What is a Bore Snake? How to Use a Bore Snake

What is a bore snake? A bore snake is the perfect tool for quick gun barrel cleaning, especially in the field. In this article, we'll cover how to use a bore snake, why you should use them, and using a bore snake vs. cleaning rod. By the time you've read this, the benefits of having a boresnake for every caliber of gun you own will be obvious.

What Is a Bore Snake?

A bore snake, sometimes written "boresnake," is a gun cleaning device for cleaning out the barrel of a firearm quickly and easily. It consists of a woven piece, similar to a soft rope, followed by a connected length of paracord and capped at the end with an aglet (exactly like the metal or plastic tube on the ends of shoelaces). They typically come in handgun or long-gun length, although the longer ones can certainly be used in shorter barrels.

Many bore snakes have an integrated wire brush at the front of the "rope" where it meets the paracord; although, some have a threaded aglet to allow attaching traditional rod-end cleaning attachments like brushes, bore mops, swabs, etc. They aren't intended to replace other aspects of gun cleaning, but they're a lot more portable and handier than a full gun cleaning kit.

They're available in a comprehensive variety of sizes from shotguns all the way down to .17's and .22's (that will work in both rimfires and air rifles).

Why Use a Bore Snake?

Here are the top three reasons why a bore snake is worth the money:

1. They're lightweight and portable. They'll easily fit in a shirt pocket.
2. They're quick and easy to use on the go in the field and can be used with or without solvent or gun oil.
   Perfect for clearing out barrels during high-volume shooting like range days.
   When out hunting, they're a perfect field kit in case dirt or debris gets into your barrel.
3. They're designed for specific calibers, not specific cartridges or chambers.
   For example, the same bore snake can be used for any .38 caliber, .357 Mag, .380 ACP, or 9mm interchangeably, since the diameter of the barrels are nearly identical.

Bore Snake vs. Cleaning Rod

• There's no need to disassemble the firearm or remove the action to use a bore snake because they're flexible and can easily move through right-angled spaces.
• Cleaning rods are pushed through the barrel, and if you're using too much force and not being careful, the rod can be bent or broken. Pulling is actually easier than pushing (there's a lot of math and physics to that), and bore snakes are designed to be pulled instead of pushed.
• Gun Cleaning rods require a variety of rod-end pieces for proper use, and this combination of components is much more unwieldy in the field.

How to Use a Bore Snake

Bore snakes are incredibly easy to use. Here are the steps:

1. MAKE SURE YOUR GUN IS COMPLETELY UNLOADED AND DOES NOT HAVE A ROUND IN THE CHAMBER!
   (Sorry for yelling, but this is the most important part.)
2. If desired, apply solvent or oil as recommended by the manufacturer.
3. Keep the action of the firearm open.
   If you're cleaning a revolver, just remove the cylinder and snake it separately from the barrel.
4. Pointing the barrel muzzle-down, place the metal aglet tip into the chamber end of the barrel.
   It will usually pop out of the muzzle end without any assistance.
5. Pull on the paracord (sometimes called the ripcord) slowly, bringing the woven fabric rope through the barrel from action to muzzle (back to front).
   If there's a lot of resistance, you can wrap the paracord around a fixed object and slowly pull the gun back and away from it.
6. Check the barrel.
   If it's not clean to your satisfaction, repeat the process.

Bore snakes have a pretty long lifespan if you care for them according to the manufacturer's instructions. This usually involves machine or hand-washing and air-drying. Luckily, they're inexpensive, so when they finally need replacement, it's not hard on your wallet.

Hopefully, by now you're seeing the benefits of bore snakes. They're light, compact, portable, and easy to use. If you're still unsure, just buy one and try it out. Once you do, you're likely to get them for every caliber you have. They're invaluable for quick, efficient gun barrel field cleaning. Shop bore snakes at OpticsPlanet today!