I was wondering what sort of tools and products that everyone uses to keep their firearms in top shape. Considering I am a 1st generation gun owner in my family I didn't have anyone that could pass down their trade secrets of the best way of going about cleaning my gun after a long day at the range so I pretty much taught myself and I have my own ways of cleaning. However I'm wondering if maybe there are some better ways / products I could use that over what I do now. For example the only products I have tried are Break Free CLP, Hoppes #9, and Hoppes lube. I then go about the classic way with running a patch through and then a brush on the end of a rod. So I guess what i'm wondering is this the best way? or are there other methods and products that are superior or make the cleaning process easier.
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Gun cleaning & Maintenance
- Thread starter Mstangret
- Start date
Gun cleaning & Maintenance
What your doing works. I've started using bore snakes for light cleaning and have been impressed with the results. They are easy to use and save time cleaning the barrel. I have the hoppes brand. They are fairly expensive at about $15 a piece but I only have three, one for each caliber I shoot the most.
What your doing works. I've started using bore snakes for light cleaning and have been impressed with the results. They are easy to use and save time cleaning the barrel. I have the hoppes brand. They are fairly expensive at about $15 a piece but I only have three, one for each caliber I shoot the most.
Iwanttoshootbettter
New member
Bore snakes
Yes I'm using them as well very easy and cleans like a beast.
Yes I'm using them as well very easy and cleans like a beast.
g.willikers
New member
If you use lead bullets, the Lewis lead remover kit is a handy little tool.
Auto Transmission fluid is a very good and high quality lubricant.
Birchwood Casey makes an effective bore cleaning paste for really dirty barrels.
Gun Scrubber or auto brake cleaner spray works well for getting all the nooks and crannies clean.
But test it first to make sure it won't damage the finish and any plastic and wood parts.
Auto Transmission fluid is a very good and high quality lubricant.
Birchwood Casey makes an effective bore cleaning paste for really dirty barrels.
Gun Scrubber or auto brake cleaner spray works well for getting all the nooks and crannies clean.
But test it first to make sure it won't damage the finish and any plastic and wood parts.
50 shooter
New member
Hoppes #9 isn't made to remove copper fouling, you need the proper cleaner for that. I prefer Boretechs "Eliminator" copper solvent, it's 100% safe to use anywhere, contains no ammonia... It's a surfectant, gets under the copper and carbon fouling and lifts it off the bore.
There's also Wipe Out foaming cleaner that works the same way but it can be messy as you pump it in until it drips out of the barrel. But it does do a good job removing copper and carbon fouling.
I don't care for bore snakes, they might be good for out in the field but that's about it. A good one piece rod and bore guide will get the job done fast and protect the chamber and throat.
It's already been talked about but if you plan on using brake parts cleaner, transmission fluid or any other products not originally made for cleaning guns, test it out first. Brake parts cleaner will melt plastic and remove gun bluing if left on them. Transmission fluid will remove bluing and other finishes also if left on or gets into that little nook you can't get to. So take a little time and check them out before using.
Dental tools work good for getting places your fingers can't or a q-tip isn't strong enough to scrape. In the end the right tools will make the job easier and faster.
There's also Wipe Out foaming cleaner that works the same way but it can be messy as you pump it in until it drips out of the barrel. But it does do a good job removing copper and carbon fouling.
I don't care for bore snakes, they might be good for out in the field but that's about it. A good one piece rod and bore guide will get the job done fast and protect the chamber and throat.
It's already been talked about but if you plan on using brake parts cleaner, transmission fluid or any other products not originally made for cleaning guns, test it out first. Brake parts cleaner will melt plastic and remove gun bluing if left on them. Transmission fluid will remove bluing and other finishes also if left on or gets into that little nook you can't get to. So take a little time and check them out before using.
Dental tools work good for getting places your fingers can't or a q-tip isn't strong enough to scrape. In the end the right tools will make the job easier and faster.
Hoppe's is excellent but my significant other hated the smell. I finally replaced it with M-Pro7. No smell and get rid of all the fouling.
I now run a bore snake for cleaning my barrel. Works great.
I like CLP and use it as a lubricant. Been using it for 40 years and it works.
Nothing wrong with what you are doing now.
I now run a bore snake for cleaning my barrel. Works great.
I like CLP and use it as a lubricant. Been using it for 40 years and it works.
Nothing wrong with what you are doing now.
I like Shooter's Choice; have also used Clenzoil, Safari Charlie's, and a few others. Lubrication is Hoppe's oil, RemOil, RIG grease and Shooter's Choice grease. Most likely will get some Mobil 1 when the 16oz Hoppe's bottle runs dry.
Boresnakes work great on polygonal barrels like Glock; otherwise I use a rod and brush followed by a patch and a jag.
Boresnakes work great on polygonal barrels like Glock; otherwise I use a rod and brush followed by a patch and a jag.
I used to use Brake Parts Cleaner, a mix of Synthetic 30wt motor oil and ATF and Shooter's Choice for cleaning a bore. A few years ago now I got some of the first offerings from Lucas Oil Outdoor line. I won't use anything else now. They have an entire line, engineered in their own lab to provide optimum performance in firearms with severe duty cycles.
Small and Large gun manufacturers, gunsmiths and gun owners are flocking to Lucas Products. The manufacturers service guys have been asking for it. Sig, Ruger, KelTec, Colt, Springfield Armory and many others have switched so far this year. Your LGS can order from AmChar or RSR and Brownells, Midway and others retail the products.
http://lucasoil.com/products/out-door-line
Small and Large gun manufacturers, gunsmiths and gun owners are flocking to Lucas Products. The manufacturers service guys have been asking for it. Sig, Ruger, KelTec, Colt, Springfield Armory and many others have switched so far this year. Your LGS can order from AmChar or RSR and Brownells, Midway and others retail the products.
http://lucasoil.com/products/out-door-line
Emerson Biggies
New member
I've been using Hoppe's for years. I went out on a limb and spent about $8 on a tiny spray bottle of MPro7 just to test. I cannot tell the difference in bore cleaning between the two. If you check walmart.com and search for Hoppes you can buy a quart of the stuff for about $15. Special cleaning jobs may requiure expensive solutions, but most of us only need the basics.
RoughDivider
New member
I use Hoppes for my handgun along with Remoil and slip 2000 grease for the rails. My AR gets CLP, hoppes and slip2000. Bore snakes all around.
That begs the question: Why are you using hot water on a modern gun? I have not heard of using hot water since the days of Black Powder and corrosive primers.I use a used tooth brush, $.02 worth of hot water, about $.20 worth of dawn and maybe....oh $.35 worth of oil/grease to clean/lube my modern guns.
You will find advocates for every lube and bore cleaning product on the market. They all work, just depends on personal preferences.
As far as the OP's question regarding tools, the longer I have been shooting the more specialized gun maintenance tools I've acquired. At the top of the list is a good screwdriver set made for guns. The ones in your garage toolbox will work, but you'll mangle some screw heads in the process. Also a one-piece cleaning rod. Yeah, you can get by with the 3-piece sets, but once you use a good one piece rod you'll never go back. Dental tools are needed too; there are some plastic ones available at the shooting stores that I use that are inexpensive and work great. I also use Q-tips and those hard Q-tip thingies that my wife gets for makeup, they are time savers. A set of brass punches are handy too.
Then there are gun-specific tools, like wrenches and blocks for ARs and bushing wrenches for 1911s that make life a lot easier. I have a padded bench vice that helps for cleaning too but is not a necessity.
As far as the OP's question regarding tools, the longer I have been shooting the more specialized gun maintenance tools I've acquired. At the top of the list is a good screwdriver set made for guns. The ones in your garage toolbox will work, but you'll mangle some screw heads in the process. Also a one-piece cleaning rod. Yeah, you can get by with the 3-piece sets, but once you use a good one piece rod you'll never go back. Dental tools are needed too; there are some plastic ones available at the shooting stores that I use that are inexpensive and work great. I also use Q-tips and those hard Q-tip thingies that my wife gets for makeup, they are time savers. A set of brass punches are handy too.
Then there are gun-specific tools, like wrenches and blocks for ARs and bushing wrenches for 1911s that make life a lot easier. I have a padded bench vice that helps for cleaning too but is not a necessity.
Mstangret,
Maybe this response will be obvious, and if it is, i dont mean to insult you, but you mentioned "first generation". Make sure you are cleaning more than just the bore and the visible parts of your firearm. Disassemble and clean/dry metal work that may be covered by stock. Especially if one the range in any damp conditions or rain. And be sure to check all functions of your firearm after re-assembly to make sure it functions properly...before putting any more live cartridges in it at the range next time. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Have fun and be safe!!
Maybe this response will be obvious, and if it is, i dont mean to insult you, but you mentioned "first generation". Make sure you are cleaning more than just the bore and the visible parts of your firearm. Disassemble and clean/dry metal work that may be covered by stock. Especially if one the range in any damp conditions or rain. And be sure to check all functions of your firearm after re-assembly to make sure it functions properly...before putting any more live cartridges in it at the range next time. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Have fun and be safe!!
Thanks for all the advice everyone! As I look to improve my cleaning kit I was wondering what people thought about the use of bore guides and coated cleaning rods. I was gonna get a bore guide for each of my most used guns. My Ar-15, ruger 10/22, and my Howa Mini action in .223. Across the internet people seem to say that they really aid in proper cleaning (or maybe its just a gimmick) and then I actually went to cabela's and picked up a tipton 36" carbon fiber cleaning rod .22-26 caliber because again everyone seems to say they are way superior to the 3 piece brass rods.
Edit... Couldn't wait to actually try the Tipton rod so I tested it on my 10/22 and the difference is night and day compared to my 3 piece rod. I still cringe at the $40 price tag but it's definitely worth it
Edit... Couldn't wait to actually try the Tipton rod so I tested it on my 10/22 and the difference is night and day compared to my 3 piece rod. I still cringe at the $40 price tag but it's definitely worth it
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ShootistPRS
New member
Ed's Red, Hoppes, a bit of home made gun oil, one piece rods, a selection of brushes, jags, and patch eyes is all I need for my rifles and most of my pistols. I do use a light "grease" on the slide of my 9mm.
Ed's Red and Hoppes is all you need to get the carbon out of a barrel and with continued use copper won't foul an Ed's Red barrel.
I have never needed anything else to keep my guns shooting sub MOA groups.
Well my pistols, the ones I use most, don't shoot MOA groups but I figure that 1" at 25 yards is good enough.
Ed's Red and Hoppes is all you need to get the carbon out of a barrel and with continued use copper won't foul an Ed's Red barrel.
I have never needed anything else to keep my guns shooting sub MOA groups.
Well my pistols, the ones I use most, don't shoot MOA groups but I figure that 1" at 25 yards is good enough.
Satchmoeddie
New member
??th generation "DAR" family with guns.
I use old tooth brushes, the usual cloth patches, with a rod and a loop or a jag, and plastic crown protector (bore guide).
I also use the nylon and brass bore brushes on the cleaning rod kits, always with a muzzle crown protector. It's a little plastic funnel sleeve thingy you set into the muzzle and guide the rod through, so you don't rub the rod on the muzzle, and butcher the crown. That will affect accuracy in a bad way.
I also use the bore snakes now, but modern ammo is not nearly as nasty as some of the old stuff was. When dad got old, I dug out his bespoke shotguns, and cleaned out from 20 to 120 years of lead fouling. The old Outer's nitro-solvent made a gigantic mess, so I grabbed the can of "Break Free" and all the lead, carbon, and crud just ran out the end of the barrels, and everything looked like new.
Get some of the little plastic gun brushes, and the plastic Harbor Freight brushes. Remove all the steel bristle brushes. You don't want to use those, trust me. Use the nylon brushes, on everything, and as a last resort go to brass bristles, unless you are cleaning out the bore, of the barrel, with a brass bore brush.
Bore snakes are great, but in a pinch I have taken para-cord, curtain cords, draw strings, or boot laces, and tied knots in them, and sprayed, something from Break Free, to brake cleaner to WD-40 into the barrel and pulled the knots through, and lubed with 10-W-30. After the solvent, "break free", I will use any number of gun oils, from Hoppes, Ballistol, Lucas, 3 in 1? M Pro, Wilson Tactical.
I really love that copper Glock grease. It is nothing more then Loc Tite C5-A copper antiseize lubricant, but it is good from -20 or -30 degrees up to 1800 degrees. It is THE EXACT same stuff Glock uses at their factory. I slathered that crap on Caterpillar engines, and Allied Signal APUs and I know what it is by the smell of it.
Tooth picks, cloth and cotton swabs are good too. Scotchbrite is also good for stubborn stuff on the exterior.
Be careful with older plastic grips. Maybe even take them off. I melted the grips on a Beretta 3032 with M Pro-7 solvent, and had to buy new grips. Beretta no longer has any 3032 grips in stock now, and it looks like they may have stopped making them, so check plastic parts in an inconspicuous area to see if the cleaner will attack it, and screw it up.
I also do NOT like Frog Lube. It gets waxy and makes a mess.
There are literally 1000s of gun cleaners, lubricants, and protectants, and combinations products, as well as 1000s of industrial, automotive, agricultural, and aviation solvents, lubes, & portectants that are probably better than most of the gun care stuff.
LPS3, or Boeshield, are good protectants. Ballistol is also good stuff. M Pro7's oil is okay. The solvent eats styrene.
Lucas Oil makes gun care products that are pretty good, but that Loc Tite C5-A is wonderful stuff, for long term storage.
Everyone has a favorite, and I don't have $50,000 to try out every product sold in a bottle, tube can, tub, or tin.
Mind the crowns on your muzzles and don't bugger them up with a cleaning rod. Bore snakes don't have that problem, (as much).
I use old tooth brushes, the usual cloth patches, with a rod and a loop or a jag, and plastic crown protector (bore guide).
I also use the nylon and brass bore brushes on the cleaning rod kits, always with a muzzle crown protector. It's a little plastic funnel sleeve thingy you set into the muzzle and guide the rod through, so you don't rub the rod on the muzzle, and butcher the crown. That will affect accuracy in a bad way.
I also use the bore snakes now, but modern ammo is not nearly as nasty as some of the old stuff was. When dad got old, I dug out his bespoke shotguns, and cleaned out from 20 to 120 years of lead fouling. The old Outer's nitro-solvent made a gigantic mess, so I grabbed the can of "Break Free" and all the lead, carbon, and crud just ran out the end of the barrels, and everything looked like new.
Get some of the little plastic gun brushes, and the plastic Harbor Freight brushes. Remove all the steel bristle brushes. You don't want to use those, trust me. Use the nylon brushes, on everything, and as a last resort go to brass bristles, unless you are cleaning out the bore, of the barrel, with a brass bore brush.
Bore snakes are great, but in a pinch I have taken para-cord, curtain cords, draw strings, or boot laces, and tied knots in them, and sprayed, something from Break Free, to brake cleaner to WD-40 into the barrel and pulled the knots through, and lubed with 10-W-30. After the solvent, "break free", I will use any number of gun oils, from Hoppes, Ballistol, Lucas, 3 in 1? M Pro, Wilson Tactical.
I really love that copper Glock grease. It is nothing more then Loc Tite C5-A copper antiseize lubricant, but it is good from -20 or -30 degrees up to 1800 degrees. It is THE EXACT same stuff Glock uses at their factory. I slathered that crap on Caterpillar engines, and Allied Signal APUs and I know what it is by the smell of it.
Tooth picks, cloth and cotton swabs are good too. Scotchbrite is also good for stubborn stuff on the exterior.
Be careful with older plastic grips. Maybe even take them off. I melted the grips on a Beretta 3032 with M Pro-7 solvent, and had to buy new grips. Beretta no longer has any 3032 grips in stock now, and it looks like they may have stopped making them, so check plastic parts in an inconspicuous area to see if the cleaner will attack it, and screw it up.
I also do NOT like Frog Lube. It gets waxy and makes a mess.
There are literally 1000s of gun cleaners, lubricants, and protectants, and combinations products, as well as 1000s of industrial, automotive, agricultural, and aviation solvents, lubes, & portectants that are probably better than most of the gun care stuff.
LPS3, or Boeshield, are good protectants. Ballistol is also good stuff. M Pro7's oil is okay. The solvent eats styrene.
Lucas Oil makes gun care products that are pretty good, but that Loc Tite C5-A is wonderful stuff, for long term storage.
Everyone has a favorite, and I don't have $50,000 to try out every product sold in a bottle, tube can, tub, or tin.
Mind the crowns on your muzzles and don't bugger them up with a cleaning rod. Bore snakes don't have that problem, (as much).
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ShooterScott1
Inactive
Not sure if this would help but I came across a post about cleaning an AR15 that helped me - I'm a huge noobie though so not sure how much it would help others.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/howto/how-to-clean-ar15.html
http://www.opticsplanet.com/howto/how-to-clean-ar15.html