Durable Cotton Swabs?

[NY Yankee]

Can anyone recommend a brand of cotton swab (Q-Tip) that won't pull apart as soon as you try to use it on a gun? I bought some on long wooden sticks that looked good and were advertised for gun cleaning. As soon as I used one, the fibers all pulled out and made a mess in the gun. Doesn't have to be cotton but Id like them to hold up better. Thanks.

 

[Coyote3855]

I bought a big bag of various sizes at Harbor Freight that hold together fairly well.

 

[JTQ]

I haven't used them, but suspect they are better than the drugstore swabs

SLIP2000 https://slip2000.com/products/6-cotton-tipped-swabs-100-pack

Brownell's https://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/patches-mops/cleaning-swabs/index.htm

 

[Kp321]

I bought a bag of the wooden stick ones at Academy. They work great and are very durable.

 

[maxxhavoc]

My wife brought home some that looked like these:
https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Co...098427530&psc=1&ref=&adgrpid=77764998959&th=1
They hold together better and get into places better too. I still use the regular ones for larger areas, but these get into some small places!

 

[Riomouse911]

I have had good luck with the Target house brand ones with the plastic “stick.” They’re sharp as a nail if you use them to clean your ear, but for gun slide rails and tight places they work great and don’t seem to leave a mess of fibers behind.

Plus you can get 600 of them cheap.

Stay safe.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

Sounds like you might have a burr.

 

[LiveLife]

Can anyone recommend a brand of cotton swab (Q-Tip) that won't pull apart as soon as you try to use it on a gun?

Yes, I use Q-tips brand cotton swab.

I found "Q-tips" brand has tighter wrap of cotton fibers and tends to unravel less even with hard usage on gun parts/cleaning.

Sounds like you might have a burr.

Could be ... I don't have pull apart/unraveling problem when I am cleaning my various pistols and carbines/rifles.

 

[Paul R Zartman]

Hit the makeup isle at a decent store, get the ones that are a pointed tip on one end and fat round on the other...very durable...

 

[JohnKSa]

Check out BearMetal Guncleaning Supplies.

https://www.bearmetalclean.com/

These are exactly what you are looking for. I've never seen cotton swabs wrapped so tightly. They do not fray or come apart and they come in different sizes and different head shapes.

 

[MauriceSam]

I use Q-Tips, the ones from Academy and the ones from Harbor Freight. All have their place at the bench and I find it fairly easy to get multiple use out of them if needed but ripping the dirty layer off, or doing this to get the right size/diameter for those areas that the original size won't get into. HF ones are reather large, find them better for shotguns/larger bored. Ones from Academy (forgot the brand), are more specific in size.

 

[Nature Boy]

I use these Ramrodz

RamRodz .38 Caliber / 9mm / 357/380 Single Pack (200 Swabs) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYHQ405/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_6BHQZPDNEZBWPDJ3WVVP

They come in caliber specific sizes and hold up very well