Let’s Talk About Cleaning Kits
Outside of ammunition, there is one essential item that every gun owner absolutely has to have: a cleaning kit. Keeping a firearm clean and shiny is immeasurably important in its reliability and longevity. This means regular cleaning and lubricating. Yes, even you Glock owners that brag about how dependable your gun is after thousands of rounds even though you’ve never cleaned it. Look, Toyotas are legendary for their reliability but I wouldn’t even think about going on a cross country trip with one that has never had its oil changed or had any maintenance at all (even if it’s fresh off the lot, but that’s a whole other discussion). Same thing with a gun. If you have put lots of rounds through your gun but never cleaned or maintained it, it’s not a matter of IF it malfunctions but WHEN.
So, yeah, a cleaning kit. The problem is, telling you to go buy a cleaning kit is kind of like telling someone to go buy a wrench. What kind of wrench? Socket? Crescent? What size? Regular or Metric? You see my point. There’s countless kinds of cleaning kits out there. Each has it’s benefits and problems. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the most common options.
Universal Kit
Like most people, when I bought my first gun I just grabbed the cheapest “universal” cleaning kit I came across at Walmart. All things considered, there isn’t much wrong with that. For many people, this will be the only kit they ever buy and use. The only thing you’ll need after this is to replenish your cleaning patches and solvent later down the road.
Pro: It covers just about every caliber out there. No matter what gun you buy, you’ll be able to clean it with this thing.
Con: It covers just about every caliber out there. What if you only have a 9mm and it’s the only pistol or caliber you ever plan on using? While these can clean just about every caliber there is, it’s a bit on the overkill side if you’ve only got one gun. Plus, these kits are usually rather cheap and cheaply built. While some could last you a lifetime, most are quite flimsy and will fall apart sooner than later.
Otis Technology
The big draw of the kits of Otis are their breech to bore cleaning systems. Their designs are rugged and they cover all kinds of situations. I also like the nice, compact cases their kits come in.
Pro: You name the situation, they probably have a kit for it. Skeet shooting? Rifles? AR? Pistols? Yep, all covered.
Con: They seem to be focused more on the barrels with their kit rather than the whole gun. Granted, a fouled up barrel is the most dangerous way a gun can get dirty but still, I like my entire gun to be shiny. They do sell the other brushes as part of a separate accessory kit, however if I’m going to buy a kit, I’d like it to have everything I’d need with one purchase.
J. Dewey Manufacturing
I had the pleasure of reviewing their kit a long time ago. These are caliber specific and include everything you’d need to clean that particular caliber. The brass cleaning rod is thicker and tougher than any I’ve seen in other kits and the brushes and perfectly sized for the gun you’re cleaning.
Pros: Has everything you need for a specific situation and nothing you don’t. With all the kits that I own and test, I still break out my 9mm J. Dewey kit when the caliber calls for it. The rod is pretty much universal so, if you get a different gun, you can still use the kit and just change out the brush.
Cons: To be honest, I can’t really think of any downsides off hand. If you own a couple dozen guns with all different calibers, it might be difficult to keep everything straight and, in such case, a universal kit or a self made kit might be a better option but that’s just grasping at straws, really.
Boresnake
I love boresnakes. I get one for every caliber I own. It’s a great way to just quickly clean out the barrel when I’m at the range or just getting home from the range. No matter what cleaning technique I wind up finishing the gun with, it always starts with a couple passes of the boresnake through the barrel. This is essentially a wire brush and a cleaning patch all in one that’s made to be passed through the barrel starting from the breech end. As you pull it through, it grabs most of the gunk in the barrel and pulls it out. This is especially handy for me at the range because I shoot some really dirty and cheap ammo. This stuff will foul up a gun faster than you can say “dang, this ammo is dirty”. The bore snake takes care of it just as fast.
Pros: Easy to use and you don’t have to disassemble the gun. With two passes, the barrel is clean enough for most applications.
Cons: All it does is clean the barrel. Nothing else. The rest of the gun stays nasty. Also, while it gets the barrel clean enough, it doesn’t get it spotless. I like it spotless.
Homemade Kit
Ultimately, there’s only a couple of specialized items that you need in a kit. Namely: the cleaning rod and the patch loop. Other than that, you can make your own kit using nothing more than some items you can get at any grocery store or Walmart. All you need is solvent, lube (Ballistol is great for that because it cleans and lubes), cotton swabs, paper towels and some nylon brushes (or even an old toothbrush). Throw in a microfiber cloth for polishing, if you’d like. There you go, there’s your kit.
Pros: You can gear it to your exact situation. It’s cheap and you can replenish the supplies from anywhere.
Cons: You have to piece it together yourself. It’s like a variation on the old saying: “Cheap, useful and convenient. Choose any two.” In this case, you’re getting cheap and useful.
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