Material for Bore Cleaning Patches
What is the best material for bore cleaning patches (50BMG)?
Cotton or linen material?
Thickness?
TIA
Bill
Cotton or linen material?
Thickness?
TIA
Bill
0
-
Hello Bill2740, I just use old tee shirts for making bore cleaning patches. You can cut the patches to the size needed. Please have a great day! tejaswrangler [:)]
tejaswrangler0 -
Another idea is to go to your local fabric store and get "diaper" material. Works great.
Giff60 -
Find some 100% cotton t shirts or flannel nightgowns,
old towels,w/c, use cotton, the chems. will breakdown
the fibers in other materials.(Wife sews= me get scraps)
BE SAFE!! Buffler0 -
I use old underwear cut into 3" square strips. Preferable old clean underwear![:0]
Walte0 -
I go to wally-world a buy 100% cotton flannel by the yard, it's cheap and don't worry about running out.
Good for polishing the motorcycle to[:p]0 -
I don't believe the type (cotton / linen / wool) of fabric really is terribly important . . . the purpose of the patch, after all, is to apply cleaners or preservatives to the bore and to remove those substances along with the residues of shooting. Likewise, thickness doesn't really matter too much unless it is super thick or thin . . . you can just use a larger or smaller patch with a slotted tip or double up on a jag, etc. Doesn't take much creativity to be able to use virtually any thickness.
That said, I save / scrounge flannel and thin wool fabric garments, especially for shotguns or other large bore chores. I've only run out once in almost half a century and $0.50 at Goodwill took care of the problem. In the process of sorting stuff for the move, I've found enough fabric to last two lifetimes at my present rate of usage . . . told my wife it was a message . . . I need to shoot more often! [:D][}:)][:D][}:)]
I have used salvaged tee shirt cotton a few times but I do greatly prefer the thicker material cited above because it holds the solvents / oils better. Of course, I realize flannel and wool may not be so common in warmer areas of the country . . . but there should be *some* advantages to living where Christmas is inevitably white!
As He Dog notes, the bulk patches are a good way to go and I do have a fairly good supply of them which I've obtained for rock bottom prices in store closings, etc., largely in smaller sizes. I don't find I spend terribly much time cutting up fabric and it allows me to customize the size of the patches I use, especially for shotguns and other large bore applications. I've seldom had lint problems with the wool and flannel scraps . . . the material has usually been worn pretty smooth and at worst there may be a thread loss from a cut edge. Because of the tight fit, I find the bore patches pretty much sweep any lint / threads out just from the lack of free space. I am a bit more discriminating about the material I use for wiping down the actions / barrels at the end of the process, but again, it's a fairly simple thing.
The bottom line is that one can do the job well with practically anything without breaking a sweat or investing much money. The chemicals one uses and the techniques one employs are far more important.
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the French." (Mark Twain) ". . . And liberals / DemoWipes" (me)0 -
I just buy the pre cut patches at gun shows in bulk. No time wasted cutting flannel, and no lint. They really don't cost much.
He Dog0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
7 comments