I apologize for the long post in advance...
Here's what I keep in my cleaning kit and some explanation:
Hoppe's No. 9:
I use this ONLY on the inside of my barrels and other non-blued or non-polymer parts. You can use it on the barrel tip and the outside of the barrel if it is not blued. This stuff is not a general cleaner. It may harm certain materials and finishes. Use it in well ventilated area. It wouldn't hurt to work with Hoppe's in a place where spilling some accidentally wouldn't be the end of the world. Therefore, don't work with Hoppe's on your heirloom wooden dining room table. If you don't wear gloves, wash your hands frequently when using this stuff.
Break Free CLP:
I use this to clean just about every part of my pistols (and rifles) except for plastic or rubber parts like grips. Shouldn't hurt them, but it leaves plastics too slippery. This is not the best bore cleaner out there, but it will do... especially in situations where you don't have the luxury of dedicated products. It is also not the best lubricant for heavy wear areas. It is thin and will run out of the nooks and crannies. Use grease for heavy wear areas. It is good as an overall exterior "wipe down" to prevent rust and keep the weapon from getting dry. A coating of Break Free usually makes it easy to remove powder (carbon) fouling from otherwise "dry" parts, but too thick a coating on the innards can attract debris. Hope that made sense. You'll figure out how much is enough after a few times. CLP works good on tight parts like barrel bushings on 1911 autos... helps prevent them from sticking during your next disassembly.
Cleaning Patches:
Get the most inexpensive ones you can that are made of cotton, not synthetics like Tyvek. No need to get the ones listed for a particular caliber, the so-called "universal" ones work fine. You can always cut larger ones into 4 and save cash.
Paper Towels:
Great for most cleaning duties. Rip these into pieces and discard them often. Don't rub brass shavings or other grime into your firearm's nice finish. Buy cheap no frills towels so you can use a lot of them and not feel bad. Don't use the rough brown type that you see in public bathrooms. These can be abrasive.
Chopsticks (wooden):
Grab a handful of these next time you get Chinese take-out. I whittle the ends down into a screw driver blade shape and wrap paper towels over them. I use the chopstick to push the towel into the slide rails and other nooks and crannies to remove old lube and any accumulated gunk.
Cleaning Rod:
Buy a soft metal one. Try to keep it centered in the barrel as you push it so it doesn't scrape the sides and leave shavings behind.
Barrel Cleaning Brushes:
Use soft metal brushes or nylon brushes... stay away from the special looped bristled type brushes. Make sure the barrel has had a patch saturated with bore cleaner pushed through it before pushing a brush through. No need to dunk the bore brush (which may be dirty) into your bore cleaner. Do not change direction of brush motion unless it has exited the breech or muzzle end. Don't go overboard here... a few passes to loosten the worst of the fouling is all you need. Follow up with wet and dry patches. When you are done with the bore brush, clean its bristles with a toothbrush wet with bore cleaner... use lengthwise strokes. No sense putting a filthy bore brush into the barrel each time you clean it.
Jag:
This is the blunt ended attachment for your cleaning rod with the little spike on the tip used for pushing patches through. Get the strong plastic ones if you can. If not, brass ones are okay.
Toothbrush,
Good for getting into certain spots. Clean the toothbrush a occasionally during a cleaning session. Spray it with Brake Free and rub it into a piece of paper towel to clean the bristles.
Grease:
Use grease for heavy wear areas. Many brands are fine... I use Wilson's Ultima Lube. It is not cheap, but a little goes a long way. I am about 2/3 done with a tube I started 2 years ago and I use it on 4 firearms.
Cotton Swabs:
Can be used for cleaning and like a paint brush for applying oils. Buy the cheap ones... they ain't goin in your ears!
Oil:
Some parts should be lubricated with oil. Syringe type applicators work great. Break Free can usually be used in areas calling for oil.
Flitz Metal Polish:
This stuff is great for use on dull feed ramps, unblued full length guide rods and unblued recoil spring plugs. It gets them shiny and smooth. Apply sparingly and don't use too often. This stuff is slightly abrasive.
Sheesh... that was a lot. Sorry, I was on a roll.
- Pete45
Especially the gunpowder residue at the tip of the barrel.