Comments on: T.K. Nollan’s Barrel Saver Cleaning Rod Guide

By: Josh Benin

Josh Benin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:05:46 +0000

Thank you, Mr. Allen, for the explanation.

By: Boyd Allen

Boyd Allen — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:44:43 +0000

The O ring is to form a seal so that solvent does not pass that point. If you will take another look at the picture, the part that is labeled as the adjustable retaining lug (which centers the guide in the action’s rear bridge) has a thumbscrew near its back edge. After the lug is rotated into a position where it prevents the guide from being withdrawn to the rear of the action, the thumbscrew is may be slightly loosened so that the main tube of the guide can be slid forward untill the angled face of the tube makes contact with the shoulder of the chamber. Once this has been done, the thumbscrew is tightened. and the contact between the front of the tube and the shoulder of the chamber keeps the guide well centered in a very positive manner. This is the pinnacle of current cleaning rod guide technology, which is not to say that careful use of other designs will not achieve good results. It can, but this is the most foolproof, and given the really bad rod technique that I have seen employed by some otherwise quite talented shooters, I think that there is a real need…unless your perspective is that of a gunsmith or barrel maker looking to increase sales.

By: Josh Benin

Josh Benin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:16:37 +0000

It’s hard to tell from the pictures, but this might be a case of excellent machining and shaky engineering. It this device depends on the front O-ring to center itself in the chamber, it’s probably a waste of money compared to the many other, similar but much less costly competitors. O-rings are not designed to maintain concentricity, they squish circumferentially just as well as they do radially, and there is no reason to expect that they will center. In fact, if the guide has to be rotated to engage (like a bolt), one might expect some eccentricity.
I don’t want to knock this product, but the article lacks any real data to justify the cost, and the design appears to have little to recommend it over less costly guides.