How To Choose The Bore Brush

When cleaning guns, we all use bore brushes, so there are all kinds of bore brushes on the market, how should we choose?

Let's talk about materials first. Nylon and bronze brushes are the most common, but some specialty brushes also have steel bristles. Steel comes in handy when you're going into town in the locking lug and star room area, but you don't want to run it out of the hole. Unlike steel, brass is softer than chrome-plated steel barrels, so it won't scratch the inner chamber.

So, nylon or bronze? Which one provides better cleaning and gives you more scrubbing power?

A lot of people prefer bronze brushes for great cleaning results, but in our experience, it really comes down to user preference. Some people find nylon brushes to be as clean as bronze brushes, while others really like the scrubbing power of bronze brushes and feel that nylon brushes are best for removing loose carbon and grime, not hard stuff.

The type of solvent you use can also help decide which brush material you choose. Brass brushes are ideal for use with solvents designed to remove the powder, lead, metal dirt, carbon deposits and rust.

Nylon is also a good choice when cleaning with solvents such as copper removers, as chemicals don't break down nylon-like brass. Depending on the copper remover you use, bronze brushes can also give a false read on your clean, as some ammonia-based copper removers will still turn blue or green as they react with the bronze brush rather than any copper left in your barrel.

What size bore brush do you need? With so many different calibers and gauges, it can sometimes be difficult to decipher which size brush you need. So if you need to buy a brush, first determine the size of your barrel and then you will get the right size brush.