Non-gun stuff for gun maintainence, other uses....

J

Jhp147

New member
Most folks know that a box of Q-tips is a great addition to a cleaning kit (not the cheap ones, the heads fall off) and lots of people use brake cleaner to save money as opposed to commerial spray cleaner/degreasers. Some have acquired used dental lab ultrsonic cleaners in lieu of expensive ones sold as "gun cleaners." Does anyone want to contribute any other ideas for work or money saving NON-gun products or devices for firearm maintainence or shooting?
Here's one I stole: A cheap tackle box or tool box makes a great base for a cleaning kit. Much cheaper than one of the big "gun stuff" boxes, and not too big. If you run out of room, you can buy a bigger model, still cheap.
 
I find that an air compressor with the blower attachment works great for getting cleaner and goo out of crevices I can't reach by other means. For example, I can blow out the cleaner that has gotten under sights with I have been cleaning the underside of a .45 slide and had been holding it inverted. It seems a little spillage gets down there every time.

I also like to use a round shoe lace, one end tied to my bench, to scour out the rails of my .45.
 
Weed eater line makes a handy pull-through bore cleaner for quick jobs (ie at the range). You can make one a couple of different ways.
1. flatten out a section in the middle of the line, cut a slit in it and insert patch.
2. Melt one end into a ball, cut the other end at a bias and thread patch on.

I keep one of these, a couple patches, and a small bottle of solvent in my range bag. When I finish shooting I run a couple patches through while the barrel is still warm and it simplifies my cleaning at home.
 
A natural bristle shaving brush is the best tool for oiling the exteriors of firearms before putting them away. It carries no lint and really gets into all the nooks and crannies. Just put a few drops of your favorite gun oil on the ends of the bristles.

Rosco
 
Wooden dowels, or bamboo skewers from the supermarket

To clean, merely sharpen in a pencil sharpener. They scrape, they clean nooks and crannys and they're just handy, dammit!

The best tip of all: Mobil One synthetic instead of gun oil.

Canned air.

Keep all your blued magazines in a Bianchi Blue anti corrosion bag (or equivalent).
 
Great topic!

I snag all the old toothbrushes around the house.

Old T-shirts and socks become rags.

I also use a small mini mag-light to shine up the bore (from the chamber side) for detail inspection with most of my rifles.
 
great stuff already!

I also cabbage onto used toothbrushes and t-shirts, and keep a Swiss Army Knife with scissors in the kit to make patches as needed. Pipe cleaners? I use some but am very careful, seems like the "fuzz" on them is a bit sparse to protect from scratching by the wire for some purposes. The sharpened wooden dowell/wooden skewer idea is first prize so far, I just snatched some from the kitchen drawer for my kit. No worry about scratches, like when using dental picks, etc. The canned air/compressor idea is also good, I always use the range's compressor and air gun when I clean there. Thanks for all responders so far, the thread will hold more.....
 
Ditto on the Q-tips and the tackle box. I keep my bronze barrel brushes in the little compartments of the top drawer of the tackle box, sorted by caliber. I've put the caliber on stick-on labels on the compartments.

I keep some paperclips around to use when field-stripping my Kimber Compact.

Hemostats can be useful at time, as well as dental picks.

If your SO is giving you a hard time about the smell of your gun cleaner, go to a bicycle store and get a big bottle of citrus solvent. It works just fine on powder residue and smells like oranges.

I put an old terrycloth bath towel on top of the work bench when I'm cleaning my guns. Then I just lay the guns down on top of the towel. No need to worry about scratching the finish that way, and it soaks up any spilled solvent/oil.

M1911
 
M1911 made me think of another one

When you spray something off with Brake cleaner, put a box of old newspaper underneath to absorb the dirty runoff, and then just throw them away.
 
I used to use shoe boxes, but they're too flimsy

Now I keep cleaning stuff in the packing boxes that bulk ammo or other mail order gun stuff come in. A case (2500) of Remington shotgun shells comes in a really heavy box the size of a shoebox. Compartments would make it a lot nicer, though. Maybe I should treat myself to a new tackle box this spring.

Regards.
 
I use crochet needles to assist with the installation of springs in various guns. The hook grabs onto the spring and you can manipulate the spring any way you want. I use it when detail striping my Beretta 92. The needles come in different sizes. Walmart has them cheap. The needles, not the Beretta's.

If you have some used (or new) mouse pads laying around, these make great pads for when you work on your guns. No more scratched surfaces. Put a few end-to-end and you have a good size work area.
 
Wow, great stuff, and lots of stuff I know and love!

A non-gun item that I got hooked on based on posts here is an ultrasonic cleaner. Can save you time, and will definitely get things cleaner, especially things that are a pain to strip (like M1 rifle and carbine bolts). You can sometimes get 'em very cheap from local dentists when they buy a new one, or get demos and returns from dental supply houses.

Has anyone tried the new (at least new to me) Mobil 1 spray?
 
Pilate:

Ah, yes. Forgot about that one. I've had the white dots get damaged in my sights a couple times. Used a dental pick to remove what was left. Then went to the local hobby/artist store for some white paint paint. Dipped a toothpick in the paint and used it to put a drop into the sight. Works like a charm.

M1911
 
Correction fluid (white out) makes a good quick fix for touching up sights. It lasts longer than I thought it would.

If you shoot black powder, Windex makes a great bore cleaner. Windshield washer fluid if you are away from home but near a vehicle.

For reloaders, the mesh bags that potatoes come in are a good way to keep brass separated in a tumbler. Keeps the 9 MM from getting wedged in the 44 cases.
 
Most have been said before, but here goes:

Q-tips, pipe cleaners, old t-shirts, old toothbrushes, nylon-bristle bottle brushes (great for cleaning shotgun chambers), newspaper, a shop apron, small dropper bottles and sample-size hairspray bottles for dispensing bulk liquids), kerosene (for removing cosmolene), tool boxes, dental picks and probes, dental mirrors, Gunk Environmental Carburetor & Parts Cleaner(has a basket for soaking parts), and 35mm film cans (for temporarily storing small parts and/or soaking them in solvent).
 
Ever drop small parts, springs, screws etc. and not be able to find them? Here's a tip I learned from working on cars.
Get a shallow pan with at least two gallon capacity. Fill the pan with old motor oil, anti-freeze, coffee grounds and/or tobacco spit. Place the pan anywhere within three feet of your workspace. Any dropped part will be sure to fall into this nasty mess but at least you'll know where it's at. ;-)
 
Most that I know of have already been mentioned, but I will add that a can of silicone spray can be used to give a quick recharge to cleaning cloths and doesn't seem to attract dust and lint as bad as an oil film does. Also, I have been told that electronic cleaning spray degreases like brake cleaner, but is less likely to damage plastics. I will find out how well it works tomorrow.
 
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