Can brass bore guides cause damage?

[Ed C.]

This is kinda in the dumb question category. We hear about fiberglass ramrods damaging barrels, delrin rods are ok, but dirty delrin rods are not, wood can pick up dirt, steel for sure is bad unless using a bore guide. So my question is can any damage happen from using a brass bore guide at the muzzle? Would plastic be better? Or is this all overthinking 'cause the County shut down my range for a month?

 

[flntlokr]

You should be ok with brass. Softer materials can pick up grit, and some time in the distant future cause some wear. Aluminun gets a layer of oxide on it, and the oxide is supposedly hard and sharp and could cause wear over time. The main thing is to avoid anything harder than your barrel. I have both plastic and brass guides, but I figure I could do without uunless I change to a steel rod. Fibreglass is bad because as the rod wears, the glass fibres get exposed, and they will polish away your steel barrels. Hard rods can be covered with heat-shrink tubing to protect your stuff.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Been using brass bore protectors since the 70's and I have not seen any damage to the barrels of any of my rifles and I used to shoot a lot before injuries and old age started taking over. Actually been a couple times where I have replaced the bore protector because it was showing a lot of wear. I advise never use a fiberglass rod. I used to work for a company that made fiberglass bodies for the auto industry so I have seen what that can do to steel. In addition as the rod begins to wear small pieces of the fiberglass will come off and get imbedded in your hands which is not at all pleasant.

 

[chorizo]

All will cause damage if the rod is dirty. Brass is easier to wipe clean than the synthetics and don't readily embed abrasive particles. Brass is softer than steel so it doesn't wear the steel. Aluminum oxide is used as an abrasive, as stated earlier, is hard and while aluminum is soft the oxide on the rod is abrasive.


Using muzzle guides will solve most of your concerns.

Brass is your best bet, IMO.

 

[64Springer]

You're over thinking it.

I have some fiberglass rods.

But I don't rapidly pump them in and out of the bore like a butter churn.

No problem with my bores.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

This is kinda in the dumb question category. We hear about fiberglass ramrods damaging barrels, delrin rods are ok, but dirty delrin rods are not, wood can pick up dirt, steel for sure is bad unless using a bore guide. So my question is can any damage happen from using a brass bore guide at the muzzle? Would plastic be better? Or is this all overthinking 'cause the County shut down my range for a month?

You are over thinking! Anything rubbing on anything will cause wear. The Grand Canyon has huge amount of wear on it's rocks from just water. How much wear using brass? Insignificant in your lifetime!
Larry

 

[Ed C.]

You are over thinking! Anything rubbing on anything will cause wear. The Grand Canyon has huge amount of wear on it's rocks from just water. How much wear using brass? Insignificant in your lifetime!
Larry

I think that is about right. I'm 78 and don't plan on being around as long as the Grand Canyon. I've been using a delrin rod and have a steel range rod to be used in case a ball gets stuck on loading and needs to be hammered down. So I was thinking of using the steel rod for everything with the brass bore guide and then was concerned the brass guide might cause wear.

 

[bigstick6017555]

It is how you use the rod that is the problem, not the rod.

 

[64Springer]

^^^That's what *** said.^^^

 

[zimmerstutzen]

All will cause damage if the rod is dirty. Brass is easier to wipe clean than the synthetics and don't readily embed abrasive particles. Brass is softer than steel so it doesn't wear the steel. Aluminum oxcide is used as an abrasive, as stated earlier, is hard.

Using muzzle guides will solve most of your concerns.

Brass is your best bet, IMO.

Brass can be harder than stainless steel as well as iron. It depends on the alloys and tempering.

 

[Phil Coffins]

The barrel on the left has over 40 years of shooting and has burned the better part of four cases of powder. The wood ram rod is used for loading and often for cleaning. The only other thing used sometimes is a 3/8” steel rod. Seems over thinking is a common problem for muzzle loaders.
IMG_0421 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Ed C.]

The barrel on the left has over 40 years of shooting and has burned the better part of four cases of powder. The wood ram rod is used for loading and often for cleaning. The only other thing used sometimes is a 3/8” steel rod. Seems over thinking is a common problem for muzzle loaders.
IMG_0421 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

Wow! OK. Looks like I need to find something else to worry over.

 

[chorizo]

Brass can be harder than stainless steel as well as iron. It depends on the alloys and tempering.

See for your self. Nice comment, now show me some data and numbers.

https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/steel-b-scale/
https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/brass/
I think you are safe. I doubt that they are using the hardest brass then hardening it, especially for ramrods to be used in guns

 

[Ed C.]

See for your self. Nice comment, now show me some data and numbers.

https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/steel-b-scale/
https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/brass/
I think you are safe. I doubt that they are using the hardest brass then hardening it, especially for rammrods to be used in guns

Yep, I'm pretty sure a soft brass would be used as bore guides.

 

[Okie Hog]

It is how you use the rod that is the problem, not the rod.

One of my muzzleloading rifles has fired over 5,000 rounds. There is no damage from the steel ramrod.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Yep, I'm pretty sure a soft brass would be used as bore guides.

Brass vs Steel - What's the Difference - ThePipingMart Blog​

https://blog.thepipingmart.com/metals/brass-vs-steel-whats-the-difference-2Brass is a stronger metal than steel. This is because brass is a harder metal than steel. The hardness of a metal is measured on the Mohs scale. On this scale, brass ranks between 3 and 4, while steel ranks between 4 and 5. This means brass is less likely to dent, scratch, or break than steel. See more

 

[zimmerstutzen]

See for your self. Nice comment, now show me some data and numbers.

https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/steel-b-scale/
https://www.metalmart.com/tools/hardness-conversions/brass/
I think you are safe. I doubt that they are using the hardest brass then hardening it, especially for ramrods to be used in guns

Well you asked:

Brass vs Steel - What's the Difference - ThePipingMart Blog​

https://blog.thepipingmart.com/metals/brass-vs-steel-whats-the-difference-2Brass is a stronger metal than steel. This is because brass is a harder metal than steel. The hardness of a metal is measured on the Mohs scale. On this scale, brass ranks between 3 and 4, while steel ranks between 4 and 5. This means brass is less likely to dent, scratch, or break than steel. See more

 

[French Colonial]

A brass guide is not going to hurt your barrel, some brass may be harder but not a guide, don't believe me, take your bore guide and rub it vigorously on a piece of steel for a week or so and see which wears first.

I have used brass on old rusty guns, scrape with the brass and it will remove rust but not hurt the steel.

Second, if you think delrin is soft enough to get dirt imbedded in it try machining it, drill and tap it for 8-32 or 10-32 threads as well and then tell me how soft it is.

 

[LME]

This is kinda in the dumb question category. We hear about fiberglass ramrods damaging barrels, delrin rods are ok, but dirty delrin rods are not, wood can pick up dirt, steel for sure is bad unless using a bore guide. So my question is can any damage happen from using a brass bore guide at the muzzle? Would plastic be better? Or is this all overthinking 'cause the County shut down my range for a month?

This is kinda in the dumb question category. We hear about fiberglass ramrods damaging barrels, delrin rods are ok, but dirty delrin rods are not, wood can pick up dirt, steel for sure is bad unless using a bore guide. So my question is can any damage happen from using a brass bore guide at the muzzle? Would plastic be better? Or is this all overthinking 'cause the County shut down my range for a month?

If the bore guide is like all I have seen and used it never touches the rifling. It ride on the crown of the muzzle. I don't see anyway it can cause you any harm to your M.L. rifle?

 

[Ed C.]

Well you asked:

Brass vs Steel - What's the Difference - ThePipingMart Blog​

https://blog.thepipingmart.com/metals/brass-vs-steel-whats-the-difference-2Brass is a stronger metal than steel. This is because brass is a harder metal than steel. The hardness of a metal is measured on the Mohs scale. On this scale, brass ranks between 3 and 4, while steel ranks between 4 and 5. This means brass is less likely to dent, scratch, or break than steel. See more

WAIT! Something is not making sense here. The higher numbers on the Mohs scale designate the harder materials so steel would be harder in spite of what the article says.