How easily can a chrome lined crown be damaged? My screw up story inside!

[Soloman2]

Good evening. I was using an Otis pull through cable to clean my bore. The plastic patch holder stripped out of the end of the cable and the holder was stuck with a patch near the chamber. I ended up grabbing a coated steel cleaning rod from the store. I stuck it through the muzzle and was able to push patch holder out of the chamber. In the process of inserting the rod into the muzzle I think I lightly bumped the crown. Is it possible for the crown to be that easily damaged? Would I see a chip or something if I did? I feel like an idiot and should've tried to find a long wooden dowel or something but it's done. This barrel shoots fantastic(haven't shot since this incident) and the the end of the cleaning rod doesn't look damaged, so I'm probably overreacting, right? Thanks.

[msedward43]

lol, you're fine. if you used a non coated steel rod and was really whacking at it...maybe. but a coated steel rod kissing the edge of the crown??? these are not made out of egg shells and flour. they're hard chrome lined barrels that can take a beating. unless you're seeing literaly gouges out of it, I wouldn't even sweat it.

[markm]

Throw the Otis crap in the trash. It's a feel good charade.

[msedward43]

Throw the Otis crap in the trash. It's a feel good charade.

I'm going to disagree that it's a feel good charade. it's just a cable variant of a patch puller. doesn't matter if it's a rod or a cable, pulling a patch through a bore is pulling a patch through the bore.

I think the difference is "pushing with a tight fitting jag vs. using a patch puller" .... but again, I don't find them a waste. we used them in the military all the time and they were more than acceptable for cleaning.

but yes, for a big deep clean a good single piece rod and a brass jag does the best.

[Uncas47]

I have a new Colt SOCOM bbl that I will clean before I shoot. I'll be at the bench so will use a rod to make sure the hole goes all the way thru, and any debris left from manufacturing gets removed, it will be a long time before it sees a rod again. Otis pull thru after a soaking rain will be about all it will see after that. My Otis stuff is coated steel cable with solid brass fittings, no plastic, none.

[1168]

I have a new Colt SOCOM bbl that I will clean before I shoot. I'll be at the bench so will use a rod to make sure the hole goes all the way thru, and any debris left from manufacturing gets removed, it will be a long time before it sees a rod again. Otis pull thru after a soaking rain will be about all it will see after that. My Otis stuff is coated steel cable with solid brass fittings, no plastic, none.
Yeah, I haven’t seen plastic. The kits usually come with enough brass doodads to tap a **** up out again, too. They’re very common in military service, and hilariously if you ask the supply goon for more Otis patches, you usually get a new kit or nothing at all, or maybe square patches that may or may not be the right size.

In my own shit, I usually use a Boresnake to get condensate/water or dust out of a bore and leave a trace of CLP for storage, or jags if I’m trying to really clean something with a solvent. I’ve Boresnaked 5 barrels this morning alone.

OP, your crown is probably fine, but modify your cleaning routine before you do **** up your gun, and think more before you try to un**** a stuck patch.

[msedward43]

I don't mind polymer Hoppes patch loops instead of brass, but just don't use the proprietary Otis patches with them. the way they wind those things they fit TIGHT in a bore, and probably aided in yanking the polymer patch loop out of the cable. I don't even use the Otis patches at all, just basic .22lr patches with the loop. the otis patches are absolute trash IMO, way too tight and shred too easy.

but to the OP... touching the crown or even lightly scraping the cown isn't the end of the world. wacking at it with an uncoated steel rod over and over again over it's lifespan is the problem. but as other said. I'd modify your cleaning techinque by getting a brass patch loop, and or grabbing a wooden dowel the right size as a just in case. (I keep brass sectional cleaning rods from an ancient .22lr cleaning kit just for this emergency scenario)

[1168]

the otis patches are absolute trash IMO, way too tight and shred too easy.

The kits used to (a decade or two ago) come with instructions for how to make the patch fit tighter or looser in the bore. If you’re trying to pull one through and it requires muscular strength beyond that of a 90lb teenage girl, STOP.

To further elaborate, you can usually punch out a stuck patch or cartridge case without using a rod that can potentially ass up your crown. Drop a brass doodad down the bore of the disassembled upper and shake it back and forth.

[msedward43]

The kits used to (a decade or two ago) come with instructions for how to make the patch fit tighter or looser in the bore.

they still do. but IMO it was a solution looking for a problem. just get a basic .22lr or .223 patch and call it a day. the whole "one size patch to fit 18 different bore sizes!!" just allows for more problems to arise IMO... but whatever, what do I know. I was just a grunt who chewed crayons and used what we had lol.

as a civvie I still use my Otis kits, I just use caliber specific patches with it instead of the all in wonder otis ones

[1168]

they still do. but IMO it was a solution looking for a problem. just get a basic .22lr or .223 patch and call it a day. the whole "one size patch to fit 18 different bore sizes!!" just allows for more problems to arise IMO... but whatever, what do I know. I was just a grunt who chewed crayons and used what we had lol.

as a civvie I still use my Otis kits, I just use caliber specific patches with it instead of the all in wonder otis ones

I think that’s totally reasonable, Marine.

[msedward43]

I think that’s totally reasonable, Marine.

Sir, thank you sir. May I continue to lick my window sir?


:D

[1168]

Sir, thank you sir. May I continue to lick my window sir?


:D

Lololol. Write on them with Crayons first, and I’d recommend purple/violet.

[Uncas47]

Yeah, I haven’t seen plastic. The kits usually come with enough brass doodads to tap a **** up out again, too. They’re very common in military service, and hilariously if you ask the supply goon for more Otis patches, you usually get a new kit or nothing at all, or maybe square patches that may or may not be the right size.

In my own shit, I usually use a Boresnake to get condensate/water or dust out of a bore and leave a trace of CLP for storage, or jags if I’m trying to really clean something with a solvent. I’ve Boresnaked 5 barrels this morning alone.

OP, your crown is probably fine, but modify your cleaning routine before you do **** up your gun, and think more before you try to un**** a stuck patch.

Boresnake goes everywhere with me, gotem stashed in all over. The Otis kit lives in a range bag, by the time I get all the parts together the Boresnake is done. No home should be without one.

[Soloman2]

Thank you all, I appreciate your replies.

I tried to use a bit of common sense before coming on here and asking this but my OCD wasn't allowing it lol. It's a brand new CHF CL barrel. I didn't think one light bump into the crown would actually wreck it but it still made me nervous. I never really did anything stupid like this before but I need to understand the barrel is not made paper mache.

All plastic attachments are now in the trash. I replaced them with brass so there's less chance of them actually stripping out, but I'm also going to watch what size patch I'm using.

I understand now that it would take a good bit of work to actually damage the crown.

Eta. Oh and the Birchwood Casey cleaning rod that claims it's coated is really only a paint job over the steel, not really a protective coating. But for $10 you get what you pay for and I needed something fast to get undo my screw up.

[kerplode]

I still use my Otis kits, I just use caliber specific patches with it instead of the all in wonder otis ones

Same here. I like the cable system, but I used it with regular square Southern Bloomer patches folded into triangles.

I tried to use the round Otis patches initially, but I couldn't ever get them to be a good size...Always too tight or too loose. The "Use it 18 times!" thing is a gimmick too. By the third or forth pass it's so stretched out that it slips off the loop half way down the barrel.

If I had a precision bolt rifle, I'd go about things differently. For fighting rifles and plinkers, though, the cable with regular patches gets the job done.

[msedward43]

Thank you all, I appreciate your replies.

I tried to use a bit of common sense before coming on here and asking this but my OCD wasn't allowing it lol. It's a brand new CHF CL barrel. I didn't think one light bump into the crown would actually wreck it but it still made me nervous. I never really did anything stupid like this before but I need to understand the barrel is not made paper mache.

All plastic attachments are now in the trash. I replaced them with brass so there's less chance of them actually stripping out, but I'm also going to watch what size patch I'm using.

I understand now that it would take a good bit of work to actually damage the crown.

Eta. Oh and the Birchwood Casey cleaning rod that claims it's coated is really only a paint job over the steel, not really a protective coating. But for $10 you get what you pay for and I needed something fast to get undo my screw up.


the polymer tip isn't a big thing, but having all brass slot loops is still a good idea. 99% probability that it tore the threads off is because the otis patch was too tight and was causing WAY too much friction. a .22 caliber (1-1/8th or 1-1/4) patch should literally go through the bore with just enough frition to rub the barrel, but not enough to where you're tugging and yanking on the Otis cable. If you're doing that it's way too tight and inreases the probability of what just happend. I've used hoppes polymer slot loops as well as brass ones and never had that issue when using the correct size patch.

remember, you don't want the patch so tight that it's SCRUBBING The bore for you. you want to use the brass brush to loosen things up, and then a solvent/clp coated patch to mop the stuff off the walls. .

[SeriousStudent]

Lololol. Write on them with Crayons first, and I’d recommend purple/violet.

Purple doesn't taste like grape.

I haz a sad. :(