By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
It is widely known I am a die-hard upland bird hunter, hitting the higher elevations of Washington State’s Cascade Mountains for blue (Dusky/Sooty) grouse, and it is rare that I don’t return home with a dirty shotgun.
That’s when the fun turns into work. If you want to keep your firearm in top working order, it requires a good cleaning at the end of a hunt.
Recently, I sampled a product which may be one of the handiest accessories to come along in a great while. It’s the Barrel Buddy, a combination of polymer materials which may be soaked in a powder solvent and run through the bore of a shotgun or rifle to keep it properly functioning.
The Barrel Buddy is a small foam plug with a rough front end which may be dipped in Hoppe’s No. 9 or some other cleaning solution, run down the bore and out the other end.
These things really do remove powder residue and other crud which finds itself into your shotgun. While the front end of the Barrel Buddy is a coarse foam, the back end consists of soft foam that picks up all of the loose debris.
When I put the first one of these small plugs through the bores of my double-barrel shotgun, both Barrel Buddy plugs came out almost black. It certainly made an impression. A glance down the bores revealed them to be very clean with just as single pass.
To push these plugs, use a cleaning jag. First insert the Barrel Buddy into the bore and then press them into the barrel with a cleaning rod tipped with the jag. Because the Barrel Buddy is available in several sizes to fit virtually all calibers and gauges, there really is no excuse to not clean your valuable firearm at the end of a hunt.
Barrel Buddy plugs are made from a combination of high compression polymers and they come in resealable plastic bags. They are virtually weightless.
I prepared each Barrel Buddy by dipping the rough front end in Hoppe’s No. 9 and, using finger pressure, pushed it into my shotgun breech/chamber and then out toward the muzzle. You can also opt to spray the bore with a cleaner/solvent. I’m a believer in keeping crud away from my action so, whenever possible, I clean from the breech forward. Of course that’s not usually possible with a pump or semi-auto shotgun or rifle, but with a double-barrel shotgun or bolt-action rifle, you’re good to go!
They are fairly inexpensive and easily disposable.
There are offerings sized for every caliber/gauge from .22 on up to 10- and 12-gauge, including muzzle loaders all the way up to the largest musket caliber (.730 through .770).
These things are clever; one of those ideas you wish you’d have thought up.
Look for them online or in your local gun shop and sporting goods store.