I am curious what kind of damage a brass rod can actually do to a chromolly steel barrel. Has anyone ever seen this happen? What kind of gun was this? This has been bothering me to the point I have been looking at everything else but have a hard time using any type of steel and have no idea what carbon fiber could possibly do.

I like the Dewey rods that are a spring steel with a type of plastic coating. No worries.

quote:

Originally posted by jstltrs:
I am curious what kind of damage a brass rod can actually do to a chromolly steel barrel. Has anyone ever seen this happen? What kind of gun was this? This has been bothering me to the point I have been looking at everything else but have a hard time using any type of steel and have no idea what carbon fiber could possibly do.

Say what???

I think any type of rod could cause crown damage in time, so to minimize the accumulative effect allways us a bore guide or muzzle guide.
Rod maunfactures pick holes in other manufactures products.
I avoid uncoated steel rods the hardness of these rod is too close to barrel steel for my liking.

Brass ok, aluminum ok, plastic coated anything ok.
I just wipe down the rod with solvent dampend paper towel after every pass throught the bore.

As a working gunsmith I see it all the time. Brass and aluminum cleaning rods are the biggest offenders at producing actual wear. These are soft enough to pick up and become imbedded with grit making them like a "honing stone" when dragged across the riflings at the crown. Sectioned rods are even worse as the joints slam into the lands.

One piece, hard coated rods like those made by Dewey are excellent. One piece stainless steel rods are also a good choice. I use both in this shop. I also us a good fitting boreguide when possible.

Because of gravity, the cleaning rod has a tendency to slap the lands when it exits and then it is dragged back over the lands when the rod is retracted so there is twice the chance for damage.

If the rod needs to exit the crown as when brushing, I recommend carefully guiding the rod and the brush past the crown to avoid any contact with the crown. It seems like a royal pain in the ass but is worth it if long term accuracy is your goal.

Westpac knows of what he speaks! If anyone has used or seen a wood or even synthetic ramrod wear the rifling out of the muzzle of a muzzleloader, they'd agree! Any soft material will pick up abrasives, particularly carbon from the bore, and act just like a hone on any metal it wears on. I've had to cut the muzzle back a time a two from this very issue on my traditional muzzleloaders, don't intend on the same happening on any of my centerfires, I always use a bore guide or muzzle guide depending on what I'm doing, regardless of rod material.