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View Full Version : First experience using .223/5.56 boresnake


feedramp
08-11-12, 15:57
I've used boresnakes on a variety of handguns with great results and zero issues. So I got one for the AR, expecting a similar experience.
Well, it wasn't quite the same:

The weight on the end of the shoelace-type lead wouldn't freely fall down the barrel with gravity alone providing the encouragement. The barrel was far from dirty at the time. It had maybe 20 rounds down it.

So I ended up MacGuyver'ing a length of thread around the base of the weight on the boresnake, and attached the firing pin retaining pin to the free end of the string and let gravity take that down and through the length of the barrel, which allowed me to pull the weight through so I could use the weighted string to pull the actual snake through. There's probably a "yo dawg (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/xzibit-yo-dawg)" in there somewhere related tying a lead to the lead so you can pull 'til you pull.

Anyway, actually pulling the boresnake through was also different than the handgun boresnake experience. I can see why some guys have broken .223 boresnakes inside the barrel and had to punch them out. Holy crap is it ever a tight fit. After running that thing through the barrel, I believe I could probably run .243 Winchester safely through it now. On the plus side, it only needed one pull to make it nice and clean.

Have you guys had similar issues and experiences with the boresnake on an AR?
montrala
08-11-12, 15:59
Have you guys had similar issues and experiences with the boresnake on an AR?

No. Mine drops free trough the barrel and pulls easily.
ryr8828
08-11-12, 16:08
My brother got a boresnake that wouldn't fit down the barrel of his SW MP15, but my boresnake would.

I guess sometimes they make a bad one.
clmarshall21
08-11-12, 16:12
Mine didn't fall freely through the barrel because the "shoestring" was just a hair too large. Once I made a couple pulls through the barrel, that shoestring portion of the snake narrowed up and it falls freely now. Mine also pulls very tough through the bore like yours. I had never used one until this one so I thought that was normal. I have always used nylon brushes and a carbon rod until trying the bore snake. Any worry that forcing that metallic bore snake brush through the bore could be detrimental?
wetidlerjr
08-11-12, 16:25
I have used BoreSnakes in pistols and rifles for years with no problems regardless of the caliber. Some were slightly tight but nothing that was an issue.
Pistol Shooter
08-11-12, 16:48
I have used BoreSnakes in pistols and rifles for years with no problems regardless of the caliber. Some were slightly tight but nothing that was an issue.

Glad it's worked for you, that's great. :)

Any suggestions for new users?
Hehuhates
08-11-12, 17:11
The consensus around here is to avoid the "viper", and stick with the original.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=105483
bp7178
08-11-12, 17:23
Don't use it dry. Spray some cleaner/degreaser like Slip 725 on the brushes on the boresnake. For heavily fouled barrels, spray it down the barrel and let it soak before using the boresnake.

Also, you have to clean the boresnake. I just use some dish soap and warm water. I think a lot of the problems with them breaking has to do with gun cleaning chemicals and/or fouling effecting the material over time. Plus, if they are dirty, its like trying to clean something with a dirty rag.
QuackXP
08-11-12, 17:32
I have to jiggle the string to get the weight to go all the way down. It's a bit tough as I usually have to stand up and hold the lower low and wrap the bore snake string around my hand.

I have noticed it has gotten a bit easier so maybe the bore snake stretches out a bit?
hotrodder636
08-11-12, 17:40
I use the bore snakes for my pistols as described above. However I have discontinued my use of them in my AR after seeing and reading about them breaking while in the barrel. Since then, I have been using a one piece, coated J Dewey cleaning rod and I am very impressed with it!
Kodiak
08-11-12, 17:47
I've used mine only a few times and have had no problem whatsoever.
currahee
08-11-12, 20:19
I got one that was crimped funny and wouldn't fit down a barrel. Unfortunately it had been sitting in a spare box for years before I even opened it and had no idea where it came from to exchange.

That said I swear by bore snakes (for riles, I stick with a rod for a pistol)
wetidlerjr
08-11-12, 21:03
Glad it's worked for you, that's great. :)
Any suggestions for new users?

I will have to agree on not using it dry and washing them every so often.
I have done both and, as mentioned, no problems.
Psybain
08-11-12, 21:32
I have one for my Mossberg 500 and one for my DDM4. I always put clp on the brush part, and I've never had any problems.
sinlessorrow
08-11-12, 21:34
did you get the viper or the regular?

also if its dry it will be a pain to pull through, put some lube on the brushes and the section before them, that should give the tail end of it time to dry out the bore as it passes
LtNovakUSA
08-11-12, 22:19
Ive used boresnakes on my AR15s for years and never had the problem the OP described. However I did have the 550 cord part break off from the part that actually does the cleaning and it was a pain to get out, but wasnt stuck or anything. I think they are great, really thats all I use for regular barrel maintenance.
feedramp
08-11-12, 22:28
did you get the viper or the regular?

also if its dry it will be a pain to pull through, put some lube on the brushes and the section before them, that should give the tail end of it time to dry out the bore as it passes

Mine is pre-Viper. I actually snagged a second one when I heard about the breakage issues with the newer (Viper) version.

I've found Froglube doesn't lube the same way as traditional products when it comes to oiling a patch or cloth piece. So that may have contributed to the pull resistance. The weighted 550 cord lead not falling freely through the barrel was really annoying though. I did try a little lube on the weight, to no avail. The FPRpin attached to some string did the trick though.
SteveL
08-11-12, 22:43
I use Frog Lube on mine and it's still pretty tight to pull through the barrel. To me the biggest hassle is getting the weight to line up just right so it falls through the opening in the BattleComp. This wouldn't be an issue with a regular flash hider though.
jmoore
08-12-12, 11:39
I've used mine only a few times and have had no problem whatsoever.

+1

john
ST911
08-12-12, 12:04
I have a couple that hang in the barrel, and a couple that don't. It appears to be related to the size of the weight and the attachment to the cord. If it won't drop through, I shake the upper a bit to help it out.

When I called the company, they offered to replace them but said it was not uncommon.
Bedford Forrest
08-12-12, 18:21
I have boresnakes in every caliber rifle and pistol I own. All mine are the original not the viper but all have worked without any trouble. I don't use them for serious cleaning but I squirt some CLP on them and run them through the barrel during long stints at the range or if I'm on a hunting trip in wet weather. I hope this was just a bad one because I was about to grab another one for a new Encore barrel.
far9mm
08-12-12, 19:52
They are a great cleaning tool for right after the range. But still like to take apart my guns when I get home and give them a good cleaning.
Kyohte
08-12-12, 21:52
I had a bad experience with one breaking in a Noveske barrel. It took a gunsmith to get it out (it was punched out, for those who were curious about the method). I refuse to use them now for my rifles, but I still use them for pistols.
Dr.Venkman
08-12-12, 22:07
I use Frog Lube on mine and it's still pretty tight to pull through the barrel. To me the biggest hassle is getting the weight to line up just right so it falls through the opening in the BattleComp. This wouldn't be an issue with a regular flash hider though.

I use frog lube on mine as well I had trouble the the very first time I used my bore snake but after the first time I haven't had any hiccups but I still need to really yank on it to get the snake all the way through.
kaltesherz
08-12-12, 23:36
I've been using them religiously for YEARS, so much better to clean M4s and SAWs than anything else. Mine used to get passed around like a drunk cheerleader at prom. Finally my original snapped, so just got another. I swear by 'em and don't know why they're not issued...

ETA The 12 gauge boresnake works great in cleaning the gastube on SAWs / M249, did have problems with the .50 boresnakes on out Ma Duces- they were so tight you're have to have one guy hold the barrel and another guy use both hands to pull it through. Of course, ****er was clean after one pull...
Todd00000
08-13-12, 11:14
No. Mine drops free trough the barrel and pulls easily.

Mine also, I'll look the brand up tonight.
markm
08-13-12, 11:19
Pappabear used to use those homo things. They're just so wrong. :p
bluecanary
08-15-12, 00:24
I have cleaned 2 Stags and a DD with one. Great product. No problems.
White.Lightning
08-15-12, 09:42
I've never used a boresnake. Always cleaned all my firearms with the traditional rod/brush and pad method.

Is the boresnake the recommended cleaning method?