Gun Bore Cleaning System

The present invention relates in general to apparatus for cleaning gun bores, and more particularly to a hands-free brush and patch guide and solvent collection system for use in cleaning the bore of a gun.

Cleaning and polishing the bore of a rifle significantly affects shooting accuracy and consistency in addition to preserving the value of the rifle. The sooner copper, powder and lead fouling are removed from the barrel, the easier is the cleaning task. Frequent cleaning is critical, especially in marksmanship competition that requires the rifle bore to be keep a highly polished clean bore as often as every four or five shots. It is also important in competition where the rifle is bench-mounted and rounds are fired in rapid succession.

The cleaning process is quite simple but usually messy. A bore cleaning kit typically includes a steel cleaning rod, wire brushes and jag attachments of appropriate calibre, pre-cut patches or swabs, and cleaning solvent. Immediately after a firing, the bolt is removed and a solvent-bearing brush attached to the end of the cleaning rod is run through the bore to loosen residue. This is followed by a jag-mounted patch permeated with solvent to mop out any loose residue and dirt. Several more clean, solvent-containing patches are run through the bore until a patch comes out clean. If there is heavy fouling, this process can take ten to twenty patches. Of course, it is important, where possible, for the brush and patches to be run through the bore in the breech-to-muzzle direction to insure that no powder residue has been pushed into the breech mechanism that may cause subsequent rounds to stick in the firing chamber or cause the next bullet fired to drag residue and dirt down the barrel and score the bore.

Various bore cleaning devices are presently available for guiding the cleaning rod through the bore. One such device comprises a metal tube with an inside diameter slightly greater than the calibre of the rifle bore. A tapered bushing on the front of the tube abuts the breech end of the bore and is held tightly in place by an arm extending from the tube and bearing against a rifle surface such as the bolt-handle slot in the stock. The position of the arm is adjustable along the length of the tube to accommodate different locations of the bearing surface on various models. The back end of the tube includes an aperture through which cleaning solvent is applied to a brush or patch, secured beforehand on the tip of a cleaning rod, as it passes the aperture on its way into the bore. When the brush or patch exits the muzzle of the rifle, the solvent may splatter and drip onto clothing, floors and exterior surfaces. As the rod is pulled back out of the bore, the solvent-laden patch drops off, and as it is retrieved, dirt and solvent cling to the shooter's hands and invariably find their way onto the rifle barrel and stock, possibly causing corrosion.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for aligning and guiding, substantially hands-free, a wire brush or cleaning patch into the breech end of the bore of a gun and for collecting excess solvent and patches at the muzzle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush and patch guide in a gun cleaning apparatus in which a patch permeated with cleaning solvent may be placed on a cleaning rod guide and captured hands-free by the tip of the rod before entering the gun bore.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a gun cleaning rod guide which enables a wire brush or cleaning patch to be fully exposed to a cleaning solvent before being run through a gun bore.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hands-free solvent and patch collection apparatus in which solvent- and dirt-bearing patches discharged from the muzzle of a gun are prevented from soiling the user or surrounding environment.

A still further object is to provide a gun cleaning system which is quick and easy to install and use, ecologically friendly, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly, these and other objects of the invention are achieved by a bore cleaning system, suitable for installing on a gun, comprising a patch holder and guide, and a solvent and patch collector. The guide includes a tube with a tapered bushing at one end for abutting the opening of the breech end of the bore, and a platen transverse to the length of the tube having an aperture opening into the tube bore. A patch placed on the platen and impregnated with cleaning solvent is captured by a cleaning rod jag and pushed through the gun bore. The solvent and patch collector includes a hollow cylindrical adaptor with a radially slotted resilient opening at one end which is pressed onto the muzzle of the gun to grip the barrel. The other end tapers to a neck section threadingly connected to the narrow neck of a conventional plastic bottle. An internal recess along the tapered portion of the adaptor accommodates the front sight of the gun.

For a better understanding of the objects and principles of the invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a gun bore cleaning system according to the invention shown installed on a typical bolt-action rifle;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of components of the system of FIG. 1 in spatial relation;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal view, partially in cross-section, of a brush and patch guide of the system of FIG. 2 shown mounted in the breech of the rifle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, transverse cross sectional view through the brush and patch guide taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, transverse cross section through the brush and patch guide taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal cross section of the solvent and patch collector of FIG. 2 shown installed on the muzzle end of the rifle and receiving a cleaning patch;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, transverse cross section through the solvent and patch collector taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, transverse cross section of the patch collector taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross section through the brush and patch guide and showing it in use collecting patches and solvent.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a gun bore cleaning system comprising a patch guide and holder 10 and a solvent and patch collector 11 shown installed on a typical bolt-action rifle, such as a Winchester 70 or Mossberg 810, in which the bolt slides through a bridge B into a ring R of a receiver mechanism. In place of the bolt, guide 10 is installed for slidably axially receiving a cleaning rod 13, and the solvent and patch collector 11 is mounted on the muzzle end.

As best seen in FIGS. 2-5, guide 10 includes an elongate tube 16, having by forward and rearward portions 16a and 16b, respectively, an intermediate portion 16c, and a bore 18 with an inside diameter generally larger than that of the rifle bore. A bushing 20, preferably of an 85 Shore A durometer elastomer such as Buna-N, is press fitted onto the forward end of section 16a and tapers inwardly for completely seating in the throat or breech end opening of the rifle bore in ring R after having been slid through bridge B. The length of the tube 16 is sufficient to extend rearwardly behind bridge B when bushing 20 is fully seated. A sleeve 24, slidable through bridge B as well as along the outside of tube portion 16a, carries a radially extending lock pin 22 with one end threaded through the side of sleeve 24 for tightening against tube portion 16a. With bushing 20 fully seated in communication with the rifle bore, sleeve 24 may be slid through bridge B into a position where lock pin 22 engages the forward bearing surface of a bolt handle recess or slot S in the rifle stock. Sleeve 24 is then locked in position by screw-tightening lock pin 22 against tube portion 16a.

Rearward tube portion 16b is greater in transverse cross section than forward portion 16a to provide an inclined, generally rearwardly facing, planar surface 16d which traverses bore 18 at an angle in a range of 15-25.degree., preferably approximately 20.degree. across the longitudinal axis of tube 16. Tube 16 is preferably manufactured by extruding a strong, durable metal such as anodized 6061-TC aluminum alloy, or equivalent, with an outside diameter of portion 16b equal to the breadth of surface 16d, and then either machining the extrusion to form forward portion 16a or threading the rear end of the forward portion 16a into the intermediate portion 16b.

A patch support platen 26 of an alloy like that of tube 16 is attached to surface 16d by fasteners 28. As best seen in FIG. 2 and 5, platen 26 includes a pear-shaped aperture 26a contiguous with a funnel-like opening 18a in intermediate portion 16b which smoothly converges into the cylindrical inner surface of bore 18. The shape of aperture 26a and opening 18a allows a cleaning patch P to be disposed on the platen 26 in the path of movement of cleaning rod 13 and inserted in an unobstructed, low resistance manner into bore 18. A rim 26b around the rearward edge of platen 26 helps to retain patch P in place, and allows excess cleaning solvent applied to patch P to drain into the path of rod 13.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 6-8, patch collector 11 comprises a hollow cylindrical adaptor 14, preferably molded of a high density polyethylene, mounted on the muzzle M of the rifle, and a conventional narrow neck, screw-top container 15, such as a 16-ounce blow-molded PET soda pop bottle disposed co-axially with the gun bore. Container 15 is preferably transparent to enable the condition of the patches discharged at the muzzle to be observed. An elastomeric circular insert disc 32, secured in an annular race 14a at one end 14b of adaptor 14, has radial slots 32a and 32b communicating with each other at the center to form a star-shaped port 33. When the rifle muzzle M is passed through the port 33, inwardly projecting points of insert 32 formed by each pair of adjacent slots 32a, elastically deflect into the adaptor and grip the outer surface of the muzzle. Slot 32b is wider than slots 32a to allow the front sight F of the rifle to pass freely into adaptor 14. The other end 14c of adaptor 14 has a frusto-conical portion that tapers to a neck section 14d having internal threads threadedly engageable with conventional external threads on the neck of container 15. A radial recess 14e is formed to receive front sight F in the tapered end portion 14c and is fixed in radial alignment with slot 32b by adaptor keys 14f mating with keyways 32c. Insert 32 is preferably made of a synthetic elastomer such as 70 Shore A durometer butyl-N rubber. Preferably, the adaptor 14 is molded of two identical sections which have lengthwise extending flanges 14h that are ultrasonically welded along their lengths and riveted at the internally threaded neck end as by rivets 14j (FIG. 2).

FIG. 9 shows the solvent and patch collector 15 in use with a wire brush cleaner 34 attached to cleaning rod 13. Typically, as the brush 34 emerges from the muzzle of the gun, the bristles tend to spring outward and splatter solvent. Container 15 prevents the solvent from spreading while collecting it for proper disposal.

A method for cleaning the bore of a rifle with the apparatus as above described begins with mounting patch collector 11 on the rifle 10 by inserting the muzzle of the barrel through the aperture 33 of insert 32 until front sight 34 registers in recess 14d and the muzzle abuts neck 14d. With the bolt removed, patch guide 10 is slid through the bridge B until bushing 20 seats in the throat or breech end of the rifle bore. Guide 10 is locked in place by first positioning sleeve 24 where lock pin 22 will engage bolt-handle slot S in the rifle stock and then screw-tightening lock pin 22 against tube 16. The position of sleeve 24 is thereby set for a specific rifle but must be reset, of course, for different model rifles.

Before a cleaning patch is pushed through the rifle bore, it is recommended that an appropriately sized wire brush, saturated with solvent, be run through the bore to loosen and clean out coarse residue. The collection apparatus will be especially appreciated in this process as it will confine any solvent sprayed by the brush as it emerges from the muzzle of the rifle and enters the container. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, a clean dry patch P, is placed on patch support platen 26, and with a jag tip 13a of appropriate size attached to cleaning rod 13, the rod is pushed through tube 16 capturing patch P as the tip passes through the inclined plane of platen aperture 26a and opening 18a. After patch P enters container 15, as shown in FIG. 5, rod 13 is retracted leaving the soiled patch P in the container 15. The process is repeated with a new patch each time until there is no evidence of dirt present on a patch.

Some of the many advantages and novel features of the invention should now be readily apparent. For example, a system is provided for capturing and guiding a cleaning brush or patch into the breech end of the bore of a gun and for collecting excess cleaning solvent and patches in a closed container at the muzzle. The patch is supported on a cleaning rod guide that enables the patch to be captured, hands-free, by the tip of the rod before it enters the gun bore, and soiled patches may be collected, hands-free, thereby preventing the solvent from soiling the user's hands and collecting on the gun, clothing or any surrounding surfaces. A bore cleaning system is provided which is ecologically friendly, quick and easy to use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It will be understood, of course, that various changes in the details, materials, and steps and arrangement of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.