Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

I would love to get your product recommendations for cleaning and maintaining both rifles and shotguns.

A local dealer swears by EEZOX and gave me a can.

I need to get together a kit for both shotgun (870) and rifles (AR-15, Marlin .35, Bushmaster Varminter, and a .22 Pellet).

I bought a couple of these this winter and inherited a couple. I am going to be spending a lot of time this spring learning how to properly use them and would like to get my maintenance kit(s) together.

Any and all insights greatly appreciated.

Many TIA !

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Break-Free CLP is a good all-around cleaner, lubricant, preservative. Available everywhere and a good follow-up to Gunscrubber.

I like to keep a small BF-moistened cloth in a sealable baggie for periodic wipedowns before putting firearms away.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Pipe cleaners and old tooth brushes, an air compressor would help but it's not necessary.

And lot's of patches for your .22's.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Eezox is a MOST EXCELLENT rust preventative for firearms, knives,.... I ran a bunch of tests with carbon steel panels in a 100% humidity environment some years ago, and Eezox was great stuff. Breakfree/CLP was probably my second choice after Eezox. I've heard that Eezox is also good at removing/preventing plastic wad fouling from shotgun barrels.

Eezox is a LOUSY copper solvent for cleaning rifle/pistol bores, however. One other thing to watch out for is that the carrier solvent in Eezox (trichloroethylene or trichloroethane - I forget which) evaporates very quickly out of the container, resulting in a much thicker "goopier" material. Spray cans seem more resistant to this evaporation, but plastic squeeze bottles are crappy for this problem.

I'm not a shotgunner (I mainly "do" rifles & pistols). I use a decent copper solvent bore cleaner (Butch's Bore Shine), followed by CLP/Break-Free for lubrication. For long term rust protection, I highly recommend Eezox or Boeshield T-9. Note that Boeshield's T9 cans are piss poor at retaining spray pressure over time. I've had several lots lose pressure over a 1 year period. The product itself, however, is great at preventing rust.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Good advice, keep it simple. I think many people go way overboard on cleaning products, just look at the large number of products available, for what really is a small market. The boresnake is a truly brilliant invention!

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

+1 boresnake. I have one for every caliber handgun and rifle I own. Need to find one for my Saiga 12.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Ditto'ing this

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Thanks for joining the forum Chroniskid, ' and I'll just tell you what I think I know ... :coolbeer: Others may disagree ... Disclaimer: I'm just sharing my experienced opinion and I'm not claiming expert status here at all ...

I'm a BIG fan of the K.I.S.S. principle and saving money by avoiding buying everything they offer me in this advertising-driven world. Some products shown here I endorse highly from experience cost me almost nothing. I love my guns however and never scrimp, but I also follow the good doctor's creed, the Hippocratic Oath, "Thou shalt do no harm" when caring for a firearm.

The center-fire rifles require the most care, the rimfires next, and the shotgun last in needs and concerns for cleaning.

I use Sweet's 7.62 solventto remove all traces of copper jacket material when cleaning the bore of a center fire rifle, as in my now stolen DPMS Panther LR308 AR-10 style accuracy rifle.

I also endorse 'breaking-in' a new 'fine accuracy' barrel such as your .223 barrel with a poweful copper solvent. Break-in best occurs when the barrel is new... fire a shot and immediately clean the copper from the microscopic machining burrs. Do that for 4 more shots. Then every 5 shots until you've fired about 100 rounds. This is in effect stroking the barrel effectively like an oiled stone on a knife... it keeps the clogged-on copper from preventing this pure stroking process. Your barrel should then be more accurate and trouble free, requiring less cleaning and producing less copper fouling for the life of the new barrel. Sweet's 7.62 is a quite poweful but safe ammonia-based product that turns copper to green sludge and lifts it away with a cleaning cloth.

The AR-10 or AR-15 has a tiny gas port which I cleaned of burnt powder religiously with pipe cleaners and other soft tools and powder solvent.

I always us a drop of oil on the slide to frame area of an auto before target shooting, especially if it is steel on soft alloy.

I'm using Outer's Gun Oil after Birchwood Casey 2-in-1 bore cleaner for general purpose cleaning and preservative coat. On this, I'm not too brand-sensitive.

Pipe cleaners and toothpicks are an essential part of my cleaning kit. The toothpick is softer than metal and can do no harm, yet it works like a pick when moistened with solvent or dry. Pay particular attention to the rimfire chamber with that tooth-pick and other arms that seat on the rim, or otherwise the bolt face if it seats with the case shoulder or mouth.

I never spray lube into an action, it attracts fouling andf burnt powder residue. Especially never use WD-40 (junk) which turns to varnish and sludge for sure over time, and attracts fouling.

If I want to clean gun actions or parts with or without disassembly I use a liquid soak of about 95% kerosene mixed with 5% lubricating oil, or perhaps even hi-grade motor oil. The kerosene is a mild dirt solvent when used with an old toothbrush, and later it evaporates and leaves the oil coating as a lasting lubricant and protectant thin layer.

I never bought a Bore-Snake because I've made my own version for many years now. It's just a string with a small loop. I moisten the string tip with white glue to make it stiff enough to push from breech to muzzle. Then I cut a suitable size piece of clean old cotton t-shirt material and begin the cleaning process with a series of solvent soaked and finally lightly oiled patches. I've also used a section of green plastic kitchen scouring pad in the loop to clean leading or plastic from shotgun barrels, softer than brass bristles. Using an expensive store-bought bore snake for each caliber is not only expensive, it's like putting on dirty socks. I like DISPOSABLE clean items only, when cleaning my bore and honestly feel my cheap-o method is superior.

Remove all oil from the chamber of a high-intensity rifle as excess oil in the chamber or firing pin area can hang-fire or ruin primers, or even cause a dangerous case-head-separation.

I use a dental mirror to inspect the bore and inside of the receiver. A small flashlight is very handy used with this to see down a bore or chamber.

I never use a cleaning rod from the muzzle as the crown is the MOST IMPORTANT part of a rifle barrel, the last thing that touches the bullet as it is released from the barrel on it's way downrange. If I MUST use a rod from the muzzle, as in my 10/22, I always split a plastic soda straw and wedge and insert it into the muzzle snugly. Then I insert my cleaning rod ito that plastic straw so that my rod never touches the crown of a fine barrel. But this event is rare as the string method is great on a 10/22 and similar.

All the items below are very cost efficient, effective, and very compact and portable ... My handy maintainence stuff is always fresh and clean, because when dirty I just toss the dirt away.

Shown below:

• Jute string loop with stiff glued tip.
• Flashlight AAA LED Brinkman brand
• T-shirt patch
• Dental mirror
• Old toothbrush
• Break-free sample tube, very good stuff
• Bristle pipe cleaners and toothpicks
• Split soda straw section for muzzle
• Also but unrelated, I scanned a real handy item not used for cleaning but loading a variety of magazines, a cheap studded ring for my left thumb that is a godsend for stacking and stuffing rounds simply, treating my magazines like I should, avoiding damage while loading them.

I spend and or save my money wisely I hope. Take it all for what it's worth, not for what it cost me! :ok:

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

I have boresnakes for all my calibers and they work well but they are no end-all solution.
For a shotgun just use an old sock and some WD-40 followed by CLP.
I cannot stock enough CLP.
For everything else I use CLP, toothbrushes, toothpicks, Qtips and a push rod equipped with patches or a wire brush. My entire kit fits in a small tackle box.
I cannot stock enough cleaning rags.
Hoppe's #9 is useful for neutralizing corrosive primers.
Also, the 1" wide foam artist brushes work great for swabbing out magazines and the wooden handles work as a quick punch or set.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

This was on FerFAL's blog recently, it seems relevant:
---------------------
SHTF Gun Cleaning
Someone asked me about this, cant find teh comment right now but here it goes.

I don’t have money anymore for fancy gun cleaning stuff. Not at the current prices.
I have some H&R bore cleaner still left, but mostly use cheaper stuff.

Guys, pick pen and paper. Better yet, get your knife and carve this little list into your arm so you don’t forget!
Write it down and buy plenty of it next time you go to the hardware store:

*Red High Temp GREASE
*OIL
*KEROSENE
*WD40
*LIQUID SILICONE

Oil

Synthetic motor oil works just fine. Some people like it better than your favorite Hoppes.
I heard good things about Dexron Automatic Transmission Fluid too.
The best part is that you can buy large amounts of it for little money. Refill a smaller bottle for ease of handling.
Unlike expensive cleaners that come in little bottles and costs a fortune when you calculate how much money it’s all worth, here you buy quantity too. How much would a quart of Hoppes cost!?

Kerosene

Kerosene has many uses, its cheap, and cleans barrels as well as most stuff. Maybe a bit better than most. I use it just for the barrel, some people dunk the entire gun but some worry about plastic and finish.


Red high temp auto Grease

Red grease (thanks Nomad for the tip!) is great stuff. You can almost clean all the gun with it and will keep your rails lubricated 4x longer than Hoppes oil.

Cotton Rags

Hoppes Cleaning patches is what Angelina Jolie uses to clean her H&K USP.
Men uses cotton rags from old t-shirts.
Don’t waste your money!

So guys, this is a double treat.

1)It’s all VERY cheap
2)Buying large amounts not only saves money, but it ensures you have years worth of cleaning goods when SHTF. Something the guy that has all those little expensive bottles wont.

The way I clean guns:

Basic disassemble.
I put some kerosene in the barrel and let it soak in for a few hours. Scrub well and run some tight fitting kerosene rags through it, the tighter the better.
After that, and if wont be using that gun for a while, I put a few drops of oil and run another rag until it’s dry.
Some people say this creates a micro film that increases the pressure… but I’m hetero, so I just dry it up well and forget about it.

My guns work fine this way. I dry it well mostly to avoid oil getting to the primers. Even thought sealed primers are safe, I prefer not to risk it.
I clean slide and frame with an oily/greasy rag. Use a screwdriver to clean the rails and other groves.
I put some grease in the rail and contact surface of the barrel/slide, and oil for springs and smaller parts.
Try not to overdo the grease and oil, it attracts dirt and might do more harm than good.
I put a bit of grease on the exterior and rub all the exterior surface with the oily rag.
I try to avoid chemicals getting into much contact with plastic, but I don’t worry that much either.
Plastic is usually better left alone. Just rub some silicone once in a while.(also cheap and found in quantities in auto shops)
That’s basically it. Scrub the barrel, protect all surfaces with rubbing with oil/grease and dry everything up nicely, then put small amounts of oil and grease where necessary.

If my gun gets wet, I also spray it with WD40.
I used to clean everything with WD40 (drying it up with a rag) but it’s getting too expensive as well, so only use it when water or a lot of sweat is involved.

Ed's Red Bore Cleaner

Some people say pure kerosene can ruin a gun finish.
For those that want to try it and also very cheap, there Ed’s Red homemade bore cleaner:

1 Quart Dexron II, IIe or III ATF (automatic trans. fluid).

1 Quart 1 part Kerosene - deodorized

1 Quart K1 1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec.
TT-T-2981F, CAS #64741-49-9, or substitute "Stoddard Solvent" CAS
#8052-41-3, or equivalent, (aka "Varsol")

1 Quart Acetone, CAS #67-64-1

Mix in a well ventilated area.


That's it guys, take care

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Yup. CLP too.
Get some CLP into an airbrush. Nobody seems to listen, but it's the deal.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

I have a carbon fiber cleaning rod. A bit pricey but better than nicking the end of the barrel with a metal one.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Wow, shocking what some people use to clean. Some of those solvents and cleaners (like WD40 and Break Free) are really bad for gun steel in the long term.

I learned how to clean from a life-long old-school gunsmith. Here's what I suggest:

Equipment: soft cotton rags, gun solvent, gun oil, cleaning rod, lots of cotton patches. You can also use a cotton core type cleaner, but it isn't necessary.

Technique: Run a few patches with just a little solvent, to get out the heavy / sticky stuff. Use enough patches at once that you have to push firmly to get the rod through the barrel. Move mostly in one direction; no back-and-forth.

Next, repeat, using gun oil. Keep cleaning until the patches can be run through with oil on them and they come back clean. Only use a little oil; no need to soak the patches.

Inspect the barrel regularly for rust and other problems. If it's present, more intensive cleaning is required.

When the barrel is clean, disassemble and use gun oil only (no solvents) on the rest. Rub any fingerprints completely away. If you see rust developing, spend at least 10 minutes rubbing oil into it to arrest further decay. Only handle the gun with cotton cloth while cleaning; don't touch it with your hands directly.

Clean like this every time you shoot. Never store a dirty gun.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

Rifles get more copper fouling. Butchs Bore Shine. Hoppes for the regular carbon. Mobile Automatic transmission oil for Lubrication will work.

Bore snakes are a quick clean after a CLP Dousing.

If you have the time buy the good stuff in sufficient quanities and you will be OK.

Get Patches---lots of patches.

E-A

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

If you clean your guns regularly, a nontoxic CLP like SLIP2000 is a good idea. On the other hand, if you get by with just one or two cleanings per day, BreakFree and others may be fine.

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

I used to use CLP Break Free but when I got my 1st rifle I got a simple Hoppes 9 cleaning kit from Academy I think for like 9 dollars. I love it. Came with a cleaner and the oil. Works great, Glocks are coated in it, lightly, and they do very well. Plus...I like the smell of it. Grab a kit from Hoppes, WalMart prolly has 'em and go with it. Comes with the rods too so you can clean a pistol to a long gun with ease and get a thousand pack of patches if you want or just tear paper towels like I do and use them.

Heres what I got but in plastic:

http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...346-02310-0005

But worth 25 bucks id you aske me, it will last a long time...

Re: Please recommend gun cleaning accesories
 

make sure when you clean your gun that you get the chamber clean also, it is a bigger diamater than your boar so just make sure it is clean.
you can pick up a decent cleaning kit a mal wart for hardly any money.