Cleaning jag for a .32

[Dennis Glazener]

I finally finished my little .32 and went out to sight it in. Fired 6 or 8 shots while filing off the front site to raise the impact. Decided to clean it and after the third patch I lost a patch in the barrel, no problem will just use my 22 caliber wire brush to snag the patch, except I didn't have the brush with me. So that was the end of shooting for the day (yeah I tried to shoot it out by dribbling powder in touch hole but no dice).

This after noon after getting patch out I was finishing up cleaning it and lost 2 more patches. Even dumb as I am I realized my jag was too large and made me use too small a patch (I was quartering the large round patches that I use with my .54 and smaller calibers).

For this one I cut the end of the hickory ram rod like the old timers did. It has worked fine on larger calibers but not for the .32.

I was getting ready to make a tip/jag out of a piece of brass but decided to check and see what the brain trust uses.
Dennis

[Harnic]

What about one of those "loop" jags for a .22?  You should be able to stuff enough patch material in it to clean well & you can't lose it.

[Dennis Glazener]

What about one of those "loop" jags for a .22?  You should be able to stuff enough patch material in it to clean well & you can't lose it.
   

The problem with them, as I see it, is the way the loop jag is made the patch does not get down to the breech plug. I think I will make a long small diameter jag like I use for larger rifles but cut my patches in long strips so I am sure the patch material lays in several of the rings in the jag. I think my problem now is that the patch is so small it doesn't "grab" much of the jag.
Dennis

[northmn]

I buy 32 cleaning jags from places like Muzzle Loaders builders supply.  However the 30 cal jags you can get in local sporting goods stores also work.  I have bought two cleaning rods and put an extra section in for cleaning a 42 inch barrel and use the tips and jags from a kit.  If you can get 4 foot dowel 1/4 rods, they make excellent cleaning rods.

DP   

[William Worth]

I clean down in the recess of a patent breech with a small loop jag and a patch folded over the end of the jag a time or two, whatever it takes to make it fit, then twist it once seated in the breech in the direction that tightens the jag so as not to unscrew it.

[bob in the woods]

I use a 22 cal brush, with a patch on it. Almost impossible to lose the patch, and cleans well.

[Daryl]

Dennis- the Kleenbore or Hoppe's blister packs with .30 cal cleaning jags would be a 'best' jag for cleaning. Some have a spear on the front for holding patches that are meant for 'through the breech' cleaning, to fall off when the rod is retrienved. They can easily ge ground or filed off flush. The thread size is usually 8x32.  Due to the small size of the .32's bore, I simply use a threaded screw for pulling anything that gets stuck down the bore, ie: patches.  A worm isn't necessary as the screw works perfectly.  Actually, I have both 8x32 and 10x32 thread screws, as the 10x32 is larger in diameter.  I have a short adapter, 10x32 to 8x32 and the other way, so both sizes fit any rod I have.

[Roger Fisher]

So, if you are thrifty, and have some steel studded brass jags around the bench why not chuck one up after you protect the threads with tape and dress it down to fit that little bitty tube...  Should work.

You can recut the grooves if you must take too much off the outside surface with fine file edge (keep them sharp)

[BrownBear]

I've never had a problem with losing patches in a 32 caliber since I switched to these "long" jags.  The short button types were rotten for patch loss, but not the long ones, provided your patch is large enough diameter to fold back into the "recess" behind the button.  It appears that area being smaller diameter than the rod is key.

[Kermit]

Absolutely, Brownbear. Those long jags are the ticket. I have one in each bag for each caliber/gun.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

This is what you need, at the least, in your hunting/shot bag.  When using a jagged cleaning tip like those illustrated earlier by Brownbear,  if you withdraw the cleaning rod too quickly, the vacuum created in the bore sucks the patch back down the bore.  Here's where this tool is indispensable.  These two were made by Jim Webb.  He makes them by hand out of drill rod for about $30 per.
At Heffley this summer, one of our nubbies got a brand new bronze brush jammed down at the breech of his dirty barrel, and in the process of trying to withdraw it, he pulled the threaded end off the brush.  Many guys tried lots of different things to get it out, but only managed to jam it in more tightly.  I put my wormer on my steel cleaning rod and withdrew the buggered brush on the first try.  Just an example of how versatile this wormer is.  They are designed to use tow as the cleaning stuff, but will work well with cotton patches too...just the thing to get right down to the bottom of the breech.  Write to Jim Webb, 333 Webb Haven Drive, Hillsville, Va. 24343.  Pls. tell him I sent you.

[hanshi]

Thirty two jags can be a problem to find sometimes.  I've been using a .22 jag and thick patches which works but is not ideal.  For getting out stuck patches of any kind I've found nothing that works better than the ball pulling screw.  I'm always afraid a steel worm will scratch the bore.  For a patent breech I, too, use a wire brush and patch.

[Dennis Glazener]

Dennis- the Kleenbore or Hoppe's blister packs with .30 cal cleaning jags would be a 'best' jag for cleaning. Some have a spear on the front for holding patches that are meant for 'through the breech' cleaning, to fall off when the rod is retrienved. They can easily ge ground or filed off flush. The thread size is usually 8x32.  Due to the small size of the .32's bore, I simply use a threaded screw for pulling anything that gets stuck down the bore, ie: patches.  A worm isn't necessary as the screw works perfectly.  Actually, I have both 8x32 and 10x32 thread screws, as the 10x32 is larger in diameter.  I have a short adapter, 10x32 to 8x32 and the other way, so both sizes fit any rod I have.

Hadn't thought of that, I do have a couple of them laying around. Will have to throw one of them in my .32 bag.

I just made a tip for my .32 rod and turned down one of my extra jags to .32 size. I am going to find some patches that are larger than cutting the ones I have into quarters. Large enough to extend well up on the jag where they won't be as apt to come off. I think the ones I was using just didn't have enough patch material to gripe well to the jag.
Thanks
Dennis

[rsells]

Dennis,   
I use a long jag like brown bear suggested.  I take the long jag and chuck the threaded shaft up in a drill press.  I use a file to make the section behind the jag smaller so I can use a larger patch without it rolling up in that area and making it hard if not nearly impossible to pull out of the barrel in some instances.  I still have to pay attention to the size of the cleaning patch I use.  I take tee shirt material and cut it up to use for cleaning.  I think the size of the cleaning patch used in the smaller cal. .29, .30, and .32 is more citical than larger bores because of the size of the bore being so near the size of the ramrod diameter. 

All said, small bores are geat fun to shoot, and squirrel hunting in TN with a dog is a blast.
                                                                                             Roger Sells

[Dennis Glazener]

Roger,
Thanks, I believe I have a jag that is long and small enough to allow me to use a much larger patch. It seems to work very much like the ones in my larger calibers. Even if I loose one now and then the screw tip jag should pick-up the larger patch.

Yes I really like the smaller calibers. I had a Bill Large .30 caliber but I like the .32 much better. The .30 required too small a ram rod and was a bear to load. The .32 is not much bigger but to me it loads much easier, could be the radius rifling in this Rice barrel.
Dennis