Cleaning bore brushes

[MalC]

How do you guys clean your bore brushes? I can't seem to get the filth out of them, when I run a "clean" brush through a clean barrel the next patch is always dirty.

Soak in mineral spirits? Pour boiling water over them? Dishwasher?

[Bangzoom]

I would also like to know

plastic and metal brushes

and bore snakes

[SB1964]

My Brushes get dirty, but not enough to be concerned. Always clean from Breech to Muzzle. Are you running a "wet" Patch thru first? I run a fairly wet patch thru the Bore & let chemicals sit. I Clean the Action area & then go back with a Bore Brush. Personally, I find cleaning the Chamber will reveal a lot of Junk...

I clean Brushes with Carb, or Brake Cleaner.

[uhlan1]

I soak brushes overnight in a mug I'll fill with hot water and add Dawn detergent.
Boresnakes periodically through the dishwasher.

[Ribkick]

I have never cleaned a bore brush in my career of shooting over 30 years and have NEVER had a bore problem be it rust, copper or lead build-up that created problems with accuracy or reliability.

I see a trend on here of new people to firearms thinking that a firearm has to be as clean as your fine china. Not so. Anything left after a good swab and brush and swab is fine. Then just a light oil swab.

[ir0nclash86]

I found it easier to keep them clean by starting off with brand new brushes bore brushes. After they get dirty, ill just take them to the bathroom sink, blast the water on it for a bit, squirt some handsoap on it and roll it on my hand or use an m16 cleaning brush to scrub it. Clean as a whistle.

[CrippledPidgeon]

I don't really care much about the brushes unless they get seriously clogged, at which point they get tossed and replaced. I do like to buy my brushes a major caliber larger (.40 brushes for my 9mm, .50 for my .45) and replace them when they start running too easily.

The purpose of the bore brush is to loosen the chunks of crud. The patches are for the actual removal of fouling, so it's really not super important that the brushes are clean.

[delta9]

I would also like to know

plastic and metal brushes

and bore snakes

Bore snakes can go in the washing machine but you may want to put it in a wash bag so it doesnt get tangled up

[windrunner]

I have never cleaned a bore brush in my career of shooting over 30 years and have NEVER had a bore problem be it rust, copper or lead build-up that created problems with accuracy or reliability.

I see a trend on here of new people to firearms thinking that a firearm has to be as clean as your fine china. Not so. Anything left after a good swab and brush and swab is fine. Then just a light oil swab.

this

[ditchdigger]

When I clean my Garands and Springfields, the last patch never does look clean. It is cleaner than the first one though. I chalk it up to all the nooks and crannies that are in 70 year old barrels.

In my modern firearms, the last patch comes out pretty clean. There is usually a little bit of blue/green on it and I figure that is the reaction of the last of the cleaning solvent on the bronze brush and not because of any copper left in the barrel.

The only cleaning that I do to the brush is to pick out any of the patch material that is stuck in it.

[6079Winston]

I clean bronze brushes in a small bottle of alcohol, mainly to make them last longer by rinsing the copper solvent off. It was amazing how quickly they shrunk while using Sweet's 7.62.

[smalltime]

I've always used hot water and detergent on brushes and boresnakes.

[Gem1950]

I clean all that kind of stuff by starting with a good biodegradable degreaser (Locktite brand) in a spray bottle, let it work for an hour then soak overnight in detergent, a little baking soda and hot water. rinse off then soak in water with a splash of vinegar for an hour then rinse off and let dry.

[damndave]

I spray them down with Gun Scrubber. Works pretty good.

[champion510]

Very informative thread. Gun Scrubber <--gotta get it.