Re: gun cleaning (i'm gonna catch hell for this)
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: corey4</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
why is everyone so worried about scratching the bore with an aluminum or brass rod when we are jamming rounds as fast as we can pull the trigger, and at 2800fps? don't you think that is more harmful than a few light strokes?
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If you consider WHEN the "myth" (for lack of a better term) was originated significant damage was done to bores and crowns of rifles prior to and during WWI, WWII and beyond by cleaning from the front w/ steel sectional rods.
In WWI and before the "kits" that were issued in the butt stock of the rifle would only reach from the muzzle to the breach so unless you had an extra length of rod you could not clean from the rear. Also consider that the powder (or more correctly the primer) was corrosive so you HAD to clean the rifle for like 5 days straight to make sure you didn't have corrosion. Rifle cleaning was also a great way to keep the troopies occupied when they had nothing better to do other than get in trouble if left to their own devices. Ask any Sergent.
Fast forward to WWII through to Vietnam and now you have rifles that cannot be cleaned from the rear at all (Carbine, Garand, M-14). Same sectional rods in the butt stock. Muzzle/bore wear was imparted more by the troopies than the boolets.
After 150 years of cleaning from the front, that is just how it was done. If you consider that Grandpa, and Dad "did it that way" the myth has perpetuated itself infinitely.
In these "enlightened" times we discovered that cleaning from the muzzle induced muzzle wear via the cleaning rod. The amount of cleaning required with non corrosive ammo should have also been reduced.
Alas the Sergent's still had to keep the troopies occupied, so..... "go clean your rifle, it's filthy". "Yer not going on liberty until I can eat out of that rifle."
If you have a chamber guide and a one piece coated rod and clean from the rear I would surmise that you could scrub your rifle every day with a bronze brush and impart little or no damage to it. That is not saying that it will impart any accuracy unto the tube however.
I'm a firm believer in NOT cleaning the bore until accuracy is degraded. Then I clean it all the way down a "foul it" back to "normal". Repeatable cold bore shots are preferred in my opinion.
Cheers,
Doc
