Packable cleaning kit for hunting

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

The Alaskan

member
Joined
Mar 14, 2015
Messages
477
Hey you guys,

I'm working on building (or buying) a cleaning kit that I can make as small and light as possible. One hurdle I'm thinking about is the cleaning rod, or a lack thereof.

As I see it, I can go one of two ways: either I use a 3 pc cleaning rod (e.g. out of a basic Hoppes kit) or one of two versions of a flexible rod (either a "bore snake," or one of those Otis brand kits with the cable in lieu of the rod.)

Obviously, the cable will be the smallest and lightest, but my stomach ache is over the idea of not having a rigid cleaning rod, the purpose of which is clearing a projectile from the barrel in the even of an undercharged/squib round sticking a bullet in the barrel.

Am I just being paranoid here? It seems to me that the odds of such an event are virtually non-existent. (It's never happened to me in my life time in many years of shooting competition.) Is this something that is just stuck in my head from my Army days and horror stories of the early M16s?

I guess the other possibility and reason to have a rigid cleaning rod is a spent case stuck in the chamber. (Also has never happened to me.)
 
I might keep a rod in my truck or at my camp on a very important hunt in case a rare need for it pops up, but I don't see me lugging one around in my backpack.
 
I don't hunt from a truck. My typical M.O. is a canoe trip on a river. A camp near the river. Backpack to high ground with a spotting scope. Possible spike camp away from the river.

Even at that, I treat that canoe like it's my on my back. Every extra pound I take in the canoe, is either one less pound of gas for the outboard, or one less pound of moose meat.

But I get your point. A less portable kit in the boat and left at camp. Gun jams. Walk back to camp for cleaning kit.

I always seem to over-think things.
 
GI sectioned cleaning rod might be your best bet.
You could always wrap it, seal it and leave it in a pack taped to a packe frame or with your canoe.
I have had one incident where I needed a cleaning rod and didn't have one. I dont leave home without them anymore.
 
Ballistol, Ripcord barrel cleaner....

I purchased a Otis Ripcord for my S&W Shield 9x19 no thumb safety about 3mo ago. It's handy, portable and with the Nomex fibers can be used on hot firearm barrels at the range or on the go if needed. ;)
It's about 2/3 the retail cost of the Hoppes BoreSnake Viper cleaners.

I also recently bought a few handy Ballistol wipes. They were a quarter each.
I've used Ballistol off & on since 1997 or so. I used to buy it online but found a local shop that sells a few Ballistol items. The wipes are great for training ranges or a outdoor trip/hunter who might need to clean up a gun, knife, fishing rod or archery gear.
Ballistol works great on wood, metals, rubber, etc. It's non toxic & can be used without gloves.

Rusty
www.Ballistol.com
 
Check out the Otis cleaning kits. I have the MSR kit, and while that one might not be exactly what you need they probably make different versions. Very lightweight and extremely packable. About the size of two hockey pucks stacked together.
 
"...the cleaning rod..." No rod involved if you use a pull through.
"...just being paranoid..." Yep. Early M-16's were issued without a cleaning kit. All the issues were proven to be ammo related. You're going hunting Bullwinkle not VC. If you loaded the ammo properly(hand loads assumed) you won't have any problems.
 
Rod verses pull through

Jam a load of dirt or mud down you barrel due to a fall or ?
The pull through won't cut it.
Pull through cords have been known to break inside the barrel.
GI cleaning kit will do all that needs to be done.
 
+1

Plug a barrel with mud in the back country and all the flexible pull-throughs in the world won't help you a bit.

rc
 
I carrya bore snake sometimes. Years ago I had swivel open up for the strap, and barrel landed in the dirt. Bore snake would clear the plug, but could use a stick and the run bore snake through. Not the best choise, but for if the big one comes out, I want to take a chance.

Not a great choice if you are out for days either, but good way to finish up the day. Then again I would hate to be stuck sitting around for a few days with not gun. If you also had some oil, I'd keep hunting.
I also check my swivels better.
 
M16s, dated.....

It may be dated, but if I recall, the US armed forces M16s had hollow sections in the rifle butt to allow small cleaning kits or parts.
I served in the US military in the early 1990s and we still used the M16A1s. They were just starting to phase in the new M16A2 models.
In my 2nd CONUS duty station I had a M16 with a 203 40mm grenade launcher. :D
We never really shot those to often but it was great for photo-ops.

RS
PS: it's rare, but the US Army had a OD green vest with pockets all over it for 40mm grenade ammunition. It was strange but we had a few in our company arms room. No one wore them but we saw a few in crates. :uhoh:
It may have been a prototype or R&D.
 
All M16-a1's had a butt trap to hold a cleaning rod & cleaning kit, just as all US military rifles had for nearly 200 years.

The current M-4 version does not.

The M-79 grenade vest was current during my time in the service in late 69.
We saw them in the TV news reals sometimes!!
If, you could get your hands on one, which you couldn't.

We packed 40mm grenades in rifle mag pouches.
And more in web gear butt packs.

rc
 
Wow, thanks for all the great responses. I go away a few days (really bad week here, but I finished it off with a day at the range. This week isn't looking any better. Back to the range.) =) and you guys have solved the world's problems.

Yeah I hand load, so, if I do get a squib round,it's my fault I suppose. I hadn't even though of clearing dirt from the barrel. Focusing elsewhere I guess.

I like the "both" option, but I see no advantage to carrying the flex cable cleaning "rods" if I also have sectioned rigid cleaning rod. I'm alwasy trying to reduce, reduce, reduce my gear list, so I guess I'll build a traditional cleaning kit to carry in some sort of accessory pouch. I'll probably skip that Otis products. They look good, and I like that they're USA made, but I already have everything in those kits. I just need to find a more compact way to carry it.

(Wish my lever action had a ramrod, I could use that and would always have it lol.)
 
One last thought. What do you guys see as the best quality, sectional cleaning rod? The Hoppe's and Outers rods always seem pretty light duty, flimsy and prone to bend, especially in the 22 cal size (which is the size I intend to use).

Lastly, it's been a loooooong time since I saw an AR15 GI cleaning rod; do the standard, commercially available (i.e Hoppe's etc.) brushes and tips fit those? Do the threads match? (I've run into different thread pitch in different brands...PITA.)
 
Now that just ticks me off. You know, for a Mac user, I'm all about doing things as easily and as prctical as possible. Why would they make the GI kit different.

Who (Outers, Otis, et al?) make 8-36 rod end pieces?
 
Probably true. So I just decided to go with a GI cleaning rod and be done; no need to reinvent the wheel. Except I ordered one from Safariland/Kleenbore that comes with an 8-36/8-32 adapter section. (probably the same piece you linked to earlier) $20 shipped all the way to AK. (not bad in my book) Now I can just use all the accessories I already have. (as long as I don't lose that adapter.) All I need to do now is find the right soft sided case for it.
 
I saw those on Cabela's website. I also liked that they're stainless steel. I couldn't justify the $45 price point, plus, it seemed a little bulky for my purpose. But yeah, looks like a nice kit.

By the way, I'm pretty sure the Otis stuff is Made in USA. (I've pretty much abandoned Hoppe's because they've gone Chinesium.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Otis Cleaning Kit?
Replies
8
Views
1K
24kshooter
2
P
  • Locked
Ar50 cleaning rod or pull through
Replies
0
Views
461
Panzerfront
P
R
  • Locked
Otis cleaning kit
Replies
1
Views
599
bigfatdave
B
B
  • Locked
Otis cleaning kit
Replies
8
Views
859
natsb
N
W
  • Locked
Gun cleaning kits
2
Replies
48
Views
5K
jhansman
jhansman
Back
Top