Nylon Chamber Brush - Good or Bad?

[Submariner]

Most of our USGI chamber brushes are worn out and need to be replaced. Brownell's sells a nylon version. Has anyone used it. How does it compare to the USGI version?

[Patrick Aherne]

Most of our USGI chamber brushes are worn out and need to be replaced. Brownell's sells a nylon version. Has anyone used it. How does it compare to the USGI version?

Why Paul? When I hit my chamber with a brush, I want to get out any crud. Wire brushes do that just fine; I'm not so sure about nylon.

[Hawkeye]

I'd stick with bronze/GI type brushes on a chrome chamber. On a non-chromed chamber, I can see the idea behind nylon, etc.....

[Submariner]

Why Paul? When I hit my chamber with a brush, I want to get out any crud. Wire brushes do that just fine; I'm not so sure about nylon.

They might not wear out as quickly. Less money spent over time with more of us shooting.

Harv uses two in his kit, one for knocking out the big chunks and the less worn one to be wrapped with a patch, IIRC, to get the residual goo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/harv24/IMG_1089.jpg

[onmilo]

I love the nylon chamber brushes for general cleaning.
I won't completely replace the standard bronze/stainless for really cruddy chamber cleaning but they are excellent if you don't allow the rifle to get to that state.

Like the standard brushes you can get the nylons in both 8/36 and 8/32 threading.

I also prefer 8/32 thread nylon bore brushes to bronze bore brushes and use both with an adapter rod on mil-spec buttstock rods and on one piece Dewey rods.

The nylon brushes are not affected by copper solvents which will eat the standard brushes in short order.

You do decopper your chamber when you decopper the bore don't you?

[jmart]

The nylon brushes are not affected by copper solvents which will eat the standard brushes in short order.

You do decopper your chamber when you decopper the bore don't you?

Why apply a decoppering solvent for the chamber? I don't have any experience w/nylon brushes, and I could maybe see them for the bore (although I've heard they're not nearly as effective), but I see no use for anything other than CLP or some carbon-cutting cleaner for the chamber/barrel extension area, and carbon cutters don't attack bronze bristles.

[Submariner]

You do decopper your chamber when you decopper the bore don't you?

No. Should I? This is a carbine, not a match rifle.

[onmilo]

Yes you should.
The chamber picks up smears from the cases and this should be removed if you want absolute reliability.

A nylon bristle brush is just as effective as a bronze bore brush if you are using an effective solvent.
My personal choice is M-Pro 7 products but there are several good choices out there.

A bore brush is used to loosen carbon powder fouling.
It does nothing for the copper fouling, that is where a specific solvent for copper removal comes into play.

[Hawkeye]

I was unaware that copper could actually foul a chrome lined chamber.

[jmart]

I don't think it does. Only way I know to tell for sure, next time after cleaning the chamber with 725 or carbon Cutter, I'll patch it dry and then apply some Sweets on a mop or patch over a nylon pistol bore brush I have. I'll bet there won't be one speck of blue on it.

First off, chambering isn't occurring at 3000 fps. Secondly, the cartrdige is several thousandths of an inch smaller than the chamber for feeding. I don't think it ever rubs hard enough against a chamber's walls to result in fouling.

[Shihan]

I picked up a couple of the nylons from Brownells on my last order. The bristles are very thick and it has a brass core instead of the steel core which is nice.

[Hawkeye]

I don't think it does. Only way I know to tell for sure, next time after cleaning the chamber with 725 or carbon Cutter, I'll patch it dry and then apply some Sweets on a mop or patch over a nylon pistol bore brush I have. I'll bet there won't be one speck of blue on it.

First off, chambering isn't occurring at 3000 fps. Secondly, the cartrdige is several thousandths of an inch smaller than the chamber for feeding. I don't think it ever rubs hard enough against a chamber's walls to result in fouling.

Not to mention.....casings are brass, not copper.

[jmart]

Not to mention.....casings are brass, not copper.


Actually most cartridge brass is 70% copper and 30% zinc IIRC.

[Hawkeye]

Actually most cartridge brass is 70% copper and 30% zinc IIRC.


See, now your just being all technical and scientific like. (we need a sarcasm smiley around here)

[jmart]

See, now your just being all technical and scientific like. (we need a sarcasm smiley around here)


Yeah, like that's gonna improve things.....:rolleyes:














































:p ;) :D

[Submariner]

This is serious stuff.:D

I just located a cache of USGI .45 ACP cleaning rods that will give me one per carbine. I'm trying to get stuff I need in hand before we get bank runs here. If nylon is effective and lasts longer, I won't need as many spares. (And I come from the submarine community where being stuck without spares can be a REAL problem.)

[onmilo]

Hey, it's your rifle, do what you want.
I use nylon brushes and my rifles don't jam so I'm going to stick with what I am doing.

[Stickman]

Clean it with harsh language if it works for you. The big thing is just to make sure its clean. I've never had any trouble using nylon brushes, but I can't say as I have done long term studies. I use whats around on the cleaning benches, and have no problem boresnaking things for quick cleanings. My weapons get a decent cleaning, but I don't tend to go overboard.

I make no claims of shooting MON (Minute of Ninja) at 1000 meters, so it tends to be a moot point for me.

[Hawkeye]

I may have to give a nylon one a try. I also am a big fan of my boresnake.

[Whytep38]

About a year ago, I read an article (either on the Web or in Shotgun News) by someone who recommended bronze bristles over nylon bristles because nylon bristles can get crud stuck in them if the crud is harder than the nylon. The crud can then cause excessive wear when the nylon bristles are put into action. I have since stopped buying nylon bristles. Apparently, the same thing happens in nylon fishing line and causes excessive wear there as well.

I'm sorry I can't remember where I read that. If was just a tiny bit of info, so I didn't create a computer file for it. Maybe it was something I read on the website for Schuemann barrels. Or maybe it was something I read on either The Firing Line forum or the 1911 forum.

[Submariner]

... nylon bristles can get crud stuck in them if the crud is harder than the nylon. The crud can then cause excessive wear when the nylon bristles are put into action.

Can't they be cleaned after use to remove the crud? I would think that the nylon would be much easier to clean than the USGI brush.

[Whytep38]

Can't they be cleaned after use to remove the crud? I would think that the nylon would be much easier to clean than the USGI brush.I don't really know. But I doubt normal cleaning would remove something embedded in a nylon bristle. It's not a matter of flushing away the crud or using chemicals to break the bond; it's a matter of physically extracting something embedded in the bristle. When repairing small motors, I have seen nylon sprockets where you could never remove all the grit embedded in the teeth (unless you were willing to spend hours upon hours digging away with a dental pick). I'm thinking the same thing happens with nylon bristles.

My avoidance of nylon brushes may be an overreaction, but bronze wire brushes aren't that much more expensive.

[Shihan]

If you get something that wont come out of a nylon brush toss it in the trash and grab another.

[Whytep38]

If you get something that wont come out of a nylon brush toss it in the trash and grab another.True. However, keep in mind that the bits of crud that can cause damage are often difficult to see because they are so tiny, plus the crud can be just about the same color as the bristles. IMHO, having to minutely inspect my brushes each time before or after I use them is more effort than its worth. Bronze brushes are much easier to visually inspect - not much more than a simple glance - and you know immediately when a bronze brush is worn out.

But to each their own. If you prefer nylon and haven't had any problems, go for it.

[SuicideHz]

I got a set of nylon brushes at a fun show last summer. There was a chamber brush, a carrier brush that fit in where the bolt goes and has a skinnier tip that gets back where the cone of the bolt goes and a large brush that fits snugly in the upper receiver and cleans where the carrier rides.

I like them but I haven't been known to wear out brushes. I don't shoot my rifles that much...