Personally, I don't use either. I take a patch soaked in cleaner, fold it, and push it through the barrel using a wooden dowel rod. I know that isn't answering your question, but I don't want to risk scratching my barrel.

 

If that works for you, it's fine, but brass and phosphor bronze are both considerably softer than your barrel's steel and most cleaning rods are aluminum, which is softer yet. My experience has been that patches alone do an ok job of cleaning a gun that has only fired jacketed ammo, but it takes a brush to get rid of lead fouling.

 

The only time I use bore brushes anymore is when I decopperize a barrel. Any other time I just use a Hoppe's bore snake. It cuts my cleaning time in half. I use bronze brushes when given my pick because my bore solvents will dissolve brass.

 

Doesn't a bore snake have a brass or bronze brush in it?

 

Both are softer than the steel in the barrel so yes safe. DR

 

I use them in addition to a follow up with a Bore Snake, then finally swabs on a rod and a bore mop. I use a homemade cleaning mixture called Ed's Red and have for several years. It's a 1 part each mixture of Dextron III ATF, acetone, Kerosene.

 

heck.. I use a nylon bore brush

 

I have used the Stainless bore brushes for years.

The Stainless Steel wires are quite a bit softer than all barrel Steel.

It would akin to trying to scratch a granite countertop with a blueberry muffin. :rofl:

So....brass, bronze, or Stainless. Personal preference. :yup:

 

After cleaning with just patches, try running any kind of bore brush through, they run another patch and see how mush more crud you get out. I've used brushes for years and have never damaged a barrel.

 

Moved threadto more appropriate forum
I use steel or brass typically , just because that is easiest to find on the shelf. I do use a bore snake for quick wipe down occasionally.

 

I wouldn't worry about scratching the barrel with bronze or brass. Look at it this way. A gun is design to fire projectiles at velocities well in excess of scrubbing the barrel with a brush, and under huge amounts of pressure and heat. If they can stand up to this sort of abuse for 10's upon 10's of thousands of rounds of ammunition, a bronze or brass brush is next to nothing as far as damaging a barrel. And of course, sidearms are not sniper rifles so you're good to go.

 

My assumption is there is more copper in bronze than brass, therefore the brass brush would last longer.

 

I don't use either. Bronze and brass both contain copper which a quality cleaner will dissolve. I have been switching my metal brushes out with nylon as they die. So far I have no complaints.

 

I'm try some stuff called Ballistol after watching a video made by a guy named Hickok45, just got a nylon bore brush and see if it cleans as well as a brass brush, after letting the barrel soak in Ballistol for a while. I'd post the video but I'm not sure if that's kosher with the rules.