Gun cleaning rods are available in different forms. One piece, or portable multi-piece. Coated or uncoated. Steel or brass. Rounded handle or T-shaped. Spinning handles or fixed. Standard threading (8-32), or exotic. No matter how you slice it, they work the same way as they reach down the bore of a firearm, whether it be a handgun, rifle or shotgun.

Nowadays, bore cleaning rope and cable systems hold a significant percentage of the market. They are faster to use, but they can’t completely replace a rod because they aren’t as thorough as cleaning rod accessories can better remove carbon residue and other bore fouling.

The patch holder attachment is the most commonly used accessory, followed by the bronze brush, which is of course sized to the caliber of your firearm. It is, right?

When you run a brush down a barrel, especially a long gun, the recommendation is 8-12 passes. However, based on the amount of fouling, you continue until the gunmetal looks free of buildup. Then, follow that up with the patch holder, which carried solvent-soaked patches down the bore.

Nylon material is a good substitute for bronze brushes. Some people don’t trust nylon to be strong enough to remove debris, but it usually is. Nylon bristled brushes seem to be more commonly used in pistol cleaning. However, please note, you don’t want to use nylon with strong bore solvent formulas that may literally dissolve the material. In a similar way, copper solvent will ultimately eat up copper bristles. So, use the product, but then clean it off. I know that a quick spray with Tetra Gun Action Blaster or Triple Action aerosol will stop that chemical reaction from continuing. You will also benefit from cleaning fouling out of the bristles as you ready for your next use.

As an alternative to cotton patches on the patch holder, some people like screwing the cotton mop attachment on instead. In the same way, you may want to spray the mop after use, especially if you see a really saturated mop. Fouling is typically black, but it could show other colors including solvent colors like amber or brown, or copper fouling teal green.

After cleaning, you want to run lubricant saturated patches thru a gun bore to provide a barrier from future buildup. Tetra Gun lubricant will actually draw out additional fouling, even though it is not a cleaner. After that, you are penetrating the gunmetal surface to smooth out the surface and protect it from future action. Then, the next time you run that first clean, dry patch thru the bore, carbon fouling will more easily leave the metal surface, making your job easier. In the end, always run patches down the barrel until it comes out clean.

There is a place for both cleaner degreaser and gun spray type aerosols when it comes to bore care, but a gun cleaning rod gets easily offended.

Lastly, gun cleaning rods, without attachments, are great for reaching itches in those hard-to-reach spots on your back.

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