Essential Cleaning Supplies
There are a lot of gun cleaning products on the market and choosing the right ones can feel daunting. If you are new to gun ownership, you don’t need to go out and spend a fortune on dozens of cleaning products. Instead, you just need a few basic items to keep your guns clean. These essential items are:
On the pages ahead, read more about these items, as well as my personal recommendations.
Cleaning Rod
The cleaning rod is the cornerstone of your gun cleaning kit. You will use the rod to wipe the bore, scrub the bore, and lubricate the bore. Each function requires a special end that you will attach to the rod (see page 3). You need a cleaning rod that is the appropriate length for your gun. If you have multiple guns of different lengths, consider purchasing a rod with extensions to increase the length if necessary.
A basic cleaning rod can be purchased for as little as $5. More elaborate rods with extensions, special finishes, or other features can cost as much as $40 or more.
Rod Attachments
You will need two basic attachments to go on your cleaning rod. First, you will need a brass or bronze bore brush in your caliber. These brushes are used to remove excess or stubborn build-up in your gun. Nylon and stainless steel brushes are also available but aren’t quite as effective at removing the gunk. When using brass or bronze brushes, however, be sure to use a general purpose solvent; solvents made to remove copper fouling can damage brass and bronze brushes.
In addition to a brush, you will also need a patch loop or a jag. A patch loop resembles a large eye of a needle and is used to hold the cleaning patch. A jag is a cylinder attachment with a point that pierces the patch. The jag is slightly smaller than the barrel of the gun, ensuring constant contact between the patch and the barrel.
Rod attachments are generally quite inexpensive, easily found for $5 or less per piece.
Cleaning Patches
Once you have your rod attachments, you will need cleaning patches to go with them. Patches come in a variety of sizes to fit various calibers. You can get either cotton patches or synthetic patches but I recommend buying only 100% cotton. The cotton patches tend to absorb better, leaving your bore cleaner than with synthetic patches.
Cleaning patches usually come in large quantities (anywhere from 100 to 1,000 or more) because you will go through a lot of them.
They are relatively inexpensive and range in price from about $2 to $5 per 100 patches, depending upon the size and brand. Any time you see a great deal, though, be sure to stock up. You can never have too many cleaning patches.
To get your bore clean, you will need a cleaning solvent to use with the patches and bore brush. There are many choices on the market but for a basic gun cleaning kit, stick to a general-purpose solvent. As mentioned previously, avoid copper fouling solvents for regular cleaning as they are extremely harsh and can break down your brushes. Break Free’s CLP, Hoppe’s No. 9, and Kleen-Bore No. 10 are all good choices.
A lubricant is used to protect the gun, particularly where metal meets metal (like the bullet to the bore).
A light swipe through the barrel with oil such as Hoppe’s Lubricating Oil or Militec’s Lubricating Oil will help to keep your gun in optimal working order. Just remember that a little oil goes a long way and too much lubrication can actually make your gun less reliable.
Because of the harsh nature of gun cleaning chemicals, you will want to stock your kit with these protective items:
There are a lot of gun cleaning products on the market and choosing the right ones can feel daunting. If you are new to gun ownership, you don’t need to go out and spend a fortune on dozens of cleaning products. Instead, you just need a few basic items to keep your guns clean. These essential items are:
- Cleaning Rod
- Bore Brush
- Patch Loop or Jag
- Cleaning Patches
- Cleaning Solvent
- Gun Lubricant
- Protective Items
On the pages ahead, read more about these items, as well as my personal recommendations.
Cleaning Rod
The cleaning rod is the cornerstone of your gun cleaning kit. You will use the rod to wipe the bore, scrub the bore, and lubricate the bore. Each function requires a special end that you will attach to the rod (see page 3). You need a cleaning rod that is the appropriate length for your gun. If you have multiple guns of different lengths, consider purchasing a rod with extensions to increase the length if necessary.
A basic cleaning rod can be purchased for as little as $5. More elaborate rods with extensions, special finishes, or other features can cost as much as $40 or more.
Rod Attachments
You will need two basic attachments to go on your cleaning rod. First, you will need a brass or bronze bore brush in your caliber. These brushes are used to remove excess or stubborn build-up in your gun. Nylon and stainless steel brushes are also available but aren’t quite as effective at removing the gunk. When using brass or bronze brushes, however, be sure to use a general purpose solvent; solvents made to remove copper fouling can damage brass and bronze brushes.
In addition to a brush, you will also need a patch loop or a jag. A patch loop resembles a large eye of a needle and is used to hold the cleaning patch. A jag is a cylinder attachment with a point that pierces the patch. The jag is slightly smaller than the barrel of the gun, ensuring constant contact between the patch and the barrel.
Rod attachments are generally quite inexpensive, easily found for $5 or less per piece.
Cleaning Patches
Once you have your rod attachments, you will need cleaning patches to go with them. Patches come in a variety of sizes to fit various calibers. You can get either cotton patches or synthetic patches but I recommend buying only 100% cotton. The cotton patches tend to absorb better, leaving your bore cleaner than with synthetic patches.
Cleaning patches usually come in large quantities (anywhere from 100 to 1,000 or more) because you will go through a lot of them.
They are relatively inexpensive and range in price from about $2 to $5 per 100 patches, depending upon the size and brand. Any time you see a great deal, though, be sure to stock up. You can never have too many cleaning patches.
To get your bore clean, you will need a cleaning solvent to use with the patches and bore brush. There are many choices on the market but for a basic gun cleaning kit, stick to a general-purpose solvent. As mentioned previously, avoid copper fouling solvents for regular cleaning as they are extremely harsh and can break down your brushes. Break Free’s CLP, Hoppe’s No. 9, and Kleen-Bore No. 10 are all good choices.
A lubricant is used to protect the gun, particularly where metal meets metal (like the bullet to the bore).
A light swipe through the barrel with oil such as Hoppe’s Lubricating Oil or Militec’s Lubricating Oil will help to keep your gun in optimal working order. Just remember that a little oil goes a long way and too much lubrication can actually make your gun less reliable.
Because of the harsh nature of gun cleaning chemicals, you will want to stock your kit with these protective items:
- Rubber gloves
- Protective goggles
- Disposable dust masks (optional)