Okay... a stupid question for most of you, but there it is. What is the proper way to use a chamber brush?

This evening I was cleaning my AR-15 and grabbed a chamber brush I'd purchased but not yet used. I assembled the appropriate length of cleaning rod, attached the brush, dipped it in Hoppes #9, then shoved it into the chamber. Then it wouldn't come out. I pulled so hard I yanked the handle right off of the cleaning rod, but that sucker wasn't going to back out... just like a bore brush halfway down a barrel doesn't want to stop and back up! It required some "tools" including a hammer to get that rod and brush back out of the chamber, so I KNOW there is something I'm missing here! And yes, it is the appropriate caliber brush... 5.56/.223.

So how the heck is this thing supposed to be useful if it gets stuck tight when you stick it in the chamber??? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance for clearing up this mystery... and please don't laugh!

Sounds like you may have pushed it in to far. I insert until the longer bristles are in far enough to clean the locking lugs.

Actually after looking at some videos on YouTube, it appears I didn't push it in far enough and then turn it, which would have allowed the longer steel bristles to "release" their grip so I could pull it back out! However, with the type of rod I was using I wouldn't have been able to turn the brush once fully inserted anyway because the handle spins freely, so I'll need a different kind of rod to use this brush again!

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
However, with the type of rod I was using I wouldn't have been able to turn the brush once fully inserted anyway because the handle spins freely, so I'll need a different kind of rod to use this brush again!

It would gouge the crap out of the rod, but this is the kind of situation where, in a pinch, vise-grips can be very handy.

quote:

However, with the type of rod I was using I wouldn't have been able to turn the brush once fully inserted anyway because the handle spins freely, so I'll need a different kind of rod to use this brush again!

I use one of the one-piece pistol rods that came with one of my guns. It has a "loop handle" that does not swivel. Works great.

I insert the brush as far as getting the longer wires into the locking lugs area and turn the thing clockwise, to keep the brush threaded onto the rod, then while continuously turning I remove it.

The. I spray the barrel extension and bore with brake cleaner to flush all that gunk out the muzzle and I let it dry and then oil it.

Always turning the brush keeps it from getting stuck.

On the old M1 garand d and M14 the chamber brush was on a ratchet and could only go so far.

I've used the Dewey chamber rod for years with great success. The handle is fixed and does not spin.

https://www.brownells.com/gun-...ombos-prod25910.aspx

There are probably as many differing opinions about gun cleaning as there are shooters, so here are mine about AR chamber brushes that have a enlarged section at the rear that’s supposed to clean the barrel extension.

First, I would never use a steel brush on any gun, anywhere.* The only exception would be if I had to scrub red rust off a part that had been fished out of a saltwater swamp.

Second, those combination brushes are worthless in my experience for cleaning the barrel extension. Even if they can be jammed in far enough to reach that recess, they don’t contact the surfaces very well. Most of the time I don’t even bother trying to clean the area beyond the lugs for the bolt, but when I do, I use one of the tools described below, or just flush the area with an aerosol cleaner. The residues in that area aren’t that difficult to remove.

Lug recess cleaning tool.
https://www.brownells.com/gun-...2.aspx?sku=749003995

Swabs. These work pretty well, but it’s necessary to attach them to the cleaning rod (nonrotating) in a way to keep them from spinning freely.
https://www.brownells.com/gun-...4.aspx?sku=100002057

Nylon brush. If one must use a combination chamber brush, use this one, not the ones with steel bristles. It will work just as poorly, but won’t damage anything and will be easier to remove if it gets jammed in place.
https://www.brownells.com/gun-...3.aspx?sku=084117001

Combination mop. I use this one most, although if pushed in too far, the core will continue to turn while the mop doesn’t.
https://www.brownells.com/gun-...3.aspx?sku=084424003

* Some people use steel toothbrush type brushes to clean pistol breech faces, but when I use a metal brush to clean that area, it’s made of copper or brass; no need for steel.

quote:

Originally posted by jackimoe:
I've used the Dewey chamber rod for years with great success. The handle is fixed and does not spin.

https://www.brownells.com/gun-...ombos-prod25910.aspx

That looks like a great option! Will have to procure one soon... (or maybe not after reading sigfreund's comments regarding chamber cleaning)

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
There are probably as many differing opinions about gun cleaning as there are shooters, so here are mine about AR chamber brushes that have a enlarged section at the rear that’s supposed to clean the barrel extension.

First, I would never use a steel brush on any gun, anywhere.* The only exception would be if I had to scrub red rust off a part that had been fished out of a saltwater swamp.

<<snip>>

Thanks, sigfreund, for your comments! I do fully see the logic in them and will take your recommendations into consideration before making any more chamber cleaning related purchases or decisions!

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:

quote:

Originally posted by jackimoe:
I've used the Dewey chamber rod for years with great success. The handle is fixed and does not spin.

https://www.brownells.com/gun-...ombos-prod25910.aspx

That looks like a great option! Will have to procure one soon... (or maybe not after reading sigfreund's comments regarding chamber cleaning)

Thanks!

I do not mean to suggest that cleaning the chamber proper isn’t a good idea. I don’t do it all the time, but when I do, that Dewey rod is useful. There are alternatives such as a long “loop” rod, but the Dewey’s length and large handle make things a little easier.

For cleaning just the chambers (without worrying about the AR barrel extension), I use the Dewey rod and swabs and nylon or bronze bore brushes intended for .40 or .45 caliber barrels. I attach the cleaning device to the rod, add a little solvent (e.g., 99% isopropyl alcohol), then push the device into the chamber and rotate it around.