Thinking of putting together a new cleaning kit. tips?

[swampcrawler]

So for the last... well as long as iv owned firearms iv just bought little 20 buck wally world cleaning kits, used them till I broke everything, and repeated. Now as I'm acquiring some nicer weapons and more knowledge, I'm thinking of putting together a decent kit. Admittedly my main toy right now is my contender, so I suppose it will be geared towards that. I'm thinking a one piece rifle rod, one piece pistol rod, solvents cleaners lubes and patches, jags for all the calibers I shoot, nylon brushes for actions and such.... and what else? I know this seems a bit elementary but it occurred to me the other day that I should obtain some better cleaning supplies. Thanks guys!

 

[lightman]

My cleaning kit now resides in an aluminum tool box. Over the years, I have added tools, gadgets, brushes, mops, jags, solvents, oils, ect,ect. Even some extra parts. A homemade pvc tube houses my cleaning rod. Its a little bulky, but its nice to have this stuff in the same place, its raintight, and its easy to load in the truck for a range trip or PD hunt.

Theres lots of opinions on cleaning rods, but most agree that 1 piece is best. Also, lots of opinions on bore solvents and oil. Lightman

 

[twofifty]

My cleaning kit now resides in an aluminum tool box. Over the years, I have added tools, gadgets, brushes, mops, jags, solvents, oils, ect,ect. Even some extra parts. A homemade pvc tube houses my cleaning rod. Its a little bulky, but its nice to have this stuff in the same place, its raintight, and its easy to load in the truck for a range trip or PD hunt.

Theres lots of opinions on cleaning rods, but most agree that 1 piece is best. Also, lots of opinions on bore solvents and oil. Lightman

I figure when guys have a lot of opinions on what solvent or lube are best, most everyone is right.

As to the OP's new 'kit' I think you're on the right track staying away from another kit, even one in a nice wood box. Get what you need and keep it together like Lightman does.

A la carte purchases will get you exactly what you need. Suggest taking a good look at Brownell's extensive and diverse product lines. Their patches are like nothing else out there.

 

[oneounceload]

I like ProShot rods - heavy brass handles, made in the US. Dewey and Tipton are other good brands. I use a brush one size larger when cleaning revolver cylinders or shotgun chambers. I also like to use a jag to push the cleaning patches through. Even have a boresnake for quick cleanups. When it comes to patches, I like the all cotton flannel ones, not the poly-blend
LOTS of good solvents and lubes - take your pick there

 

[witchhunter]

Swamper, I like 1 piece rods, Sweets is the go to copper remover, just don't leave it in too long. Get a Sinclair bore guide, and a gang of patches. can't have too many patches. If I lived down in your country, I would leave oil in my bore to prevent rust. I don't have that problem out here, so I leave it bare. Oh, I like JB paste too, along with the old Hoppe's solvent. There are lots of new oils and solvents. Don't use wd-40 though, it's not oil, it's water displacer.

 

[LongRider]

I use primarily a Bore Snake and Gunzilla a couple of brushes, Q tips, cleaning rod, some patches (mostly to confirm cleanliness) and a microfiber cloth to wipe down everything when I am done. In most cases I spray everything with the Gunzilla. Let sit for a minute run the Bore Snake down the barrel a few times check it with a patch repeat as needed. Give everything a good brushing, use the Q tips for tight spots. Wipe everything down and reassemble. The Gunzilla cleans lubes and protects better than any product or group of products I have ever used. Plus I can clean lube and protect in one step.

 

[Captains1911]

My home-assembled cleaning kit put together over the years resides in a plastic Stanley tool box. A less common item I feel worth mentioning is surgeons forceps. You can use them with snipped off q-tip heads to clean in smaller hard to reach places. They come in both straight and curved end configurations, I have a pair of both.

Like these: http://www.amazon.com/SE-161S2-Hemostats-Curved-Straight/dp/B000W1Y9YU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389216219&sr=8-2&keywords=forceps

 

[lightman]

Yeah, surgeons forceps are always useful. Dental picks, pipe cleaners, and old tooth brushes are too. It would probably take me an hour to list all the stuff in my range box/ cleaning kit. Lightman

 

[lagnaf41]

I use a medium sized tackle box,open the lid and you've got multiple small divided slots for brush's, jags, etc.Plenty of other divided slots for Q tips, bore snakes, bottom area for rods and whatever else, works great.