How To Clean A Revolver From The Breech

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(Really, 1 question -- Why is it so important to make clean from the breech end? -- with a bunch of subquestions.)
I've seen many (many!) exhortations to clean firearms from the breech-end simply, non from the muzzle end. My understanding is that this is to preclude harm to the crown. I've tried therefore to follow this advice. I'k confused as to why this should exist a big worry, though.

When I clean the barrel of an autopistol, it'south detached from the gun, and it's easy to make clean from the breech finish -- that is, to start the cleaning brush / patch from that stop. However, some role of the brush will emerge from the muzzle end, and and then exist retracted as I withdraw the brush / jag. Sometimes, I push the brush all the way out earlier pulling it all the way back down the barrel; take I committed some criminal offence confronting the gun thereby?

I understand that a boresnake could be used to clean my revolver, simply I haven't even so bought i. I've cleaned it subsequently every one of its too-few range sessions, and, seeing no other fashion, ran the brush and patches from the muzzle end.

So: I'1000 sure in that location'due south some good reason, but I volition admit I've never grasped why it matters. Equally long equally I don't bang the crown with the rod, where is the potential for danger? Why does information technology affair whether I start the brush from the breech end rather than the muzzle end? If it truly is rod-crown contact that'south the potential problem (am I incorrect well-nigh that?), couldn't that be cured by the doo-dad I've seen called something like a "muzzle guide," or "muzzle saver"? (I don't recall I dreamed that.)

Pushing it one step farther, even if I *do* bang the crown with the rod, are crowns so frail that they could exist more than than trivially afflicted by such contact? The barrels of my guns are all of pretty stiff metal Does it affair whether I'm using a multi-piece aluminum rod rather than a single-piece one? Metallic vs. Plastic? I judge I could see the danger of pulling a jointed-aluminum ane sharply against the edge of the crown, merely what well-nigh the plastic rod that came with my Cz?

And what almost cage loaders? Aren't they cleaned from the muzzle end, and face up regular penalty / indignities of all kinds too from the muzzle end?

Gentle replies appreciated!

timothy
Although I've been shooting all my life, compared to about of the members here I know nothing, so whatever communication I give should be taken with a large dose of salt
That being said, I've nigh always cleaned my rifles -including muzzleloaders- from the muzzle. My cleaning rods are all aluminum, and I take care to not let the rod slide against the crown (I pinch the rod between my fingers while they're firmly set against the muzzle). Every bit you lot mentioned, at that place are slip-on devices that yous can use to make sure this doesn't happen, but I've withal to demand i (or at least think I needed 1 )

Of class, information technology should be mentioned that the majority of my rifles are either military machine surplus (SKS'south, AKs), or really well worn to the signal that I dubiousness it matters (eastward.g., a adequately quondam 10/22 that had pregnant cage wear already when it was given to me). I suppose that if I had really expensive, sub-MOA precision firearms that I used competitively (or fifty-fifty just at ranges greater than 200 yards), then I'd practise things differently.

That's just one immature shooter's opinion, YMMV
This is a bigger concern with rifles, and information technology is not the crown that is the trouble, it is the first bit of rifling at the muzzle that gets worn away. This causes a drop in accurateness. Cleaning rods, specially aluminum ones, tin become embedded with dirt and dust; this tin wearable away at the muzzle. Cage damage from cleaning is usually worst on military machine rifles, since having a shiny bore for inspection is more important than worrying about wearing out the muzzle! Using a diameter guide helps a great deal.
Guys, at that place's accurateness, and so in that location'due south Accuracy.
Nearly of yous have no idea what existent burglarize accuracy ways. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

The critical role on the crown isn't the outside. It isn't the within. Information technology'southward the border. If annihilation is uneven, the tiniest bit, information technology imparts increased wobblies.

Information technology isn't about grit condign embedded - information technology's almost aluminum oxide, which is (a) hard; and (b) since it's hard, information technology acts as a good abrasive - may experience smooth - did I say "coarse abrasive?" NO! But smooth is only equally bad if it is uneven. So don't utilize aluminum. Even if they exercise sell 'em at Wal-Mart.

Finally... Well-nigh pistols: Who cares? Most shotguns - heck - all shotguns: Who cares? Most rifles: Endeavour to exist gentle. If you can, make clean from the dorsum, and non let the non-brass parts bang into steel stuff. Let the solvent exercise the work. Stainless steel brushes volition make yous buy new barrels...
Z71 Member

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Sep 2, 2007

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Soldiers across the world are renowned for cleaning their muskets similar a fiddler playing his dabble!
Stroke that cleaning rod in and out enough times from the muzzle, and tin lead to pretty extreme wear!

I don't know, but believe that while throat erosion of the bore is from shooting, muzzel enlargement/wear is a cleaning consequence.
Thanks for these answers! I'm getting the impression that if I use a solid rod, a cage protector (or fingers held in place to preclude contact) and am careful, I need not fearfulness instant, operation-degrading harm to my Southward&W 625 despite pushing the brush in from the cage end.
With a muzzle protector, I volition finally make clean the long-neglected butt of my Ruger 22/45, as well -- unlike every other ane of my autopistols, that one I am not interested in breaking down even for cleaning without someone nearby who's washed it before.

timothy
Bunk.
The oxides of aluminum that are used as abrasives are altogether different than those that form on a cleaning rod. How about a piffling money-where-your-rima oris-is blazon experiment? Cut yourself a hunk of old screen door, well oxidized, and try to acuminate your lawnmower blade...Get back to me when you become that washed, eh? I don't care how oxidized it is, an aluminum cleaning rod, too soft to register on the Rockwell scale, will gouge and give way to the 4140 steel at effectually Rockwell 36-40 that makes up most modernistic gun barrels.

These wive's tales take their basis in the fact that crowns of military rifles get ragged out past the STEEL cleaning rods that they're equipped with. If you lot keep the rod a essentially softer textile than the barrel, and avert using metallic tips to avoid damaging the breech, bolt or firing pin (or otherwise protect them) when the rod pops out of the bore, you, like me, can happily make clean lever actions, revolvers and pumps for evermore without damaging the crowns.
But I'm not sharpening a lawn mower bract.
Bow a cleaning rod, only a little, and it'due south gonna rub. And those aluminum rods _will_ tear up several hundred dollars worth of perfect good select match stainless steel butt in a few uses. If you lot're consistent in your screw upward, the impairment is QUITE apparent with use of either a decent magnifier/microscope or diameter scope. I've seen throats where folks ignored using a bore guide, and an aluminum wally-world rod, and the rifling's but fine on one side... And burnished away on the other...

If those screw-apart cleaning rods were and so darn good and safe to use, so a lot of competitive benchresters, who already have enough gear to cart effectually, cheers very much, would be using them. They aren't. And you couldn't pay ane of 'em to apply i in a perfectly good competitive barrel.
So why practise carbide-tipped saw blades tedious from cut wood? Ever utilize a concatenation saw with dull teeth? How'd they get that way? Doubtful it was from grinding confronting a harder surface.
Or are they all buying into the the same myth?
I'd really like to know. Tom makes a very good betoken that wood can deadening a saws bract, nonetheless cleaning rods aren't jammed down a gun barrel 36 kajillion times at 2000 RPM either.
Clean from the breech if at all possible. Use a one piece rod of your choice and a bore guide. keep everything clean. If we damage to crown even a little we beginning losing accurateness.
At present. Where that accuracy level starts varies greatly. Some rifles will shoot 1/8" MOA, or better, and so that little tiny bit of impairment hurts, some shoot one" MOA, so we dont meet it as rapidly because at ane/8" a picayune shows more vs 1" etc. The 3" MOA burglarize will get worse, but who notices and who cares really.

If a Benchrest gun can't shoot naught's in a calm with a good load, your screwed. I imagine it is like in 1000 yd highpower. That's a long dang fashion and any little affair is magnified greatly.
Personally, on my rifles I use a unmarried slice carbon cobweb rod that'southward coated to protect the bore, AND I use diameter guides, and I always clean from the breech finish. Merely call information technology bullheaded dumb luck that nobody ever had to teach me that. It just seemed like mutual sense to me at the time.
But I practise have a question... Given that those aluminum cleaning rods are supposed to exist softer than the diameter of the rifle, isn't also possible that bore/rifling damage from contact with an aluminum rod could be due to defects in the steel of the barrel? But curious.