fake .17 cal hoppe's bore snake??

[bradders]

This is what the AMU said about them in their blog last week

 

 

Handloading Hump Day
Getting Started in Handloading, Part 41
Bore Snakes, Cleaning and Barrel Break-in
21 June 2017

[PHOTO: Still the best – quality rods, brushes, patches and solvents!]

(HL) Welcome back to our weekly feature, “Handloading Hump-Day!” This week, we’ll shift from handloading topics to rifle bore cleaning and maintenance, with information courtesy of the USAMU’s Custom Firearms Shop. We often receive inquiries about bore cleaning, and this seems a good time to share some information. After all, even the best handloads won’t yield their full potential in a poorly-cleaned and maintained rifle.

1. “Bore-Snakes: Miracle Replacement for the Cleaning Rod?” The experiences of both our match firearms test specialist and this writer have yielded no evidence that proper use of a clean bore-snake will damage a match barrel. Of course, one does not pull the bore-snake at an angle to the crown when removing it -- pull it straight out, parallel to the bore's direction, to prevent crown wear over time.

Bore-snakes are very useful for some applications (primarily a hasty, interim wipe-down). In this writer’s experience they cannot replace a thorough cleaning with a proper rod and brushes. While the experiment cited here involves a rimfire, it may help illustrate. Several years ago, the writer used his new, personal Anschutz to investigate the bore-snake issue. It had been fired ~350 rds with match ammo and had had 3 typical rod/brush cleanings.

Next, starting with a clean bore, the writer fired 300 more rounds without cleaning in order to build up a “worst-case” fouling condition. Afterwards, the writer examined the bore with a Hawkeye bore scope. There was a uniform, grey film down the entire barrel, with some small, intermittent lead build-up at and just forward of the throat.

A new bore-snake was then wet with solvent and pulled through the bore. The Hawkeye revealed that the grey fouling was gone, and much of the visible fouling at the throat was reduced. However, nine more passes with the bore-snake, checking after each with the Hawkeye, revealed no further improvement in cleaning. The writer then cleaned with 2 wet patches, observed, then 1 stroke of a new, wet bronze brush, and 1 wet patch to clean out residue.

The Hawkeye showed a significant reduction in fouling at the throat; it was virtually gone. A second pass with a wet bronze brush and a wet patch removed the remaining fouling. Scrubbing the bore further, checking to see how much fouling was removed, revealed no significant improvement. The reason for this test was to learn what's needed to get (and keep) this Anschutz clean with minimal cleaning rod use -- and thus, minimal risk of bore damage/wear.

NOTE: Despite today’s non-corrosive priming and smokeless powder, leaving fouling in the bore promotes corrosion over time. This author has seen many rifle barrels – particularly hunting rifles, but match rifles also – with significant pitting, despite their having been used strictly with modern, non-corrosive ammo. Many shooters are under the impression that leaving rifles uncleaned poses no hazard to the bore with modern ammo. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.

Obviously, the minimal cleaning regimen described above applies to a nice, smooth rimfire match barrel, using high-quality, well lubed lead-bullet ammo. It doesn't apply directly to the use of copper-jacketed bullets at high pressure, which leave a stubborn fouling all their own. However, it does suggest that while the bore-snake can be helpful and a useful field-expedient, to truly clean a rifle barrel one will still need a good quality rod, bronze brush and solvents.

2. “So, What About Bore Snakes for Barrel Break-in?” The goal of barrel break-in is to fire each shot through a clean barrel, preventing copper buildup and allowing the bullets their best chance at burnishing sharp edges. Thus, it seems this purpose would be best served by one’s usual rods, brushes and rod guides.

3. And now, for this week’s installment of “DON’T BE THAT GUY!”
The writer was shown a very nice, 1937 German Kar-98K Mauser that, until quite recently, had had a pristine bore. The owner, a young veteran just back from Afghanistan, had test-fired his new rifle with corrosive-primed, surplus ammunition, and then “cleaned” it with a few passes of a solvent-soaked bore-snake. Into the closet it went, only to emerge a couple months later sporting a bright red, rusty bore with areas of heavy pitting. Unfortunately, nothing in this fellow’s career had prepared him to properly clean after corrosive-primed ammo.

For those who don’t dabble in the black arts of “milsurps,” this ammo requires water to neutralize salts from the priming compound, plus LOTS of scrubbing to remove the heavy carbon deposits from crude, Warsaw-Pact 1980’s vintage (or earlier) gunpowder. One must remove the heavy carbon/jacketed bullet fouling layer, in order to access the bare metal which has been contaminated with corrosive priming residue. A “lick and a promise” absolutely won’t do.

After a thorough cleaning, the bore-scope revealed that his rifle had a perfect crown and throat, with no firing erosion, cleaning rod damage, etc. This Mauser had managed to survive WW2 in fine shape. In fact, it made it for 75 years until its’ unfortunate encounter with a younger shooter and his “quick ‘n easy” bore-snake. The writer cannot emphasize enough the benefits of a thorough cleaning with quality rods, brushes, solvents and patches.

Thanks for visiting the USAMU Handloading Section, and as always, please share any useful tips or information that can help our fellow shooters. Be safe out there, and good shooting!

[dave thorniley]

I still wouldn't put one through my rifle might be good in an emergency e.g. loosening my piles lol

[chaz]

I never thought i'd get such an amount of diverse amount of opinions regarding bore snakes. Thanks to all!

[chaz]

Try the bronze brush bristles, I had a fake off eBay in .357, steel bristles washed in copper!

 

Only thing I use the 3 genuine ones for is a couple of passes through the bore to dry it if I've been out in the wet.

I've just put several strong magnets to the suspect snake and on 2 of my genuine boxed gun dealer shop bought 'Hoppes' bore snakes. And to my surprise the magnet stuck to all 3!!

I didn't buy them from Dauntsey guns, but when i next visit i will take a magnet and try it on the genuine items at their shop...

Apologies for a bone question folks, but i presume bronze bristles are not magnetic????

Think i have my right answer according to the internet. It's not.....