Bourt wrote:I use my rods in both direction, but I make sure I fully clear the muzzle and throat before reversing the direction of the brush.
Ditto.
I dunno what the guy at your store was trying to do, ghunther, but he was doing it wrong.
As I'm sure you've noticed your cleaning brush is slightly larger than the bore of your barrel so the bristles point backwards as you push it through the barrel.
If you reverse direction mid stroke you're forcing the bristles into the rifling and bending/breaking them to force them the other way. You'll definitely bugger you're brush, and sooner or later your rifling.
IMO there is no problem with using the rod in both direction
as long as the brush clears the muzzle and throat at the end of the stroke so that the bristles return to upright before gently reversing as you feed it back into the barrel for the return stroke. Not wrenching them around mid-barrel.
My 2c.