crs@beta.lanl.gov (Charlie Sorsby) (05/22/91)
The reason that stainless steel rods are recommended is that they are hard enough that grit (from dust or other sources) is less likely to imbed itself in the rod to act as a "lap" on the inside of your barrel. My understanding of the definition of lapping is the use of a soft(er) metal tool and an abrasive to polish or otherwise abrade a harder metal object. An aluminum cleaning rod, for example, can act as a lapping tool (or lap) together with grit from unintentional sources acting as an abrasive and can lap (in this case *wear*) the bore of your rifle or pistol. My understanding is that this also is true of other soft metal rods (e.g. brass) and of the various *coated* rods (e.g. nylon, teflon). I'm sorry, I don't recall where I read this. Anyway, for what it's worth, I bought a solid (i.e. no joints) stainless rod on sale at a gun store. I think it's made by KleenBore but I don't recall with any certainty. A company called Belding & Mull used to make high quality stainless steel cleaning rods and accessories years ago but it's been a long time since I've seen one of their ad's. Well, I don't know how much help this will be but maybe it will at least point you to something to think about in choosing a cleaning rod. Incidentally, while the cleaning rod rarely if ever contacts the interior of a *shotgun* bore, one should be very careful when the jag or brush exits the muzzle. As the rod brushes the muzzle, lapping can occur and it doesn't take much of a change in the choke area to screw up, not only the pattern, but the point of impact. So, shotguns are not immune from such wear either. Best, Charlie Sorsby "I'm the NRA!" crs@lanl.gov
petert@uunet.UU.NET (Peter Toth) (05/23/91)
In article <34747@mimsy.umd.edu> crs@beta.lanl.gov (Charlie Sorsby) writes:
#
#The reason that stainless steel rods are recommended is that they
#are hard enough that grit (from dust or other sources) is less
#likely to imbed itself in the rod to act as a "lap" on the inside
#of your barrel.
#[...]
Why not just use a guide for the rod ? It looks like a cork with a hole in the
middle and plugs into the muzzle. It keeps the rod from the bore.
Peter Tothhes@ccvr1.cc.ncsu.edu (Henry E. Schaffer) (05/23/91)
In article <34795@mimsy.umd.edu> snitor!petert@uunet.UU.NET (Peter Toth) writes:
# ...
#Why not just use a guide for the rod ? It looks like a cork with a hole in the
#middle and plugs into the muzzle. It keeps the rod from the bore.
Cleaning guides are made both for the muzzle (needed for many/most)
semi-automatics, and for the breech (convenient for bolt action.)
They do an excellent job of keeping the rod from the bore in the
area where the rod enters. This is important because there can be
severe abrasion in that area (and the muzzle crown is a place where
asymmetrical enlargement is particularly harmful to accuracy.)
However the rod will bow a bit when you push on it, and so the rod will
always do some rubbing on the bore. For this reason you want to keep
the rod clean of abrasive material, etc., so as to minimize the abrasion.
Cleaning rod guides and good quality cleaning rods are available
from any supply house which emphasizes "accuracy" shooting - including
bullseye, silhouette, and benchrest. You'll see ads for these places
in popular magazines like Rifle and Handloader (rather than in the
mass circulation gun magazines.)
#
#Peter Toth
--henry schaffer n c state univ