Please give advice for handgun cleaning and Kits?

[wbond]

Regarding cleaning a handgun and cleaning kits:

I've cleaned rifles and shotguns before when younger, but I've often wondered if I really know how to do it properly since no one ever gave me any lessons or instruction.

I just figured it out the best I could.

However, I think it would be a good idea for me to get some advice from more experienced shooters. I only shoot non-corrosive primers, if that matters. I also live in a VERY damp, relatively cool climate, if that matters.

Cleaning rods available: steel, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, plastic, plastic coated steel, and carbon fiber. What's best?

My common sense makes me wonder if steel or stainless steel might be more likely to scratch the bore or damage rifling. My common sense also suggests to me that aluminum, brass, or plastic might be the softest on the bore.

What is the best cleaning rod? Should I be using a rod at all? I'd heard of something called a bore snake that makes a rod unnecessary. However, I don't really understand what a bore snake is and I don't know if that's really better. What is a bore snake? Do you like bore snakes?

Do you recommend any particular brands of cleaning kit(s)?

I assume brass brushes would be easier on bore than stainless brushes. Is this correct? I've heard that brushes should only be used occasionally to remove leading and that most cleanings only need solvent and a patch. Is that correct?

What solvents and lubes are best and why (for a carry pistol)?

Is it better to have a seperate solvent and lube, or a combination solvent-lube?

I want to do it right from now on instead of guessing. Please advise.

If it matters, I'm wanting to clean: 3 CZ-83s in .32, .380, 9x18; Ruger SP101 in .32 Mag; Firestrom .32, S&W .22 Mag, Bersa 83 in .380, and a Makarov IJ-70.

 

[WillBrayJr]

Check out Otis at: www.otisgun.com

 

[ARperson]

I love the bore snake. It's a stretchy (though not like elastic) cylindrical woven fabric-type "thingy" that has a feed cord, a built-in brush. You simply apply your cleaner of choice to the brush are, feed the cord through barrel, and pull the thing out through the muzzle. The brush area "scrubs" and the rest of the snake pulls the grime and excess cleaner out. Love it!

You'll probably find that no one kit you can buy at a sporting goods store or gun store is going to be adequate; particularly if you shoot a wide variety of firearms.

Your best bet, IMO (for what that's worth) if to purchase a package of different sized brushes and "pullies." (That's what we call the flexible "rods" that come in some kits. Don't know who maks 'em or what they're made of ,though I think Otis is a good source for them since it was my first Otis kit that had them.0 And a few different sized patch attachments. That's all you're really going to need.

Every once is a while you might find you need a more specialized piece, but for starters, what I mentioned about is good.

 

[f4t9r]

Check out Otis at: www.otisgun.com

+1 on the Otis Kit

 

[WillBrayJr]

I love the bore snake. It's a stretchy (though not like elastic) cylindrical woven fabric-type "thingy" that has a feed cord, a built-in brush. You simply apply your cleaner of choice to the brush are, feed the cord through barrel, and pull the thing out through the muzzle. The brush area "scrubs" and the rest of the snake pulls the grime and excess cleaner out. Love it!

You'll probably find that no one kit you can buy at a sporting goods store or gun store is going to be adequate; particularly if you shoot a wide variety of firearms.

Your best bet, IMO (for what that's worth) if to purchase a package of different sized brushes and "pullies." (That's what we call the flexible "rods" that come in some kits. Don't know who maks 'em or what they're made of ,though I think Otis is a good source for them since it was my first Otis kit that had them.0 And a few different sized patch attachments. That's all you're really going to need.

Every once is a while you might find you need a more specialized piece, but for starters, what I mentioned about is good.

The Otis Tactical Kit will clean a wide range of firearms

 

[Steve C]

I have never found one cleaning solvent that will do it all well. MPro-7 some close but it still doesn’t do the best and quickest job on copper fouling. I use a home made bore solvent "Ed’s Red" for light cleaning where there’s no real lead fouling. ER is good for powder fouling and cleaning .22 LR’s. Google Ed's Red and you'll find how to mix it up and even a pre-made mix from Brownells.

For lead fouling MPro7 is pretty good as is Shooters Choice lead remover. For copper fouling I use Sweets 7.62. It has a strong ammonia base and removes copper fouling very well. I prefer aluminum cleaning rods and push through jags. I only use a metal bristle bore brush if there’s lead to be removed. For powder fouling I’ll use a nylon bore brush or just patches. For lubrication and rust protection I usually use CLP or Rem Oil.


If you are shooting stainless revolvers, get a lead wipe-a-way cloth. Togethher with a popsicle stick it works the best for removing those carbon and lead rings from the cylinder face and other places like the forcing cone face. A cut patch shoved through the bore does a good job at removing light leading. Be aware that these cloths will remove the blueing on a blued gun.

 

[gazpacho]

Go to your locak hardware sore and get a nice basic toolbox with a removable tray. Should cost you $10 to $15 and will serve you well for storing all the cleaning junk you'll end up buying.

I like MPro7 for basic cleaning because it works well AND its non-toxic.
I keep Hoppes on hand for tough stuff.
Once a year (on my heavy use weapons) I hose down my guns with WD40 and completely strip them.
I like Tetra gun grease on rails and Tetra lubricant on working parts.

 

[IndianaDean]

The Otis Tactical Kit will clean a wide range of firearms

Yes it will, but it's way more of a hassle to use than a bore snake. I have an Otis kit, and liked it at first, but I find I haven't touched it now, or wanted to use it for several months.

 

[shu]

+1 boresnake

 

[Dog]

So what else would you need if you bought this?

BoreSnake™ - Field Kit
WORLD'S FASTEST GUN BORE CLEANER® FIELD KIT

Bore Snake™ Field Kit Includes

* Bore Snake™
* Bore Cleaner
* Bore Oil
* Anit-Rust Gun Wipe

 

[crackerjack]

Another + one for Otis kit. Works for me

 

[Caseless]

Hoppe's Boresnake + Otis kit work great for all my handguns and rifles.
For cleaners, I stick to MPro-7 and Breakfree CLP/LP since they don't smell as bad as the other brands.

 

[STAGE 2]

I've never been a fan of kits because no matter which one you get there is always something missing and always something you dont need.

The best advice I can give you is to make your own. Its the easiest, most cost effective solution, and youll be guaranteed to have everything you need.

For pistol cleaning heres what I consider must haves.

1. coated dewey cleaning rod - these are the best bar none and with proper care should last you the rest of your life

2. a couple of brass and nylon bore brushes - get the brass for what ever caliber you are cleaning and then get the nylon in a couple useful sizes such as small enough to clean a firing pin channel and large enough to clean the inside of a disassembled magazine.

3. patches - get the most you can for the cheapest price

4. a quality brass jag - works a billion times better than the loop holes that you're supposed to stick the patch through

5. a toothbrush - either the fancy ones at the gunshop or the cheap ones at target for cleaning the more fragile parts that dont require disassembly like around the hammer or trigger group

7. silicone gun cloth - for after cleaning so you can work the slide a couple of times without leaving fingerprints, or any time you handle the gun to avoid rust issues

8. a good gun mat - probably one of the most ignored things but well worth it in my opinion, no matter where you clean them you are gonna get some sort of residue on the surface of what you are cleaning... its a whole lot easier to just pick up a mat than to try and clean off these formulas off of a table top, plus its something soft to lay the gun on to protect the finish

The rod and the mat are the two most expensive things here, but if you shop around for these two you should be able to pick all of this up for less than the cost of whatever fancy delux kit thats sold in the stores.

If you want you can pick up a boresnake as well. I have one and they work well for for what they were designed for such as a quick run though at the range, but don't make the mistake of thinking that they can take the place of a proper field strip and cleaning.

As far as solvents go, I still havent decided on a particular one. Some popular ones include

-Mpro7
-Hoppes #9
-Sweets
-Butchs Bore Shine
-Breakfree CLP
-FP-10

I would say that each of these works well enough for general applications, though some have stronger points than others. Since you said you live in a damp area I would reccommend that you take a look at CorrosionX. Supposedly it has the best rust preventative abilities out of all of these cleaners.

As for cleaning the pistol itself, its not too involved a process. What I do is field strip the gun, take a patch coated in a strong bore solvent like Hoppes #9 or Hoppes elite bore gel and run it through the bore to get out the easy gunk. I then set the barrel in a pool of the bore solvent and take a break. An hour later I'll come back, wipe it off and run a dry patch through the bore. After the patch in goes the bore brush. Be careful NEVER to reverse the brush while inside the bore. Also try not to ding the sides of the bore with the rod. Depending upon how dirty it is ill either run another coated patch or just dry patches until they come out as clean as they go in.

As for the rest of the gun, scrub the rest of the inside with a nylon brush paying attention to areas where parts move and gunk accumulates. I do this with a softer solvent such as CLP or FP-10. Clean the mags with the same process, add some drops of oil to the barrel, sliderails and barrel bushing and youre set.

 

[Dienekes]

Second the idea of putting your own together. Most of the commercially assembled kits are on the hokey side and you will eventually replace half of it with something you find to work better for you anyway.

The coated Dewey rod is no doubt good (I use them on rifles) but I prefer the old standard GI cleaning rod--steel with a loop and threaded end for any and all brushes. You can find them at gun shows or as surplus. They are already about 50 years old and will last you another 50. Last ones I bought cost about a buck each. Even at $3 they're great.

I like the brass jags (Kleen-Bore) in appropriate sizes. If they have a sharp pointy tip I dull it a bit so I don't get stuck quite as much. Blood promotes rust.

I disagree violently on patches. I hate the slick synthetic or cotton t-shirt ones. Get the real deal--GI .30 caliber patches from Brownells. They will work fine for .38 and .45 caliber; cut them in quarters for .22. Nothing else works half as well.

A gun mat is good. An old mouse pad works well. My work surface is a 2' board with a rubber stairwell tread section. I wear one out every 15 or so years.

The GI M16 "toothbrush" is useful. Particularly useful is a "scaler" which is a large version of what your dentist uses to clean your teeth; Brownell's again. Good for getting into nooks and crannies, and about a thousand other uses. Best $7 you can spend...

Shop rags are better than other kinds of rags. Make your mechanic give you a couple when he works on your car and wash them out when they get dirty.

Oil--I use the equivalent of 3-in-1, Navy surplus. Bought 2 gallons @ .50 each years ago. Still have about 1 1/2 gallons left. Maybe some of these gee-whiz lubricants are better in some ways, but darned if I can see where it matters. Sometimes I think they are sold off the back of a medicine show wagon.

Oh, year--bore cleaner. I used to use GI bore cleaner when it was dirt cheap. Now I brew up some "Ed's Red" a gallon at a time. Deodorized kerosene (or JP-4 jet fuel), automatic transmission fluid, and I think some acetone. I throw some together every couple of years and always have refresh my memory on what goes in. I probably left out the eye of newt last time. Look it up on a search engine. Works fine and again, dirt cheap.

Brake cleaner works well to degunk guns that you don't want to completely disassemble.

For a pull-through, use a light weedwhacker line with a small knot tied in the end. Poke a small hole in the center of the patch, apply whatever liquid, and feed the line through the bore from the breech end. Makes a good field expedient and is also handier than always using a rod at home. Just keep it clean and avoid letting the end rub against the lands at the muzzle when pulling it through.

Cigar box to hold this miscellaneous stuff.

I was given the universal Otis kit but don't care for it. Too much fooling around. All in all too much cleverness.

 

[GruntII]

Otis cleaning Kits and Milcomm products.