Defensive Carry banner

Gun Cleaning Kit

7K views 38 replies 19 participants last post by  rammerjammer 
#1 ·
I am looking for a nice dummy proof cleaning kit. I would like one that can clean all guns, handguns, rifles, shotguns, etc. I am also looking for one that is dummy proof that everyhting is clearly labeled by caliber not bruch size or number so I don't screw up anything. Also needs to include solvent, lube, etc. And should have step by step instructions.

Anyone have any good kits that meet this criteria?

PS Seems everyone has a different process to clean their guns, so what's yours step by step?
 
#2 ·
Really I have an assortment of "stuff" in a .50 cal ammo can in the garage. I use different stuff I've collected over time. I do have one of the Otis tactical kits in my range bag and it can clean everything and is pretty inclusive. If I were to only have one kit (and if I'm away from home and the gunshop workbench, it's all I have) this would be it:
Otis Technology, Inc. [Online Catalog - Tactical Cleaning System]

At the gunshop I care for my guns, guns for sale, and high-use rental guns. For long rifles I usually clean the barrel with copper solvent from Hoppe's (Bench Rest? can't remember the name), for everything else I use Gunslick bore foam and let it sit while I clean the rest of the gun. Gunslick ? Precision Gun Care - Cleaners-Degreasers

For most other cleaning I use good old Hoppe's #9 with Qtips, rags and patches, mostly old t shirts cut up:
Hoppe's 9 - Solvents & Lubricants
Fruit of the Loom - Men's and Boys' Cotton T Shirt, Underwear, Boxers Boxer Briefs Apparel
:image035:

I clean up with Gunscrubber, and occasionally on the rentals, I just blast them out with Gunscrubber and re-lube, but those guns get a lot of use and fast turnaround is more important than detail cleaning.
Birchwood

I lube almost everything with X1-R grease. They are a local company so I save on shipping, but they make great lube. Holds up great on the rentals as well as my stuff. For when a thinner lube is needed I use their synthetic liquid lube. Occasionally I use RIG +P lube but I hear they went out of business.
X-1R Shooter Pack

For guns that are going out for sale or might be stored for a while I use Gun Seal or the older Gunslick Metal Seal. I also use silicone spray I get at the local hardware store, just a generic big spray can:
Gunslick ? Precision Gun Care - Rust Protectants


Almost all the big cleaning accessory companies make a "complete" kit, but nothing is perfect. You may find something you need to add, a tool specific to your gun, maybe a solvent for corrosive surplus ammo or blackpowder.

And I'm just not a big fan of the CLP or other multi-purpose cleaner / lube chemicals. I think they either don't clean enough or they leave too much lube residue behind. Just me, plenty of people and agencies use only that. It just doesn't do what I like.
 
#17 ·
I lube almost everything with X1-R grease. They are a local company so I save on shipping, but they make great lube. Holds up great on the rentals as well as my stuff. For when a thinner lube is needed I use their synthetic liquid lube. Occasionally I use RIG +P lube but I hear they went out of business.
X-1R Shooter Pack
RIG was bought out by Birchwood Casey...RIG Universal +P and RIG RAGS etc. are still available under the new name. The label looks the same, but has Birchwood Casey in small letters added.
 
#3 ·
The problem is that there isn't really a one-size fits all kit.

My cleaning kit is a fishing tackle box. Is is built up ouf several kits and a variety of other tools.

I'd suggest starting with a kit from Outers (you can usually get them at Walmart on the cheap). I have a kit with pistol calibers, a rifle kit and shotgun kit all mixed in the tackle box.

To that I add a huge can of CLP (currently a Winchester brand, but CLP is CLP), gun grease, a syringe-type applicator of Weapon Shield, Q-tips, cotton patches, small brushes, a set of punches, a soft-tipped hammer, a few screwdrivers and allen wrenches and a set of takedown instructions for each of my weapons.

Normal cleaning involves field stripping the weapon(s), spray CLP on just about everything, scrub barrel with brass brush and then cotton patches until clean, wipe everything else down (occasionally use compressed air to blow out the nooks and crannies), lube the friction points and reassemble, function test, clean up.
 
#7 ·
Gunzilla is both. Without the strong smell. I just pass a cleaning patch through the barrel untill it comes out clean (with the solution on the cloth) put a little on the slide. A little on the outside of the slide to prevent rust and call it a day. Mind you I am still VERY new to all aspects of firearms so I may be doing it wrong!
 
#8 ·
The best kit is the one you assemble over time, pieces and parts collected time goes by, the guns you own the more parts you will have. Check your local outdoors store or wallyland for a gun claning kit and you have a good start
 
#15 ·
Otis kits are good, but not for the beginner IMO. They do however work very well for the semi-auto rifles in 22lr as you can pull from the breech to muzzle. As some have already stated, your cleaning kit will start out as basic, and grow over time along with your experience and your collection. Word to the wise....if you get one of those kits from a retail store, make sure it's one of the more universal kits that you won't have to buy specific jigs for. There are ones that only accept the same brand fittings/jigs (Outers kits are one of them if I remember) as the rods are threaded differently and accept only those threads. KleenBore kits are universal (if I remember). Others you can find jigs for anywhere, even at gun shows, and they'll work. For the quick pass at the range through a warm bore, I have several of the Bore Snakes in different calibers. Glocks come with a cleaning kit.....all you'll need (besides the Gunzilla).
 
#10 ·
Form my limited searching the Otis system does appear to be the most comprehensive available. The only thing I don't like is the flexible cables as opposed to rods. I guess I could swap out some rods. Will any rod work for any gun or do I need special rods for different guns
 
#11 ·
The cables are used instead of rods because you clean from breech to muzzle.
If you're stuck on rods, just make sure you have one small enough diameter to fit in the barrel. Many brushes are compatible, but the smaller caliber rods/brushes have different threads than larger calibers.
 
#12 ·
Boresnakes (for appropriate caliber, incl 12ga), GP brush, Hoppes, and gun scrubber.
 
#13 ·
Don't mess with a traditional kit. The rods included are 1) segmented where the joints can scratch rifles' bores as they flex and 2) are soft aluminum or brass where crud can get imbedded and start acting as an abrasive on your bore/throat/chamber. A short section for most handguns is fine as the bore is short and fat enough you can control the rod so it doesn't contact the bore or chamber.

For pushing patches thru the bore (breech to muzzle), get a set of brass jags (all calibers), don't mess with slotted tips unless you're going to stick with Otis patches (visit their website for the skinny on that). Don't bother with the plastic shotgun jags, use a patch over a bore brush instead.

Rifle/shotgun - get a carbon fiber rod with ball bearings (Tipton). You can probably get an adapter for shotgun brushes.

Gunzilla seems to be the board favorite - I haven't tried it yet. Sharpshooter Wipeout is a foam bore cleaner that you can leave in your barrel overnight and push out in the morning - no smell, no spills, etc. Works as good as Sweet's 7.62 getting copper out without the harsh smell/chemicals. G96 works great for all other parts - got many years of carbon off a revolver cylinder face I had given up on. I use Break Cleaner (red can from WalMart) to knock most of the gunk out first.

I don't use bore brushes anymore - rely on chemicals and tight patches on jags to get everything out. Much less abrasive.

Get a bore guide for your rifles.

Get a military type AP (all purpose) brush. It has a large bristle head on one end and a small head on the other. The giant ones at WalMart won't get into the small nooks and crannies.

Get a cleaning mat for when you spill stuff and it will also keep small parts from running off from you.

Get a gun screwdriver kit before you start buggering up screws - not the one from WalMart.

If you go to a gun show, or ask your dentist for his old ones, dental picks are great for getting into corners, scraping, etc. Don't bother with the plastic/nylon ones.
 
#19 ·
This is what I do to clean my pistol:

Unload and clear. Disassemble fully. I like to start with the lower receiver (grip half) and work my way up. I dip my AP (all purpose) brush (could be tooth brush) in solvent or just use something like Remoil or Gunzilla. I scrub it down, try and get every little angle under/behind everything. You will know when you are done because your hand will be tired or pieces start flying off.... no, JUST KIDDING, dont scrub that hard. Do a quick wipe with a rag to get excess oil or solvent off. Set this aside and move on to guide rod and spring. These shouldnt take much scrubbing at all, sometimes just a quick wipe with the rag will do. Then I take the barrel and scrub the outside of it rather well, just enough to get the carbon off. You really dont want to scrub off the finish. Take care of the feed ramp, this should be chrome and should just wipe off, but on occasion it may take some TLC. Next, I lube up the space between the bushes on my bore snake and run it down the barrel a few times. This is really, REALLY important: NOTHING GOES DOWN THE BARREL BACKWARDS! Why? Accuracy, being a sniper in the Marine Corps, this is huge and I apply it to ever gun I touch. DO NOT FLOSS YOUR BARREL or run your rod or snake down the wrong way. Going from the chamber to muzzle will get it clean, trust me. Set the barrel aside with the other parts and move on to the slide. Again, using the AP brush, just scrub the whole thing, every angle and way you can. Wipe it and set it aside. Now, some people might call this good, lube it and reassemble. But no, I dont and either should you. Take the lower receiver in one hand and a Q-tip in the other. Guess what, now comes the daunting task. Q-tip EVERYTHING until the cotton comes out clean and dry. This should take a while. Dont bother Q-tipping the spring and guide rod, just wipe them down with the rag. Q-tip the barrel on the outside only, you are done with the chamber, maybe touch up the feed ramp though. Only stick a Q-tip into the chamber if you see a piece of junk in there and only do it in circular motions going around the chamber to get it. Q-tip the crap out of the slide as well. Lube using your favorite lube. I use the finger method: put a few drops on my index finger and rub thusly. Place a few drops on the shinny spots for good measure and on the springs. Reassemble. Work the action a few times to disperse the lube around where its needed. Wipe down the outside some and work it again. Repeat this a few times until you dont see lube on the outside anymore. There should be a thin (depends on lube) film on the outside of the chamber. Your semi-auto handgun is now cleaned and lubed.

This is how I clean all my guns, one of my guns gets this treatment almost everyday. Its my EDC that I shoot almost everyday. It only takes me about 30mins to complete.

Hope it helps!
 
#22 ·
don't use steel cleaning rods. Aluminum or brass won't harm the bore.

Tooth brushes are a must

Do not switch directions inside the bore with a brush it bends the bristles and will ruin the brush.

Use a proper fitting jag and use cotten patches

Use a good solvent for really bad fouling

Clean from breach to muzzle whenever possible.

gun cleaners in a can will get the gun clean faster then any other method, just make sure to lube the parts after you are done blasting.
 
#23 ·
Hey Guys,

While you're on this cleaning jag, I used to use a lube named "Triflon". Supposedly, it was a Teflon/lube mix in an aerosol can. I think the can was black. I really loved the stuff and no longer can find it.

Does anyone know if its still made?

It also smelled pretty good too.

Oh and thank you Avenger for the seminar, nice to have it all spelled out again, boy did I forget some stuff.

Bruce
 
#26 ·
OK so I picked up the Otis Elite kit. Definatley a lot more than I will probably ever need, but it's awesome in a nutshell. Great for handguns. Super quick and easy. It came with a video for easy instructions.

Basically they have 2 cleaning methods, the quick method and the more detailed.

With the quick cleaning, it's run a patch with solves, run a bore brush, run a dry patch. That's it!!!

I am a little suspicious of just doing those 3 things becuase everyone says to run the patches till they are clean, so I am not so sure about just running one patch, and I havnt scoured the instructions to see if it elaborated on how many times you're supposed to do the 3 steps, but I am not hurting anything by doing each of the 3 steps 2-4 times, etc.

Also, as I was tyring it out, I had some questions. One of the thngs that sold me on the kit is that it has bore burshes clearly labeled as to what caliber. When it comes to the Eye Patch Holder loop thingy, this is not labeled so my question is does it matter?? That probably made no sense. I need to know if the tool that holds a patch on the end - if that is caliber sensitive becuase they are not marked and I have a couple different sizes.

Great kit!
 
#27 ·
they're not too caliber specific b/c you adjust the thickness of the patch wad by how you install it on the slotted tool for the caliber you are currently cleaning. Re-read the instructions - it's probably small slot for .22 - .30, med for .31 - .45, large for shotgun or something like that.
 
#29 ·
A tip. If you're using brass brushes instead of jag tips, clean off the brushes with alcohol or Gunscrubber when you're done. The solvents will dissolve them. The foam based products make the whole barrel cleaning much easier. Just fill the bore first thing and by the time you're done it will have dissolved out the gunk. Clean out the residue with a couple of patches (I use one with Gunscrubber and follow with one with a little silicone). No brushing or scrubbing needed.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the tip. Here's my current process
  1. field strip, clean lower half with solvent /toothbrush/qtip wipe with tshirt rag
  2. Clean Slide with solvent /toothbrush/qtip, wipe with tshirt rag
  3. Then I do the barrel per Otis system, chamber to muzzle with solvent patch, then dry brush, then dry patch.



Then I reassemble. Wipe it all down. How does that sound?? a few more questions

Should I use Jags in this system, if so how do they work, how should I use them?

Also I have a few of the mop like brushes, should I use them and if so how?
 
#33 ·
Thanks for the tip. Here's my current process
  1. field strip, clean lower half with solvent /toothbrush/qtip wipe with tshirt rag
  2. Clean Slide with solvent /toothbrush/qtip, wipe with tshirt rag
  3. Then I do the barrel per Otis system, chamber to muzzle with solvent patch, then dry brush, then dry patch.
Sounds good to me! Someone pays attention! :hand10: Dont forget to relube everything!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top