After lurking/reading these forums for several months, I bought a new Dewey cleaning rod for my rifles. I'm breaking in 2 new rifles and doing a lot of cleaning.
I also picked up 2 "Parker Hale" jags for the Dewey rod. They are longer than standard pointed jags, & they have a blunt end. It looks to me like the way to use them would be to cut a strip of cotten (old tee shirt?) about an inch wide & 3 inches long and "spiral" the material around the jag. Am I on the right track? - - do these things work better than jags with a pointed tip or the old standard slotted tip?
Thanks for any help/advice.

In my youth my standard cleaning kit was a Parker Hale cleaning rod with brass jag & a roll of 4x2s (or 2x4s for those in North America), this was roll of flannel cloth 4" wide marked into 2" segments with red stripes. These would be torn or cut off & wrapped around the jag as you describe to do the biz. They were also used with a "pull thru", a length of cord with a brass weight on one end to drop thru the barrel & a loop in the other end to slip the segment of cloth into. Modern 4x2 does not rip off like older stuff used to, needs scissors or sharp knife.
Steve

Thanks for the quick response Steve - I tried the Parker Hale jag this PM (I couldn't find your 4x2's - we're a little culturally deprived here in the US - but I approximated with cut up bulk cotton patches). I like the way it worked. It centers well in the barrel throat & it seems like there is a lot of patch material in contact with the bore.
Eli

I have a few of them.I got stuck with them thinking that they would help clean better.I was wrong(waste of money).All jags are a waste of time and money.The best and quickest way of cleaning a bore,is with a copper brush and patch.Put the JB on the patch then on the brush and pass it ALL THE WAY down the bore and ALL THE WAY back out.DO NOT shortstroke.Work one jb patch up and down the bore many times.Then work a clean patch right after.Your done and ready to shoot.

Yep, the way you describe how to use Parker Hale jags with a strip of cloth spiralled around them is correct.

It takes some time to work out the length and width of the flannel strip but with a tight fit and a bore cleaner like sweets copper solvent worked back and forth into foam, it does a great job.

Yes, you have the principle down pat.

I still use Parker-Hale rods, jags, and patches much of the time. The rods themselves were made in different diameters for different bore sizes, and I have them in .17", .22", .25", .30", .35/.375", and .423".

They are particularly handy for using cleaners like Sweet's, or J-B, or Rem-Clean, where you want to be sure you get maximum length of contact between the patch and the bore. Are also nice because you can adjust the pressure of the patch against the bore by cutting it a little shorter or longer before you wrap it around the jag.

The rolls of Parker-Hale patching were still available from some Canadian suppliers the last time I checked. The patching is also available in specified bore diameters...that is they are marked with stripes where you are suppossed to cut them off for a proper size patch for a particular bore.

Thanks for the responses guys - - Alberta Canuck, it would be great if you have a web address for the Canadian suppliers you refer to in your post.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
Yes, you have the principle down pat.

I still use Parker-Hale rods, jags, and patches much of the time. The rods themselves were made in different diameters for different bore sizes, and I have them in .17", .22", .25", .30", .35/.375", and .423".

They are particularly handy for using cleaners like Sweet's, or J-B, or Rem-Clean, where you want to be sure you get maximum length of contact between the patch and the bore. Are also nice because you can adjust the pressure of the patch against the bore by cutting it a little shorter or longer before you wrap it around the jag.

The rolls of Parker-Hale patching were still available from some Canadian suppliers the last time I checked. The patching is also available in specified bore diameters...that is they are marked with stripes where you are suppossed to cut them off for a proper size patch for a particular bore.

AC, interesting that, I've only ever seen them in the one persuasion out here & that was the 303 type 4x2s, called that anyway, never measured them but AFAIK it was a case of one size fits all, cut a 1/2 strip for 7mm on a 270 jag, slightly bigger for a 257 on 243 jag & a double strip folded over for a 375 on a 35 jag. It didn't take long to figure out what was required.
Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Shinzo:

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
Yes, you have the principle down pat.

I still use Parker-Hale rods, jags, and patches much of the time. The rods themselves were made in different diameters for different bore sizes, and I have them in .17", .22", .25", .30", .35/.375", and .423".

They are particularly handy for using cleaners like Sweet's, or J-B, or Rem-Clean, where you want to be sure you get maximum length of contact between the patch and the bore. Are also nice because you can adjust the pressure of the patch against the bore by cutting it a little shorter or longer before you wrap it around the jag.

The rolls of Parker-Hale patching were still available from some Canadian suppliers the last time I checked. The patching is also available in specified bore diameters...that is they are marked with stripes where you are suppossed to cut them off for a proper size patch for a particular bore.

AC, interesting that, I've only ever seen them in the one persuasion out here & that was the 303 type 4x2s, called that anyway, never measured them but AFAIK it was a case of one size fits all, cut a 1/2 strip for 7mm on a 270 jag, slightly bigger for a 257 on 243 jag & a double strip folded over for a 375 on a 35 jag. It didn't take long to figure out what was required.
Steve

Hi Shinzo - Well, what is even more interesting to me is that I tried to look up a URL where folks could find Parker-Hale products, and couldn't find ANY.

Even searched the last several issues of "The Canadian Marksman", which is the official publication of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association. Not only didn't find any appropriate URLs, also found absolutely zero ads for any Parker-Hale label items whatsoever.

I appears as if they may have gone completely out of business. Does anyone know for absolute certain?


(Am sure glad I bought plenty the last time I needed any...)



P.S.: If a person wants a good, cheap, supply of patching material, they are easy to make for one's self. Go to wherever the women in your area buy sewing supplies, and ask to look at their bolts of flannel cloth. Pick one of a colour and thickness you like, and buy a few yards. Will cost you literally pennies. Then take it home and cut it into strips 4" wide with a pair of shears (scissors). Roll up the strips and you have a healthy supply of patching material. Use a pair of scissors and cut off 2" or so wide pieces from a roll anytime you need patches. One yard will give you 9 rolls of the right (4") width, and 18 patches long. Two yards will give you the same number of rolls, but each will be 36 patches long, and so on.

AC, I'll have alook into this one, AFAIK, the P-H stuff (cleaning) is still available in NZ but is pricey. I haven't had to buy any for a while now, the jags last forever & I got some adaptors that enable me to use my P-H rods with the male threaded brushes like you have in the USA. The last roll of 4x2s I bought will not tear off like older stuff would, it just frays all over the place, it needs sharp scissors to cut it off. I normally do a few at a time.
Steve

quote:

a roll of 4x2s (or 2x4s for those in North America),

Shinzo, that's okay, we know you fellows from below the equator talk backwards!