo-Gone on the first couple inches of it, then pull it through several times. The bore comes out shiny and clean.

Other methods are for very heavy fouling, accumulated through some kind of abuse. Like shooting alloy pellets at high velocities without lube or having detonation from lube in the breech area. They work, but they're just a lot more trouble and mess than a Bore Snake.

October 18, 2016 at 10:38 pm Link

Instead of cutting off the bristles, you can very easily get the entire brushs out of the cord. I pulled them out of .22, 25, and 30 cal snakes with ease.

Not my video, but shows how easy it is.

October 18, 2016 at 10:49 pm Link

Nice find there ajshoots.

October 19, 2016 at 4:22 am Link

"ajshoots"Instead of cutting off the bristles, you can very easily get the entire brushs out of the cord. I pulled them out of .22, 25, and 30 cal snakes with ease.

Not my video, but shows how easy it is.

 Exactly!

It is really easy to remove entire brushes

October 20, 2016 at 5:30 pm Link

Thanks for posting that video AJ! I wouldn't use a bore snake in my pcp's because of concern over possible o-ring damage. Didn't realize it was that easy to remove the brass. Is the one shown in the video a standard Hoppe's or another brand?

Thanks!
ed

October 20, 2016 at 6:12 pm Link

I believe it is a Hoppe's, but unsure as it isn't my video, just happened to find it. I do know that the actual Hoppe's boresnakes are as easy as shown in the video as long as it is the standard bore snake.

February 22, 2021 at 3:36 pm Link

RScott

Participant

Member

United States

Maybe I did something wrong, but the Hoppe's .22 viper boresnake would not fit into my Diana Chaser ,22 barrel. The brass lead and cord went through fine of course but the little plastic lead got stuck before the actual snake entered. (Barrel was off the gun and moderator removed). I think it is because the airgun .22 barrel is smaller diameter than a .22 firearm barrel.

February 22, 2021 at 5:39 pm Link

Revoman

Participant

Member

United States

Yep, I also removed the bronze brush from my bore snake and took off the bulk of the brass weight end to insert a small brass piece of bead chain so that the weight would still work but pass through the magazine opening with ease.

Work well for a quick clean.

mike

February 22, 2021 at 11:12 pm Link

I use boresnakes in my powder burners for a quick clean, but never used them for my air rifles. I actually bought a kit from patchworm, and liked how well it works that I'm going to start using it for my powder burners too. Very happy with the product, and the kit fits multiple calibers, in case you don't want to disassemble your boresnake:

http://patchworm.com/patchworm.html

Not trying to hijack the boresnake discussion entirely.

February 23, 2021 at 6:48 am Link

elh0102

Participant

Member

United States

I have used bore snakes, and they work, but even with the brushes removed, I think they are hard on the breech O ring. And I also prefer starting with a clean patch, rather than a bore snake that has been pulled through a dirty bore (but I admit being a little anal about it). If I need more than a patch worm, I remove the barrel and breech seal, and clean with a rod and nylon brush, from the breech. That said, I agree that bore snake, properly prepared, is an effective cleaning tool.

February 23, 2021 at 9:16 am Link

I've been using these boresnakes for a couple of years now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M2UISO1. For barrels with an o-ring I pull out the brass brush insert. For something like a Leshiy 2 removable barrel I'll use one with the brass brush. Usually 3-4 pull throughs and accuracy is back. Sometimes I'll soak the beginning of the thicker part with some Ballistol if I think it's really bad.

February 23, 2021 at 10:42 am Link

I use .080" weedeater line…
Cut one end and heat (match, torch) then press onto metal and make a mushroom head. Give it a few tries until you get the nice little mushroom head about .125" or so.
Then, cut the other end at an angle. Make some small cotton patches and they easily thread onto the cut angled end, and stop at the mushroomed head.

I have several of these in my boxes of shooting supplies in various lengths.
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