[texastaurusguy]

I tend to get carried away trying to clean my guns and I wanted to get some feedback. Will it hurt or affect feeding of the bullet if I scrub the feed ramp with a steel brush? There are crevices on the feed ramp side of the barrel that I can't get completely clean and I have been taking a steel brush to it and this tends to get it clean, or at least cleanER. But I don't want to eventually affect the way it feeds bullets either.

Thanks for your input !!

 

[joe sixpack]

it can, people sometimes polish their ramps to help with feeding.

i'd try something a little softer, like a bronze, brass, or copper brush..

or better yet a nylon brush but those sometimes can't get the job done.

 

[airwrench]

A polished feed ramp is a happy feed ramp.

If I don't get to clean a gun between matches I make it a point to at least clean the ramp.

 

[paulrabe78]

i'd try something a little softer, like a bronze, brass, or copper brush..

or better yet a nylon brush but those sometimes can't get the job done.

I agree with Joe.

 

[texasmaan]

when i clean my feed ramp and barrel i use a $1.20 soft cloth tip for a dremel it is very soft so it does not scratch and it cleans it great and as a bonus it polishes it better than the factory did( I just put the dremel on a slower setting)

try that you can pick them up at any hardware store

 

[downrange]

1st post

I'd stay away from steel brushes as they can erode/scratch the steel on your gun. I reserve using copper brushes for exceedingly dirty jobs like cleaning mil-surp guns or otherwise abused firearms that have suffered years of neglect. Copper being softer than steel, you shouldn't experience any noticeable wear but I rarely find a need for them in my everyday guns. Also, copper brushes should never be used with a copper removing solvent as it eats away the brush and leaves behind a blue-green color on the patch. This could fool the user into thinking that their barrel isn't clean when it's really the eroding copper brush leaving the tinge of color.

95% of my handgun cleaning is done with nylon brushes wrapped with a patch, brake cleaning fluid for the action (keep away from plastic, wood and rubber, but composites should be fine), copper solvent for the barrel and then lubed with Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 20W-50. Use the oil sparingly. Enough to coat the friction bearing surfaces, but not so much that it becomes a dirt/dust magnet. Never a problem in 30+ yrs of shooting.

Wrapping your nylon brush with a patch will retain more copper solvent and keep it where it belongs, at the ends of the bristles and deep within the rifling of the barrel. From what I can tell by the smell, high evaporation rate and effectiveness, the same solvent in aerosol gun/action scrubbers/cleaners is used in aerosol brake cleaners for much less $ at the auto parts store.