Recycling old T shirts into gun patches?

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chevyman097

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So I needed to stock up on gun patches and grabbed a 1k pack from midway. Im stocked and good for a bit. But I couldnt help but think when I unpacked them and was looking at them. They are just cotton patches right.

Why wouldnt I recycle my old cotton t shirts into gun patches? Gee I go through a lot of under shirts. Im thinking why throw em away, no different looking that these patches I buy.

Anyways else done this or do this? Any reason why not to? I cant think of any, heck it seems like a great way to go green. :D
 
Socks make good outside wipers. T-shirts make GREAT patches, but so do used boxers...wash very well first. I haven't purchase gun cleaning patches in many, many years.
 
Cotton t shirts will do, but most are cotton/polyester blends. A yard or two of 60" wide remnant cotton flannelette makes hundreds of patches for under $10.
 
Old clothes are usually kind of thin for cleaning patches. But they are free.

A friend buys flannel by the yard and his wife cuts it into patches of any size wanted with her quilting gear.
 
I cut the legs off a couple of pairs of old blue jeans to make shorts and saved the denim to make cleaning patches. Denim has more texture than regular cotton and seems to do a better job.
 
I picked up a big bundle of cotton cleaning patch material, I believe at a sporting goods outlet store. The label said it was scrap material from making cotton underwear at a women's prison in the prison shop. Some of it is plain white, and some has a print design with little flowers or something on it, but it works fine.
 
What's wrong with the bore snake? It gets the job done in no time. Frankly it is a wonder why patches are still used.

I would be grateful if any of you men would help clarify this?

Thanks. ll
 
I don't use store-bought patches any more. I either use old t-shirts, or I use a bore snake. I would entirely use bore snakes, but I don't feel like I can justify spending the money right now when what I really need is a bi-pod, tri-rail, etc...:D
 
I find that old flannel bed sheets make great patches; old cotton shirts make very good general rags for cleaning crud out of actions, etc. Old bluejean denim pant legs make good gun cases when sewn with velcro on one end, and the scraps left over are good for general shop use be it guns, auto repair, etc. Just remember to dispose of oily rags properly as to not start a fire in your shop.
 
What's wrong with the bore snake? It gets the job done in no time. Frankly it is a wonder why patches are still used.
Click to expand...

I used bore snakes for a while. They also get dirty, and they are a pain to clean.

Then I read that someone managed to break a much-used one inside their rifle and had a rather amusing time trying to extract it. I tossed all my bore snakes.

For me, a multi-sectional rod works OK for a hunting trip where I might want to clean a rifle. Not as good as a 1-piece, but much easier to pack.

Also, if you ever manage to get snow or something in your bore, it is possible to knock it out with a cleaning rod. I'm not sure how much help a bore snake would be in those circumstances. :)
 
What's wrong with the bore snake? It gets the job done in no time. Frankly it is a wonder why patches are still used.

I would be grateful if any of you men would help clarify this?

Thanks. ll
Click to expand...

I have nothing against bore snakes. But I just personally feel uncomfortable making myself rely on them alone. I have many different calibers for one. Secondly I dont feel comfortable using them in my old military files I shoot corrosive ammo in. Maybe its just me being nervous. I dont think anything can get the job done like a good old scrubbing. Besides, why waste the cloth right?


Thanks for all the input guys! Some ideas I never thought of. I had a feeling my genius thought would soon be crushed by the fact that this was very common....lol newbie me. Just one of those things that pops in your head one day and it was so simple.
 
Some good info in this thread. I'm thinking about buying a pack of green or black t-shirts, cutting them into patches, and selling them as 'tactical cleaning patches'. Gotta be worth at least $0.50/patch, being 'tactical' and all. Hmmm.
 
I have been using T-shirt material for gun cleaning forever. Bore snakes are too expensive. I shoot alot of corrosive ammo in my milsurps which results in a cleaning session after every shoot. I go through alot of patches.....chris3
 
Why wouldn't you? I thought everyone did this. I have a spot set aside for old tshirts, underwear, and other miscellaneous bits of clothing I no longer have use for, right underneath the kitchen sink...Old, well-worn, thick sweat shirts cut up make great outside cleaning clothes. Soft and fluffy...
 
I wear a cotton under-shirt every day...so I have about a metric ton of them in various states of worn out. They get saved for gun cleaning patches.

True story. Was hunting and needed a bandage for something. Sat there thinking for a while, "I wish I had a band-aid". Then it dawned on me. Out came the pocket knife and I cut off a piece of my cotton shirt tail (it was on it's last leg anyhow) and I was good to go. I've since done the same for times when you need a little rag but don't have one handy.
 
Why wouldnt I recycle my old cotton t shirts into gun patches?

Have done this for years. Learned it in Vietnam. If someone did an analysis of supply items in Vietnam they would find guys in the field went thru an abnormal number of Tshirts.
 
Wally World USED to carry packaged new t-shirt material tag ends, but you had to cut them to size, I liked them for shotgun patches.

The Pro Shot company makes sized flannel patches in 1K packs they are way superior to the cotton t shirt material, they hold more solvent and pick up a lot more residue.
 
I cut my own....I have a fabric cutter that makes it a breeze. It looks kinda like a pizza cutter. You use it on a special cutting board. It will zip thru 2-3 layers of flannel in one swipe.
 
I use linen sheets recycled for cleaning metal on the job. I use extras at home for various cleaning projects including bore patches scissor cut to size, no lint. they come in 10 lb. boxes.
 
Why buy something, when you can make your own. I've been using old white t shirts as patches for years...I cut them up while my wife is watching some boring junk on TV.
 
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