Need to buy a couple cleaning kits, suggestions?

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joey93turbo

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I need to buy two new cleaning kits, one for my pistols and one for my rifles. I've seen a few in the stores that will clean any caliber but I wanted to know what you guys recommend. Pistols from .22 to .44 mag, rifles from .22 to 30-06.
 
I have the Otis Tactical Cleaning Kit (~$35 from Cabelas) and I'm very happy with it. It satisfies your needs and more as it can be used to clean shotguns (12 and 20ga iirc), air guns, and calibers larger than .30" (although I forget what the upper limit is). I also have boresnakes for every caliber I own and they're very useful for use at the range or when you just want to get powder residue out of the bore.
 
FWIW don't bother with a kit.

Buy the stuff seperately.

One 3 piece graphite cleaning rod will handle all calibers from .22 to 12ga easily. Use one piece for pistols and all three for rifles/shotguns. Can be had for about 7 or 8 bucks.

Need cleaning patches. Get'm at Walmart. $2.50 gets you a huge bag full. Cut to size for the caliber you're cleaning.

If you're cheap then some Break Free CLP will suffice for 90% of your cleaning needs.

Buy a set of tipton brushes (nylon or phosphor bronze), a set of jags and a set of brass patch holders - each kit covers calibers from .22 to .470 (all three can be had from MidwayUsa for about 6 to 8 bucks a per kit).

Nice to have but not 100% necessary: Gun cleaning brushes (look like tooth brushes - you can buy a three brushs set - copper, nylon and steel). Copper solvent, lead away cloth, lead remover tool, a good non CLP type gun oil, some good gun grease, degreaser (I never use the stuff myself but many swear by it), Tru-Oil to buff out those rifle/shotgun stocks, a Walmart $8 gunsmith screwdriver set and a bunch of other stuff you'll pick up here and there as the urge hits ya.

You can buy a cleaning kit of course and spend 15 to 30 bucks but it will really be incomplete, do only an adequate job and you'll end up buying all the stuff listed above eventually and more.

So save the $30 and just buy the individual components you need. You'll have what you need to do the job.
 
Ditto Werewolf..............I`d get some Butches Bore Shine or other good copper remover/ bore cleaner since your also working on a rifle. The CLP just doesn`t get it when it comes to removing copper fouling. Stay away from multi piece rods, one piece rods don`t pick up crud and possibly scratch your bore and the graphite ones from Midway are tops.
 
For rifles...

If the Otis kit or bore snakes did the job, you'd see it at benchrest matches.

You don't. Not to say they don't have a place, but their place is quick and dirty, for when you can't clean properly.

NO STAINLESS BRUSHES.

Get a bore guide that fits your action and chamber. See www.sinclairintl.com for a selection.

NO STAINLESS BRUSHES.

Use a one piece rod. I use Pro-Shot and Dewey, altho I just got a graphite one.

NO STAINLESS BRUSHES.

Use a real copper remover. Butch's is good - Hoppes smells nice, but you'll have a penny factory in your barrel.

NO STAINLESS BRUSHES.

NEVER USE AN ALUMINUM ROD UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE A DONATION TO YOUR GUNSMITH'S RETIREMENT FUND.
 
I found the Otis kit great for range work with students, dealing with different platforms and calibers...even shotguns. I dealt with teaching new shooters and many times just the ladies, for revolvers and lever actions, they like the Otis Works fine for out hunting as well.

I grew up using a similar set up - what was called a "thong" in older military jargon. Basically a length of rawhide kept in a shoe can tin with patches and oil, still do. What one did to hold them until they got back in to camp, or home.

I like Pro-shot one pc rods. I like their brushes , bore guides and such.
I have been using some one pc rods from Ox-Yoke while shooting and visiting with an old friend. Quality at a good price.

I'm not a benchrest shooter, don't shoot a lot of rifles, so I bow to bogie and those that do.

I concur NO STAINLESS BRUSHES.

ONLY thing I have found a stainless brush good for ( besides gunsmiths' retirement fund) :

Take that aluminum rod and put a stainless brush on it, cut the rod so when chucked in a battery drill you can reach the weeds without having to stoop over. Insert into midst of weed, push down and hit the drill's trigger....that weed will be pulled up and cause you no more problems. ;)

If you cut off the first few spirals of brush , gives you a more pointed insertion tip...Life's too short to pull weeds, cuts into shooting time. :)
 
G. B. Meredith said:
How are jags used? For what purpose?
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Instead of pulling a patch thru the bore you push it with a jag.

There are various styles of jags. The type I use has a spear point with the body being cylindrical with horizontal grooves. You put the patch on the top of the jag and push it thru the bore. The jag basically forces the patch into the bore in such a way that the entire surface of the patch is used for cleaning and presses it tight against the bore.

I use a jag for the last couple of passes thru a bore after using the patch pullers. The patch pullers get 90% of the crud out - a jag gets most of what's left.

That's what works for me. YMMV...
 
How are jags used? For what purpose?
Click to expand...

Jags are used to push the patch down the bore and out the muzzle, they don`t drag the dirty patch back through the barrel, they drop the patch when the tip exits the bore. They can be used also to short stroke the patch back and forth in the bore when useing something like JBs or Rem Clean abrasive cleaners on heavy fouling. They usually have a small "spear tip" on the end that holds the center of the patch and the ends drape over the jag body and are ironed into the grooves to insure they are fully wiped by the patch.
Use a slotted tip and loose patch to apply/flood bore cleaner in your bore and follow with a jag and patch to wipe it out. They also work great to wipe the oil from the bore of a gun that`s been stored with a oily barrel, one pass and they`re dry.
Hope this answered your questions..........
 
You don't. Not to say they don't have a place, but their place is quick and dirty, for when you can't clean properly
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Horse hockey. Done properly you can get just as tight a patch with the Otis system as you can with a rod. Also there is NO substitute for the Otis system when it comes to cleaning rifles that cannot be cleaned from the breach. (Garands, M1 Carbines and lever actions come to mind.) And the fact that you are not risking dinging the crown is a HUGE plus.
 
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Also there is NO substitute for the Otis system when it comes to cleaning rifles that cannot be cleaned from the breach Garands, M1 Carbines and lever actions come to mind.) And the fact that you are not risking dinging the crown is a HUGE plus
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I agree!! The Otis system or bore snakes do have a place, and the field is one good example of them but, they still should and can be, fed in the breech end of the barrel through the reciever ejection port. Helps to further save the crown. :D Remember, don`t push or pull grit or dirt into the action area of your firearm, always push/draw it out the muzzle.
 
I'm partial to barnes CR-10. I shoot alot've Russian stuff, which means by association surplus russian stuff and wolf.


The result is a rifle that gets absolutely positiviely unmistakeably filthy. I love hoppes but after putting down 2-300 rounds, CR-10 seems to be the only thing that really cuts through the crap.
 
FYI, lemme 'splain why you never want to use an aluminum cleaning rod.

Aluminum oxidizes. The result is aluminum oxide. And what is the abrasive on some sandpapers and other abrasive tools? Its aluminum oxide.

You definitely do not want to run something like that through your bore.
 
Graphite is non-imbedding, non-oxidizing and abrasive free.
Graphite will also bend three times as far as aluminum without breaking or retaining the bend.

I use Hoppe Bore Snakes at the range and several diferent types of rods for at home cleaning.

If you want one or two kits to do the job then buy the stuff seperate and make your own because no one company makes a kit with all the very best stuff in one package.

I find Otis kits well made and a pain to use properly plus you have to buy their overpriced replacement patches or spend a lot of labor and effort cutting your own from templates.
These kits are pretty decent but overpriced for what you get in my opinion.
 
I find Otis kits well made and a pain to use properly plus you have to buy their overpriced replacement patches or spend a lot of labor and effort cutting your own from templates.
Click to expand...
no you don't. I just use a pocket knife to cut an off center slit through the patch and it works fine.
 
The Marketing Team most likely chose the word "Tactical" as a method of gathering attention and making sales.

So that means the Marketing folks used the old definition of "tactical" to sell a product with a new definiton.

Oh - it comes in a black case one can hang off their Bat Belt.

My Otis kit was called "Kit & Caboodle" back when they first came out, in a Camo tin can similar to a Kiwi Shoe Polish tin can. That was when "groovey" was being phased out, and "camo" was cool. :D

To read the story of Doris ( the Company Pres) who was a wittle girl and how the idea came about is ...okay I'm old - what is the new word now-a-days for "awwww, gee whiz". :)
 
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