It`s been interesting to learn that the barrel and rifling can withstand hundreds, maybe thousands, of copper jacketed bullets moving at thousands of feet per second, sent on their way by a tremendous explosion generating intense heat. However, let an aluminum cleaning rod get anywhere near them ( maybe an exaggeration, but only a slight one based on my reading ) and everything from the chamber to the crown practically dissolves into a marred, ruined, scarred mess of metal. I never realized that a relatively soft metal such as aluminum could be so destructive of hardened steel. Before this enlightenment, I used an aluminum rod 4-5 times on my new rifle. Hope I haven`t ruined it.