Avid shooters realize that 9mm, .22 cal., 12 ga are among the most popular calibers, but there are also a lot of people who get hung up on some of the details of bore care, especially as it relates to the sizing of cleaning accessories that are run through a gun barrel.

You would think that a bronze brush, nylon brush, cotton mop or jag with a caliber written on their packaging would be all you need. Well, think again. Sometimes, accessory brushes are imperfect in size, especially if they need to be size adjusted precisely in manufacturing. Consistency is sometimes an issue. If a bronze brush is not easily entering the throat of the barrel, consider these three scenarios: (1) there is heavy buildup in the way, which is proof that the egg came before the chicken; (2) new brushes are tight, and they will go in easier with every subsequent stroke; and, (3) the brush diameter is mis-sized and you need to either mash it a little, or go down a size. The third choice is good, especially if you want to cover it with a cotton patch, which some people do to make that fit. Though, mashing the bristles down a little should do the trick.

For a jag, which is often solid brass, the sizing should be more predictable and you can’t do much about that. The jag is designed to be tight so that the patch on it is making high-friction contact with the bore metal. So, if you have to use a jag that is one size smaller, then you can add additional patches for thickness to meet the fit. The same goes for when you use a patch holder. If it runs loose, you definitely have to add more. There are quite a few sizes of patches, but you should be cognizant of how the patch engages the bore. The folds will affect how the patch holder fits. The jury is still out on square vs. round patches, but either way, it is about collecting debris.

As for patches, the smallest is a 3/4″ size, often used for a .22 caliber most commonly used for rifles, and it also works on .17 cal. and .204 cal. For 22, some people like to double up, or trimmed down a larger piece of cotton flannel. Then, for each size up from there, like .243 and above, that fit feels different, and you have to consider the next size up, like 1″, etc. By the time you get to shotgun calibers, you are looking at a 3″ piece. Sometimes, you will see solvent-saturated patches. That’s fine. The fit should be about the same.

You also want to remember that ideally, you want to run patches through the bore with a cleaner first, and swabbed out until clean, followed by passes with lubricant. Once again, swab it out until clean on those last clean, dry patches. Of course, bore brushing is done at first, in the beginning of the cleaning stage.

I have also used undersized brushes in bores, when there’s nothing else available. However, you have to brush more carefully to make sure you are making contact with the surfaces, which is not particularly effective. Once again, adding a patch to a brush helps with the fit. But, in general, try to use correctly sized cleaning accessories to make the task easier.

This advice includes bore rope as well. And, like the accessories mentioned above, bore rope will wear over time (especially the impregnated bronze brush), so you will appreciate a tighter fit when you first use it, because it won’t stay like that forever. If you soak a bore rope with cleaner, you may be able to compress it more easily, if you go that route. Good luck.

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