Hoppes .223 BoreSnake?

[zxcvbob]

I bought one of these from Natchez for my new Mini-14 and a couple of .22LR's. I tried it first on a .22 pistol and it wouldn't fit. At all. Then on the Mini (which has not been fired yet, so it's clean) and it took several minutes of frustration to get the pull string down the barrel, then when I tried to pull the green part thru it only went about 2 inches and got stuck. Like maybe the knot is too big to fit past the chamber. So I pulled it out backwards and put it back in the package so I can send it back.

I see there's an 800 number on the package so I'll call Hoppes tomorrow and see what they have to say about it. I know it has to be tight to work, but this felt like it was going to break off in the barrel if I kept pulling on it. (how would you even get something like that out?)

I wonder if this is a 6mm or .270 cleaner in the wrong package?

[kc-griz]

Hopefully, you did not damage your barrel by pulling the boresnake out backwards! The brass brushes embedded in the "snake" portion would have had the bristles tapered backward as you pull it through the barrel. Reversing direction and removing the snake midway would cause the bristles to bind and possibly pit the barrel lining as they had to reverse their taper the other way effectively becoming quite larger in diameter at one point.

Not sure why it won't fit your barrels. Check the brass weight on the end of the pull string end and confirm what caliber it's rated for. It should be stamped there.

[Jeff F]

Do yourself a favor and dump the boresnake. If you want a pull through cleaning kit get the Otis cleaning kit. I use a piece of .105 weed whacker line with a small ball melted on one end to pull patches down my barrel, it works well.

[zxcvbob]

Hopefully, you did not damage your barrel by pulling the boresnake out backwards! The brass brushes embedded in the "snake" portion would have had the bristles tapered backward as you pull it through the barrel. Reversing direction and removing the snake midway would cause the bristles to bind and possibly pit the barrel lining as they had to reverse their taper the other way effectively becoming quite larger in diameter at one point.

Not sure why it won't fit your barrels. Check the brass weight on the end of the pull string end and confirm what caliber it's rated for. It should be stamped there.

Yeah, I know. I didn't have it in that far, it was still mostly just in the chamber when I stopped. There's no bristles in the first 4 inches.

I looked at the brass weight and it says "22". Maybe it's supposed to get thinner as it stretches after the first couple of uses. I don't think I'l gonna try it to find out.

I have some .095 trimmer string, I think I'll make a patch puller with that. I wanted something to clean the bore at the range after every shot for the first 10, and you can't just pull the bolt out of a Mini run a rod thru it. Maybe I can run the rod down the muzzle w/o a brush, then screw the brush on and pull it back...

[zxcvbob]

I called the 800 number on the package. They said it should be snug, but not nearly as tight as I described. They're gonna send me a new one, and said I should watch their video. Of course the video is for a 12 gauge shotgun, so it doesn't help at all.

I'll send this one back, and give the new one a half a chance then throw it away when it doesn't work either. Lesson learned pretty cheap.

[mikitsubizunizu]

They're pretty snug at first, but after a use or two you should be able to get it to pull better. It's also a good idea to check for things that it may get caught on.

[xl_target]

The brass brushes embedded in the "snake" portion would have had the bristles tapered backward as you pull it through the barrel. Reversing direction and removing the snake midway would cause the bristles to bind and possibly pit the barrel lining

I doubt you've damaged your barrel. Brass or phospher-bronze is considerably softer than steel.

[ants]

Bob, one of the most important tasks in cleaning a centerfire rifle at the range is removal of copper fouling. Since you do that every few shots, it only takes one or two patches soaked with real copper cleaner (not Hoppe's or the like).

Real copper cleaner (Barnes CR10, Montana Extreme, Sweets 7.62, Butch's, etc.) does that with a simple patch. Your pull through string idea seems like a much more effective method than a bore snake.

[Pfletch83]

I've used the green and black .22 boresnakes for a while and haven't had any real issues with it,works pretty well for a quick clean.

Though I do still use the supplied cleaning kit for my colt.

[xl_target]

I use the .22 boresnake for my .22 cal pistols and rifles also. Never really had any issues with them either. Keep in mind that the boresnake is not really a substitute for a thorough cleaning with a one piece rod and copper/lead solvent. I carry it in my range bag and use it in the field occasionally.

[Paul47]

I use the boresnake dry, immediately after shooting, to pull out the carbon fouling before it hardens in the bore. I might also use it after a fouling shot, e.g. before going hunting with a fouled bore. Never had any trouble with my .22 boresnake. I don't try to push the weight through; I hold the gun vertically and drop the weight into the chamber and all the way out.

[Steel Talon]

I use my boresnakes at the range. Cant beat the ease of use. I also hold rifle vertically as ^Paul47 .

I step on the cord and continue pulling the rifle up until the snake clears. I trail a oil patch of militec-1.

Once your bore is seasond well with Militec-1 makes regular cleaning a breeze.

[The Real Sarge]

To the OP......
What color is your bore snake? They are colored coded to prevent this you know.

[zxcvbob]

It's green and black.

To Paul, the weight will not drop thru because the cord is slightly too big. If it stretches or wears a little it should drop thru.

[zxcvbob]

The replacement BoreSnake came in the mail today. It looks just like the old one, but the cord drops in easily and it the green and black part can be pulled through the bore without much trouble.

I'll see what it costs to send the old one back; if the postage is more than $2 I'll just give it to a friend who has a .243