Anyone use muzzle protectors?

[flounder33]

When I clean between shots I try to not touch the sides of the muzzle with the ramrod but it still happens. Do any of you use muzzle protectors to prevent this? If so, did you make your own or are there some good ones out there. I've looked a little and haven't found much.
Thanks, Art

[gleason.chapman]

ORIGINAL: flounder33

When I clean between shots I try to not touch the sides of the muzzle with the ramrod but it still happens. Do any of you use muzzle protectors to prevent this? If so, did you make your own or are there some good ones out there. I've looked a little and haven't found much.
Thanks, Art

No. I don't feel that hitting the sides while cleaning is a big deal for a hunting rilfe, a "bench shooting ML" OK I buy that, but a 100 yard MLer, no.My son has all that gear for his Remington 700 308 sniper rifle, and that thing can shoot, but I don't find it is needed for MLer.Maybe if your shooting every day and swabbing between shoots every time and your bench shooting a lot. They fact that they don't make themfor MLers also leads me to that conclusion. Chap Gleason

[johnny2]

I would say it depends on what your using for a rod..I use
all wood or the nylon...They do make a rod guide,but I
can't remember where I seen it now..I t was made of brass.

[bowbender6]

I had same concern and didn't have guid for my .45 so I used a paper towel in my hand and kept the rod centered. I got pretty good at not letting the rod hit the rifleing, plus it keept the crap off the rod. About every 10-20 shots change paper towel. I think rag on a roll would work even better

[dmurphy317]

I use a solid aluminum range rod unless I'm in the feild. While I try not to rub it against the inside of the muzzle it sometimes happens. I usually just use my left hand to help guide it into the barrel to minimize any contact. The steel of the barrel is much harder than the ramrod so it is unlikely to do any damage if it litely touches from time to time. After many, many hundreds of rounds plus cleaning I have not noticed a problem.

If you are worried about it though, you might look into getting some heat shrink tubing that is just a bit larger than the rod and use a paint stripper heat gun to shrink fit it to the rod to give you a bit of cushioning for the inevitable rub against the muzzle. Most hardware stores and electronics stores should have heat shrink tubing in 4' lengths. Also, some hair driers may get hot enough to shrink it if you don't have a paint stripper. Could probably do it over the stove also.

[Tahquamenon]

I always use a bore guide for both range rods and short starters.

True what Chap saidthat for a hunting ML this may be over protective, but if you are like me and shoot several pounds of powder a year, a couple of bucks to help protect the bore of your favorite ML is well worth it.

Really nice brass bore guides available from Track of the Wolf:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(5g0ij355afjiwrj55h11ju55))/categories/tableList.aspx?catId=6&subId=49&styleId=15 9&partNum=RG-6

Tahquamenon

[hossdaniels]

All of my jags and rods are brass or aluminum, that will not hurt steel.
(will it)?

[sabotloader]

flounder33

The only time I do not use a bore guide is while hunting and then I might only load one or two shots in a season. Other than that I always use a bore guide no matter what type of rod you might be using. Crowns can be and have ruined by ram rods rubbing them. Most high quality center fire guns the manufacturers do not even want you to clean form the muzzle and fancy boreguides for the breech are made available.

Get a bore guide it is well worth it.

[lemoyne]

You get a lot more wear from the ramrod than you do from the bullet ,patch or sabot and its always off center. I have lost count of how many barrels I have cut off and rebuttoned [ recrowned] to get them shooting good again. Lee

[cayugad]

Bore Guides are something I use all the time. Look down an old rifle that was cleaned over the years and no bore guide was used. The long scratches will shock you. Especially if you use a steel ramrod. Also remember, the loading jags are steel. All of this metal to metal rubbing on each other will do damage over time. I have brass guides on one rod, and plastic ones on others. I also have them for different calibers. Why risk a good rifle when they are so easy to use and so inexpensive.

The only time I do not use them is in the field hunting. I figure I can reload once or maybe twice with out one. But Bore Guides are a good thing. Don't let your barrel insides look like some of my old rifles I have around here.