Firearm cleaning and care products

[Martin77]

What does everyone recommend from rods to cleaning solvents to clean their shotguns and rifles. I want to set myself up with the right things to take care of my firearms.

 

[Ernie Shipman]

Tetra products. period...

 

[Pheroze]

G96 and bore snakes!

 

[Alistair]

Oh, divisive subject!

Personally, I like the Pro Shot Stainless steel 1 piece cleaning rods. Seem well made, don't bend and don't pick up dirt. I have a couple for .22 and .27 bores.

For solvents, I'm currently using Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber. Works fine, can't fault it, but I think I actually rate the 'bore foam' type cleaners higher. They don't clean any better, but it's way easier to just spray some of that down the bore and leave it for an hour than it is to faff around scrubbing and patching out a load of times with the stuff I have. A friend uses the Forrest bore foam stuff and that is really excellent in my experience.

For jags I like Pro Shot again, but I prefer the 'spear tip' jags than the 'slot' ones. Just less hassle.

I have a bore snake, which I had planned to use as a 'field' clean thing for the end of wet days on extended trips, but I found it wasn't really up to the job and collects dirt, so I don't bother anymore.

Tetra, as mentioned above, do good grease and oils and are also well worth as look.

I'm of the school that one should clean and thoroughly decopper after every outing, or at least at the end of a hunting trip. but many others clean far less regularly with no obvious detriment.

 

[wesheltonj]

I am a cheap SOB, I go Academy and purchase Hoppe’s.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Tipton, Dewey or Pro Shot rods, Butch's Bore Shine, Hoppe's #9, Marvel Mystery oil, Sweet's, Pro-Shot brushes, Tipton or Montana jags. YMMV.

 

[mdwest]

Dewey rods, hoppes #9, and sweets bore solvent get the job done fine..

For lubricant either white lithium grease or hoppes depending on the part and the gun...

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Tipton rods, jags and brushes. Bore guide. I have quit using Hoppes or any other oil base solvent. I use Windex as a cleaner/solvent. Cheap and no oil film left behind. When I want to store my guns for long periods, I will run a patch with Remoil or lately been using Hornady One Shot.

 

[Jay Bucher]

A coated one piece rod with jags and brushes that won’t give a false cooper reaction. Try Boretech Eliminator or some of there other products.

Jay

 

[BobT]

I really think cleaning is overrated, I normally only clean a rifle when the accuracy falls off. When I do clean I tend to use Kroil, it will actually get under the fouling and help loosen it. For rim fires I use a 50/50 mix of Shooters Choice and Kroil , for center fires I have been using Butches Bore Shine lately, I wet the bore with a Kroil saturated patch then the same with Butches. When I finish with the wet patches I'll run a few dry ones through and a final patch lightly dampened with Kroil. I LIGHTLY grease wear points like the locking lugs on a bolt action. Finish off with a wipe down of the outside metal with whatever good gun oil you like and you are ready to go. Just my

 

[Red Leg]

Ballistol was created by our Teutonic cousins as an all purpose firearms' cleaner and lubricant. It is all I ever use or ever have used for 46 years. Amazing product.

 

[JGRaider]

I use Dewey or Tipton rods. I use Kroil first for carbon removal, as it is the finest petrating oil on the planet bar none. Then I use Wipe Out foaming bore cleaner for copper removal. I usually leave it in there overnight if I'm not in a hurry. Patch it out the next day and done.
I use a dab of white lithium grease on the back of the lugs, and a few drops of Tri Flow for lube.

 

[Shootist43]

Martin77 as you can see, you've opened a "can of worms." There are lots of good options open to you. In addition to removing the powder fouling you need to remove the copper fouling as well. But with that being said the copper doesn't have to be removed during every cleaning session. I generally do a thorough cleaning and copper removal every 25 or 30 rounds. Bore snakes are ok for a quick field cleaning during a hunt, but are no substitute for a non-marring cleaning rod topped off by a jag of the correct caliber and a bronze brush. For copper removal you should use a nickel plated jag and a stiff nylon bristled brush. I use BoreTech CU +2. It turns green if copper is present. If you are going to store the firearm for awhile then swab down the bore and all metal exterior surfaces with a little oil on a patch or some gun grease like RIG.
Be sure to remove any oil from the bore before firing a bullet.

 

[Pondoro]

+1 to Ballistol....no better lubricant for firearms..heck its even antiseptic..!

 

[Opposite Pole]

Ballistol works for leather too, keeps it from drying and cracking but as for gun cleaning there are better products. I’ve been using Bore Tech products lately and if you think Ballistol cleaned your bore have a go with one of their solvents and see how dirty the patches come out. Sweet’s 7.62 is a great cooper solvent but it stinks, however if that bothers you open a bottle of Hoppes 9 for the aroma while you use real gun cleaners. Also Ballistol is to some extent water solvent so not great at rust protection in the rain.

 

[JGRaider]

When you get down to it, using a bore scope is really the only way to know how effective our bore cleaners are.

 

[Pheroze]

I recently received a pamphlet of this stuff:

http://www.montanaxtreme.com

Anyone know it?

 

[Hogpatrol]

A sometimes forgotten piece of cleaning equipment, lug rod.

https://www.amazon.com/Dewey-Rods-Action-Recess-Cleaning/dp/B004Y7E4EI

 

[andrewgrant]

I clean all my guns with the Otis kit reviewed by cleangunguide.com and it works just fine. For years I used the 3 piece rod and never had a problem. Just use care when you are doing it.