Using a Gun Cleaning Rod, a Bore Brush, and a Mop to Make That Bore Shine

Don’t be one of those people that doesn’t clean your firearm. We don’t care if it’s a break 12 gauge with very few parts (comparatively) to corrode away or break. You might think a little grime adds class. We say it shortens the lifespan of the firearm. You wouldn’t drive your truck into the ground. Don’t abuse your pistol, rifle or shotgun.

This guide will give you a short, quick tutorial on how to use a gun cleaning rod, a bore brush, a mop, some adapters (if necessary) and some patches to make your bore shine. Since we lead with a hypothetical scenario surrounding a break shotgun, we’ll make it focused on that.

1.Gather the necessaries: a cleaning kit with a gun cleaning rod, solvent, etc.

You’ll need a gun cleaning rod, bore solvent such as Hoppe’s 9 (not suitable for black powder or for nickel coatings), a gun oil like Hoppe’s or Rem Oil, jags, patches, adapters, properly sized brushes and a clean bore mop. You’ll also need a clean surface, like a gun cleaning mat.

2.Open the action and ensure that the firearm is not loaded.

Next, retrieve your shotgun, open the action and ensure that the firearm is not loaded. Then, place the firearm on your cleaning mat or in the gun vise you are going to use.

3.Soak a patch in solvent and using an appropriate jag, run it through the bore, chamber to muzzle.

Assemble your gun cleaning run and attach the appropriate adaptable (if necessary) along with a patch jag and a fresh, clean patch. Then, soak the patch in your solvent and run it down the bore from chamber to muzzle, allowing the solvent to soak into the fouling in the bore.

4.Attach an appropriate bore brush and scrub the bore, chamber to muzzle.

Once you have introduced the fouling to the solvent, remove your patch jag, discard the used patches and attach a bore brush. Scrub the bore brush through the bore from chamber to muzzle, aggressively abraded the inside of the bore. With each pass you will work some of the fouling loose. After a few passes, hold the bore up to the light; you should still see a lot of loose fouling on the inside of the barrel. It’s now time to get that out.

5.Reattach a jag and a clean, fresh patch and run it through, chamber to muzzle.

When you have scrubbed the bore with a brush, reattach your patch jag and run a fresh, clean patch through the barrel, from chamber to muzzle. It should come out dark, or nearly pitch black. Remove the patch, insert a fresh patch, and repeat the process till the patches come out clean. When you inspect the bore this time, it should be fairly bright.

6.Attach a bore mop, put a drop or two of oil in the chamber, and run the mop through to the muzzle.

Now, you can attach a bore mop to your gun cleaning rod. Put a drop or two of gun oil, like Rem Oil or Hoppe’s oil, in the chamber of your shotgun. Be very sparing with this. All you want to do at this point is provide a very light coating of oil to the inside of the barrel to prevent moisture from causing corrosion. Some shotguns are rust magnets!

Run the mop through the bore, from the chamber to the muzzle. It will flush out any remaining fouling (there should have been very little if any at this point) and it will also head to evenly spread the oil over the inside of the bore, protecting it from moisture and corrosion.

Make a few passes with the mop, then you can begin to clean your gun cleaning accessories.

7.Bask in the glory of a mirror-like bore

Now you can hold your bore up to the light and look through the chamber. What you see should be bright light reflected off of the inside of your now mirror-like bore. Your bore is clean - you can finish your gun maintenance routine, including cleaning and lubricating the works, before returning your firearm to its storage location.

Call If You Need Help

This basic guide covers only the very basics of cleaning a smoothbore break action bore with a gun cleaning rod and some accessories. If you need more information on how to remove and clean choke tubes, trigger assemblies, bolt carriers or other parts, get in touch with us at 610-250-3960 and we will be glad to help.

Otherwise, if you’re just looking for the actual accessories themselves, we have them right here in our online shop. We have cleaning kits with brass rods, one piece carbon fiber cleaning rods with ball bearing attachments so that the rod can follow rifling, solvents, oils, attachments and much more. Whatever you’re looking for, we have it - find it here or contact us for more help!