Stuck bore snake

[nun_hunter]

I've had 4 boresnake for 4 different rifles and none of them were shorter than the rifle barrels (18-24 inches). Have I just had really long boresnakes or do people have short ones and long barrels? I cant see anyway that of one of mine snapped there wouldnt be part of it hanging out one or both ends???

 

[CCB]

Was yours old or had it started to fray?

Had you washed it many times?

Did you continue to pull it out of the muzzle or reverse it out of the chamber?

It sounds from your description that the draw cord broke inside the woven part...as far as I can see on mine the draw cord goes down through the woven tube part past the brush area and is then sewed to the woven part behind the brush, is that where yours gave way but was still attached at the mouth of the woven tube so all the strain came onto the woven outer?

Alan

it was about 6 months old, .30 calibre hadnt touched with anything, all i used it for was a quick pull through after each outing to remove any potential moisture, i always clean with a rod and patches, yes i continued to pull out of the muzzle! with a lot of effort, not sure where it gave way, but by the time i noticed it getting tight, it was past the point of no return, all im saying is be carefull with them, inspect them.

 

[CCB]

I've had 4 boresnake for 4 different rifles and none of them were shorter than the rifle barrels (18-24 inches). Have I just had really long boresnakes or do people have short ones and long barrels? I cant see anyway that of one of mine snapped there wouldnt be part of it hanging out one or both ends???

Mine didnt snap? it just pulled through as normal and then ended up a pulling through on the inside leaving the outer woven material alot larger than the rifle bore, it all ended up coming out intact, albeit all out of shape! it didnt part company at the stitching! had it done so it would have been harder to get.

 

[sauer404]

I had this happen to me a long time ago, if I remember correctly I finally got rid of it using a cleaning rod. DO NOT put any liquid in the bore, it will only make it harder to take the boresnake off.

 

[Alantoo]

Mine didnt snap? it just pulled through as normal and then ended up a pulling through on the inside leaving the outer woven material alot larger than the rifle bore, it all ended up coming out intact, albeit all out of shape! it didnt part company at the stitching! had it done so it would have been harder to get.

Ah right I see. The draw cord is attached/sewn in at the start of the woven/plaited bit and also behind the brush...sounds like yours came unstitched at the mouth of the tube so as you pulled on the brush section the now-loose part of the tube concertinaed / rucked up in front of the brush. Nora Batty's stockings come to mind for some reason!

I will check mine most closely...I have had the one for the .308 the best part of 4 years now used every time I put the gun away. I have also had one of the Hoppes Viper versions for a couple of years and follow the standard one with the viper which has an area just in front of the loop for a few drops of CLP...that regime of cleaning with them has done very well so far.

Alan

 

[kenbro]

I think the problem arises - and no less so with rod & patch - when you introduce a poorly lubricated snake to a newly and possibly significantly fouled bore on the FIRST pass.

K

Pretty sure Hoppes say to use theirs dry, if you want to.
Ken.

 

[Alantoo]

Pretty sure Hoppes say to use theirs dry, if you want to.
Ken.

On the blurb and in the video on their website they talk of putting a few drops of oil on the loop area of the standard bore snake as a final pull through for storage protection...

Hoppes 9 - The Gun Care People


...and on the blurb for the viper version they say it has an a specific lubrication zone.

Hoppes 9 - The Gun Care People


Their CLP is advertised as being applied to the head when used in conjunction with a bore snake.

Hoppes 9 - The Gun Care People



I always drop the brass weight through then turn the gun over and pull the snake up vertically in order that the snake is approaching the chamber in a straight line. Holding the gun horizontal as they show in the video with the snake hanging at right angles to the bore can only increase any friction or chance of snagging by going round a corner... I can't make the approach perfectly straight with the Mossberg pump .410 but with every thing else I can.


Alan

 

[Markfox]

I’ve only used genuine hoppes bore snakes and I’ve never put any lube etc on it
I also replace them yearly

 

[JTO]

Over the last 5 or 6 years a number of people on here have quoted that they were told by a rifle smith that he has made a fortune getting bore snakes out of barrels. I hadn't read that he reckons they ruin them as well.Alan

I have seen at least a couple of comments(somewhere) that reckoned dirty Bore Snakes had ruined rifle crowns. I still use them!

 

[Alantoo]

I have seen at least a couple of comments(somewhere) that reckoned dirty Bore Snakes had ruined rifle crowns. I still use them!

Same here...I can only see it damaging the crown if the snake and draw cord have been contaminated by an abrasive grit or similar...and even then only if not pulled out in a straight line concentrically with the bore.

I seem to remember Muir did a test by sawing across a barrel with a bore snake and could not make a mark.

Alan

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

Just a thought, but surely it's the brush part of the snake that's getting stuck? Wouldn't copper solvent dissolve/weaken it enough to loosen it's hold on the barrel?

 

[JTO]

Same here...I can only see it damaging the crown if the snake and draw cord have been contaminated by an abrasive grit or similar...and even then only if not pulled out in a straight line concentrically with the bore.

My thoughts also, but I did wonder if some people had been pulling them in the opposite direction!!!!!!!!

 

[Alantoo]

Just a thought, but surely it's the brush part of the snake that's getting stuck? Wouldn't copper solvent dissolve/weaken it enough to loosen it's hold on the barrel?

I think in the CCB's case it was the plaited bit in front of the brush that came adrift from the draw cord and bunched up in front of the brush that caused the jam, so the brush itself was not the problem...using copper solvent may have helped him reverse the direction of the brush and pull it out backwards from the chamber end though.

Alan

 

[parkyboy]

I use a bore snake on both my rifles for a quick clean only..I pull through with a line attached to the snake end and I also pull through with the mod attached to prevent any possible damage to the crown etc...Hugh

 

[Bavarianbrit]

As they are made from man made fabric a soaking in acetone should remove all traces from the barrel.
My gripe with them is I have quite a few original snakes and they all are hard to identify what their calibres are, different coloured weaving would have made sense to me in .22, .25, .270, 7mm, .30, etc.

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

As they are made from man made fabric a soaking in acetone should remove all traces from the barrel.
My gripe with them is I have quite a few original snakes and they all are hard to identify what their calibres are, different coloured weaving would have made sense to me in .22, .25, .270, 7mm, .30, etc.

I've got three originals (in different calibres) and they are all different colours.

 

[Alantoo]

As they are made from man made fabric a soaking in acetone should remove all traces from the barrel.
My gripe with them is I have quite a few original snakes and they all are hard to identify what their calibres are, different coloured weaving would have made sense to me in .22, .25, .270, 7mm, .30, etc.

I've got three originals (in different calibres) and they are all different colours.

Mine are different weave patterns for the 4 different calibres I have...the original and the viper 30 calibre ones are identical weave.

They all have their calibre stamped on the brass drop weight if you are colour challenged...it looks like they used the crush of the calibre stamp as the crimping system.

Alan

 

[JTO]

Just a thought, but surely it's the brush part of the snake that's getting stuck? Wouldn't copper solvent dissolve/weaken it enough to loosen it's hold on the barrel?

The brushes look like steel to me.

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

The brushes look like steel to me.

They should be bronze according to Hoppes: Hoppes 9 - The Gun Care People

 

[JTO]

They should be bronze according to Hoppes: Hoppes 9 - The Gun Care People

Perhaps mine aren't Hoppes!