When to use a brush to clean a gun barrel?

A quick and easy question for the experts.

When should a brush be used to clean a gun barrel? More specifically, should it be part of a periodic cleaning regime or only when needed to remove stubborn residue from a neglected barrel?

Thanks in advance.

Personally, I only do it once I see accuracy start to degrade or when season is over for my hunting rifles that sit in the safe most of the year.

I'm no expert though. That's just the SOP I've adopted over the past ten years and it works for me.

Never a brush.

Solvent, soak for 10-15 minutes, patches until they are no longer dirty. Could take 8 passes, could take 20.

Agreed. I try to use the least abrasive means possible when I feel the need (which isn't often) to clean the bore.

Interesting. I run a patch totally soaked in solvent. Let it soak for about 5 minutes, and then one pass with a brush, and then patches til dry and they're not picking up anything. I then repeat that a 2nd time. You'd be shocked how much black stuff is left in there after my first run.

If I don't use a brush, I would never get all the black stuff out. I've tried it. Maybe I'm not letting the solvent soak long enough.

The Oatis website includes a couple of interesting comments on brush use. First, it states that a brush should never to used as the first step in cleaning a barrel. The barrel should first be cleaned with wet patches. Also, a brush should never be soaked in solvent because it can damage the bristles.

I only use nylon brushes since they're much less abrasive than steel or brass brushes.

And yes, I always get more powder residue on patches after passing a brush through the barrel several times.

It seems the key question in brush use and cleaning a barrel is how clean is too clean so that first shot accuracy is impacted. I never get a "flyer" in a clean barrel. However, I have always followed a break in process on new rifles.

Never.

Use nylon brush instead of a jag, with patch over the end of it. So 100% of the time.

I often use copper brush on my CF and RF guns (not on my air guns). I always use a bore guide. If my barrels can get hurt by copper, I might as well throw them in the garbage.

I watched this video last night where George Gardner (GAP) explains his cleaning and barrel break-in process. I think Chad has posted his process as well.

Mostly these days I use Boretech Eliminator, and it will eat your brass brush. I switched to nylon when I use a brush.

Along similar lines, has anyone used the Tubbs Final Finish bullets to fire lap your bore? It is supposed to help accuracy and make the bore much easier to clean. Just curious if they really work or not.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/513887/tubb-final-finish-bore-lapping-system-308-caliber-and-762mm