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tipton vs bore tech cleaning rods

Powder_Burns

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  • May 4, 2009
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    Had a tipton cleaning rod years back, it did what it was supposed to. Looking to get a new rod for my rimfire barrel, and these are the two candidates. Being that the tipton is like $25, I’m wondering if its made in China.
    The bore tech is closer to $60, and is a coated steel rod while the tipton is carbon fiber. If either one pushes a patch through a barrel, what would make you pony up for the bore tech vs the tipton?
     
    I can only speak to the bore tech rod and say that the ball bearings in the handle make it super smooth. Prior to using it i was suing the typical 3 piece aluminum rod.
     
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    Reactions: Mj30wilson900
    for about the cost of the boretech rod alone, i bought the tipton rod, bottle of boretech eliminator, boretech jag and boretech nylon brushes. Best of both worlds.
     
    BoreTech is close to me and when I called with a few questions, they invited me to the shop. Gave me a tour and showed how all stuff is made in house. Very cool to see a smaller company make nice products. I’d stick with them even if the cost is a bit more.
     
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    Reactions: Jcrios014
    I'm still using my Bore Tech cleaning rods that I bought back in the mid 1990's, 25 years ago. I'll be sticking with them, if I ever need another.
     
    I am not sure the differances between the two or three different companies products I am presently using . I can say enough of any of them have kept my barrel clean I am looking into soaking it now to see how much easier it is I am sure heated soak will clean nicer (no scrubbing for me yea) but is the extra cost really worth it I am not positive . I am aslo unsure than my montana cleaning rods are really any better than my other 4 rods just which ever is closer to my hand when I grab it they all seem to work pretty good , they work wonderfully when I am not the one standing over them cleaning . It's good to be king
     
    The only reason I’m not weighing the dewey against the other two is the threading, 8x36 male means I gotta add adapters to the mix, all my jags and brushes are 8x32 male. If the tipton is made in china I’d be inclined to get the bore tech, but then the question is coated steel vs carbon fiber. Will the coating play nice with the solvents, or will I end up with a steel rod when its all said and done?
     
    I guarantee the Tipton Rods are made in China. Is there anything in the Tipton line NOT made in China?
     
    I figured because of the pricing, just couldn’t find a definite answer on the googles. This makes me lean torwards bore tech.
     
    I have JDewey rod and a Tipon rod.

    I like the tipon rod better, it is stiffer and doesn't flex around as you push it through.
     
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    Reactions: pilotjoe
    Funny as I had the opposite reaction with mine. My 44” Tipton flexes more than my Dewey, just got one to try out because I keep leaving my cleaning rods everywhere.
     
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    Reactions: pilotjoe
    For the 22's, I started using 17 cal rods, worked better for me. I use the polished stainless steal, didn't like the coated ones.
     
    I've chosen Tipton Carbon rods. (ETA: this is not the one I have; but it's my next one...)

    My key concern with rods is intrabore flex and bore land dragging caused by metallic rods taking a set or a bend.

    As far as I can tell, the carbon rods don't do that; and in my experience, every metallic rod I ever had eventually did.

    If you can roll yours on a smooth tabletop and it rolls smooth, you're good. Anything else, and you're not.

    The max force design appears to employ a spring clutch component, something I became familiar with when I was an IBM Electric Typewriter Repairman (Office Product Customer Engineer) in the 1970's. The spring clutch was the core operating element of the IBM Selectric Model 71 (golf ball head) typewriter. It worked without gouging into the drive shaft.

    Recognize the voice of HAL? (close enough, anyway) If you transpose the HAL acronym letters to the next alphabetical ones, HAL becomes IBM.

    After fixing electric typewriters for a living in my early 20's, firearms seem like very much simpler mechanisms.

    As an OPCE, the biggest peril was horny secretaries. Most of us wore wedding rings as a preemptive. When you held down a driving territory and got upwards of 15-25 calls a day plus a quarterly PM schedule on all the machines in it; you valued your time above all else. My territory included Northwestern Newark NJ, and sizeable chunk of East Orange. I was the first OPCE IBM ever hired who came without a college degree. Closest thing I ever got to a college degree was a USAFI College equivalency proficiency.

    The second biggest peril was the Trichloroethane cleaning solvent. My Brother was also an OPCE who started earlier than I.

    An electric typewriter repairman was part grease monkey, part physicist, part electrician, and part diplomat. We did this wearing white shirts, suits, and ties; and washed hands both before and after using the urinal.

    We both had the exact same medical issues decades later, and were also both heavily exposed to AO; him at McClellan, me in SE Asia. Congress is still dragging its feet over approving McClellan Vets as eligible for AO VA Benefits. Won't help him when they do; it was a Covid comorbidity that helped kill him, and my way will likely resemble his. At least he ducked the cancers.

    Huzzah!

    Greg
     
    Last edited:
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    I like the Tipton carbon fiber rods. Mine has ball bearings in the handle so the shaft rotates freely. Don't know if they all have the ball bearings or not. Mine was like $45 when I bought it three years ago.
     
    Really like the handle on the boretech but I had some of the coating come off on a .22 rod. Like the idea of not having to worry about that on the carbon fiber.
     
    ...
    Recognize the voice of HAL? (close enough, anyway) If you transpose the HAL acronym letters to the next alphabetical ones, HAL becomes IBM.
    ...
    Greg
    I did not know that. Nice piece of trivia!

    I have a few different Tipton cleaning rods and like them.
     
    I bought a Carbon Tripton to try, I mostly use Dewey rods. The Tripton is made in china and it has a slight bend where the Deweys are straight.
     
    The end of my Bore tech is a little crooked to the main shaft. It was like that when I purchased it direct from Bore tech. It seemed more trouble then it was worth to send it back, but not sure I would buy again. If not for that I would like it..
     
    Bore snake.
    I hear what you’re saying, but this discussion is focused on cleaning rods.

    Ended up ordering a 36” tipton rod. Carbon fiber, if it deflects into the bore, is softer than steel, and will return to straight once detensioned. For what the bore tech costs, not getting the warm fuzzies for coated steel.
     
    not getting the warm fuzzies for coated steel.
    Indeed... anything that is coated, can get uncoated. Likewise on screw together aluminum or brass rods. Can’t tell you the number I’ve had that have broken. One of the most important things to consider is that we all use, or should use copper solvent. And that will eat a brass rod as easily as a brass brush, you’ll never know when things are clean, patch’ll always be blue-green
     
    Had two high dollar Bore Tech rods and both failed. The coating came off both rods; never had a Dewey do that no matter what solvent it got.
    I have a few Tipton rods. One of them lost its tip shortly after I bought it (years ago). They replaced it without question. The Tipton has one thing that is both a like and dislike for me. The handle is large; good since I have large hands but bad because it tends to get in the way when it comes across the top of a butt stock.
    Dewey rods handles are just about right but I had two Dewey rods fail due to the bearings in the handles. Dewey said that happens fairly often but charged me something like $10 each for the repair kits and shipping to boot. I still have those rods along with two I bought not long ago. All in all still my favorite rods.
     
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    Boretech and Montana here. One out of 3 bore tech have a slight bit of coating flaked off. Very smooth rods tho.

    For my savages, bore snake, not because I don’t like them but they hate a good cleaning
     
    One issue with any cleaning rod is the suspended crud in the used solvent that can cling to the rod. Some that stuff is abrasive (glass particles that condense in the bore from primer residue) that can turn you rod into a burnishing tool (or worse).

    I developed a habit to combat this.

    I hold a shop cloth in my left hand, and as the rod is withdrawn from the bore; with every pass, I wipe it down. It's hard to prove a negative, but the grit problem/solution wipe approach ensures that minimal grit goes back into the bore with the rod.

    Many consider barrels to be a wear item; but it's still good practice to limit that wear.

    Greg
     
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    Reactions: shoot4fun and lash
    Any time you use TP twice you fold it over for a clean spot. Likewise with cleaning rods. Rag is what I doo too.
     
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    Reactions: BLKWLFK9
    Ive got a few tiptons and im about 4 cleanings in with my new boretech. So far, im really impressed with the boretech, on top of that, the bore tech proof positive jags have been pretty super too.
     
    One issue with any cleaning rod is the suspended crud in the used solvent that can cling to the rod. Some that stuff is abrasive (glass particles that condense in the bore from primer residue) that can turn you rod into a burnishing tool (or worse).

    I developed a habit to combat this.

    I hold a shop cloth in my left hand, and as the rod is withdrawn from the bore; with every pass, I wipe it down. It's hard to prove a negative, but the grit problem/solution wipe approach ensures that minimal grit goes back into the bore with the rod.

    Many consider barrels to be a wear item; but it's still good practice to limit that wear.

    Greg
    Good stuff, hopefully these tips will help other guys out. I’ve done the same thing, keep a roll of paper towels when cleaning for that purpose. Try to prevent reintroducing the slurry and crud back into the barrel.
    Overall I’m satisfied with the feedback I’ve gotten on these different products. I may end up getting a montana extreme, bore tech, or dewey down the road. Ended up with that 36” rod, I figured having a little extra length will help clearing the action and a bore guide will keep it from flexing too much...might see a +30” barrel in the future on something so can’t hurt to err on the long side.
     
    You should like the Tipton. I am a big fan of them. Have 5 and like them a lot. I used to use Dewey but after having one of them get accidentally bent I like the carbon fiber option.

    Also I agree with Greg and I wipe down my rods during use also. Not with each wipe if running a brush down and back but after that I would and after pushing a patch. Does good to keep everything clean.
     
    Once it's a habit, you hardly notice it; and whatever time is involved simply becomes a small part of the normal wiping process.

    It's no biggie.
     
    I have both a Tipton and a Dewey. Prefer the Dewey. I dont find the male end a hassle. I keep a couple of converters around for using the jags which need a female thread.