How much stuff do you need in a good cleaning kit?

[MJClark]

With my recent pistol purchase I bought a bore snake for it, along with the Hoppe’s cleaner and oil. Along with a good rag, some q-tips, and a few tooth picks, I was able to do a complete cleaning.

While I was impressed by how well it worked, I wonder if it is enough. After, looking at several of the local stores, there appears to be a lack of pistol cleaning kits or the kits have tons of other stuff, but lacking particular pieces that I would like to get. All my other cleaning supplies (hard goods) are for larger deer rifles and shot guns so a 9mm is a bit of a change for me.

What all do you have in you cleaning kit? To you just have the basics, or do you have small picks, various hand and rod brushes, spray cleaners, foaming cleaners, dipping cleaners, 83 different size pads, lights, air in a can, cleaning mat, and a mini-vacuum and all the other stuff?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Jackster]

In my kit I only have a bore snake, a cleaning rod which I no longer use, Hoppes cleaner and oil, and a plastic pick (hold over from my scuba kit when I was diving in CA).
It works for me.
8-)

[bigmacque]

I keep a bunch of junk in mine.

Bore snakes for different calibers, cleaning brushes, cleaning mops, rags (I like automotive shop towels) some tools I've made that make some efforts easier, such as breaking down the Ruger 22/45, couple busing wrenches for the .45 1911's, set of plastic pics, Hoppes, Gunzilla, KleanBore, cleaning rods, I store all my snap caps in the cleaning kit. I have a small bag I got from the NRA for some promotional money I sent them, and it all goes in there with a cleaning mat.

[ppkheat]

A long time ago when I was a kid, my dad bought me a new crack-barrel .410 and taught me how to clean it. His method, I'm sure from his childhood days, was a piece of rag, string, paperclip, and some oil. I kept that little gun spotless. When I finally scratched up enough money I bought one of those new-fangled gun cleaning kits that contained wonderfully smelling Hoppe's. Brings back memories plus the fact you can get by with minimal stuff in a pinch.

To the OP's question. It's easy to get frustrated trying to clean out every little crack and crevice, and yes I have a much larger assortment of stuff rather than the rag and string. My favorite (for a pistol) is field strip it, clean the bore, and soak it the small vat of my chemical concoction for a while, maybe overnight. Take it out, let the excess drip off, and blow it out with an air compressor, then some lube where necessary. I'm done.

BTW I remove wooden or special grips before the soaking.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner but rarely use it, I read once, and don't know if it's accurate, but some alloys don't do well in ultrasonic?

[MJClark]

.... wonderfully smelling Hoppe's. ...

You are so right no that one. If fact they even make air fresheners. I am going to order some and give them out as 4th of July gifts for to my anti-gun friends.

[OldVet]

My kit is in a Plano fishing box. There's a lot of no-longer-used stuff in it as I don't like those out perfectly good stuff even when not used.

My basics are:
1. A solvent. A straight solvent works better than combo solutions in my opinion. Otherwise, paint would have brush cleaner mixed in.
2. Lube. I keep both oil and grease on hand. Any lube provides protection to some degree, some needing more frequent application than others. But gun maintenance should be routinely performed.
3, Cleaning rods with brushes and jags.
4. Q-tips and pipe cleaners for the tiny places.
5. A handful of old T-shirt materials. Works as well as any commercial patches.

[chuckusaret]

I use an assortment of rods, brushes, mops, plastic/brass picks, cleaning solvents and oil collected over the years to include wooden shotgun cleaning rods that were used by my grandfather. I also use Hornady One Shot Gun Cleaner & Dry Lube with most items stored in a surplus .50 cal ammo can. To properly maintain my collection I did purchase a Weaver Deluxe tool kit that contains the needed tools to disassemble/assemble most guns. When my stress level reach the boiling point I clean guns. I have done a lot of gun cleaning since January 2009. LOL

[Zero_]

I've discovered everyone's kit is different, and no one has bought a kit from the store and kept it that way. They are all pieced together based on the person, and even that changes over time. You would think it would be simple, but as you add guns, and caliber's, different stuff works better. Plus no one cleans the same. I got an XD from a guy a couple of weaks ago that was COVERED in grease. I don't even use grease, just the oil in the spots that contact. It took me longer to clean all the muck and dirt out of that gun that it ever has to clean one of my guns.

[QKShooter]

Just FYI for the Bug Out Bag The OTIS Kits with the flexible cable cleaning rods are just great.

[rammerjammer]

You are so right no that one. If fact they even make air fresheners. I am going to order some and give them out as 4th of July gifts for to my anti-gun friends.

I first hated the smell of Hoppes but now it is like a perfume to me.

I don't think my dog appreciated it when I accidentaly spilled half a bottle on him though. He smelled great for about a week though.

[jbum]

Just FYI for the Bug Out Bag The OTIS Kits with the flexible cable cleaning rods are just great.

IMHO this is all you need. I actually use the OTIS IWCK

[mano3]

My awesome wife got me the super-giant-deluxe Otis cleaning kit! I'm still trying to figure out waht all the stuff in it does!

[bigbadsmiles]

Do you guys and gals use grease or oil?

[dV8r]

Do you guys and gals use grease or oil?

Yep, and wax. :)

[jbum]

Do you guys and gals use grease or oil?

Break free CLP is all I use. YMMV