I've got a .22LR that has had thousands of rounds fired thru it, and has probably been cleaned a few hundred times, and each time it's cleaned it's done with a bronze brush. Two months ago a friend and I went to the range, and it still shoots dime sized groups at 50 yrds. I run a wet patch(good ole Hoppes #9), let sit for about 5 minutes. Then about 5 strokes with a bronze brush (those stainless steel brushes don't seem to make much sense to me either, goes against science and nature), then I use about 3 dry patches. If the last patch doesn't come out nearly white, then I run another wet patch, and start over again, except I don't brush again. After it's clean to my liking, I run an oiled patch, and wipe down the gun with a little oil on a cloth(even the SS guns). I also run a dry patch before firing the gun to make sure there isn't any excess oil in the barrel.

I don't think you can seriously hurt a barrel with light brushing with a bronze or I have seen plastic brushes. But I remember a class in which I was taught that when 2 objects rub together the one made of the "softer" material will wear, and the "harder" one will not. So what happens if I use a SS brush on my SS gun? I don't know if I want to find out.

I would also get a 1 piece rod. Nomercy, I saw a 1-piece coated rod for .17cal at my local gun shop a few weeks ago, so they are out there someplace.