About bore brush materials. The most common bristles are nylon and bronze (bronze-phosphor combination), however some of the specialist brushes, such as the.223cal/5.56mm and.308cal/7.62mm chamber brushes, also feature steel bristles. When you're working on your locking lugs and star chamber locations, the steel comes in handy, but you don't want to run it down your bore. Brass, unlike steel, is softer than chrome-plated steel, thus it won't damage the bore.
So, which one provides a more thorough clean and greater scrubbing power? Many individuals use a bronze brush to get a better clean, but we've found that it truly boils down to personal opinion. Some people believe that the nylon brush cleans equally as well as the bronze brush, while others like the bronze brush's scouring strength and believe that the nylon brush is better suited to sweeping up loose carbon and fouling rather than scrubbing out the difficult stuff.
The sort of solvent you're using may also influence the brush material you use. Brass brushes are great for removing powder, lead, metal fouling, carbon deposits, and rust with solvents. When cleaning with solvents like copper removers, nylon is a good choice because the chemicals won't break down the nylon like they would brass. Bronze brushes can also provide a misleading reading on your clean depending on the copper remover you choose, as certain ammonia-based copper removers can still turn blue or green when they react with the bronze brush rather than any copper left in the barrel.
Regardless of your preference, we've got you covered. Try both and decide which one you like. We created a two-pack of bore brushes that come in a variety of calibers and gauges and feature both a bronze and nylon brush. Here's where you can find them.