I know there was a thread on here... Bout cleaning a barrel too much will wear it out faster but cant seem to find it. I just wanted to add this vid for that discussion



Also, has anyone here used the giraud tri way cutter? Thinking bout purchasing it. How much is it, if anyone has bought it recently. Their website doesnt say and the only pricing I found through Google was about 95 bucks back in 2015. Via ar15.com thread. I don't wanna be a dick and call and find out its now 200 bucks (covid inflation) and hang up on their store rep instantaneously, lol.

Very succinct video. I was not aware of polymer brushes for barrel cleaning, having owned brass and nylon brushes only. Most gun makers have their own forums and customer service departments, where you can query fellow owners and/or reps about cleaning. Evaluating the state of your barrel with a borescope could be a first step in determining whether you need to get more invasive. Like prostate exams, borescoping probably has its dangers too, but not as bad as cleaning with a stainless steel brush. I have a Teslong Rigid Rifle Borescope, which I'll be testing in January.



Not too many negative reviews of the Giraud Tri-Way. One favorable review is on the Glock Forum.
https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/giraud-tri-way-trimmer-review.1856600/
The Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Case Trim seems to have a larger user base, but it is made in China, with its own set of risks. At least with Giraud, you can contact Doug Giraud for support.

I use a Bore Snake for most routine cleaning.  I find if the cleaning process is too complicated or difficult, it's less likely to be done after each range visit.

After seeing that Glock includes a nylon bristle cleaning brush in their gun cases, I did some research.  That's when I replaced most of the brushes I use with the one below.

Stainless Steel "Tornado" brush:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1240113076?pid=764150

The giraud tricut trimmer is $110 per the website.  I got the 223/556 and my friend got the trimmer for the 308 family (works on 308, 7mm-08, 260 and 243).

I’ve used my trimmer maybe once.  (I’m lazy)

My friend eventually went to a hand trimmer (Sinclair?) and gave me his trimmer since I have a 7mm-08.  I haven’t tried it yet.

We went with the Giraud instead of the other trimmers since it would save 2 steps, deburr and chamfer

If you need to trim a lot, a powered trimmer is nice but if you only do small batches a manual trimmer should be ok.

Hah!!!  I thought those tornado brushes were for shotguns…..I thought they could not get into the grooves of a rifled barrel

[snip]

Hah!!!  I thought those tornado brushes were for shotguns…..I thought they could not get into the grooves of a rifled barrel

I think the idea is to use the tornado brushes for routine cleaning.  It cleans the lead out of the barrel without wearing down the lining.  Its design makes sure you are hitting all parts of the barrel's surface.

Brass bristle brushes and copper solvent should still be used periodically, but not every time the barrel is cleaned.

The bore snake doesn't have the number of bristles a brass brush has, so I use the snake to get the barrel mostly clean, and the tornado to loosen the lead.

Cleaning is mostly a matter of opinion.  It depends on frequency of use, number of rounds, type of ammo, etc.  Some need deep cleaning more often, while most range guns will just need to be cleaned for storage, then occasional deeper cleaning in the groves.

That's how I view my own barrel cleaning needs.  I do also take precautions for certain firearms, such as Mosin-Nagant 91/30.  The Russian surplus ammo is corrosive, so I immediately rinse the barrel with Windex (the ammonium kind) to stop the acid from eating the metal.  Then I give it a good cleaning with brass brushes to make sure any particles from the ammo are unstuck.

I bet many here are on a spectrum of extreme cleaning after every use thru "Meh.  I haven't cleaned my gun in forever." 

Keep it simple, and do what you think is "good enough".  Over-cleaning the barrel isn't as big a worry as over-cleaning the mechanical parts.

+1 for the Giraud TriWay. I have .223 and .308.

I have the trimmer for .308 and .30-06.

It is awesome. Great for home use high volume trimming.

Thanks everyone for letting me know bout the trimmer. I called a couple times and he or his employees never answer. I'll try call again sometime next week since I just blew 600 bucks or so on gifts for xmas 😞

Doug's wife takes the orders. He is a full time engineer from what I read. I don't know about his situation but he's great. A similar maker, Ray Brandes of Ray-Vin passed away recently. He made scope stands like Doug Giraud.